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![["Jenny Smith is an old-time fiddler, dulcimer player, banjo musician and clog dancer from Lost Creek, West Virginia. I interviewed her with her mother, Dee Cogar Bright, from Sutton, West Virginia. When she was young, Smith apprenticed with fiddler Melvin Wine through the former Augusta Heritage Apprenticeship Program. In this interview, they speak about their family lore, and the old-time music and square dance traditions, mainly in Braxton and Webster counties."]](/thumb/4224BrightDeeJennySmithIntTranscript121917 "Transcript of oral history of Dee Cogar Bright and Jenny Smith")
- Identifier:
- 4224.BrightDeeJennySmith.IntTranscript.12.19.17
- Title:
- Transcript of oral history of Dee Cogar Bright and Jenny Smith
- Date:
- 2017-12-19
- Creator:
- Smith, Jenny and Bright, Dee Cogar
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Folk music festivals, Appalachian dulcimer and autoharp music, Wine, Melvin, Square dance music--United States, Apprenticeship programs, Hammons (Family : W. Va.), Banjo, Fiddle tunes, Folk music--West Virginia, Old-time music, and Fiddling
- Location:
- Weston (W. Va.)
![["Frank George (October 6, 1928 November 15, 2017), a Bluefield native, was a banjo player, fiddler, and piper, who also played piano, organ, hammer and lap dulcimer, and was a walking compendium of West Virginia traditional music history and jokes. He was the recipient of the 1994 Vandalia Award, West Virginias highest folklife honor. Jane George (November 11, 1922 February 19, 2018) helped launch the craft revival in the Mountain State through extensive fieldwork with traditional artists, educational programming, and by co-founding the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair at Cedar Lakes. She also hosted Mountain Heritage weekends and Kanawha County Parks Mountaineer Day Camps to teach young mountaineers about their cultural heritage, founded two Scottish dance troupes, and served as a 4-H agent in multiple counties. She was the 1993 Vandalia Award recipient. "]](/thumb/4224GeorgeFrankGeorgeJaneIntTranscript41916 "Transcript of oral history of Frank and Jane George")
- Identifier:
- 4224.GeorgeFrankGeorgeJane.IntTranscript.4.19.16
- Title:
- Transcript of oral history of Frank and Jane George
- Date:
- 2016-04-19
- Creator:
- George, Jane Taylor and George, Franklin
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Craft festivals, Fiddling, Fiddle tunes, 4-H clubs, Old-time music, Banjo, Folk music--West Virginia, and Walker, John Homer
- Location:
- Roane County (W. Va.)
![["Trevor Hammons is a 17-year old banjo player and fiddler from Pocahontas County, and a member of the legendary musical Hammons Family. He is the only member of the Hammons Family who still actively plays music in the familys old-time tradition."]](/thumb/4224HammonsTrevorIntTranscript41918 "Transcript of oral history of Trevor Hammons")
- Identifier:
- 4224.HammonsTrevor.IntTranscript.4.19.18
- Title:
- Transcript of oral history of Trevor Hammons
- Date:
- 2018-04-19
- Creator:
- Hammons, Trevor
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Hammons (Family : W. Va.), Fiddling, Folk music--West Virginia, Banjo, Old-time music, and Fiddle tunes
- Location:
- Pocahontas County (W. Va.) and Marlinton (W. Va.)
![["Joe Herrman (master artist, b. 1949) of Paw Paw in Hampshire County and Dakota Karper (apprentice, b. 1992) of Capon Bridge are participants in the 2020-2021 West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program, studying old-time fiddle. Herrmann is a founding member of the Critton Hollow String Band and has taught old-time fiddle to many private students and at the Augusta Heritage Center. Herrmann and Karper apprenticed together previously in 2004 (when Karper was 11) through Augusta Heritage Centers former Apprenticeship Program.See the West Virginia Folklife Program feature on Herrmann and Karper: https://wvfolklife.org/2020/12/03/2020-folklife-apprenticeship-feature-joe-herrmann-dakota-karper-old-time-fiddle/"]](/thumb/4224HerrmannJoeArtistProfile3620 "Artist profile of Joe Herrmann")
- Identifier:
- 4224.HerrmannJoe.ArtistProfile.3.6.20
- Title:
- Artist profile of Joe Herrmann
- Date:
- 2020-03-06
- Creator:
- Herrmann, Joe
- Subject:
- Old-time music, Folk music--West Virginia, Fiddling, Banjo, Apprenticeship programs, and Fiddle tunes
- Location:
- Hampshire County (W. Va.)
