WHAT WILL THE AUDIENCE LEARN? Tune in as you'll learn about how folklife preservation is manifested in building community and cultural engagement through the rich culture of North Carolina.
EPISODE SUMMARY: In today’s episode, Joseph is joined by our special guest Sarah Bryan, who is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Folklife Institute, an organization that for more than four decades has been dedicated to the preservation, appreciation, and understanding of folklife heritage and culture in North Carolina. Sarah will share with us the importance of preserving cultural heritage, the amazing work that NC Folklife does in the community, and what it's like to be a writer and a musician.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbryannc/
https://twitter.com/sarahbryan
EPISODE QUOTE: “ That makes it all the more essential for organization like both of ours to create these opportunities whenever we can to help young people find out about traditions in their communities.”
Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.
Bryan spent most of her childhood in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. She can trace back her lineage all the way back to colonial times in both Carolinas. She fondly describes her mother as a busy historical fiction writer.
She got a lucky break with the NC Folklife Institute shortly after her graduation form grad school. Her first job was in the Arts Directory. Bryan was also a fiddler player starting in her teens. She got the opportunity to play on stage with Chris Brashear. Bryan goes into detail about her bumpy and exciting experience performing with him in front of a live audience.
Bryan was one of the co-authors for African American Music Trails of Easteren North Carolina. It was about the historic and tradition of black music in the 80’s in North Carolina. She is currently co-authoring a book about historical Southern traditional pottery. Despite being a vegetarian she interviewed Mr.Stami and Mr.Monk from Greensboro and Lexington about barbecue pits at their restaurants. Bryan’s favorite festival is Mount Airy Fiddlers Convention.
She aims to educate younger members of the community to find out about traditions through elder artists and storytellers. One of the programs providing that support is the Junior Appalachian Musicians. The Blue Ridge Heritage trail is a project Bryan hopes to revisit to give artists the ability to promote themselves.
00:00:37.980 --> 00:00:45.720 Joseph McElroy: Welcome to the gateway to the smokies podcast this podcast is about america's most visited National Park.
00:00:46.170 --> 00:00:58.980 Joseph McElroy: The great smoky mountain National Park in the surrounding towns there's areas filled with ancient natural beauty a deep storied history and rich rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly episodes.
00:00:59.520 --> 00:01:10.830 Joseph McElroy: i'm Joseph Franklin mcilroy man of the world, but also deep roots in these mountains my family is living the great smoky for over 200 years my business is in travel, but my heart is in culture.
00:01:11.610 --> 00:01:18.420 Joseph McElroy: Today we're going to talk about the north Carolina folklife it's to with director Sarah Brian but, first a few messages.
00:01:19.710 --> 00:01:29.640 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place evocative of motor cortex of the past at modern environment with a chic appalachian for you, a place for adventure and for relaxation.
00:01:30.210 --> 00:01:39.090 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain heritage trout stream grill the catch in a fire needed company by fine line or craft beers.
00:01:39.570 --> 00:01:52.500 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place with old time music and world cultural sal there is no other place like the maillard motel Maggie valley North Carolina your smoky mountain adventures start with where you stay.
00:01:54.210 --> 00:02:06.720 Joseph McElroy: The smoky mountains and surrounding area is a vacation destination for all sees some of the nation's best hiking trails waterfalls outdoor adventures and family entertainment to be found, right here.
00:02:07.500 --> 00:02:18.240 Joseph McElroy: start your adventure by using smokies adventure calm smokies plural adventure calm to explore all the wonderful features of the great smoky mountains natural part.
00:02:18.750 --> 00:02:25.110 Joseph McElroy: You know, get trail maps and find out about waterfalls and kids coven elk and much more.
00:02:25.590 --> 00:02:35.220 Joseph McElroy: And then check out all the awesome family attractions and entertainment, you and your entire family can enjoy and all of the smoky mountain and surrounding areas.
00:02:35.790 --> 00:02:43.110 Joseph McElroy: The goal of smokies adventures become the leading information portal for adventures and experiences and the great smoky mountain.
00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:46.350 Joseph McElroy: There are some events coming up.
00:02:47.850 --> 00:03:02.190 Joseph McElroy: Well, first one, I will talk to you about his music and it's called smoking BLU Ray and it's on July 23 third at 6pm it's a blue smoky blue rain is a trio of led by.
00:03:04.890 --> 00:03:19.230 Joseph McElroy: With the three music great musicians land Graham Fillmore and Amos Jackson their brand of American amuses music is an infectious blend of folk light rock blues jazz that touch of traditional country.
