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

Grammy Winner Earl Scruggs Plays Concert for "New Harmonies"

Banjo legend Earl Scruggs returned home to Cleveland County, North Carolina, to play to a sold-out Don Gibson Theatre on December 3^rd.  While the Grammy winner has performed for packed houses and musical greats throughout his career, this concert was unlike any other. 

As a promotional event for the Museum on Main Street “New Harmonies” exhibit in which Scruggs is featured, it was also a Scruggs family reunion.  Hosted by nephew J.T., Earl played alongside sons Gary and Randy and a couple of other musically talented family members.  From a stage set like a family room, between songs the Scruggs family members recounted memories of growing up together in Cleveland County.  And their laid-back storytelling and good-natured banter made the audience feel as if they had just plopped down amid a circle of Scruggses to take in some ritual family room finger picking. 

Earl recalled the boyhood days of summer fishing, the family’s financial struggles amid a depression-strained economy, the long hours working at a local mill. 

At one point, the group teased cousin Elam: “Elam, remember that time you tried to order Gravy Boys?” – little Elam having once asked a waitress for an order after always hearing his mother say, “Eat your gravy, boys.”

But as these stories charted their lives, music was always the refrain.  Inspired by a family of musicians, Earl began playing the banjo at age four.  The self-taught youngster bought his first banjo from a Montgomery-Ward mail order catalogue for $10.95.  At age ten, he invented the now-famous “Scruggs-Style Picking,” which uses three fingers.  Earl practiced every moment he could, on lunch breaks and in between chores on the family farm.  Soon the amateur made a name for himself, playing with Lester Flatt, Bill Monroe, and Doc Watson; recording the theme song for The Beverly Hillbillies; and earning a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

 

Yet at this concert, the legendary 86-year-old was did not seem like a Hollywood untouchable or a preserved element in an exhibit – he was again that Cleveland County boy, true to his family and his music ... and the place from which they all are rooted.

At the close of the concert, T.J. requested the group wrap up with one more song.  Earl responded, “Why not two?”  After the audience’s cheers died down, Earl reneged, “You know, these days sometimes my brain goes one way and my mouth another.”  After which he played Grammy-winner “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” and bowed off stage. 

-- Alexandra Charleston, Museum on Main Street, Washington, DC

See New Harmonies in Tuskegee, Alabama

Check out this exciting video tour of New Harmonies and the fantastic exhibitions at the Tuskegee Human & Civil Rights Multicultural Center in Tuskegee, Alabama highlighting local music heritage. A special exhibition on the history of Tuskegee marching bands boasts a great video game component that really engages visitors. 

The center has already had a great response to the exhibition. Be sure to visit before New Harmonies closes, ending it's Alabama tour, on December 31.

A hat tip goes to Deborah Gray at the Multicultural Center for the link to the video!

http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/section/videonetwork?bctid=53666183001#/News/Music%20exhibit%20in%20Tuskegee/50902228001/50780676001/53666183001

-- Robbie Davis, MoMS/SITES, Washington, DC

Wasilla Rocks Out!

Wasilla, Alaska is enjoying their final week with the New Harmonies exhibit. The Dorothy Page museum’s curator, Bethany Buckingham, has just informed us of the community’s involvement with the exhibit throughout its duration in Wasilla. We are eager to learn the full details from the host site’s Smithsonian experience – In the meantime, here are some notable details to whet the appetite for an upcoming in-depth report:

Over 1300 guests visited the Dorothy Page museum to experience New Harmonies, more than the usual amount of visitors that the museum receives during the fall! The Dorothy Page museum enjoyed a fruitful exhibition opening on September 12, 2009 where they welcomed 125 guests including city and borough representatives.  The museum created a “You Rock” concert stage where children and adults could don “rock star gear” including sunglasses and sparkle wigs for photos. The Air Force Band of the Pacific – Northern Lights Brass also made an appearance during the opening reception playing a selection of rock opera, Dixieland jazz and original compositions.Local band Duo Sonics played a selection of Blues and Country ranging from Robert Johnson and B.B. King to Hank Williams and Merle Haggard. The Duo Sonics alsoinvited local Wasilla resident, Corky Sager, 85, to accompany them on the spoons – what a rare talent, and what a unique collaboration!

Even Wasilla’s local TV station put the Dorothy Page Museum in the limelight.KTUU Channel 2 meteorologist Scott Elnes traveled to the museum to record a blog segment on New Harmonies, which was posted to the gotoAK.com website. KTUU photographer Dan Carpenter followed up with an interview which played on the 5pm, 6pm, and 10pm news that evening – not to mention the next morning! The local newspaper, The Frontiersman, featured the exhibit in a full page spread.

