Your moment of banjo zen, this fine saturday – fellow North Carolinian Elizabeth Cotten playing Georgie Buck on her banjo. She’s massive in the lineage. Link to the full video stories!
So this morning i got ready to receive an honorary doctorate from Duke University. I have been very plainspoken about my ambivalence around accolades, but I always strive to go where I am led and to acknowledge that somebody, somewhere, wanted to give me an honor (in this instance, someone from community who had advocated for me) and it’s respectful to accept and be in place, and represent. I learned last night that the commencement speaker was Jerry Seinfield and I didnt give it much thought. When i attend these kinds of events I struggle to understand my place in them; feeling more akin to the musicians playing beautifully, (and unfortunately mostly beautifully ignored), during the reception, than the honorees expected to give a speech. I have decided in general to take the experiences as they come and look for the spiritual reason I have been led there. In this instance it was a wonderful connection and conversation with my faculty sponsor, Sophia Enriquez, about the role Mexicans play in the creation of country music, and other deep topics. I look very much forward to furthering our association! So this morning I was sitting on the platform next to Sophia after recieving my hood and as Seinfield was led to the platform I noticed the protest beginning; pretty soon substantial numbers of students with P@lest1n1@n flags stood up and left their seats, and chanting accompanied their departure. I felt distraught and uncertain because clearly there is a bigger story here that I didn’t know – I have been deep in the act of music in place and in tradition this week and just haven’t been aware. And it makes me think about the differing ways we try to make the world a better place and how they can’t be the same for everyone; how the work of resistance, activism, and change is multifaceted and how it’s going to take all of us to make a dent in this crazy mess. (cont’d)
Hi My name is Rhiannon. I’ve been working for almost 20 years on the history of American music, mostly through the lens of the banjo and black string band music specifically, but always with a view of the full story and the fully cross-cultural collaboration inherent in our tunes and songs. I think twice before I post, I consider all angles before I state an opinion, I educate myself as much as I can, and I am happy to change my mind given respectful correction from someone with good faith. I am in community with other people who also do this work and we are doing our best to stay rooted in truth, avoid hyperbole, and be gracious and generous in our understanding that everyone is on their own path. I think about this work 24-7. I have an eye on the long view whenever I can, so anything that I post is actually merely part of a long line of posts thinking of differing aspects of how the patterns of history continually show up in the present; how the oppressed turn oppressor on every continent in the world and how humanity has the chance to rise above it all – but only if we realize that our salvation lies in the salvation of all, not some. I am so touched by the numbers of people who post on my page in solidarity and who take me in my entirety – there is so much goodness in the world – it’s just harder to harness than hate in this digital day and age. Folks who do the opposite – I see you and hope you find what you are looking for. I am grateful to be able to do what I do. This is video from a recent show with the Maestro @tajmahalblues, and he’s teaching us a tune he wrote. It’s generational exchange in action, as he was one of the first elders to support the Carolina Chocolate Drops, and that’s my nephew playing bones – three generations of transfer. THIS is what I am fighting for, in particular.
Throw back to 2018 when I recorded some performance vids for the Met, in the instrument room. I was looking for a video of Etta Baker playing Cripple Creek but I can’t find one yet – so here’s me doing her version of it. She has this wicked third part that I love. link to the full song, Instories!
Working on a project that is centered on place at the moment and it’s making me think alot about what’s going on in the world. This is a peaceful water place in North Carolina, and it reminded me how much of North Carolina I am, body and soul. Even though I have chosen to live in another land, NC will always own the majority of my soul, and I am at peace with that. Sitting by the water, listening to the birds, feeling the spirits of generations of folks who have sat right in this spot to enjoy the air, the water, and the wildlife, even in the midst of so much adversity and hard times, connects me in a deep and soulful way to my ancestors and my history. Its a privilege to have the space and the place. Thinking about what is happening right now in G@z@ is heartbreaking on so many levels and has been for months, just as Oct 7 was heartbreaking. Humanity has lost, and is continuing to lose, in this conflict, as thousands of fellow souls have their lives taken from them by empire. As I sit on this land that was once occupied by Native community, and then owned by a Native individual who was then pushed off of it, and then owned by Gaels who themselves had been subjugated in their own homeland, who then themselves participated in subjugation by owning enslaved African people taken from their own homeland, and thinking about the fact that it’s still in private hands today, made me think about the complicated layers that are present in any conflict, and the inability to solve anything that doesn’t center generosity, community, humanity, and a different and older way of looking at the gift of mother earth. I have no answers. I just grieve. photo by @karencoxphotography
It’s been twenty-five years since the @CountryMusicHOF put out the incredible boxed set “From Where I Stand: The Black Experience in Country Music”, loaded with wonderfully written context and a mixture of well-known and scarcely heard recordings. We are getting a bit better at talking about the African American co-creation of country music and absorbing the idea of a creolized culture of the South rather than pockets of white and black that only met in violence. It’s not so much of a surprise anymore that there is a common American musical language that lies at the heart of so many different genres. The most beautiful thing to me about the Black country renaissance is that its stars, who are finally starting to get the recognition they deserve, are truly using country music the way that, to me, it was born to be used. Their music reflects and highlights a cultural viewpoint that has been traditionally suppressed, shows the best of the American narrative, and, in the end, tells the important stories of now, for the generations of tomorrow. “From Where I Stand” has returned as an expanded and updated box set (along with a free-to-access online experience). I’m pleased to have contributed liner notes to the new box set and to have some of my songs included. Learn more at the link in my bio.