00:03:20.130 --> 00:03:24.930 Joseph McElroy: They met through a mutual friend and from the very force nope nope realize that they had something special.
00:03:25.980 --> 00:03:36.210 Joseph McElroy: So we're going to have that event on on the Saturday night at July 23 at the pavilion the back porch pavilion in in the back end and the back.
00:03:37.020 --> 00:03:48.120 Joseph McElroy: recreation area, the metal art motel we have a sort of a wonderful performance venue and we're also going to free Barbecue and.
00:03:48.870 --> 00:04:01.770 Joseph McElroy: And and and there'll be music after the show to up until whatever the night provides so admission is free for hotel guests and heritage club members and it's $10 for all others.
00:04:03.090 --> 00:04:13.680 Joseph McElroy: As are you need to do an rsvp so call eight to 8926171 second one seven to get your tickets again eight to 89261717.
00:04:14.790 --> 00:04:35.340 Joseph McElroy: Now some of you have heard about tick tock and and and and instagram especially tick tock and a local a local guy here named zeb who's part of the Jay Jay creek cloggers is gone viral with hundreds of millions of views, for his clogging style.
00:04:37.230 --> 00:04:50.730 Joseph McElroy: And so the metal Arc smoky mountain heritage Center in the middle of motel proudly announced on a heritage event that features an evening of dinner and then dancing from the legendary jacory cloggers.
00:04:51.390 --> 00:05:01.740 Joseph McElroy: featuring zip on Saturday night July 30 and started again the Nice starts with a delicious Barbecue dinner at six and then column column.
00:05:02.160 --> 00:05:15.390 Joseph McElroy: cook culminates with a rollicking performance by the jquery clockers of 7:30pm they will perform multiple examples of traditional mountain dancing as well as teaching the audience several fun dance steps.
00:05:16.380 --> 00:05:25.890 Joseph McElroy: group leader Kim Rasa was here a week or so go on on our podcast will also give a short talk on the history and traditions, a mountain man.
00:05:26.490 --> 00:05:33.720 Joseph McElroy: grab your partner and come and join us from memorable fun filled classic mountain heritage evening of dining and dancing.
00:05:34.230 --> 00:05:41.100 Joseph McElroy: admission is free for hotel guests and heritage members and $20 per person for folks not staying in a hotel.
00:05:41.550 --> 00:05:58.320 Joseph McElroy: Could you know, give us a call at 828-926-1717 to reserve your room or just to get a ticket to the dinner and dance this week classic old old mountain type dancehall stuff and you can have a great time and then it'll be put up on tick tock maybe we'll go viral good.
00:06:00.060 --> 00:06:05.340 Joseph McElroy: Now big news is on August 12 through the 13th there's going to be a songwriters camp.
00:06:05.760 --> 00:06:20.580 Joseph McElroy: That features grammy award winning artist Jim lauderdale and Charles hunter the third law with Ward winning artists, they are Nicholson clay mills and Charles Chamberlain it's a two day event of interactive songwriting instruction.
00:06:21.810 --> 00:06:32.820 Joseph McElroy: With world class and you'll get a DEMO tape produced for for your participation for your what you write what you perform and then also be a concert.
00:06:33.330 --> 00:06:49.620 Joseph McElroy: By the song from the road band on Friday night and then again a Barbecue dinner and an all star concept with all those artists, on Saturday night, this is an event like you'll never get your life to Jim lauderdale we wrote, most of the hits first artists like Jim George strait and.
00:06:50.640 --> 00:07:00.540 Joseph McElroy: Charles Humphrey is a grammy award winning himself and has done some major songs it's just it's going to be incredible you can learn a lot, the price is 675.
00:07:00.960 --> 00:07:10.470 Joseph McElroy: per person includes all the activities that DEMO tape and the concerts and the dinners and everything else, and under special rooms available for you you're not from the area.
00:07:10.830 --> 00:07:29.220 Joseph McElroy: And you can you can call it a to 89261717 to get the details get yourself a room get yourself a ticket and come on and there's there's just also for people just want to come to concerts there's concert tickets available as well again call eight to 89261717.
00:07:31.260 --> 00:07:36.870 Joseph McElroy: So today we're going to talk about the new North Carolina folk like it's too, and the director of that is Sarah Brian.
00:07:38.550 --> 00:07:39.120 Joseph McElroy: And it's.
00:07:40.410 --> 00:07:50.550 Joseph McElroy: The folk like folklife institute's organization that for more than four decades has been dedicated to the preservation appreciation understanding folklife heritage and culture in North Carolina.
