The Sound of Appalachia
Posted on May 22, 2008 | By Denny Tyler | 6 Comments
This post doesn’t have so much to do with mountaintop removal but has quite a lot to do with a couple of authors to this blog and the culture and heritage associated with the mountains.
As much as I hate to admit it, before starting this battle I wasn’t very familiar with Appalachian folk music. I mean I knew what it was and I had heard the music quite a bit but I never really got it. I can no longer say that because now I get it. Appalachian folk music puts a huge exclamation point on our heritage and culture. It is as much a part of mountain people as the mountains are themselves.
Bluemountainmama has been with this blog from it’s very beginning and was the first person I asked to co-author. Until recently I didn’t know of another passion of hers, singing songs of the mountains. I knew she played a dulcimer but really had no idea. I actually told her in an e-mail a few days ago that before knowing her I wouldn’t have known what a dulcimer was if someone were to hit me in the head with one. I have to say that Blue plays the dulcimer beautifully and has the voice to go right along with it. I encourage you to visit Blue’s music page and get yourself a heavy dose of good old fashion mountain music. You will not regret it especially if you value the culture and heritage associated with living in the mountains.
A month or so ago I received a link to a YouTube video. The video is of Shirley Stewart Burns, another co-author, singing one of her songs at an Appalachian Studies Conference. I had chills running up and down my spine the entire time I listened to her sing. I couldn’t get over the fact of how strong her voice was and the passion she was able to instill into the song in a venue where singing is most likely not the norm.
I can’t put into words how privileged I feel to be associated with such talented and passionate people and that goes for all of the co-authors to this blog.
Our remnants of wilderness will yield bigger values to the nation’s character and health than they will to its pocketbook, and to destroy them will be to admit that the latter are the only values that interest us. – Aldo Leopold
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May 22nd, 2008 @ 8:38 am
aww… thanks, denny! yes, the music is so much a part of the appalachian culture. that was our ancestors’ sole form of entertainment back in their isolated mountain hollers. and that’s how stories and history got passed along.
i hadn’t heard shirley sing, either. beautiful! i need to learn that song.
May 22nd, 2008 @ 8:59 am
Denny,
Great article! Shirley saw it earlier this morning and she is soooo tickled over it. You are right, singing is not the norm at the Appalachian Studies Conference, in fact one fellow said he’d never seen anything like it in over 30 years of attending academic conferences. As you can tell from the video, she was asked to sing from out of the blue. Shirley’s really proud of that song, she says God woke her in the middle of the night and gave it to her. I know she wrote it in less than 5 minutes. She has several others just like it that she is recording this June.
Oh, and Shirley is also learning to play the dulcimer. She was getting good at it a few years ago but had to put it down to finish her book. I’m glad that she is going to take it up again.
I’m now on my way to check out BlueMountainMama’s music, I’m sure I will love it. I’m a junkie when it comes to mountain music!
May 22nd, 2008 @ 2:27 pm
Bluemountainmama,
I see on your myspace page that you are booked to be at Seneca Rocks Visitor Center on August 2. That’s the neck of the woods where I’m from. I grew up a few miles from Seneca Rocks on the farm where my family has lived since 1699 (a place called Germany Valley). I’m related to most everybody in Pendleton County. I envy you getting to go there, its a beautiful place.
Oh, by the way, I love, love, loved your version of Pretty Saro. That’s a different version than the one I am used to. Very nice. You and Shirley should get together sometime and twang out.
Matthew
May 22nd, 2008 @ 3:55 pm
matthew- my family roots are in pendleton county, too. that’s awesome. and yes, i’d love to twang out with shirley sometime.
May 28th, 2008 @ 10:06 am
Hey everyone,
I shot this footage. I am so glad that I did because I have been able to witness how much joy it has brought to so many other people. Shirley blew us all right out of the water! I remember having an overwhelming sense of awe when she sang this song. Thanks for passing this around. It deserves to be heard and seen … Thanks everyone!
May 28th, 2008 @ 6:51 pm
Hi Nick! Thanks so much for not only shooting
the video of my song, but for posting it online.
That moment was so powerful to me, and it was
great to relive it. Thank you again…and for all of your work.