It’s been twenty-five years since the @CountryMusicHOF put out the incredible boxed set “From Where I Stand: The Black Experience in Country Music”, loaded with wonderfully written context and a mixture of well-known and scarcely heard recordings. We are getting a bit better at talking about the African American co-creation of country music and absorbing the idea of a creolized culture of the South rather than pockets of white and black that only met in violence. It’s not so much of a surprise anymore that there is a common American musical language that lies at the heart of so many different genres. The most beautiful thing to me about the Black country renaissance is that its stars, who are finally starting to get the recognition they deserve, are truly using country music the way that, to me, it was born to be used. Their music reflects and highlights a cultural viewpoint that has been traditionally suppressed, shows the best of the American narrative, and, in the end, tells the important stories of now, for the generations of tomorrow. “From Where I Stand” has returned as an expanded and updated box set (along with a free-to-access online experience). I’m pleased to have contributed liner notes to the new box set and to have some of my songs included. Learn more at the link in my bio.
When Justin, Dom and I started going down to play with Joe Thompson we had no idea what was starting- but every year that passes I’m more and more grateful to have been part of an apprenticeship that connects me to generations of music makers from my community. It wasn’t just the tunes we learned from Joe, it was his stories, his vibe, and the way he related to this music. Now we feel it’s important to create moments where we sit and play his tunes and tell our stories of playing with him- it’s not about money, it’s not about the exact notes, it’s about passing on what we learned from him. Justin and I had our very first Joe Jam a couple of days ago on the wall in front of Wilson library on the campus of Chapel Hill as a finish to my residency there, and it will hopefully be the first of many. ❤️❤️❤️ Photo by Megan Frestedt
When Justin, Dom and I started going down to play with Joe Thompson we had no idea what was starting- but every year that passes I’m more and more grateful to have been part of an apprenticeship that connects me to generations of music makers from my community. It wasn’t just the tunes we learned from Joe, it was his stories, his vibe, and the way he related to this music. Now we feel it’s important to create moments where we sit and play his tunes and tell our stories of playing with him- it’s not about money, it’s not about the exact notes, it’s about passing on what we learned from him. Justin and I had our very first Joe Jam a couple of days ago on the wall in front of Wilson library on the campus of Chapel Hill as a finish to my residency there, and it will hopefully be the first of many. ❤️❤️❤️ Photo by Megan Frestedt
My last day as an Artist-In-Residence as part of the Southern Futures project in conjunction with @carolinaperformingarts at @uncchapelhill, in Wilson Library, doing primary source research. The whole team has been absolutely incredible and I will value this collaboration for years to come. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Continuing my (yarn) tour down the west coast…
Alright!! People be lovin on the Queen B Caro Mio Ben interpolation, cool! – turns out there’s a little history to black female vernacular singers interpreting opera/art song – my first exposure was Nina Simone doing “O Black Swan” (Menotti) in 1963 – but this video right here is one of my favorites. The literal Queen of Everything Aretha Franklin crushing “Nessun Dorma” in the tenor key, partly in Italian (please don’t come for her Italian in the comments. I will come for you lol). ✨Link in stories!✨ To add to the story, this was the 1998 GRAMMYS, and world famous tenor Luciano Pavarotti was scheduled to sing it with orchestra and chorus; when he called in sick, the GRAMMYS turned to Aretha, who had just happened to sing it two days earlier in tribute to Pavarotti. She had no rehearsal with the orchestra, just a tape of the dress rehearsal, and had to sing it in the tenor key, as there was no way to change that at the last minute. She just absolutely showed the kind of artist she was. I remember this so vividly! It just made me so excited, as a baby opera singer, to hear this magnificent woman make it her own. also. Notice that lifted face mask!!!! (sorry, singer lingo) photo credit: Marl Lennihan / @apnews
“The idea of place, where we belong, is a constant subject for many of us. We want to know whether it is possible to live on the earth peacefully. Is it possible to sustain life? Can we embrace an ethos of sustainability that is not solely about the appropriate care of the world’s resources, but is also about the creation of meaning – the making of lives that we feel are worth living. Tracy Chapman sings lyrics that give expression to this yearning, repeating, “I wanna wake up and know where I’m going.” Again and again as I travel around I am stunned by how many citizens in our nation feel lost, feel bereft of a sense of direction, feel as though they cannot see where our journey’s lead, that they cannot know where they are going. Many folks feel no sense of place. What they know, what they have, is a sense of crisis, of impending doom. Even the old, the elders, who have lived from decade to decade and beyond, say life is different in this time, “way strange”, that our world today is a world of “too much” – that this too muchness creates a wilderness of spriit, the everyday anguish that shapes the habits of being for those who are lost, wandering, searching. “ – from belonging: a culture of place, by bell hooks. pic by @karencoxphotography, of me and @countrygentlemancooks in the garden of Etta Baker’s house in Morganton, North Carolina.