00:07:51.300 --> 00:08:05.100 Joseph McElroy: Sarah is an accomplished writer author and musician she was also the editor to notable old time music publications and enjoys collecting old 78 rpm lps and supporting animal welfare.
00:08:05.790 --> 00:08:18.390 Joseph McElroy: she's a tar heel basketball and New York mets baseball fan she lives in Durham North Carolina with her family and then it has a pack of dogs and cats to support her efforts hello, Sarah how you doing.
00:08:18.510 --> 00:08:20.370 Sarah Bryan: hey i'm doing good, how are you.
00:08:20.760 --> 00:08:31.410 Joseph McElroy: Fine i'm doing good hey listen i'm not going to hold it against you, that you're you're a tar heel born and bred but yeah since I went to do, but you do live in Durham so you gotta live in enemy territory right.
00:08:31.500 --> 00:08:35.550 Sarah Bryan: I live about three blocks from campus so I have to represent extra hard for the.
00:08:35.550 --> 00:08:36.450 Sarah Bryan: target was the air.
00:08:36.570 --> 00:08:38.730 Joseph McElroy: All right, which the West campus campus.
00:08:38.820 --> 00:08:42.150 Joseph McElroy: escape escape and so you're like near downtown right.
00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:44.400 Sarah Bryan: yeah yeah quite close yeah it all sounds.
00:08:44.790 --> 00:08:47.970 Joseph McElroy: cool there has become a little bit of a foodie town right, just like national.
00:08:48.240 --> 00:08:55.770 Sarah Bryan: It really is It reminds me a lot of asheville yeah and just huge number of people moving here every year.
00:08:56.220 --> 00:08:56.850 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah.
00:08:57.420 --> 00:08:58.110 Sarah Bryan: Look asheville.
00:08:58.410 --> 00:09:05.160 Joseph McElroy: After after Duke I lived in Durham for about seven years and I enjoyed it very much you know it's a cool little town.
00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:06.930 Joseph McElroy: you're busy north.
00:09:06.960 --> 00:09:10.470 Joseph McElroy: Carolina you want to go across the whole state, you know I say wilmington.
00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:16.650 Joseph McElroy: Durham and then national and then of course Maggie valley for the small town experience.
00:09:17.730 --> 00:09:18.150 Sarah Bryan: sure.
00:09:18.570 --> 00:09:25.440 Joseph McElroy: Alright cool we're we're especially excited to talk to you about you, your role in the north Carolina focus life Institute.
00:09:25.860 --> 00:09:39.600 Joseph McElroy: As you, as we have we share many of the same core beliefs and with the heritage Center and at the motel first let's learn a little bit more about you, you and you have an interesting background and amazing resume.
00:09:41.160 --> 00:09:47.340 Joseph McElroy: So you were born in myrtle beach South Carolina has How was it like being born in a beach town.
00:09:48.690 --> 00:09:52.860 Sarah Bryan: Yes, but the most of the most of my childhood myrtle beach and.
00:09:54.000 --> 00:09:56.850 Sarah Bryan: You know when you're born into play, or I was, I was actually.
00:09:58.170 --> 00:10:11.490 Sarah Bryan: We moved there when I was two weeks old, but my father's family going back many generations is from that little part of South Carolina and myrtle beach in particular, and I think when you grow up in a place like that you kind of don't know how weird it is.
00:10:11.910 --> 00:10:20.550 Sarah Bryan: yeah I you know, I have a friend who a childhood friend, we were talking years after we both left myrtle beach about.
00:10:21.420 --> 00:10:31.680 Sarah Bryan: What it's like to be from somewhere like that, and she pointed out that it gives you kind of an altered sense of reality if you grow up like down the street from ripley's, believe it or not.
00:10:34.320 --> 00:10:36.750 Sarah Bryan: giant fiberglass octopus statues.
00:10:37.650 --> 00:10:46.830 Joseph McElroy: Oh, you know growing up in a little tourist and I sort of get an idea of what she did you know, and you know from Duke we always went to myrtle beach after yeah for the spring break it was like.
00:10:47.310 --> 00:10:55.800 Joseph McElroy: You know how how how bad can replace be when yeah you can take a back road and find all you can eat seafood place on the middle of nowhere.
00:10:58.380 --> 00:11:01.110 Joseph McElroy: And you paid a paid as you went in because they.
00:11:02.190 --> 00:11:04.260 Joseph McElroy: expect you to just stay there till your fault.
