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audiopark.org news for Monday, March 24, 2008
Mandolin
wizard A. Williams will be sharing his talent in Roanoke,
Virginia on Saturday, March 29, 2008 at the "Appalachian Jams" show
at the Jefferson Center. This concert has been organized to help area
music lovers enjoy performances by Sandy Ridge, Blue Highway,
and
the Kenny and Amanda Smith band, a musical group which recently invited
Mr. Williams, a fifteen-year-old resident of Montgomery County, Virginia,
to become a member of their band.
A brief biography of A. Williams
Since
attending his first bluegrass concerts as a toddler, A.Williams
has been captivated by music. He began to play around on various
instruments that lay around the house, until about age nine when he
settled on the mandolin and pursued it seriously.
Learning
the basics from his father, and nurtured by some extremely talented
musicians in his area of southwest Virginia, he has become a very
accomplished player. He has placed and won at many competitions around
Virginia and North Carolina including the Merlefest mandolin contest and the
Galax Fiddler’s Convention, where in 2005 he had the opportunity
to meet and jam with Kenny and Amanda Smith. That meeting has grown into a
friendship and musical relationship that has helped Aaron grow exponentially
as a musician,
and has led him to record his first solo record with Kenny and Amanda as co-producers.
A. Williams
is just one of the highly talented young folks that live near and along
the Crooked Road of Virginia, a culture-rich pathway which leads through numerous
Virginia counties. J. Coldwater, a young artist who will be featured
in the Floyd County
installation of the Traces Library this summer, is another example of the
Crooked
Road's positive influence on independent learning initiatives that are being
led
these days by the families of exceptionally talented young people.
To learn
more about the "Appalachian Jams" concert, the Crooked Road,
and the Jefferson Center in Roanoke, please visit audiopark.org.
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News for November 29, 2007
Upcoming music events in Floyd, Virginia tomorrow, November 30,
include a concert and CD release party by Emily Brass at the
historic Pine Tavern and a musical performance by Jes Karper at
the Blackwater Loft.
will host a
performance by Jes Karper, a
poet and musician who
makes his home in
as a kayak guide, mapmaker,
and
advocate for cultural diversity in
his performances, which include
acoustic
folk music and poetry
inspired by nature. Music will begin at 6 pm.
This is a
free event,
and all are welcome.
Floyd, and can be
reached at 540 - 745 - LOFT. To learn more
about
Jes Karper’s
music and mapmaking
adventures, please visit jeskarper.org.
Emily Brass will perform songs from her new CD, "Open Door",
which is influenced by reggae, jazz, and hip-hop sounds.
Guitarist Richie Ursomaro, bassist John Lindsey, keyboardist
James Pace and drummer Dave Brown will be performing with
Emily Brass at this concert. There is a $7 charge for this concert.
The Pine Tavern restaurant is located at 611 Floyd
Highway North, and can be reached at 540 - 745 - 4482. To
learn more about the Pine Tavern, please visit
thepinetavern.com. To learn more about Emily
Brass, please visit emilybrass.com.
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News for November 8, 2007
11-08-07
- Creative work from the Wenger and Travianna farms in Floyd County, Virginia
is being spotlighted this month by farmscene.org
and the Traces library for creative literacy.
Land stewards at these family farms work to produce food and living supplies
without relying on
inappropriate and harmful farming technologies. They also implement land and
water use strategies
which are designed to protect and enhance, rather than desecrate and spoil,
the biological and cultural
resources already in place in the Southwestern Virginia communities where
they reside.
During
the month of November, a number of venues in the New River valley will highlight
the creative wealth that is produced by folks who work the land at these two
farms. On November 5,
an exhibit of farm art began the Gillie’s restaurant in downtown Blacksburg,
with oil paintings
by Howard Wenger on display until November 17. This collection of work offers
dream-like views
of the hills, fields, and creatures of the Floyd County farm where Howard
makes his home.
Howard’s grandson, also an artist and a farm steward, is represented
in this exhibit as well.
In addition
to the old-time jam planned for that evening, a reception will take place
to celebrate
this exhibit at 8 pm on Tuesday, November 13. This is a free event, and all
are welcome.
On Sunday,
November 11, Travianna Farm resident and Traces library steward A’Court
Bason
will share his art and music with the public at Oddfella’s Cantina in
Floyd. A gifted visionary painter,
poet, musician and artisan, A’Court Bason uses his artistic abilities
to interpret and share the
information he "reads" from the natural world. Artwork by A’Court
Bason will be on display
at the Cantina throughout the month of November.
