Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns,
In Tune: A Community of Musicians
focus of free community event
CHARLESTON – West Virginia Public Broadcasting is hosting an evening celebrating both old-time and country music in Charleston.
A limited number of tickets remain for the special event that will include a reception, extended previews of Ken Burns’ upcoming documentary County Music and WVPB’s documentary film In Tune: A Community of Musicians and a panel discussion.
The event will be Thursday, August 22, at 6:30 p.m., at the West Virginia Culture Center in Charleston. It’s free and open to the public, but reservations are required.
Panelists include Susan Shumaker, a member of the Ken Burns production team from Morgantown, W.Va.; Emily Hilliard, West Virginia State Folklorist; Russ Barbour, producer, In Tune; along with local old-time musicians featured in In Tune, Kim Johnson of Kanawha County, Cody Jordan of Mason County, Bobby Taylor of Roane County and John Morris of Clay County.
WVPB Executive Director Chuck Roberts said the evening is not just for people who think of themselves as music connoisseurs.
“Country music and old-time music have touched all of our lives and these amazing films by PBS’ Ken Burns and our own Russ Barbour are going to show how talented West Virginia musicians contributed to their respective genres throughout history,” Roberts said. “Prepare to be informed and entertained!”
Country Music is an eight-part, 16-hour documentary focused on the history of country music across the United States up through the 1990s. During the Charleston screening, viewers will get a look at some excerpts from the film featuring artists from West Virginia and their impact on the Mountain State’s rich country music heritage.
In Tune takes a look at the popularization of what was called “hillbilly music,” which grew out of what became known as old-time music in the first half of the 20th Century. The documentary also explores customs and music culture; the impact of the American Folk Revival; rediscovery of old-time musicians; the arrival of back-to-landers in Appalachia; and the growing popularity of old-time music festivals.
In Tune will air on WVPB’s statewide network on Sept. 14, at 8 p.m., and the first part of Country Music will air on Sept. 15 at 8 p.m. Both documentaries will be available for streaming on WVPB Passport thereafter.
To learn more about the films and this event, please visit wvpublic.org/intune.
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Another public screening of In Tune: A Community of Musicians will take place at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown on Monday, October 21, at 7 p.m., at the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History and Education Auditorium. The event is sponsored by the Center for Appalachian Studies and Communities.
Several West Virginia artists are featured prominently in Country Music: A Film By Ken Burns, an eight-part, 16-hour documentary that begins airing Sept. 15, at 8 p.m. on WVPB television.
Stephan Said takes his fiddle and guitar to refugee camps and war zones. He’s on a quest to make music that speaks across boundaries.
He’s been to battle-torn cities in Iraq, refugee camps in the Mediterranean and to ravaged Houston after Hurricane Harvey. When he gets to these places, he sits down with local folks to play music and help the healing begin.
Stephan lives in New York, but he traces some of his musical roots to his boyhood in Appalachia. The Village Voice and Billboard Magazine have compared him to Woody Guthrie because he uses his music to bridge divides between people.
Stephan hosts a video docu-series called “Borderless,” which follows him on his travels areas of conflict, from Greece, to Iraq, to Charlottesville, Virginia.
He talked with Trey Kay about his life as a musical ambassador.
Stephan Said’s “We the People” from Charlottesville in 2018
“Candy Rain” is the new single from the upcoming self-titled debut album by Hello June. Born out of Morgantown, W.Va., Hello June were named in the inaugural class of NPR Slingshot artists earlier this year. The first single and video for “Mars,” released in June, garnered features from NPR Music, Minnesota Public Radio’s “The Current”, and Broadway World.
The radiant-meets-rustic video for “Candy Rain” is an enchanting companion to the track’s kaleidoscopic glow, conjuring the feeling of an unrushed sunset that lingers longer than it’s supposed to.
Both “Mars” and “Candy Rain” are available as singles, ahead of the full-length album-produced by WV music luminary Bud Carroll- due on Friday, September 28.
The band will celebrate the release of their debut album on Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Boulevard Tavern in Charleston and they’ll share the bill with Sarah Shook and the Disarmers in Morgantown on October 2.
Have you ever wondered what turns a new song into a great song? And do you want to discover an emerging West Virginia act from your neck of the woods? Then join West Virginia Public Broadcasting for a #WhyListen: First Listen Music Party on Sunday, September 3 from 6 to 8 p.m at Bahnhof WVrsthaus & Biergarten in Huntington.
The September 3 #WhyListen event will include a first listen of music near and far, including the premiere of new music from #WVmusic acts. In the past, we’ve given audiences a first listen to tunes from William Matheny, M. Ward, Mavis Staples, The Company Stores, Qiet and so many more. (Find out how you can get your music in the mix on our Facebook page.)
A #WhyListen selfie at our 2015 Huntington event.
September 3 guests can enjoy Bahnhof’s local brews and food for the night as they listen to new tunes, rate them with handy-dandy cards and have a lively music discussion with Mountain Stage host and artistic director Larry Groce, A Change of Tune and 30 Days of #WVmusic creator Joni Deutsch, Huntington producer Bud Carroll and Hello June rocker Sarah Rudy.