00:11:06.090 --> 00:11:12.870 Joseph McElroy: But you also spend some time and grown up the carolinas in Virginia beach Virginia what were those.
00:11:13.560 --> 00:11:31.200 Sarah Bryan: yeah well i'm most of my family going back you know, since early colonial times has been in the carolinas both carolinas and um when when I was about nine we moved up to northern Virginia, which is where my mother grew up and.
00:11:32.340 --> 00:11:35.370 Sarah Bryan: I missed the carolinas badly when I lived there.
00:11:35.520 --> 00:11:46.770 Sarah Bryan: Especially in the springtime but because you know just that little bit of geographical distance makes all the dust all the difference in climate when the when the flowers come out and when it gets warm.
00:11:47.640 --> 00:11:54.360 Sarah Bryan: It was a great place to spend my teens and and my college years, so I feel fortunate to have been up there.
00:11:55.080 --> 00:12:04.770 Joseph McElroy: With your parents surely must have influenced your love of history writing your mom is distinguished author publisher story or own right, what can you say about that.
00:12:05.970 --> 00:12:19.140 Sarah Bryan: yeah my mom my mom is a wonderful writer her name is Christina freeman Brian and she is she has had an interesting career just 72 now and lives with me and my husband here in Durham and.
00:12:20.310 --> 00:12:22.680 Sarah Bryan: yeah she she went to Carolina and.
00:12:23.700 --> 00:12:39.600 Sarah Bryan: studied originally to be a medievalist medieval Latin is is her specialty from from college and but has done all sorts of things over the years, she ran a school for several years and myrtle beach.
00:12:40.830 --> 00:12:44.160 Sarah Bryan: Montessori school that I went to as a small child and.
00:12:45.300 --> 00:12:46.440 Sarah Bryan: has written.
00:12:47.610 --> 00:13:02.250 Sarah Bryan: A lot of really wonderful historical fiction about civil war era about jamestown colony about the Lincoln assassination plot and.
00:13:02.730 --> 00:13:10.650 Sarah Bryan: She she's an amazing researcher fun to just incredible depth of information right, so these great books and.
00:13:11.070 --> 00:13:22.260 Sarah Bryan: Then just move right to the next project she's so excited about the next thing to learn about so she has the stack of manuscripts, so I hope someday she'll be shopping to publishers, because the world needs to see them.
00:13:23.040 --> 00:13:28.710 Joseph McElroy: that's great, but we got to take a break down but we'll come back talk a little more about your personal history and then get into your job.
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00:15:45.570 --> 00:15:52.200 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin mcilroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guests there Brian.
00:15:53.910 --> 00:16:00.870 Joseph McElroy: So, so you know I like to have my my my craft beers on this show Now I will tell you.
00:16:02.400 --> 00:16:11.400 Joseph McElroy: about the one i'm doing now, but first it was mentioned, I was at the wicked weed brewery nationally that day and they got a really great IPA call freakin page or advise you to go there.
00:16:11.820 --> 00:16:15.600 Joseph McElroy: But I just discovered when we have at the metal Arc, it is not at local beer, but.
00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:31.110 Joseph McElroy: yeah I don't necessarily just dismiss that you know, even though this area is 50 breweries there's people that make good beer elsewhere and i'm liking, this one it's a double IPA called never better by coronado brewing company in California.
00:16:33.330 --> 00:16:41.370 Joseph McElroy: But anyway, hey Sarah glad to have you back you know we were talking about your mom with your dad was a professional of American literature.
00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:50.610 Joseph McElroy: But it was also I thought this is interesting we're now does a miniature golf course designer including, including Mr the elaborate on the grand strand right.
00:16:51.360 --> 00:17:00.360 Sarah Bryan: that's true yeah yeah my my father dance Brian was his name, he went by the nickname party, which is a long story.
00:17:02.100 --> 00:17:04.560 Sarah Bryan: Was the origin part of her in the Bible.
00:17:06.540 --> 00:17:21.000 Sarah Bryan: yeah he was from myrtle beach grew up there, and his father and grandfather had been involved in developing the area early on, and particularly in building, so the golf courses, they are the the big golf courses and.
00:17:22.500 --> 00:17:34.380 Sarah Bryan: Starting around the 1950s i'd say late 50s early 60s, he started he started working on his own miniature golf courses his father.
00:17:36.360 --> 00:17:49.890 Sarah Bryan: put him in charge of a an old golf driving range they had there, and he had the idea to make it sort of a jungle environment miniature golf course and that's where that.