To learn
more about some of the other art, music, and land care awareness events being
spotlighted
by the Traces library during the month of November 2007, please visit traceslibrary.net.
Persons
who wish to learn more about A’Court Bason are encouraged to visit travianna.com.
Folks who wish to learn more about Howard Wenger can view his work at the
Hill Cane arts collective
website at hillcane.org.
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News for September 20, 2007
The
Black Twig Pickers will perform tomorrow, Friday, September 21
starting at 8:30 pm at the Country Store in Floyd. For more information
on the Country Store, please visit floydcountrystore.com.
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News for September 17, 2007
The
Mill Mountain Theater in Roanoke will be presenting
a production of Hank Williams: Lost Highway starting on October 3.
For performance
times and other details, please visit millmountain.org.
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News for June 16, 2007
On
Tuesday, June 19, the Jefferson Center in Roanoke will host a Japanese Bluegrass
performance
by Takeharu Kunimoto and the Last Frontier. Banjo, guitar, bass, and mandolin
music will accompany
Kunimoto
as he tells stories and plays the shamisen, a three-stringed instrument from
Japan.
This event begins at 7:30. To find out more, please call 345-2550 or visit jeffcenter.org.
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Plans
for a 268-acre heritage park on the New River are in the beginning stages,
according
to a June 14 article in the New River Valley Current. A draft plan for the
New River Heritage Park, presented
during the 2007 New River Symposium at Radford University, states that the
park would "feature the unique
historical, archaeological, geological, biological and botanical heritage
of the New River".
The site
of the proposed park is a parcel of land located North of the Claytor Lake
dam off exit 105 on Interstate 81.
Representatives of the New River Heritage Park project have emphasized the
fact that the park would be designed
to preserve the land's natural resources and to connect with walking and biking
paths that already exist in the area.
Things
to see at the New River Heritage Park might include a river museum, a welcome
center, and villages
which replicate early American Indian and Colonial life. A blacksmith shop,
community meeting hall, a tavern
and the Ingles ferry crossing are all part of the proposed village complex,
which would be similar
to Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts.
The Radford
Heritage Foundation appointed Bob Nicholson and Dick Harshberger to develop
a conceptual plan
for the park, which has already gotten approval from New River Community Partners.
A tourism mission statement
regarding this project has been in the works since last November with the
help of civic and business leaders in the
area and representatives from Radford University.
To read the June 14 article in the New River Current, please follow this link.
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Volunteers
at Treasure the New, a grassroots initiative to promote the health
and cultural vitality of the New River watershed,
are currently leading a community-inspired effort to deliver free water quality
education materials to the public this summer.
Supporters
of
this project currently working to collect resources for a series of fun and
informative children’s activity
pages meant to inspire compassionate curiosity and foster enthusiasm toward
caring for New River ecosystems.
Organizers hope to publish these activity pages in August with the help of
area sponsors.
For more
information on Treasure the New, or to learn how you can get involved, please
visit treasurethenew.org.
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On Monday,
June 18, there will be a Juneteenth celebration at the Historic Smithfield
Plantation
in Blacksburg. This event will feature stories and spirituals which remember
and honor the lives of
enslaved African Americans at Smithfield. A dinner will follow the celebration.
This is a free event, and all
are welcome. For details, please call 540-231-3947 or visit smithfieldplantation.org.
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News for May 29, 2007
Musicians,
dancers, and old-time music enthusiasts are welcomed to the
Old Time Jam at Gillies Restaurant in downtown Blacksburg this evening. The
Old
Time Jam takes place at Gillies each Tuesday from approximately
8 to 11 pm. For more information on the Old Time Jam at Gillies, please visit
the New River Valley Old-Time Music and Dance Association's website at nrot.org.
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News
for May 14, 2007
At
the end of this month, Artrain 2007 will be visiting the community of Pulaski,
Virginia.
An art museum housed in vintage rail cars that travels via the nation’s
railroads, Artrain USA
brings world class art exhibitions and art education programs to communities
and their residents
and delivers exceptional opportunities for learning, growth and art appreciation
while encouraging the development
of local cultural programs and organizations.
The current
Artrain exhibit is a contemporary Native American art exhibition entitled
Native Views: Influences of Modern Culture. Named as an American Masterpiece
exhibition by the National
Endowment for the Arts, Native Views is touring America – coast
to coast – from April 2004 through December 2007.
Native
Views: Influences of Modern Culture is an exhibition that addresses modern
indigenous cultures.
