Participation Type
Paper
Session Title
Session 9.03 Music
Presentation #1 Title
“Cortinas de Appalachia”: Old Sounds, New Forms - presentation on project inspired by research fellowship in Berea College Sound Archives
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The Cortinas de Appalachia traces regional cultural history as recorded song and story stored in archives at Berea College. In 2014, Barbour and Luchtan were awarded a Research Fellowship in the Berea Special Collections. Their project was called "Cortinas de Appalachia". As part of this project, Luchtan wrote experimental songs inspired by fiddle tunes and Barbour created poems inspired by their context and their players. She also created an organized grid of information useful as a bibliography for the songs and poems. Luchtan’s arrangements are being played by the Asheville Tango Orchestra. Barbour’s poems are being auditioned at regional journals and hoping for publication in 2015. In addition to the poems and the songs, the Cortinas de Appalachia created a listing of songs deemed to be representative of regional culture. Our hope is that through creative interpretations of Appalachian heritage such as this, the identity of the region will be shared across a global cultural horizon. Presentation of this idea at the upcoming “Many Mountains, Many Musics” Appalachian Studies Conference is of high interest, as we believe that Appalachia and its traditional music could learn from the Argentinian relationship with tango as a cultural export.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
As artist and educator, Kehren Barbour returned to Appalachia to study modern case for Sustainable Development in place being dismantled by extractive industries. Barbour teaches on the topic of Sustainability using tools from the creative and performative arts.
“Cortinas de Appalachia”: Old Sounds, New Forms - presentation on project inspired by research fellowship in Berea College Sound Archives
The Cortinas de Appalachia traces regional cultural history as recorded song and story stored in archives at Berea College. In 2014, Barbour and Luchtan were awarded a Research Fellowship in the Berea Special Collections. Their project was called "Cortinas de Appalachia". As part of this project, Luchtan wrote experimental songs inspired by fiddle tunes and Barbour created poems inspired by their context and their players. She also created an organized grid of information useful as a bibliography for the songs and poems. Luchtan’s arrangements are being played by the Asheville Tango Orchestra. Barbour’s poems are being auditioned at regional journals and hoping for publication in 2015. In addition to the poems and the songs, the Cortinas de Appalachia created a listing of songs deemed to be representative of regional culture. Our hope is that through creative interpretations of Appalachian heritage such as this, the identity of the region will be shared across a global cultural horizon. Presentation of this idea at the upcoming “Many Mountains, Many Musics” Appalachian Studies Conference is of high interest, as we believe that Appalachia and its traditional music could learn from the Argentinian relationship with tango as a cultural export.
