Appalachian Studies Commons^™

Recording Review Of Spain In My Heart: Songs Of The Spanish Civil War, Ted Olson

ETSU Faculty Works

Spain in My Heart: Songs of the Spanish Civil War. 2014. Written and compiled by Jürgen Schebera. Bear Family Records, book, CDs (7), DVD, BCD 16093.

Old Time And Bluegrass: Two Main Strains Of Music Along The Crooked Road, Ted Olson

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: Visitors to the Crooked Road and the Mountains of Music Homecoming will hear both old time and bluegrass music, though the difference between the two is sometimes unclear.

In The Deep Heart’S Core: A Mystic Cabaret By Joseph Sobol, Lee Bidgood

ETSU Faculty Works

A cycle of songs and spoken pieces from the verses and essays of Ireland's master poet, W. B. Yeats, In the Deep Heart’s Core is a stunning evening of musical theatre. The Chicago Tribune called it "A joy--poetry to the ears, alternately tender and rousing." Featuring Joseph Sobol and original cast member Kathy Cowan. Performers include Lee Bidgood, Dominic Aquilino, Clara Ray Burrus, and Robbie Link.

Now & Then (Volume 32, Issue 02, 2016), Center Of Excellence For Appalachian Studies And Services, East Tennessee State University

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine, Volume 32, Issue 02, published in 2016. The theme of this issue is the Future of Appalachia. This issue considers the future of Appalachia at a moment of transition, pairing reflections on change with an awareness of the region's past and present conditions. As the paper magazine is ending, contributors reflect on economic uncertainty, environmental pressures, and shifting cultural forms, while also identifying opportunities for renewal and growth. The future is framed not as a fixed outcome but as something shaped by choices related to land use, industry, health, and community life, often …

Now & Then (Volume 32, Issue 01, 2016), Center Of Excellence For Appalachian Studies And Services, East Tennessee State University

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine, Volume 32, Issue 01, published in 2016. The theme of this issue is Cultivating Appalachia. This issue captures cultivation in Appalachia through reflections that focus on land, tradition, and community life as ongoing practices shaped by care, labor, and memory. Contributors describe relationships to place through stewardship, creative work, and the transmission of knowledge across generations, while also addressing change and uncertainty in rural life. Across the issue, preservation and adaptation appear in tension as communities negotiate continuity and transformation. Together, the pieces present cultivation as a recurring lens for understanding how people …

Now & Then (Volume 31, Issue 02, 2016), Center Of Excellence For Appalachian Studies And Services, East Tennessee State University

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine, Volume 31, Issue 02, published in 2016. The theme of this issue is Justice in Appalachia. Framed by questions of justice and accountability, this issue brings together writing that addresses legal, environmental, social, and cultural struggles across Appalachia. Drawing on both historical memory and contemporary events, it documents labor conflicts, resource extraction, and public health crises alongside efforts to organize, protest, and seek reform. Contributors present personal narratives and community based accounts that examine issues of identity, including LGBTQ and Melungeon experiences, as well as movements for racial justice and intergenerational activism. The …

Bill Monroe And Czech Bluegrassers: Imagination And The Production Of Place In Music, Lee Bidgood

ETSU Faculty Works

Journal Summary: Bluegrass and Old Time Country Music: Buried Roots is a collection of articles by noted country music scholars Wayne Daniel, James Akenson, Gregory Hansen and Lee Bidgood. This is a special publication of the International Country Music Journal, an extension of the International Country Music Conference held annually at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Blind Alfred Reed: Appalachian Visionary, Ted Olson

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: An unpublished song by Blind Alfred Reed, transcribed by Reed’s granddaughter Delores Crawford.

Recording Review Of Parchman Farm: Photographs And Field Recordings, 1947-55, Ted Olson

ETSU Faculty Works

Review of Parchman Farm: Photographs and Field Recordings, 1947-55

The 1927 Bristol Sessions And Ralph Peer: A Myth And A Legend Losing Luster In The Cold Light Of Recent Scholarship, Ted Olson

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: The so-called 1927 Bristol sessions—the recording sessions conducted in Bristol, Tennessee/Virginia, during July-August 1927 by A&R (Artists & Repertoire) producer Ralph Peer and his employer, the Victor Talking Machine Company—garnered relatively little attention until the 1970s. At that point, a few scholars (notably, music historians Charles K. Wolfe, Bill C. Malone, Tony Russell, and Nolan Porterfield) and some serious music fans began to view this long-ago event in a small Appalachian city as one of the most important recording sessions of all time.

"A Spark" With Critical Introduction "Ore And Lore: Mining, Literature, And Loss", Andrea J. Warren

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis explores the emotional, physical, and familial repercussions of coal mining in the Appalachian region, especially in regards to relationships within the community. The thesis is divided into two parts; a critical essay in which the objective facts, statistics, and histories of coal mining are addressed, and a short story which shares the subjective experience of the Hicks family.