![["Sam & Joe HerrmannJoe Herrmann (b.1949) and Sam Herrmann (b. 1949), both Maryland natives, are traditional musicians who play together as part of Critton Hollow String Band. They have been a couple since the mid-1970s when they moved to Hampshire County, West Virginia. Joe is a fiddle and banjo player, and Sam is a guitar and hammer dulcimer player. Sam is also a knitter, hand yarn spinner, and owns the knitting kit company Samspun. They live on a piece of land in Paw Paw, WV where they keep sheep.Interviewers note:Interview with Sam and Joe Herrmann of Critton Hollow String Band on the back porch of their home in Critton Hollow, Paw Paw, West Virginia. Sam was knitting a childs sweater during the interview."]](/thumb/4224HerrmannJoeHerrmannIntTranscript71916 "Transcript of oral history of Joe and Sam Herrmann")
- Identifier:
- 4224.HerrmannJoeHerrmann.IntTranscript.7.19.16
- Title:
- Transcript of oral history of Joe and Sam Herrmann
- Date:
- 2016-07-19
- Creator:
- Herrmann, Sam and Herrmann, Joe
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Dulcimer, Old-time music, Rizzetta, Sam, Folk music--West Virginia, Critton Hollow Stringband, Sheep farming, Knitters (Persons), Banjo, Fiddle tunes, Fiddling, and Appalachian dulcimer and autoharp music
- Location:
- Hampshire County (W. Va.)
![["Kim Johnson and Cody Jordan were participants in the 2020-2021 West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program. Kim Johnson, a resident of South Charleston led an apprenticeship in banjo traditions of central West Virginia with apprentice Cody Jordan of Charleston. Johnson began playing with fiddler Wilson Douglas in 1979 and has played with and learned from many acclaimed West Virginia old-time musicians including Frank George and Lester McCumbers. She has taught both locally and nationally, at Augusta Heritage Center, Allegheny Echoes, The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, and the Berkeley Old-time Music Convention. See our feature on Johnsons apprenticeship with Jordan here: https://wvfolklife.org/2020/09/04/2020-folklife-apprenticeship-feature-kim-johnson-cody-jordan-banjo-traditions-of-central-west-virginia/The West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program offers up to a $3,000 stipend to West Virginia master traditional artists or tradition bearers working with qualified apprentices on a year-long in-depth apprenticeship in their cultural expression or traditional art form. These apprenticeships aim to facilitate the transmission of techniques and artistry of the forms, as well as their histories and traditions.The apprenticeship program grants are administered by the West Virginia Folklife Program at the West Virginia Humanities Council in Charleston and are supported in part by an Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. West Virginia Folklife is dedicated to the documentation, preservation, presentation, and support of West Virginias vibrant cultural heritage and living traditions."]](/thumb/4224JohnsonKimArtistProfile9120 "Artist profile of Kim Johnson")
- Identifier:
- 4224.JohnsonKim.ArtistProfile.9.1.20
- Title:
- Artist profile of Kim Johnson
- Date:
- 2020-09-01
- Creator:
- Johnson, Kim (Banjoist)
- Subject:
- Banjo, Johnson, Kim (Banjoist), Apprenticeship programs, Fiddling, Folk music--West Virginia, and Fiddle tunes
- Location:
- Kanawha County (W. Va.) and South Charleston (W. Va.)