00:17:50.970 --> 00:18:10.680 Sarah Bryan: The head deal was born with him and he and partners through the years developed the jungle golf style of miniature golf courses, so if you've been to myrtle beach, you know what they look like it's the big mountain of dirt a middle of the lot with tropical plants waterfalls.
00:18:13.230 --> 00:18:19.830 Sarah Bryan: jungle animals, which includes somehow savannah animals I don't know why, and so that that.
00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:21.870 Sarah Bryan: That has.
00:18:23.070 --> 00:18:27.630 Sarah Bryan: Over the course of his life that really took off from the late 50s to Stephen.
00:18:29.640 --> 00:18:31.710 Joseph McElroy: He did a couple of value value didn't.
00:18:33.060 --> 00:18:37.740 Sarah Bryan: You know I am not sure I think he did this before my time he did one in boone.
00:18:38.190 --> 00:18:41.250 Sarah Bryan: yeah and the 70s early 80s there's one.
00:18:41.310 --> 00:18:46.920 Joseph McElroy: that's there's one has been around for a long time and I don't think that's a jungle type golf, but there is one.
00:18:47.940 --> 00:18:50.760 Joseph McElroy: That is more of a general type thing and so.
00:18:51.090 --> 00:18:59.640 Joseph McElroy: He probably looks actually I when I first saw it back 20 years ago, or something like that I said wow that looks more like a myrtle beach.
00:19:02.490 --> 00:19:05.400 Joseph McElroy: thing so but it's become part of the fabric here, you know.
00:19:06.120 --> 00:19:06.510 So.
00:19:08.040 --> 00:19:17.280 Joseph McElroy: And you you you're you're actually come from diverse home you you grew up and speak Spanish your family's confused compete compete Cuban dispense right.
00:19:18.360 --> 00:19:21.240 Sarah Bryan: My mom my mom is half Cuban.
00:19:21.630 --> 00:19:27.420 Joseph McElroy: yeah, and I assume you have a real admiration for cultural diversity.
00:19:29.970 --> 00:19:47.340 Joseph McElroy: That we love for exploring you know for folklife and in Florida, for you know, being a writer and musician in and you got your what your BA degree in American studies from George Washington university an ma degree in folklore unc I won't hold that against.
00:19:49.980 --> 00:19:51.090 Sarah Bryan: call the truth for that.
00:19:51.630 --> 00:20:04.530 Joseph McElroy: yeah but in 2005 you actually you join the north Carolina folklife institute so is that sort of the first big big career move for you read what's up before that.
00:20:05.070 --> 00:20:11.340 Sarah Bryan: That was an incredibly lucky break for me, I was not long out of Grad school and.
00:20:12.300 --> 00:20:28.920 Sarah Bryan: North Carolina folklife Institute, which at the time was directed by Beverley Patterson who's a wonderful folklorist in Chapel hill she she in the folklife institute we're working with the blue Ridge national heritage area on developing their traditional artists directory.
00:20:29.430 --> 00:20:40.560 Sarah Bryan: And she brought on to newly hatched folklorist which were me and mark free to you probably know, from when you use a prominent musician and arts leader in the area.
00:20:41.100 --> 00:20:53.070 Sarah Bryan: But we were both you know in and just out of school at the time, this was long ago and yeah my first job was on the artists directory and so basically.
00:20:53.670 --> 00:21:04.470 Sarah Bryan: The folklife institute turned us loose mark was in the northern counties and I was from like Madison and bunk and counties to the State Law and and.
00:21:05.580 --> 00:21:17.130 Sarah Bryan: And, and the cherokee quality boundary area and it was a wonderful job I mean we just explored, each of us separately explored the counties in our.
00:21:18.090 --> 00:21:25.860 Sarah Bryan: assigned region go around ask people who the traditional artists are in some cases, they were.
00:21:26.400 --> 00:21:37.110 Sarah Bryan: You know, prominent people with you know well known careers and their and their art form and in other cases, that would be you know, an elderly person who'd retired from a career and something not at all.
00:21:37.890 --> 00:21:46.890 Sarah Bryan: art or music related but you know kept up their their art form just on their own at home because I love doing it, nobody you know.
00:21:48.540 --> 00:21:54.840 Sarah Bryan: haven't had much publicity before but we got the right profiles of all of these folks and it was incredibly fun.
00:21:55.530 --> 00:22:05.760 Joseph McElroy: Well, you, you must have loved it, because by 2017, which is a fairly short period of time he became executive director of that that that really esteemed organization.
00:22:07.020 --> 00:22:12.570 Joseph McElroy: So I guess that was that was a That was a lot of hard work right.
