Road Reports

September

What an exciting new school year! As a graduate Research Assistant for the University of Georgia-Center for Public History, I began working on New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music exhibition before classes even started. On Friday, August 19, Dr. Ann McCleary, project scholar, Mollie Marlow, our other New Harmonies student and I hit the road for Macon and the state meeting of exhibit hosts. The meeting was sure to be action-packed as the New Harmonies hosts learned how amazing the exhibit will be for their hometown. I am new to the project but I knew that the two day meeting would offer up a lot of information and it did! The first day alone we learned about: the economic impact of the tour, historic African-American communities and so much more! After all of that, I was still so ready to learn more!

But first it was time for a mental break. I already felt like one of the crowd. “Miss Molly”, the trolley, picked us all up at the hotel and we headed towards The Big House Museum, former home of The Allman Brothers Band. I never truly listened to The Allman Brothers (even though my dad is a huge fan) but after our visit to their museum and I talked with the director, I now enjoy their music. The museum had everything from their guitars to their psychedelic wall art. What a fun visit! Then we proceeded to the Tic-Toc Room, the place where Little Richard got his start. During dinner, Mick Kinney of the string band “The Georgia Crackers” performed and talked about his music. It was a great end to a long day.

By the second day of the meeting, I was ready to learn more and boy did I! I was very excited to hear from people like Dr. Ethan Sharpe who spoke at the meeting about how to connect with the Latino Community and their music as well as Ahmad Mayes from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra who will partner with the Georgia Humanities Council on New Harmonies.

I am absolutely sure every person walked away with some helpful information on how to make this exhibit a success. On the drive back to Carrollton, I could not help but think how excited I was to working on this project. Now, going into my fourth week of Graduate School, I can say that I love my future profession and Georgia’s New Harmonies will always be on my mind.

-- Sarah Elliott Foreman, Carrollton, Georgia

Thanks, Alex!

The MoMS team wants to send a grand "thank you" to Alexandra Charleston. Over the past few months, visitors to the Road Reports blog have had a great treat: a series of wonderful feature articles developed by Alex that highlight just a small fraction of the programming that accompanies Museum on Main Street exhibitions around the country. Alex began working with MoMS as an intern in September 2009, after her graduation from Boston College. She spent nearly half a year with us, helping to develop resources for The Way We Worked and learning about MoMS' impact nationwide.

Alex then transitioned into photo research and acquisition work for SITES' new exhibition American Sabor and editing and developing exhibition scripts at the Smithsonian's Office of Exhibits Central. The fall of 2010 brought Alex back to MoMS to help us with reviewing closeout reports from our host communities and to write a series of feature articles for the blog. Over that time, she's been talking with MoMS hosts all over the country. Alex's articles have added so much depth and dynamism to our blog. Readership is up and we have Alex to thank.

Alex -- it's been a great pleasure working with you. The entire MoMS team wishes you the best of success!

 

A MoMS Team Photo with Alex (far right)

-- Robbie Davis, SITES/Museum on Main Street, Washington, DC

All-Star Concert in Asbury Park: A View From Behind the Lens

The experience of live music can make everything else fade into the background. On Sunday, March 13, nine groups ranging from gospel to rock took the stage of the Paramount Theatre along Asbury Park’s legendary boardwalk to celebrate the roots and continued life of music in New Jersey—the proceeds going toward the Asbury Park Oral History Project, a new initiative collecting the personal stories of the Shore's music greats. For three hours, the world outside faded into the background. I was lucky enough to stand backstage and see that everyone else felt the same way.

But before all that...

To kick the day off, I took a local tour of Asbury Park’s rock landmarks. The big ones—from The Stone Pony and the Wonder Bar—to the little-known gems of Asbury Park where highlighted. Of course, around every corner there was a piece of Bruce Springsteen history. It was great to be in the place where Bruce rocked with fellow New Jersey locals and began to shape his signature sound. Many of the favorite music joints and landmarks are gone, but talk to any resident of Asbury Park, and it’s obvious that the music is a central part of their identity.

Asbury Park residents love their local musical sons and daughters. Even in mid-March when a cold, fierce wind blows in your face, they still have the tunes of summer playing over the boardwalk—coming from the candy store, beach shop, and arcade. A blues guitarist entertained the passing crowd on the boardwalk. Asbury Park is experiencing a comeback, and the draw of music is tied closed to its resurgence.  

Great as rock and roll, rap, rhythm and blues, and modern country are, however, it’s all thanks to roots music. So, on to the concert! Going behind the scenes for this concert, balancing both a camera and a microphone, was a dream come true. I wanted to capture the spirit and the sounds of the day. During sound check I was able to pull bluegrass musician Richard Morris aside to get his thoughts on the day. He had been through the New Harmonies exhibit at its opening. For Richard, it all goes back to Bill Monroe. Richard played rock and roll when he was younger, but once he discovered Bill Monroe, his course was set. Before I left, he picked and strummed out a quick tune on his mandolin.

The Tyron McAllister Gospel Choir opened the night and stirred our souls. Richard and his bluegrass jam band brought a touch of Appalachia to the Jersey shore. Steve Forbert was a one-man tour of force. With just a guitar and harmonica, Steve could quiet the crowd or set everyone’s foot tapping. Drummer Chico Rouse and his jazz band seemed to cover all the bases of New Harmonies—mixing traditional jazz with rock, blues, and dance. Steel Mill with Vini Lopez (one of the first drummers to play with Springsteen) played in the same spirit, showing clearly how rock is a blend of so many roots forms. Curator of New Harmonies and director of the Los-Angeles-based Grammy Museum, Bob Santelli, peeked around the curtain offstage to watch. He was drawn into the music as well, tapping his foot and bobbing along with the music like everybody else.  

Long overshadowed by the rockers and singers of eastern Asbury Park are the soul and Doo-wop musicians of western Asbury Park. Sunday night, they got the recognition they desired. Nick Addeo and Friends headed up the set, and guest stars—including Billy Brown—took the stage and were asked, unexpectedly, to sing. Billy gave us a solo, hitting notes you never thought possible. 

Interspersed with the performances were readings from legends in roots music, read by Carol Harsh, Mary Rizzo, Felipe Rose (from The Village People), Brian O’Halloran, Lou Libratore, Ed Johnson, and Daniel Wolff.

The night closed out with a high-spirited jam session of musicians ranging from Billy Hector to Bobby Bandiera (from Bon Jovi) to Max Weinberg (from the E Street band). They had never played together before, but you never would have guessed.  When the curtain closed, the crowd left the theatre humming, and backstage was buzzing. The artists wondered aloud why they didn’t do this before. I wonder when they’ll do this again! 

--Tiffany Ruhl, Museum on Main Street, Washington, DC