The event marks West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s seventh project with NPR Generation Listen, an initiative to bring young, intellectually curious minds into the public broadcasting community. In fact, the very first #WhyListen event took place back in 2015 in Huntington and received rave reviews from Dave Lavender at The Herald-Dispatch and Marshall University’s The Parthenon.
The September 3 #WhyListen event is free and open to the public! For more information on the listening party (and the full Huntington Music & Art Festival schedule), visit the Facebook event.
And if you’re a local artist with a demo or brand new tune for our listening party, hit us up! Comment on our post on Facebook.com/achangeoftune, and we might just include their new song at our September 3 listening party.
30 days, 30 brand new #WVmusic interviews. Without a doubt, June was a wild, wonderful month to remember.
From our June 1st kick-off interview with Rozwell Kid’s Adam Meisterhans to our season finale with Grammy winner Tim O’Brien, here’s what we learned about #WVmusic during our month-long series:
1. West Virginia music is more than banjos and Brad Paisley (no offense to either of them).
You can find just about any genre in each part of our state, whether it’s hip-hop in Wayne County or apocalyptic folk-rock in Bluefield. Just look at Matt Jackfert, a Charleston native who splits his time between hosting classical music on West Virginia Public Broadcasting, composing scores for videogames and touring with eclectic soul band The Company Stores. Matt was also the composer of the 30 Days of #WVmusic theme song in each of our podcast-y chats, so we chatted with him about his role in #WVmusic and what he hopes will happen in the coming months.
Credit Rafael Barker
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Matt Jackfert plays the ivory(ish) keys as part of The Company Stores.
2. It’s ok to leave…
Sometimes you need to gain a new perspective to fully appreciate past experiences. Just look at the successes of WVU alumni TeamMate (now residing in Los Angeles), Petersburg’s Kenny Tompkins (now in Maryland) or Mid-Ohio Valley’s Katelyn Read (now in North Carolina). But let it be known that if you were born, raised or loved the Mountain State, you will always be a part of our #WVmusic community.
3. …and it’s definitely ok to stay.
Take it from one of West Virginia music’s leading figures (aka Mr. Tim O’Brien): living and playing in West Virginia can be a beautiful thing. Costs are relatively low, travel is a-plenty (to major cities like D.C., Pittsburgh, Louisville, etc.) and the mountains have plenty of inspiration for you.
4. But either way, don’t let opportunities pass you by.
Seriously. If you do the work now, you’ll reap the rewards later. We chatted with Nathan Thomas (who helped transcribe and produce our 30 Days of #WVmusic series) about his work as a college radio DJ in Huntington and why local musicians need to be ready now given the highly-anticipated (and rapidly-approaching) release of Tyler Childers’ full-length debut.
Nathan Thomas poses in front of The V-Club in Huntington the night of WMUL’s College Radio Day celebration of local music.
nathan_thomas_wvpublic_edits.mp3
An interview with Nathan Thomas about #WVmusic.
5. The future is female (and it’s most certainly rock’n).
From charismatic crooners to behind-the-scenes strummers, West Virginia women are a force to be reckoned with. We look forward to following the careers of The Company Stores‘ Casey Litz, The Dividends‘ Hannah Spurlock and sister duo Whiskey Victor, just to name a few.
6. The future is also in the classroom.
Let’s pull a move from Sesame Street’s The Count and add up the ways music education is vital to We felt equal parts “awwww” and “rock on” in our interview with the young rockers from PopShop up in Morgantown. And Alasha Al-Qudwah‘s chat about nurturing lil’ seeds so they grow into strong, beautiful and musically-inclined trees was inspiring. And were it not for his jazz education at Marshall University, Rod Elkins might not be the same drummer we know and love today.
7. West Virginia folk history is full of punk rock.
Musicians like Mark Poole and J. Marinelli make West Virginia history fun. Wish you had them as part of your Golden Horseshoe exam, huh?
8. Don’t be afraid to do something brand new.
West Virginia was literally formed out of the need to do something different. One could argue we are the best example of a DIY state. So if you feel like there is something missing in the state, whether that’s a genre of music or a decent performance venue, get your friends together and make that dream come to life. Look to our friends at Jerry Run Summer Theater, Porch Unplugged and Hot Cup for inspo, or even the analog-in-a-digital-world folks at Sullivan’s, Cheap Thrills and Admiral Analog’s.
9. But whatever you do, support your scene.
Go see a show at a local venue. Purchase a digital download from a hometown act. Buy a CD from your favorite act and give it to someone you know will appreciate it. Tag your band on social media and let the world what they’re missing out on.
And support #WVmusic on public radio. 30 Days of #WVmusic is made possible with the help of our local underwriters (shout-outs to Kin Ship Goods, Made in WV and Todd Burge) and the support from listeners/readers like you.
If you discovered a new artist from this series or fell in love with a new song, help others do the same by pledging your support to West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s A Change of Tune. We’re proud to amplify local music to NPR Music and beyond, and we hope to do even more in the future with your help.