00:22:13.980 --> 00:22:15.120 Sarah Bryan: Hard work that really fun.
00:22:17.070 --> 00:22:19.860 Sarah Bryan: The all the projects were involved in, or just.
00:22:21.060 --> 00:22:23.130 Sarah Bryan: Oh it's such a pleasure to work on.
00:22:24.180 --> 00:22:38.790 Joseph McElroy: Well, but you also here's The interesting thing you know, and you know found out that you, you became an old time fiddle player during that time, too, so you had to have time to practice right, but you were you were doing a lot of good work so.
00:22:40.500 --> 00:22:43.260 Joseph McElroy: Have you played with any great Western North Carolina fiddler's.
00:22:43.830 --> 00:22:48.930 Sarah Bryan: Well let's see I actually started playing old time fiddle when I was in my teens.
00:22:49.020 --> 00:22:49.470 Joseph McElroy: I really.
00:22:49.980 --> 00:22:51.960 Sarah Bryan: yeah and actually i've been.
00:22:52.080 --> 00:23:10.620 Sarah Bryan: In northern Virginia and yeah but have have continued playing all along yeah moving to North Carolina has I came back down here for Grad school in 2001 of the great things about that was proximity to so many wonderful musicians.
00:23:10.800 --> 00:23:11.430 Joseph McElroy: Well that's great.
00:23:11.460 --> 00:23:16.470 Joseph McElroy: yeah so did you get to play with any or did you get did you have any mentoring from some of them.
00:23:16.830 --> 00:23:22.950 Sarah Bryan: yeah yeah there it's it's hard to narrow down there's so many amazing fiddler's in the year I was.
00:23:23.970 --> 00:23:26.400 Sarah Bryan: If I had to pick one fiddler to.
00:23:28.740 --> 00:23:41.850 Sarah Bryan: To mention, in particular, who have a friend who have been lucky enough to play with at times, but not nearly enough not nearly as much said, like is Paul Brown, who lives in Winston Salem.
00:23:42.990 --> 00:23:47.700 Sarah Bryan: He is wonderful fiddler banjo player singer.
00:23:49.470 --> 00:23:55.830 Sarah Bryan: Has the style that I wish I could play and very sort of sweet and rambunctious at the same time.
00:23:56.970 --> 00:23:58.050 Sarah Bryan: And he also.
00:23:59.580 --> 00:24:07.500 Sarah Bryan: he's he's been this great conduit between generations, because when he first moved to the Mount airy area.
00:24:08.910 --> 00:24:17.280 Sarah Bryan: He got to know Tommy jerel or honesty's Fred copper Malta, you know the sort of Pantheon of great musicians in that area.
00:24:18.330 --> 00:24:20.550 Sarah Bryan: And he's really served as a.
00:24:21.840 --> 00:24:37.680 Sarah Bryan: champion of them over the years, so now, I mean for a lot of us who were not able to know those people through Paul we've gotten to know not just what great musicians, they were, but what interesting and knowledgeable people they were.
00:24:39.780 --> 00:24:51.480 Joseph McElroy: Well that's that's yeah that's you know that's a that's a life enriching experience to work with people that have such tremendous depth and they they're trying to actually pass it on to you too, and so.
00:24:51.960 --> 00:25:02.190 Joseph McElroy: yeah I think that is probably very, very profound for you, you know I also know that you were on garrison keillor's prairie home companion that goes out.
00:25:03.720 --> 00:25:23.610 Sarah Bryan: that that was a an exciting experience, not in all the right ways, so I have severe stage fright and which complicated that experience, because it was in front of a you know alive theater audience prairie home companion was going to be in Durham and.
00:25:24.690 --> 00:25:32.220 Sarah Bryan: And the show invited you know, several old time musicians in the area to be part of it, and of course I couldn't turn that down.
00:25:34.050 --> 00:25:39.720 Sarah Bryan: But once I once I got there the stage right kicked in and.
00:25:41.280 --> 00:25:49.710 Sarah Bryan: They before the show they we were backstage and Chris for sheer who's the band fiddler was the band fiddler those days.
00:25:51.330 --> 00:25:53.850 Sarah Bryan: For the show was showing me and the other.
00:25:54.990 --> 00:25:59.490 Sarah Bryan: guests fiddler's this tune that we were going to play when you know when our segment came on.
00:26:00.510 --> 00:26:10.020 Sarah Bryan: And because I was starting to think about what it was gonna be like a few minutes when there is these hundreds of people looking at me and billions of people listening.
