In January, four folk musicians — Steve Daugherty, Christie Burns, Matt Evans and John Boulware — opened Mountain Music Folk School in a Red Bank storefront. Their goal was to perpetuate the traditions of old-time music and folk music by teaching lessons to beginners as well as furthering the skills of developing musicians.
Tonight, the first class from the folk school will perform at 6:15 on the Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union Stage at Riverbend.
“It’s like a student recital where our students can show off some of their best pieces,” said Ms. Burns. “In the show we put on at Riverbend, the teachers are going to perform, with students sprinkled in throughout the set.”
Ms. Burns said the Riverbend performance will include her duet with hammer-dulcimer student Sydnie Enecks; a number by the three Lyle sisters, who play guitars and mandolin; and a performance by Lon Eldridge, who, along with Doc Cullis of the Dismembered Tennesseans, are the school’s newest teachers.
“The really exciting part of the show is the grand finale, which will have at least 26 people onstage playing ‘Red-Haired Boy’,” said Ms. Burns. “We’re going to have a whole stage full of guitars, fiddles and dulcimers. It will be the world’s most fun version of the song because we’ll be playing it together.”
Ms. Burns said the school’s students range in age from a 5-year-old fiddle player to a 75-year-old hammer-dulcimer student. Its fee is $80 a month for a half-hour lesson weekly.
Every Monday night, the teachers, and any other musicians who want to join them, get together at Market Street Tavern for a jam session. The public can drop by and hear them for free.
To encourage beginners to try an instrument, the folk school offers several incentives. Anyone who buys an instrument from Mountain Music on Dayton Boulevard receives one free lesson.
The store also rents instruments to students who may be “commitment-shy,” said Ms. Burns. Prospective students may rent an instrument and take a few lessons to see whether or not it’s a good fit before making the investment of purchasing one.
Additionally, two beginner classes are forming at the store: a fiddle class that starts July 7 and a guitar class that will start as soon as it fills.
“We’re going to stick around after our show Saturday night to let people try out instruments, mingle with the crowd and answer questions,” said Ms. Burns. “We’ll also have clipboards by the stage for people to sign up for the classes or to receive general information.”
For more information about the Mountain Music Folk School, log onto its Web site at mmfolk.com.
Susan Palmer Pierce is a reporter and columnist in the Life department. She began her journalism career as a summer employee 1972 for the News Free Press, typing bridal announcements and photo captions. She became a full-time employee in 1980, working her way up to feature writer, then special sections editor, then Lifestyle editor in 1995 until the merge of the NFP and Times in 1999. She was honored with the 2007 Chattanooga Woman of ...
Or login with:
New Account