Participation Type
Poster
Presentation #1 Title
A Phenomenology of Central West Virginia Traditional Music
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The traditional music of central West Virginia is known and played throughout the world. Despite this popularity, the music and musicians of the region remain relatively under-researched. The purpose of this poster presentation is to encourage discussion about the music of central West Virginia and its connection to land and people. Prominent banjoist and fiddler Dwight Diller, among others, frequently speaks about this connection, claiming that the primary goal of the music is to pass along “cultural messages” to future generations.
This research uses tools from the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty and the sociology of Bourdieu to explore and describe this unique intersection of music, place, people, and time. The phenomenological method in particular provides a language for articulating the unseen connections between central West Virginian musicians and their environment. In order to accomplish this, I examine texts from Dwight Diller (writings from his personal website and banjo book), Erynn Marshall (“Music in the air somewhere”), Drew Beisswenger (“Fiddling way out yonder”), and Lew Stern (“Dwight Diller: West Virginia mountain musician”) through close reading.
With thriving traditional music festivals such as Clifftop and Galax, as well as burgeoning music scenes in Appalachian population centers such as Asheville, it is clear that traditional music has the power to connect people to each other, to traditional cultural practices, and to place. It is hoped that this presentation and the discussion that it engenders will give all of us a richer understanding of how this happens when we participate in this music.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Dr. Ryan Angus is an Assistant Professor of English at Marshall University. His research interests include educational linguistics, literacy, and Appalachian studies.
A Phenomenology of Central West Virginia Traditional Music
The traditional music of central West Virginia is known and played throughout the world. Despite this popularity, the music and musicians of the region remain relatively under-researched. The purpose of this poster presentation is to encourage discussion about the music of central West Virginia and its connection to land and people. Prominent banjoist and fiddler Dwight Diller, among others, frequently speaks about this connection, claiming that the primary goal of the music is to pass along “cultural messages” to future generations.
This research uses tools from the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty and the sociology of Bourdieu to explore and describe this unique intersection of music, place, people, and time. The phenomenological method in particular provides a language for articulating the unseen connections between central West Virginian musicians and their environment. In order to accomplish this, I examine texts from Dwight Diller (writings from his personal website and banjo book), Erynn Marshall (“Music in the air somewhere”), Drew Beisswenger (“Fiddling way out yonder”), and Lew Stern (“Dwight Diller: West Virginia mountain musician”) through close reading.
With thriving traditional music festivals such as Clifftop and Galax, as well as burgeoning music scenes in Appalachian population centers such as Asheville, it is clear that traditional music has the power to connect people to each other, to traditional cultural practices, and to place. It is hoped that this presentation and the discussion that it engenders will give all of us a richer understanding of how this happens when we participate in this music.