Czech Bluegrass In Play, Lee Bidgood

ETSU Faculty Works

Drawing from scholarship on play, ritual, and performance, I propose that Czech bluegrass thrives – as does my fieldwork – in a state of in-betweenness, in a territory that is between work, play, here and there, self and other. Being comfortable with this kind of in-between state is important for fieldwork, and for music-making – play, I find, is both a central activity and metaphor in both. The bluegrass play I discuss in this essay can become a response to the encroachment of Americanization in economic and cultural globalization, but also a way of being “Americanist” – and entirely Czech.

Review Of The Original Carolina Chocolate Drops: Giddons, Rhiannon. 2015. Tomorrow Is My Turn; Flemons, Dom. 2015. Prospect Hill; And Robinson, Justin. 2012. Bones For Tinder, Lee Bidgood

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: Dom Flemons, Rhiannon Giddens, and Justin Robinson met at the Black Banjo Gathering at Appalachian State University in 2005. Inspired by this meeting in Appalachia, the trio worked to connect the legacy of Cumberland Plateau fiddler Howard Armstrong (of the 1920s band the Tennessee Chocolate Drops) with musical material they learned from their mentor, North Carolina Piedmont fiddler Joe Thompson. As the Carolina Chocolate Drops (CCD), these musicians explored a variety of black string band traditions.

Book Review Of Robert Morgan's Nonfiction Books, Ted Olson

ETSU Faculty Works

Robert Morgan's Nonfiction Books

Tracing Appalachian Musical History Through Fiction: Representations Of Appalachian Music In Selected Works By Mildred Haun And Lee Smith, John C. Goad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research seeks to compare and contrast fictional Appalachian writings by Lee Smith and Mildred Haun to contemporary historical sources in an attempt to trace the development of Appalachian music between the mid-nineteenth century and the late twentieth century. The thesis examines two novels by Lee Smith (The Devil’s Dream and Oral History) and the collection The Hawk’s Done Gone by Mildred Haun, which includes a short novel and several short stories. Contemporary primary sources and scholarly secondary sources were used to compare the fictional works’ depictions of Appalachian music to their historical counterparts. Also included within the …

Media Representation Of Islam And Muslims In Southern Appalachia, Saundra K. Reynolds

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Southern Appalachian attitudes about the religion of Islam and Muslim adherents are influenced largely by mass media's representations. With more than 80% of Appalachia’s population following Protestant Christianity, exposure to Islam in daily life is limited. Media outlets offer the greatest exposure to information about the religion and its adherents. This thesis examined the region's media representation of Islam and Muslims to determine what images are most often portrayed. Research following a twoyear span of reporting in Southern Appalachia studied substance, word frequency, imagery, and editing used in articles that focused on Islam and Muslims. Through the use of content …

“The Great Speckled Bird”- Early Country Music And The Popularization Of Non-Secular Song, Kris R. Truelsen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Perhaps no melody in the country music canon has been as widely recognized and borrowed from as that of the song “The Great Speckled Bird.” This significant song has become resonant and representative of both country music culture and religious culture of the Protestant South.

Through this historiographical study, I have traced the influences that helped shape “The Great Speckled Bird” and in so doing have illustrated distinct movements that led to popularizing the non-secular song through commercial country music. The composer’s use of sentimentality, neo- traditionalism, and religious ideas made it appealing to a rural southern culture struggling with …

Collaboration, Fieldwork, And Film, Lee Bidgood

ETSU Faculty Works

Excerpt: I never imagined that I would help produce a documentary film based on my ethnographic fieldwork. Meeting documentary filmmaker Shara Lange during new faculty orientation at the university where we were both newly hired eventually led to our film Banjo Romantika (2013)—a full-length feature based on my research on bluegrass music in the Czech Republic, in which I play a key role as writer, producer, and on-screen character. Taking part in this film project has led me to consider how film enriches relationships with field colleagues, providing new opportunities for teaching and learning. I find that collaborations like ours …

The Process Of Musical Acquisition For Traditional String Musicians In The Homeschool Environment, Keith R. Williams

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This qualitative study examined how three accomplished traditional string musicians learned music in their homeschool environments. Data were derived from formal interviews of the three musicians. The research framework for this qualitative study is based upon the socio-educational model of second language learning motivation developed by R. C. Gardner (1959, 1985, 2004, 2010) and applied to the study of instrumental music learning motivation by P. D. MacIntyre (2012). Structured interview questions, triangulated by additional informal dialogues, field observations, externally documented sources, and collaboration with an expert review panel were the data collection activities utilized in the research. Five overarching themes …

Jess's Search For An Understanding Of Truth In Fred Chappell's Kirkman Tetralogy, Alex L. Blumenstock

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In Fred Chappell’s Kirkman tetralogy, narrator Jess Kirkman synthesizes a multiplicity of perspectives for understanding the nature of truth. Blurring the distinction between art and life, Jess's narrative structure mirrors the imaginative reconstruction of experience; the novels are largely non-chronological emotive interactions with and reflections of his most salient memories and imaginings. Synthesizing an impressive cacophony of voices, Jess's stories both describe and apply the wisdom and tales Jess acquires from and with his family members. Each story informs the prior and the next, and the rhizomatic interaction between language, narrative, and reader explores Jess's numerous identities and understandings as …