Most importantly, Bethany mentioned that every individual who toured exhibit has appreciated distinct aspects of it – New Harmonies touched a diverse range of people and interests. “Everyone comes out of the exhibit mentioning the different sections or quotes that they’ve enjoyed,” stated Buckingham. As their hosting duties come to a close, we wish the Wasilla community the best of luck for a successful finale.

Many thanks go out to Bethany Buckingham for providing us with a wonderful update from Wasilla!

-- Roxanne Berschler, SITES, Washington D.C.

Alaskans Explore Local Contributions to American Music

Residents of Haines, Alaska are still singing the Sheldon Museum's praises! The museum's recent installation of New Harmonies offered their visitors a chance to explore what it means to be an American by featuring the region's diverse music traditions.

In the exhibition, learners of all age investigated their music heritage. A hands-on music corner invited children to explore music with a tactile approach – As kids hammered on the xylophone and tooted the horn, they made friends with one of America’s dearest forms of expression.This innovative local exhibit engaged the senses for what is sure to have been an interactive music lesson worth remembering. Adults on the other hand, were wowed by the museum’s display of “Drink Mallets” from the 1930’s. The Hammer Museum donated these cultural objects as a veritable piece of Haines musical past; these little wooden hammers were once used in Haines nightclubs by audience members who wished to applaud the acts onstage.

                           

Haines residents from all generations united for the exhibit’s opening reception in which Tlingit singers and dancers welcomed New Harmonies to the community. According to museum director Jerrie Clarke, “Tlingit dancers from Klukwan, a Tlingit village 20 miles north of Haines, provided song, drums and traditional dance, as well as stories by elders about music and changes to the music heard, played and sung in the last century in a half.” The Tlingit nation – one of only two federally recognized Native American groups in Alaska – is centered around the southeastern part of the state.

As poignant stories were recounted by Tlingit elders and sacred dances were performed by younger Tlingit nation members, Haines residents were reminded of their region’s unique role in America’s cultural history. “It’s only right that we open this exhibit of American roots music with the descendents of the first musicians in the Chilkat Valley,” said Clarke.The opening concluded with a rendition of “Amazing Grace,” sung in both Tlingit and English. Audience members slowly joined the performers in song during the English translation, tangibly confirming the unity engendered by the exhibition.

                                   

Lastly, musicians from Juneau, Skagway, Tagish, and Yukon Territory came to Haines to perform during New Harmonies’ stay in the region. How wonderful that the exhibit was able to bring exposure not only to the Sheldon museum, but to the significance of American Roots Music in Alaska specifically. In the words of museum director Jerrie Clarke, “What a boost [New Harmonies] gave to the community’s support for the Sheldon Museum. We are still receiving compliments for the concert and the exhibition. And, we had a great time!”

Many thanks go out to Jerrie Clarke and the Sheldon Museum for hosting New Harmonies in Haines!

-- Roxanne Berschler, SITES, Washington D.C.

Harmonious Haines

Haines, Alaska is still singing a sweet tune after its experience with New Harmonies this past spring. The museum received incredible community enthusiasm for New Harmonies’ stay in Haines -- twice as many locals visited the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center to see the New Harmonies exhibit as had explored the museum during the same period the previous year.

Jerrie Clarke, director of the Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center, was optimistic that this exhibit would put the museum ‘on the map’ in Haines, heightening the museum’s visibility throughout the community. Endorsements from several local businesses, the Borough Manager, and local public radio station KHNS, allowed the Sheldon Museum to organize concerts by local musicians. The Haines community was honored when the exhibit attracted two bands from other nearby communities – In the words of Jerrie Clarke, “Coming to Haines from other Southeast communities involves ferries and planes so it was an investment of time for the non-Haines bands.”

Lastly, the Haines community added to Sheldon Museum’s collection of cultural history by recording the local concerts that supplemented the exhibit. These recordings ranged from old-timey country songs to singing [chanting?] by a Tlingit man from Tagish in the Yukon Territory. The pictures below provide some insight into Haine’s lively cultural exploration of American roots music. Enjoy! 

 

"It was a very sad thing to watch the exhibit come down and leave in the big truck. We loved having it here!" - Jerrie Clarke, Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center Director

"This was a fantastic experience which will be remembered in the community for a long, long time!" - Karen Meizner

Many thanks to Jerrie Clarke, Karen Meizner, and Nancy Nash for this update!

-- Roxanne Berschler, MoMS/SITES, Washington, DC