00:26:10.740 --> 00:26:24.240 Sarah Bryan: my mind went blank and I couldn't learn the two, and he was showing us it was as soon as he played it, it was gone so that was that was the first tune what we're going to play that evening and.
00:26:25.350 --> 00:26:35.490 Sarah Bryan: Because, as soon as they started I realized I didn't remember what you just showed us, I was like i'm you know sort of holding the bow a little bit above the strings of pretending to play.
00:26:37.980 --> 00:26:41.340 Sarah Bryan: outside of Andy Griffith when barney's in the choir.
00:26:41.340 --> 00:26:41.760 To.
00:26:43.110 --> 00:26:57.000 Sarah Bryan: sing it was like that, but that, so the sound the sound engineer was you know kept he was listening and it kept thinking that my microphone is not working, so he came out at one point, and was like tinkering with it and.
00:26:57.990 --> 00:27:03.000 Sarah Bryan: While he was standing there he realized that I wasn't playing and you sort of like wink to give me a thumbs up and.
00:27:03.660 --> 00:27:18.990 Sarah Bryan: went off stage, but then the next tune that we were to play was soldiers joy, which is my favorite all time fiddle tune, and the one that, like all fiddler's pretty much know so I really wanted to play on that one but at that point my microphone was off.
00:27:20.790 --> 00:27:22.350 Sarah Bryan: pretending to play before.
00:27:24.090 --> 00:27:33.720 Sarah Bryan: But the crisper shear and the other fiddler Kenny Jackson who's a really great North Carolina fiddler um you know they didn't need a third fiddler between them so.
00:27:36.060 --> 00:27:39.000 Joseph McElroy: Oh that's so you you play, but you did.
00:27:45.030 --> 00:27:46.740 Joseph McElroy: Okay well that's a good story.
00:27:48.630 --> 00:27:50.190 Joseph McElroy: At least you got asked to be on there.
00:27:53.220 --> 00:27:58.860 Joseph McElroy: So you've also become a writer, a great writer, and you have two books out right and.
00:27:59.550 --> 00:28:07.920 Joseph McElroy: So when we come we got to take a break down, but once you tell us about the two books and then we're going to talk about some of the you know the stuff in the mountains in western North Carolina that you know that.
00:28:08.220 --> 00:28:08.550 Great.
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00:30:15.150 --> 00:30:24.420 Joseph McElroy: Joseph Franklin mcilroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast my guest Sarah Brian who's the Executive Director of the north Carolina folklife it's too.
00:30:24.870 --> 00:30:32.670 Joseph McElroy: So so Sarah you you're a writer you you've got a couple book books out one coming out soon, what was the What are those titles and what they're about.
00:30:33.330 --> 00:30:38.160 Sarah Bryan: Thanks um there, there are two titles of co written.
00:30:39.300 --> 00:30:49.680 Sarah Bryan: I was one of the three co authors, along with beverly Patterson and Michelle lanier, who is now the director of historic sites for North Carolina.
00:30:50.160 --> 00:30:59.250 Sarah Bryan: i'm a book called African American music trails of Eastern North Carolina and that came out of a North Carolina arts Council project of the same name.
00:31:00.570 --> 00:31:07.080 Sarah Bryan: about the historic and living black music traditions in at Eastern North Carolina counties.
00:31:08.700 --> 00:31:16.560 Sarah Bryan: And you know just the incredible impact musicians from there have had it hasn't always been more widely recognized.
00:31:17.040 --> 00:31:17.580 Sarah Bryan: That was.
00:31:18.690 --> 00:31:24.000 Sarah Bryan: 2014 2015 my husband Peter hoenig and I.
00:31:25.500 --> 00:31:31.410 Sarah Bryan: Co co wrote and co compiled a collection for us to digital.
00:31:32.490 --> 00:31:53.880 Sarah Bryan: Just a great label out of Atlanta, it was a TC set up the CDS were 78 from Peters collection of mostly old time mountain music and blues and the book was antique anonymous photos of southern early southern life from my own collections.
00:31:54.390 --> 00:31:55.980 Sarah Bryan: cool that that was.
00:31:57.870 --> 00:32:02.670 Sarah Bryan: 2015 and that's out of print but it's still I believe the music is still downloadable.
00:32:02.940 --> 00:32:03.330 Joseph McElroy: It was.
00:32:04.740 --> 00:32:09.420 Sarah Bryan: It was called leap, can we light name for for the him a.
00:32:11.130 --> 00:32:15.630 Sarah Bryan: Pre war southern music and photographs I believe was the subtitle.
