"We are not bound by tradition, nor are we limited to our own understanding or to the wisdom of men. In short, this is a very unusual university."
- President Kim B. Clark
Appalachian mountain music to be performed at BYU-Idaho
Appalachian mountain music from the Crooked Road of Virginia will be performed in the Hart Auditorium at Brigham Young University-Idaho in Rexburg on Saturday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m.
"Music from the Crooked Road: Mountain Music of Virginia" has been created by the National Council for the Traditional Arts and is currently touring the western United States.
Tickets for the Center Stage event are $10 for the general public and $5 for BYU-Idaho students. They are available by calling the BYU-Idaho Ticket Office at 496-2230 or online at www.byui.edu/tickets.
The tour features National Heritage Award Fellow and Appalachian guitar master Wayne Henderson, bluegrass banjo virtuoso Sammy Shelor, family old-time string band The Whitetop Mountain Band, old-time fiddle and banjo masters Kirk Sutphin and Eddie Bond and, representing next generation of Blue Ridge musicians, the up-and-coming bluegrass band No Speed Limit, and a young keeper of ancient mountain ballads and songs, 19-year-old Elizabeth LaPrelle.
"This performance is unique and eastern Idaho is in for a rare treat," said Joshua Kohn, programming manager for the National Council for the Traditional Arts. "The energy level and expertise of these young performers and the masters that accompany them is astounding. This traveling celebration of authentic old-time, bluegrass, mountain gospel, ballad singing and flatfoot dance will highlight the hold that these traditions still have in the Blue Ridge Mountains."
The nationally acclaimed tour is named after Highway Route 58 an area now known as the Crooked Road Heritage Music Trail, which winds for over 200 miles of the Appalachian Mountains from the western slopes of the Blue Ridge Mountains to the coalfields. The trail connects major heritage music venues in the Appalachian region such as the Blue Ridge Music Center, Birthplace of Country Music Alliance, and the Carter Family Fold.
The traditional gospel, bluegrass, and mountain music heard today was passed down from generation to generation and lives on through a wealth of musicians and instrument makers along the trail. This music has its roots hundreds of years ago, when the musical traditions of the African banjo and European violin combined and created uniquely American sounds.
The tour is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Virginia Tourism Corporation and The Crooked Road: Virginia's Heritage Music Trail.
News Media Contact
Marc StevensUniversity Communications
(208) 496-1151
E-mail: stevensm@byui.edu
General Public Contact
(208) 496-2411
E-mail: infodesk@byui.edu
Brigham Young University-Idaho is a four-year private university located in Rexburg, Idaho. The university, which is affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, offers both baccalaureate and associate degrees; integrated degrees and internships that are tailored to fit students' interests; a year-round track system allowing more students to attend; and an extensive Student Activities Program that provides leadership and growth experiences. It is the largest private university in Idaho, with nearly 12,000 students enrolled for Fall Semester 2007.
Style Note: When reporting about Brigham Young University-Idaho, please use the complete name of the university in the first reference.