Mountain
Music Traditions Association
The Traditional Music Project has worked with many
dedicated folks to form an association of music teachers,
musicians and community organizers to develop an old
time mountain music educational initiative. On November
11-13, twenty-five of these wonderful people gathered
for a retreat at the
Hindman Settlement School in Hindman, KY to formally
charter the Mountain Music Traditions Association.
At this meeting, we voted on the name, approved a mission
statment and elected the first round of officers. The
steering committee will be working over the next year
to establish this association and launch it to the world.
Stay tuned to this website for updates on this exciting
project!
The mission of the Mountain Music
Traditions Association is to create, promote and support
educational experiences that teach the art of performing
traditional Appalachian music, story and dance as well
as the history, culture and community of these arts.
STAY TUNED AS THIS WEBSITE WILL GROW!
Old-Time on the Web
Here are some sites on the World Wide Web that contain valuable information about old-time music. Teachers can use these additional resources to expand on the information provided in this curriculum document.
Appalshop
— A nonprofit media & arts education
center in Whitesburg, KY, Appalshop has strong ties
to Old Time Mountain music, particularly with WMMT-FM
community radio, Juneappal Records label, Appalshop
films and the Traditional Music Program.
The
Kentucky Folklife Program The mission of
the Kentucky Folklife Program is to identify, document,
and conserve the state's diverse cultural traditions,
generally referred to as folklife. An interagency program
of the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky
Arts Council, the Kentucky Folklife Program strives
to increase awareness of the state’s folklife
through diverse cultural programming.
Teacher's
Guide to Kentucky Folklife
This guide includes an introduction to folklore,
folklife readings, lesson plans, classroom activities,
and a resource guide for teachers. Available on
line as a PDF file.
The
Kentucky Arts Council provides a variety
of opportunities for arts education in Kentucky's K-12
schools, including grants for bringing folk artists
to schools.
The
Kentucky Humanities Council is a great
resource for exploring Kentucky culture through the
humanities disciplines. The website provides
resources for humanities teachers, information about
the Chautauqua
progam- which includes a portrayal of Lily May Ledford
- and funding
opportunities.
The Old-Time Music Home Page — Information about old-time music, database of musicians and other helpful things.
The American Music Education Initiative (AMEI) of the National Music Foundation is designed to identify, recognize and support the creative educational accomplishments of teachers who use American music in the classroom. They “make it easier for other teachers to use American music by giving them free lesson plans that have been developed by teachers, proven in the classroom and acknowledged by education professionals." AMEI invites teachers everywhere to send in examples of their lessons that use American music. The lessons can be for any subject, in any grade K-12; they can use any type of American music.
The
Birthplace of Country Music Alliance The
Birthplace of Country Music Alliance (BCMA), based in
Bristol, TN/VA, is dedicated to calling attention to
the crucial role played by artists from East Tennessee,
Southwest Virginia, and the southern Appalachian region
in country, bluegrass, and other musical avenues which
have been nurtured by this region. Attending not only
to the past, BCMA has developed programs which address
this musical heritage in the present and promote its
continuation into the future.
The
American Folklife Center —
The official home of folk music information at the United
States Library of Congress.
Morgan Sexton — A short essay about this Letcher County, Kentucky, banjo picker.
The Old Time Herald — A magazine dedicated to old-time
Hetzler's Fakebook — A web site for beginning through intermediate fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin and dulcimer players who want to learn traditional music.
ezFolk.com — A clawhammer banjo tutorial.
History of the Banjo — A history from the folks at Bluegrassbanjo.org.
Dr. Horsehair — Banjo recordings and instruction in minstrel and clawhammer style playing.
Musical Traditions — The Magazine for Traditional Music throughout the world.
The Mudcat Café — In addition to its connection to The Digital Tradition Database, Mudcat offers a variety of traditional folk music resources, including kids’ activities.
East Tennesee State University —Archives of the university’s music program.
Folklife Resources for K-12 Classrooms
A Teacher's Guide to Folklife Resources is a list of materials recently prepared for the classroom by folklorists and other cultural studies. The Guide also includes a selected list of agencies with established commitments to folklife programming and a brief list of suggested readings.
IBMA
Bluegrass in the Schools
Bluegrass in the Schools program with curriculum
materials, including Discover Bluegrass: Exploring
American Roots Music
The
Crooked Road Trail (Virginia) “The
Crooked Road” is Virginia’s Heritage Music
Trail, a driving route through the Appalachian Mountains
from the western slopes of the Blue Ridge to the Coalfields
region of the state. The trail connects major heritage
music venues in the Appalachian region such as the Blue
Ridge Music Center, Birthplace of Country Music Alliance,
and the Carter Family Fold. This website provides information
about the communities and music venues along the trail.
A good starting place for getting acquainted with SW
Virginia's musical heritage.
The
Hutchins Library of Berea College’s Special Collections
and Archives has a large archive of Appalachian
music and relevant research materials. Knott County,
KY fiddler Hiram
Stamper is included in the archives, with a significant
amount of information available on their website.
Berea's
Sound Archive is searchable on-line.
The
William Leonard Eury Appalachian Collection
(Appalachian State University) is a repository with
more than 37,000 volumes of books and over 200 periodical
subscriptions related to the Southern uplands, with
strengths in the social sciences, regional history,
folklore, music, religion, genealogy, fiction, and African
and Native Appalachia.
Suzanne Savell
Traditional Music Program
91 Madison Avenue, Whitesburg, KY 41858
606.633.0108
ssavell@appalshop.org