The exhibition explores the ways Native American artists are influenced by
popular culture and offers mainstream America
the opportunity to look at and consider different insights into contemporary
society. It seeks to redefine Native American art
by broadening the limits and stereotypes that currently define it.
Artrain will be in Pulaski from May 24 to 31, 2007. For more information, please visit artrainusa.org.
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Upcoming
events at the Booker T. Washington
National Monument include a historic preservation
meeting on May 16, a garden tour on May 27, and a Juneteenth gospel music
celebration on June 16.
The Booker T. Washington National Monument is located in on Booker T. Washington
Highway in Hardy,
Virginia, and can be reached at 540-721-2094.
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On Saturday,
May 19, Mac and Jenny Traynham will play for a benefit show at Sinkland Farms
in Christainsburg. Sinkland Farms is located at 3020 Riner Road, and can be
reached at 540-382-4640.
Website: sinklandfarms.com
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"Pollution
Solutions", an hour-long kids' learning event at the Roanoke Explore
Park, will take place on May 24
from 9 to 10 am. Designed for folks aged 18 months to 5 years old, this workshop
will include hiking, games,
crafts, hands-on outdoor activities, and much more. To learn more about this
and other educational opportunities
at the Roanoke Explore Park, please visit their event calendar at explorepark.org.
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News for March 17, 2007
On
March 19, Friends of the Smith Mountain Lake
State
Park will meet to discuss
fundraising efforts and special projects
to
benefit the park. This meeting will begin at 9:30 am and will take place
at
the Smith Mountain Lake visitor's center in Huddleston. Please call
Sally
Hutlslar at 866-384-7080 for more details.
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At
2 pm on Sunday, March 18, there will be an educational program
at
the Booker
T. Washington National Monument entitled
'Til Death or Distance Do Us Part. This presentation is designed
to
help visitors learn more about what life was like for women
during
the Civil War. For more information, please call the
Booker
T. Washington National Memorial at 540-721-2094.
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On
April 7, Hickory Hill Vineyards and Winery will host a redbud festival
from
noon to 5 pm. Hickory Hill is located on Hickory Cove Lane in Moneta,
and
can be reached at 540-296-1393.
On
Friday, March 23, there will be a public reception at the Jacksonville Center
in
Floyd to celebrate an exhibit of new work by Karen Day, McCabe Coolidge,
Sarah
McCarthy, Linda Osborne, David Hedges and many others. Live music and
refreshments
will be offered. This is a free event, and all are welcome.To learn more,
please
call the Jacksonville Center at 540-745-2784.
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News for January 23, 2007
On the evening of January 27, there will be a benefit concert at the Sun Music
Hall in Floyd, Virginia
to raise awareness about low-impact timbering practices being put into use
in Appalachia
by the Healing Harvest Forest Foundation.
Music for this event will be provided by Blue Mule
and many others.
Please call the Sun Music Hall at 540-745-7880 to learn more about this event.
To learn more about the Healing Harvest Forest Foundation, please follow
this link.
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A
country cruise aboard the Southern Belle will take place tomorrow evening,
January 24,
from 8 to 10 pm. "Country Night Under the Stars" is a 2 hour cruise on Smith
Mountain Lake
which features a BBQ buffet and country tunes. Please call 540-483-3881 or
visit the Southern Belle
on the web at southernbellecruises.com.
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News
for January 21, 2007
The third annual Mountain Lake Migratory Bird Festival will take
place
this spring from May 18 to 20 at the Mountain Lake hotel in Giles County,
Virginia.
To learn more about the Mountain Lake Migratory Bird Festival,
please visit mountainlakebirding.com.
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The
2007 spring & summer course catalog is now available from the Jacksonville
Center
in Floyd, Virginia. This year's educational programming includes classes in
blacksmithing,
dulcimer making, pottery, stone sculpture, and much more.
Classes begin at the Center in early February, and continue into late summer
2007. To learn more about
the Jacksonville Center, please call 540-745-2784 or visit jacksonvillecenter.org.
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On
Saturday, January 27, the Hoorah Cloggers will perform in Fitzpatrick Hall
at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke. Music will begin at 8, and will be provided
by the Wild Turkeys, an award-winning old time string band from Southwest
Virginia.
The
Hoorah Cloggers are a performance Appalachian dance troupe
composed of members of the New River Old Time Music & Dance Association.
Please visit nrot.org to learn more
about the New River Old Time
Music & Dance Association and the Hoorah Cloggers.
