Thursday, April 28, 2005
W.Va. could be home to Mountain Music Heritage Center
From WKYT (Lexington, KY)
Tennessee has the Country Music Hall of Fame. Kentucky's got the International Bluegrass Music Museum. And if U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall gets his way, southern West Virginia will someday be home to the Appalachian Mountain Music Hall of Fame.
But the definition of "mountain music" depends on who's talking. It can be bluegrass or blues, string band or Swiss, gospel or guitar. Those who study it say it's a little bit country and a whole lot of soul.
"I would like to call mountain music that which originates in the mountains, whatever nature it may be," says the Rev. Thomas Acker, who will be part of a yearlong effort to document the state's musical culture and history, then shape the vision for a regional music heritage center.
Initial research will be done by the West Virginia Humanities Council with a $97,000 federal grant obtained by Rahall, D-W.Va., whose district includes southern West Virginia.
The first step is to survey what resources are available. Rahall says the hope is to build a tourist attraction in the Beckley area, possibly featuring a concert hall, exhibits and access to historical documents, photographs and recordings.
"This heritage center will become the first stop for all those interested in the wonderful music that has come from our hills over the years," he says.
Read the article
WKYT
Tennessee has the Country Music Hall of Fame. Kentucky's got the International Bluegrass Music Museum. And if U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall gets his way, southern West Virginia will someday be home to the Appalachian Mountain Music Hall of Fame.
But the definition of "mountain music" depends on who's talking. It can be bluegrass or blues, string band or Swiss, gospel or guitar. Those who study it say it's a little bit country and a whole lot of soul.
"I would like to call mountain music that which originates in the mountains, whatever nature it may be," says the Rev. Thomas Acker, who will be part of a yearlong effort to document the state's musical culture and history, then shape the vision for a regional music heritage center.
Initial research will be done by the West Virginia Humanities Council with a $97,000 federal grant obtained by Rahall, D-W.Va., whose district includes southern West Virginia.
The first step is to survey what resources are available. Rahall says the hope is to build a tourist attraction in the Beckley area, possibly featuring a concert hall, exhibits and access to historical documents, photographs and recordings.
"This heritage center will become the first stop for all those interested in the wonderful music that has come from our hills over the years," he says.
Read the article
WKYT
# posted by Dave Sichak @ 9:27 PM 