Under The Shadow Of The Awful Gallows-Tree: The Murder Trials Of Thomas Dula And Ann Melton As A Case Study In Gender And Power In Reconstruction Era Western North Carolina, Heather L. Miller

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This is a micro-history that explores everyday life on a small scale by tracing the common, if elusive lives of Thomas Dula, Ann Melton, and Laura Foster, and the communities they lived in, to explore the culture in which they lived—and died. Reactions to the murder unleashed an outpouring of discourse embedded in broader, national debates concerning gender roles. The dominant cultural theme that emerged from the murder trials as reflected in middle-class newspapers maintained that true women did not kill and real men acted as gentlemen and defenders of women’s honor. The project mines a wealth of primary source …

O Brother, Where Art Thou? Understanding Culturally-Produced Limitations On Gay Male Community Formation In South Central Appalachia, Michael Brandon Brewer

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This research examines limitations presented to gay men living in south central Appalachia that are produced by Appalachian culture itself, in regard to community formation. This qualitative study intersects existing scholarship on rural sexualities, gay communities and Appalachian culture in order to gain insight into the complexities that effect men in the region. The data is synthesized through a contextual dialectics framework in order to position both the Appalachian culture in its entirety, and gay men residing in the region, as agentic actors that are simultaneously informed by and produce tensions between the two. This study explores ways in which …

Dewey Meets Bluegrass: Progressive Educational Theory In The Establishment Of Traditional Music Programs In Higher Education, John C. Goad

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The study focuses on connections between the Progressive era educational theories of John Dewey and present-day bluegrass and traditional music programs in higher education in order to explore a pedagogical basis for such programs. The research specifically examines Dewey’s beliefs in experiential learning, individualization, and vocational education and their current applications in traditional music education. The study included two major components: historical research into Dewey’s writings and primary and secondary sources regarding traditional music education in the United States, and interviews of faculty members in college and university bluegrass and traditional music programs. The thesis of this study is that …

Appalachian Studies As An Academic And Activist Field, 1970-1982, Emily Booker

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the formation of Appalachian studies as an academic field from roughly 1970 to 1982. First, this thesis analyses regionalism and what defines a region, focusing on the different contexts and narratives through which Appalachia has been described. Second, this thesis examines how scholars and activists in the region challenged prevailing narratives and sought new ways to examine and contextualize the region. Efforts to challenge stereotypes and address the social, political, and economic problems of the region galvanized academics and activists alike. Despite their similar work and shared vision for an interdisciplinary regional field, academics and activists often …

Recording Review Of Alexis Zoumbas: A Lament For Epirus, 1926-1928 And Five Days Married & Other Laments: Song And Dance From Northern Greece, 1928-1958, Ted Olson

ETSU Faculty Works

Review of Alexis Zoumbas: A Lament for Epirus, 1926-1928 and Five Days Married & Other Laments: Song and Dance from Northern Greece, 1928-1958

Book Review Of 'Exploring American Folk Music, Ethnic, Grassroots, And Regional Traditions In The U.S.’ By Kip Lornell, Lee Bidgood

ETSU Faculty Works

Review of ‘Exploring American Folk Music, Ethnic, Grassroots, and Regional Traditions in the U.S.’ by Kip Lornell

Book Review Of Hank Reineke: Arlo Guthrie: The Warner Reprise Years, Ted Olson

ETSU Faculty Works

Arlo Guthrie: The Warner/Reprise Years. By Hank Reineke. (Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2012. Pp. xix + 327, series editor's foreword, preface, acknowledgments, discography, bibliography, index, 11 photographs, three illustrations.)

Improving Tennessee Health Care Providers Understanding Of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, Ivy Click, Nicholas E. Hagemeier

ETSU Faculty Works

No abstract provided.

Now & Then (Volume 31, Issue 01, 2015), Center Of Excellence For Appalachian Studies And Services, East Tennessee State University

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine, Volume 31, Issue 01, published in 2015. The theme of this issue is The Best of 30 Years, Part II. This issue continues the retrospective series by revisiting works from 2000 to 2014, drawing together writing that reflects the changing conditions of Appalachian life in the early twenty first century. The collection moves across topics such as environmental conflict, outmigration, cultural representation, family and faith, and the realities of economic hardship, often grounded in personal narrative and lived experience. Several pieces address the tension between tradition and change, including the preservation of local …

Now & Then (Volume 30, Issue 02, 2015), Center Of Excellence For Appalachian Studies And Services, East Tennessee State University

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine

Now & Then: The Appalachian Magazine, Volume 30, Issue 02, published in 2015. The theme of this issue is The Best of 30 Years, Part I. This issue presents the first part of a retrospective collection, drawing from selected works published between 1984 and 1999 to revisit major themes in Appalachian studies. It brings together essays, interviews, and narratives that reflect on topics such as health, place, and cultural tradition, community leadership, labor activism, media, religion, and humor, illustrating the breadth of concerns that have shaped the magazine's earlier volumes. The selections emphasize lived experience, storytelling, and regional identity, …