Folk musician Dan Berggren credits Adirondack childhood for values reflected in songs

Co-host of Folk Kids Club at Caffé Lena joins the Capital Region Eddies Hall of Fame

SARATOGA—Music connects generations to their ancestors and homes. Dan Berggren, a folk songwriter, shares the stories of the mountains where he spent his formative years. His exceptional songs transport you back to that place of family, nature and love. Berggren’s incredible artistry is being recognized with his induction into the Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Hall of Fame at Universal Preservation Hall March 24.

Berggren is a tradition-based songsmith who explores themes of nature and family with unique honesty and humor. He grew up in the Adirondack Mountains and his songs reflect who he is and the lessons he learned in the woods.

His songs reveal a deep yearning to uncover what truly matters in life—fostering connection, caring for one another and the planet and discovering beauty in everyday moments.

“I hope that people will listen more to music—all kinds of music—not just what’s in vogue at the time. Sit in a room with their family and tell stories. Or on a car trip somewhere to not have everyone playing their own music through earphones, but to sing a couple of songs together. Something silly that they learned when they were kids,” he said. “Making music yourself and sharing that with other people. That’s my hope.”

Berggren’s music is a reflection of his childhood. He grew up on a fifth-generation farm with the mountains as his backyard.

“I think that influenced when I started writing and creating songs. That was the background for telling these stories, stories about neighbors, stories about my father, my grandparents. It was part of the landscape,” he said.

According to Berggren, he was teaching students how to listen—a lesson he learned from his uncle when he was a teenager. “He took me out into the woods and said, ‘Danny, close your eyes. Tell me, what kind of tree is behind you?’ He said, ‘just listen.’  And I took a guess.”

“Is it a spruce tree? ‘No, no. A spruce has short needles. That’s a white pine behind you with long needles,’ my uncle said. ‘It makes a lower sound. Think about the leaves in the fall, when they turn crisp, how they make a different sound than in the summer. And then in the winter, when all the leaves are off the trees, the only thing left to vibrate when the wind blows are the branches.’”

“It helped pave the way for a career of teaching, listening. If you like to actually listen, it is very hard for people. They like to hear things, but I truly listen to it,” he said. “People don’t get to experience silence as much.”

After serving in the military as a broadcaster, he received his master’s from Syracuse University and became an audio production teacher.

As a teacher for over two decades, Berggren juggled a lot of grades and miles. Teaching in Fredonia, he would travel back to the Adirondacks on the weekends to play different gigs. In 1985, Berggren found Caffé Lena which became a musical home for him and his artistry.

He also recorded his first album that year, under his own label Sleeping Giant Records. Berggren has an extensive back catalog containing nearly 20 albums of mostly original songs.

These days you can find Berggren at Caffé Lena every Wednesday morning as co-host and co-producer of Folk Club Kids. He also serves as Trustee Emeritus of Great Camp Sagamore.

His music, he says, “is a tip of the hat to the people who worked so hard to make the Adirondacks a home. And whether someone who comes to Folk Club Kids or comes to a concert, I hope it brings comfort when they experience the song in the context of its history.”

Berggren will join the Eddies Music Hall of Fame 7 p.m. Monday, March 24. Tickets are on sale now for this exceptional celebration of music and those who make it happen in the Capital Region, sponsored by MLB Construction Services, LLC and media partner WEXT.  Visit the Box Office at Proctors in-person or via phone at (518) 346-6204 Tuesday-Saturday 12 p.m.-6 p.m. or online by visiting atuph.org.

The Capital Region Thomas Edison Music Awards and Hall of Fame, as well as UPH, are part of Proctors Collaborative.