Ballads are one of the pillars of Appalachian music, used to tell stories and impart emotions in the distinctive sound born of the mountains.
The Doak House Museum is offering an opportunity to take part in this musical tradition through a class, “Ballad Singing: Storytelling Through Song,” to be taught Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9-10, by a renowned storyteller and balladeer and an accomplished musician. The class is part is of “Crafting Appalachia, 2011,” a series of courses for adults at the museum located on the Tusculum College campus.
Shelia Kay Adams
Sheila Kay Adams, an internationally known storyteller and balladeer from Madison County, N.C., will provide instruction in ballad singing for all ability levels. Adams, a self-styled keeper of the song traditions of the mountains, performs the English, Scottish and Irish ballads that have been handed down in her family for generations as well as other traditional stories.
Adams has performed at major festivals, colleges and universities, been featured in several documentary films and publication articles and lent her expertise to the production of the award-winning film, “Songcatcher.” She is an author and is also known as a talented musician on the five-string banjo.
Judy Rhodes
Judy Rhodes will be assisting Adams in teaching the class. Rhodes is an accomplished musician and teacher, who is interested in discovering new ways to honor the traditional music of the region.
“Sheila brings an impressive resume of storytelling performances and critical acclaim,” said Leah Walker, site manager of the Doak House Museum. “Judy and Sheila make a ‘dream team’ and we are very lucky to have them both come to Greeneville.”
The fee for the class is $55, which includes materials and instruction.
The class will meet from 7 – 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 9 and 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Reservations and a small deposit are required. Please contact Leah Walker at 423-636-8554 or email lwalker@tusculum.edu for more information or to reserve a spot.
This class is funded in part by a generous grant from the East Tennessee Foundation’s Arts Fund for East Tennessee.
The Doak House Museum and the President Andrew Johnson Museum and Library are operated by the Department of Museum Program and Studies of Tusculum College. In addition to the museums, the department is responsible for the College Archives and offers one of the few undergraduate Museum Studies degree programs in the country. The two museums are also part of the National Historic District on the Tusculum College campus. Follow the museums on Facebook and Twitter to learn the latest news and upcoming events or visit its Web site at www.tusculum.edu/museums to learn more about the variety of programs offered at the museums.