Participation Type
Performance
Session Title
Session 10.16 Music
Presentation #1 Title
Herb Key: Nurturing American Heritage
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Herb Key: Nurturing American Heritage is a short documentary featuring Herb Key, a master musician and luthier from North Carolina. Herb grew up in Wilkes County learning about traditional Appalachian music from his family and neighbors in the 1950s. Herb enjoys a do-it-yourself lifestyle making his own tools, building his own beehives, and raising his own fruits and vegetables, many from seeds derived from plants his grandmother grew. For many years he worked as a wood worker and began repairing acoustic instruments in the 1970s. Today, he is known as one of the best guitar repairmen in the region working alongside renowned Virginia luthier, Wayne Henderson. Herb is a keeper of stories and relishes in singing story-songs about Wilkes County legends like Otto Wood and Tom Dooley. Through his music and his revived vintage acoustic guitars, Herb preserves a piece of American culture.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Rebecca Jones was raised in the rural Piedmont of North Carolina. She earned a BS in Electronic Media at Appalachian State University and later a MA in Appalachian Studies also at ASU. She has worked as a freelance videographer since 2010 producing videos about Appalachian history, music, and land conservation. She has interned at Appalshop in Whitesburg, KY working with Mimi Pickering and later at Florentine Films (Ken Burns) in New Hampshire working on the Address, the Roosevelts, and Country Music. Rebecca has also taught courses at the college level including Exploring the Documentary Form and Bluegrass Traditions at Appalachian State University. She resides in western North Carolina with her two pet rocks.
Herb Key: Nurturing American Heritage
Herb Key: Nurturing American Heritage is a short documentary featuring Herb Key, a master musician and luthier from North Carolina. Herb grew up in Wilkes County learning about traditional Appalachian music from his family and neighbors in the 1950s. Herb enjoys a do-it-yourself lifestyle making his own tools, building his own beehives, and raising his own fruits and vegetables, many from seeds derived from plants his grandmother grew. For many years he worked as a wood worker and began repairing acoustic instruments in the 1970s. Today, he is known as one of the best guitar repairmen in the region working alongside renowned Virginia luthier, Wayne Henderson. Herb is a keeper of stories and relishes in singing story-songs about Wilkes County legends like Otto Wood and Tom Dooley. Through his music and his revived vintage acoustic guitars, Herb preserves a piece of American culture.