In the meantime, you can relive each of our 30 Days of #WVmusic chats right over here. Let us know which #WVmusic act we should listen to next on social media: like, follow and tag us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. And make sure to tune in to A Change of Tune Saturday nights at 10 and Friday nights at 11 for the rebroadcast.
“[West Virginia] affects everything about how I do my job and the way I live my life.”
From West Virginia Public Broadcasting and A Change of Tune, this is 30 Days of #WVmusic, the interview series celebrating the folks who make the West Virginia music scene wild and wonderful.
And we conclude the second season of our 30 Days of #WVmusic series with a West Virginia music history lesson from a legend of bluegrass and, arguably, one of the Mountain State’s musical figureheads. This… is Tim O’Brien.
On starting in music in West Virginia and early inspiration:
My sister Mollie and I were the musical youngest of five in our family. We’d sing in harmony in church, which was kind of uncommon in the Catholic church. But we were into the British Invasion stuff and folk music. She started playing piano, and I started playing guitar. I kept doing it, and so did she.
I’m from Wheeling in the Northern Panhandle. My dad was an attorney, and we lived in a middle class, Leave It to Beaver kind of neighborhood, a block and a half from the Catholic school where we went to grade school. My parents were into the big band-era of their youth, and I was into any kind of music, really. When I started showing interest in it, my parents were good at feeding the fire. They got me some guitar lessons and gave us student tickets to the Wheeling Symphony. There might be jazz, Count Bassey, Ray Charles, all kind of stuff. I got to see live music. The Wheeling Jamboree was going on and you could see people like Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jerry Reed.
My girlfriend when I was 14, her father was into the music, and he collected some instruments. He had a nice mandolin and a nice guitar. A guy he knew was named Roger Bland, a great Earl Scruggs-style banjo player who ended up being a staff musician at the Wheeling Jamboree. He was the guy that all the bluegrassers in Wheeling learned from. He later took his own life, but he was a wonderful guy to learn from, and I got inspired to play stuff.
Credit Courtesy of the artist
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Tim O’Brien waits to see Charlie Pride in 1970 at the Capitol Theater in Wheeling.
On becoming a professional musician:
I was 19. I went to college for a year, and I realized I was spending most of my time playing the guitar, and I started playing the fiddle. I went back the second year, and the band I had been playing with had hired somebody else over the summer. The wind went out of my sails, and I thought, “I don’t want to be here… I just want to play music.” I withdrew from college and thought maybe I’d learn how to make instruments, but I ended up going full bore and becoming a performer. I went out to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to be a ski bum and play in bars.
I wanted to get away from West Virginia. I couldn’t wait to get away. As soon as I left, if I would sing a country or bluegrass song, people would say, “Oh you’re good at this. You’re from West Virginia!” It became sort of a calling card. I was already interested in the music of West Virginia, but it became kind of an important thing commercially.
Credit Josh Saul
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Tim O’Brien performing on Mountain Stage in 2016.
On musical opportunities growing up in West Virginia:
The Wheeling Jamboree seemed out of my reach. I was playing at community events, and I was not of-age to play in bars. There wasn’t much to do. I was itching to do it, but I was too young. My parents weren’t stage parents. Brad Paisley, I think his grandfather and father made it possible for him to play as much as possible. I don’t think my parents wanted to promote the idea to me that I could be a musician because they didn’t see that as being a viable way of supporting one’s self and living one’s life. Over and over, people like me disprove them, and we decide we’re going to do it no matter what. I just decided I had to do this. I just love it. So I found ways I could play for people, mostly for free.
On winning a few Grammy Awards:
It means a lot. The Grammy win is a major endorsement by your peers, people from all over the country. When you win a Grammy, it’s not necessarily because you put out the best folk record of the year. It’s more like you’ve been doing your work, and people remember your name. It is a folk record even amongst your peers. They tend to view the quality as well, and it makes me feel like I’m doing something right.
Being from West Virginia, most of us that make a name as musicians or artists have to leave the state to make headway. When I was with Hot Rize a dozen years full-time out in Colorado, we were a Colorado band. I’m proud to be underlining with this new record now that I’m from West Virginia, and that it means a lot to how I play. It affects everything about how I do my job and the way I live my life.
There’s a mystery to West Virginia. The music is vulnerable, and it’s interesting.
Music featured in this #WVmusic chat:
Tim O’Brien- “When the River Meets the Road”
Tim O’Brien- “Grandma’s Hands” (Bill Withers cover)
Tim O’Brien- “Few Old Memories” (Hazel Dickens cover)
Tim O’Brien- “High Flying Bird” (Billy Ed Wheeler cover)
Tim O’Brien- “When the Mist Clears Away” (Larry Groce cover)
Support for 30 Days of #WVmusic is provided by Bunj Jam Music, Bunj Jam Music, featuring Todd Burge’s most recent studio album, Imitation Life, Produced by Tim O’Brien. information at toddburge.com.
Support for 30 Days of #WVmusic is provided by Kin Ship Goods, proud supporter of DIY music and the arts. Locally shipped worldwide at kinshipgoods.com.
