Press release from the Center for Cultural Preservation:
International Bluegrass Award-winning musicians Marc Pruett and Darren Nicholson, both members of Balsam Range, will be the featured mountain cultural heroes at December’s Center for Cultural Preservation’s cultural series on Thursday, December 8th at 7PM. In a program titled, Haywood County Musical Traditions, Grammy-awarding winning Pruett and Nicholson will perform, recount histories and tell stories about the evolution of mountain music and how their music fits into the larger history. Given Pruett and Nicholson’s multi-generational connection with Appalachian culture and traditions, they are the perfect match for the topic.
Marc Pruett is a seventh generation resident of Haywood County who has performed with many of the greats of mountain music including James Monroe, Jimmy Martin, the Stanley Brothers, Ricky Skaggs and many others. He has been described by Nashville Network producers as “having the hands of Earl Scruggs and the heart of Lester Flatt!” According to Pruett, “The Southern Appalachian Region has long been a hot-bed for traditional arts and folk music. I’m excited to continue to the tradition through my performances and through teaching hundreds of students how to play banjo.”
Darren Nicholson is also a native of Haywood County and is a nationally acclaimed mandolin player who has appeared countless times on the Grand Ole Opry, at the Ryman Auditorium, and many of the world’s most famous venues. Pruett and Nicholson not only offer some of the best mountain music in the country today, but a sense of connection to mountain heritage and traditions that’s heartening as it is inspiring.
This special program will be held at Blue Ridge Community College’s Bo Thomas Auditorium. Tickets are on sale now at saveculture.org or by calling the Center at (828) 692-8062. Future cultural programs include:
The Savior of the French Broad River — Wilma Dykeman February 23, 2017 – 7 p.m. – Wilma Dykeman is considered the “Rachel Carson” of the mountains. Through her book, The French Broad River, she was able to galvanize the community to turn what had become a sewer system into a protected and beloved waterway. Bo Thomas Auditorium, Blue Ridge Community College
Wayfaring Strangers: The Musical Voyage from Scotland/Ulster to Appalachia
March 30, 2017- 7 p.m. – Based on the 2015 Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award winning book, Douglas Orr, author and former president of Warren Wilson College will present this beautiful musical tribute to the roots of Appalachian music. Bo Thomas Auditorium, Blue Ridge Community College.
The Center for Cultural Preservation is a cultural nonprofit organization dedicated to working for mountain heritage continuity through oral history, documentary film, education and public programs. For more information about the Center contact them at (828) 692-8062 or saveculture.org.
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