Managed to come home for a few days of rest and felinecation ❤️
Got something sweet cookin in North Carolina…
We’ve had two amazing, sold out nights at @reserartscenter!! Now on to Seattle for another sold out show tonight at @meanycenter…y’all are bringing it! Apr. 19 – Seattle, WA – Meany Center – SOLD OUT Apr. 21 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore – SOLD OUT Apr. 22 – Monterey, CA – Golden State Theater Apr. 23 – Santa Barbara, CA – Arlington Theater Apr. 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Ace Theatre Apr. 27 – Tucson, AZ – The Rialto Apr. 28 – Mesa, AZ – Ikeda Theater Apr. 30 – Dallas, TX – Longhorn Ballroom May 2 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre May 4 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz Fest Photos 1-3 by Justine Vanderpool; 4 by @ebruyildiz
We’ve had two amazing, sold out nights at @reserartscenter!! Now on to Seattle for another sold out show tonight at @meanycenter…y’all are bringing it! Apr. 19 – Seattle, WA – Meany Center – SOLD OUT Apr. 21 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore – SOLD OUT Apr. 22 – Monterey, CA – Golden State Theater Apr. 23 – Santa Barbara, CA – Arlington Theater Apr. 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Ace Theatre Apr. 27 – Tucson, AZ – The Rialto Apr. 28 – Mesa, AZ – Ikeda Theater Apr. 30 – Dallas, TX – Longhorn Ballroom May 2 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre May 4 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz Fest Photos 1-3 by Justine Vanderpool; 4 by @ebruyildiz
We’ve had two amazing, sold out nights at @reserartscenter!! Now on to Seattle for another sold out show tonight at @meanycenter…y’all are bringing it! Apr. 19 – Seattle, WA – Meany Center – SOLD OUT Apr. 21 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore – SOLD OUT Apr. 22 – Monterey, CA – Golden State Theater Apr. 23 – Santa Barbara, CA – Arlington Theater Apr. 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Ace Theatre Apr. 27 – Tucson, AZ – The Rialto Apr. 28 – Mesa, AZ – Ikeda Theater Apr. 30 – Dallas, TX – Longhorn Ballroom May 2 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre May 4 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz Fest Photos 1-3 by Justine Vanderpool; 4 by @ebruyildiz
We’ve had two amazing, sold out nights at @reserartscenter!! Now on to Seattle for another sold out show tonight at @meanycenter…y’all are bringing it! Apr. 19 – Seattle, WA – Meany Center – SOLD OUT Apr. 21 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore – SOLD OUT Apr. 22 – Monterey, CA – Golden State Theater Apr. 23 – Santa Barbara, CA – Arlington Theater Apr. 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Ace Theatre Apr. 27 – Tucson, AZ – The Rialto Apr. 28 – Mesa, AZ – Ikeda Theater Apr. 30 – Dallas, TX – Longhorn Ballroom May 2 – Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre May 4 – New Orleans, LA – New Orleans Jazz Fest Photos 1-3 by Justine Vanderpool; 4 by @ebruyildiz
Community music at @uncchapelhill with @countrygentlemancooks
Pop up jam today in Seattle! 1 o clock at the Seattle Center- old timey music is being centered, come play and dance! Photo by Nina Frankel of the recent Chapel Hill Joe Jam
If you’re in New York, catch the @marthagrahamdance’s “We The People” April 17-20!. The show features string arrangements of four songs from You’re the One beautifully arranged by @gwitcher, and choreographed by the powerhouse Jamar Roberts. The dancers are incredible! Read an article in the @nytimes at the link in stories!
If you’re in New York, catch the @marthagrahamdance’s “We The People” April 17-20!. The show features string arrangements of four songs from You’re the One beautifully arranged by @gwitcher, and choreographed by the powerhouse Jamar Roberts. The dancers are incredible! Read an article in the @nytimes at the link in stories!
Episode 2 of this new season of #MyMusicPBS is about harpist extraordinaire @maevegilchrist from @silkroadproject. It’s available to watch now on PBS.org (free for the next four weeks) and you can stream it on the PBS App.