![["Kim Johnson and Cody Jordan were participants in the 2020-2021 West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program. Kim Johnson, a resident of South Charleston led an apprenticeship in banjo traditions of central West Virginia with apprentice Cody Jordan of Charleston. Johnson began playing with fiddler Wilson Douglas in 1979 and has played with and learned from many acclaimed West Virginia old-time musicians including Frank George and Lester McCumbers. She has taught both locally and nationally, at Augusta Heritage Center, Allegheny Echoes, The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, and the Berkeley Old-time Music Convention. Jordan plays guitar in The Modock Rounders with Johnson, touring across the state and region, and is looking forward to expanding his knowledge of central West Virginia old-time banjo traditions.See our feature on Johnsons apprenticeship with Jordan here: https://wvfolklife.org/2020/09/04/2020-folklife-apprenticeship-feature-kim-johnson-cody-jordan-banjo-traditions-of-central-west-virginia/The West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program offers up to a $3,000 stipend to West Virginia master traditional artists or tradition bearers working with qualified apprentices on a year-long in-depth apprenticeship in their cultural expression or traditional art form. These apprenticeships aim to facilitate the transmission of techniques and artistry of the forms, as well as their histories and traditions.The apprenticeship program grants are administered by the West Virginia Folklife Program at the West Virginia Humanities Council in Charleston and are supported in part by an Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. West Virginia Folklife is dedicated to the documentation, preservation, presentation, and support of West Virginias vibrant cultural heritage and living traditions."]](/thumb/4224JohnsonKimJordanCodyIntTranscript81920 "Transcript of oral history of Kim Johnson and Cody Jordan")
- Identifier:
- 4224.JohnsonKimJordanCody.IntTranscript.8.19.20
- Title:
- Transcript of oral history of Kim Johnson and Cody Jordan
- Date:
- 2020-08-19
- Creator:
- Johnson, Kim (Banjoist) and Jordan, Cody
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Old-time music, Folk music--West Virginia, Fiddle tunes, Apprenticeship programs, Banjo, Folk music festivals, and Fiddling
- Location:
- Kanawha County (W. Va.), Charleston (W. Va.), and Spring Hill (South Charleston, W. Va.)
![["Thomas Alan Cathead Johnston (b. 1952) is a bluegrass and country musician from McDowell County, WV. He is a former bassist in Mel Streets band The Swing Kings and his songs have been recorded by Del McCoury, Tommy Webb, and others."]](/thumb/4224JohnstonAlanIntTranscript41416 "Transcript of oral history of Alan \"Cathead\" Johnston")
- Identifier:
- 4224.JohnstonAlan.IntTranscript.4.14.16
- Title:
- Transcript of oral history of Alan "Cathead" Johnston
- Date:
- 2016-04-14
- Creator:
- Johnston, Alan
- Contributor:
- Hilliard, Emily
- Subject:
- Fiddling, Bowed stringed instruments, Banjo, Country music, Country music radio stations, Fiddle tunes, Street, Mel, Old-time music, Goins, Melvin, 1933-, McCoury, Del, 1939-, Bluegrass music, and Folk music--West Virginia
- Location:
- Welch (W. Va.) and McDowell County (W. Va.)
![["Kim Johnson and Cody Jordan were participants in the 2020-2021 West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program. Jordan plays guitar in The Modock Rounders with Johnson, touring across the state and region, and is looking forward to expanding his knowledge of central West Virginia old-time banjo traditions.See our feature on Johnsons apprenticeship with Jordan here: https://wvfolklife.org/2020/09/04/2020-folklife-apprenticeship-feature-kim-johnson-cody-jordan-banjo-traditions-of-central-west-virginia/The West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program offers up to a $3,000 stipend to West Virginia master traditional artists or tradition bearers working with qualified apprentices on a year-long in-depth apprenticeship in their cultural expression or traditional art form. These apprenticeships aim to facilitate the transmission of techniques and artistry of the forms, as well as their histories and traditions.The apprenticeship program grants are administered by the West Virginia Folklife Program at the West Virginia Humanities Council in Charleston and are supported in part by an Art Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. West Virginia Folklife is dedicated to the documentation, preservation, presentation, and support of West Virginias vibrant cultural heritage and living traditions."]](/thumb/4224JordanCodyArtistProfile9120 "Artist profile of Cody Jordan")
- Identifier:
- 4224.JordanCody.ArtistProfile.9.1.20
- Title:
- Artist profile of Cody Jordan
- Date:
- 2020-09-01
- Creator:
- Jordan, Cody
- Subject:
- Fiddling, Folk music festivals, Old-time music, Banjo, Apprenticeship programs, Johnson, Kim (Banjoist), Fiddle tunes, and Folk music--West Virginia
- Location:
- Charleston (W. Va.) and Kanawha County (W. Va.)