The
Wild Turkeys play traditional folk music of the Southern Appalachians,
including fiddle & banjo tunes, as well as Carter Family ballads and assorted
waltzes.
To learn more about the Wild Turkeys, please follow
this link.
The Jefferson Center is located at 541 Luck Avenue in Roanoke,
and can be found on the web at jeffcenter.org.
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News
for January 20, 2007
From 4 to 6 pm tomorrow, January 21, there will be a public reception
at the Harrison Museum of African American Culture in Roanoke to celebrate
an exhibit in the main gallery highlighting the achievements of African Americans
in the Roanoke Valley.
The Harrison Museum is located on Harrison Avenue in Roanoke.
To learn more about this event, please call 540-345-4818
or visit harrisonmuseum.com.
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On Saturday,
February 17, Eddie Goode will lead a workshop
on frontier living at Virginia’s Explore Park on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
This workshop
is open to folks ages 8 and up. Participants will explore tools, materials,
and
construction techniques used by early settlers looking to make a home on the
Virginia
frontier in the middle of the 18th century.
To learn more, please visit the Explore Park website at explorepark.org.
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On February
11, there will be a ranger-led tour entitled Planting Seeds of Despair
at the
Booker T. Washington National Monument in Hardy. This tour will begin at 2
pm, and is designed
to introduce park visitors to the impact of tobacco cultivation on free and
enslaved Virginians in the 1850’s.
To learn more, please visit the Booker T. Washington National Monument website
or call 540-721-2094.
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Visitors
at Smith Mountain Lake State Park can expect to see some new trail improvements
and campsite expansions when the park re-opens this year during the first
weekend of March.
Along with improvements to camping facilities, new trail head signs will be
in place to illustrate
points of interest, area topography, and historical pictures from the area.
For more information
on Smith Mountain Lake State Park, please visit the park's website
or call 540-297-6066.
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News
for January 15, 2007
This
Thursday, Virginia's Explore Park will host a series of fun outdoor lessons
for kids of all ages called "Owl Adaptations". Led by Anna Wills, these programs
are designed
to help young learners find out more about these fascinating animals, and
the unique adaptations
that have allowed them to see in the dark. Explore Park regularly hosts hands-on
natural science
learning
events for children age 18 months and up. These programs are uniquely suited
to the needs of
home-schooling families looking for a way to make nature a part of their learning
environment.
At the upcoming "Owl Adaptations" educational event, older kids will participate
in experiments,
lectures, natural science activities, and hands-on outdoor projects, while
younger kids will join in games,
hiking, arts & crafts, and outdoor activities as well as spending time
learning their numbers and letters.
Please register by Tuesday to participate in "Owl Adaptations". An enrollment
fee of $4 to $5 per child will apply.
To register, please call 540.427.1800 extension 31. To learn more about
the Roanoke Explore Park,
please visit their website at explorepark.org.
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Upcoming
music events at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke include the 4th annual Jefferson
Center Latin dance party
on January 19 and the Hoorah Cloggers with the Wild Turkeys on January 27.
For information and tickets,
please visit www.jeffcenter.org
or call the Jefferson Center box office at 540.345.2550.
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On
February 17, 2007, there will be a book club meeting at 2 pm. at the
Booker T. Washington
National Monument in Franklin County. "My Larger Education" by Booker T. Washington
will be featured.
The Booker T. Washington National Monument is open seven days a week, and
is located
at 12130 Booker T. Washington Highway in Hardy, Virginia. For more information,
please call 540.721.2094.
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Last fall In Franklin County, Virginia, the Franklin County Board
of Supervisors approved budgeting
for a pet Adoption Specialist position. In September, Sherry Slaughter became
the first Adoption Specialist to officially
work for Franklin County. Ms. Slaughter has extensive experience in the promotion
of responsible pet ownership practices,
and was formerly the head of the Floyd County Humane Society's pet adoption
program.
To read the full press release, please visit franklincountyva.org.
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Farm Day Tour 2007 will take place on August 18 of this year at Thomas Jefferson's
Poplar Forest in Bedford County.
Visitors there will learn about farming and the enslaved community at the
Poplar Forest plantation. Thomas Jefferson
will be on hand to talk about his farming practices. This is a free event.
Learn more at poplarforest.org.
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On November 27, 2006, The Bedford County board of Supervisors created
a new advisory board
to help direct the county's efforts at promoting agricultural economic development.
The 10-member board will consist
of one member from each of the county's seven election districts, and three
at-large members. For more information,
or to become involved, please call 540.586.7601.
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