![["John D. Morris of Ivydale led an apprenticeship in old-time fiddle and stories of Clay County with Jen Iskow of Thomas as part of the 2018 West Virginia Folklife Apprenticeship Program, supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. John D. MorrisBorn in Ivydale, Clay County, into a family steeped in traditional music, David and John Morris learned from family and neighbors, including banjo player Jenes Cottrell and fiddler French Carpenter. After David returned from Vietnam in 1968, the brothers began organizing musical get-togethers and, in 1969, held the first Morris Family Old-Time Music Festival that same year. The festival became a major traditional music event in Clay County and filmmaker Bob Gates documented the 1972 festival in his film The Morris Family Old-Time Music Festival.Members of The Morris Brothers band included Pocahontas County old-time banjo player Dwight Diller and the late North Carolina harmonica player John Martin. Playing a mix of old-time, bluegrass, and country styles, including some of Davids original music, the group played together through the mid-70s, releasing an LP in the late 60s, Music As We Learned It, and two live shows on eight-track tapes. John, a traditional fiddler, and David, a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, were involved in union and environmental activities from the late 1960s through the 1970s. They were also instrumental in establishing the first Vandalia Gathering at the Cultural Center in 1977.The Morris Brothers music was featured in Barbara Kopples 1976 film Harlan County, USA. David, who passed away in 2016, contributed music to Kopples 2015 film about Vietnam vets, Shelter.John lives in Ivydale and plays fiddle at music events across West Virginia. He is a rich source of information about the history of old-time music in central West Virginia, and one of the few native fiddlers of his generation to continue the older style of playing.Morris was awarded the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship, the nations highest honor in the folk and traditional arts, in 2020.Jen IskowJen Iskow is an artist, designer, musician, and community organizer based in Thomas, West Virginia. Born and raised in Rockville, Maryland, Jen grew up learning to play blues and punk music. It wasnt until she moved to Morgantown in 2009 for college that she was introduced to old-time music at the weekly Brew Pub jam hosted by Stewed Mulligan. After graduating from West Virginia University, she finally settled in Elkins, West Virginia and accepted a position as the Marketing Coordinator for the Augusta Heritage Center. Suddenly being surrounded by so many talented traditional artists, Jen was immersed into the music and inspired to learn to play fiddle. After studying under talented fiddlers such as Scott Prouty, Erynn Marshall, Jesse Wells, Ben Townsend, John Harrod, and more, Jen met John Morris at his house in Ivydale, and the rest is historySee our feature on Morris apprenticeship with Iskow here: https://wvfolklife.org/2018/11/09/2018-master-artist-apprentice-feature-john-morris-jen-iskow-old-time-fiddling-and-stories-of-clay-county/"]](/thumb/4224MorrisJohnIskowJennArtistProfile61618 "Artist profile of John Morris and Jen Iskow")
- Identifier:
- 4224.MorrisJohnIskowJenn.ArtistProfile.6.16.18
- Title:
- Artist profile of John Morris and Jen Iskow
- Date:
- 2018-06-16
- Creator:
- Iskow, Jen and Morris, John D.
- Subject:
- Banjo, Fiddling, Old-time music, Folk music--West Virginia, Fiddle tunes, Clay County (W. Va.), and Apprenticeship programs
- Location:
- Clay County (W. Va.) and Tucker County (W. Va.)