00:32:16.050 --> 00:32:17.490 Joseph McElroy: cool and then you're writing one now.
00:32:18.240 --> 00:32:32.520 Sarah Bryan: Yes, yeah i'm co writing with potter and historian from randolph county and help you, we are working on a history of southern traditional pottery which is.
00:32:33.870 --> 00:32:41.190 Sarah Bryan: A huge story and we're you know, having fun figuring out how to fit that all into one book.
00:32:42.690 --> 00:32:45.060 Joseph McElroy: yeah pottery trails all over north.
00:32:45.060 --> 00:32:45.540 Carolina.
00:32:47.310 --> 00:32:47.970 Sarah Bryan: Especially.
00:32:49.620 --> 00:32:59.520 Joseph McElroy: Well cool well, you also you also writing and the and the editor for the old time arrow, which is a about old old music is also an old time dancing.
00:33:00.720 --> 00:33:17.490 Sarah Bryan: It is yeah yeah the old time, Harold the musician and field recorder Alice Gerard founded in 1987 when she was living in Gala and yeah it's about traditional old time music, particularly in appalachia but also.
00:33:18.570 --> 00:33:24.570 Sarah Bryan: Other parts of the self, and you know wider wider traditions elsewhere that are relatable to music.
00:33:25.380 --> 00:33:29.880 Joseph McElroy: Other parts is there any memorable stories you wrote about the smoky mountains areas.
00:33:30.690 --> 00:33:34.200 Sarah Bryan: Oh gosh well not not that i've written myself, but I would.
00:33:35.580 --> 00:33:46.320 Sarah Bryan: There have been some great great articles about Western North Carolina affect our current issue has a cover story about beach mountain musicians from.
00:33:47.220 --> 00:34:00.840 Sarah Bryan: From the whataburger avery county line area and the old fiddler the universe to hicks is the cover girl she's great musical matriarch from beach mountain.
00:34:01.560 --> 00:34:03.750 Joseph McElroy: cool easy for me with Johnny.
00:34:05.010 --> 00:34:06.360 Sarah Bryan: Cash yeah let me.
00:34:08.580 --> 00:34:20.040 Sarah Bryan: we've definitely we've definitely covered haywood county stories, there was a we had an article sometime back about the soco gap clockers was that the name of the.
00:34:20.520 --> 00:34:22.320 Joseph McElroy: Early screen.
00:34:23.460 --> 00:34:23.700 Joseph McElroy: yeah.
00:34:23.820 --> 00:34:24.690 Sarah Bryan: yeah yeah and.
00:34:24.780 --> 00:34:26.940 Sarah Bryan: The danced at the White House and Roosevelt.
00:34:27.780 --> 00:34:30.210 Joseph McElroy: yeah can you show a few weeks ago yeah.
00:34:31.080 --> 00:34:32.640 Sarah Bryan: yeah that's a great tradition that's.
00:34:32.730 --> 00:34:34.470 Sarah Bryan: been going on for generations.
00:34:35.490 --> 00:34:48.030 Joseph McElroy: cool so I love that you know that you work with this folks I get to institute, I mean it's there's a lot of the values and objectives, promoting the preservation appreciation of understanding.
00:34:48.600 --> 00:34:56.880 Joseph McElroy: The folklife heritage and culture in North Carolina yeah we're score spoken we're focused on the smoky mountains area but it's the same sort of passion.
00:34:58.440 --> 00:35:09.150 Joseph McElroy: I saw that you had one interesting program documenting the early bbq pitch, so I gotta go find this because i'm getting into i've been a big fire based.
00:35:10.170 --> 00:35:19.830 Joseph McElroy: cook for a while and i've been getting more and more of that tell me about that what would you find out that that's fascinating about Barbecue pits early on.
00:35:20.280 --> 00:35:21.360 Sarah Bryan: That was a project.
00:35:22.440 --> 00:35:29.490 Sarah Bryan: Oh gosh probably eight or 10 years ago that the the previous director joy salinger's launched and.
00:35:31.080 --> 00:35:35.400 Sarah Bryan: The part that I was able to play was going to interview to.
00:35:36.990 --> 00:35:49.500 Sarah Bryan: sort of founding fathers of the western Barbecue tradition, Mr Damien Mr mountain conan greensboro and one and lexington and I didn't tell either of them that i'm a vegetarian.
00:35:51.120 --> 00:35:53.070 Sarah Bryan: It was lovely being in their restaurants it.
00:35:53.070 --> 00:35:54.120 Sarah Bryan: smelled great.
00:35:55.680 --> 00:36:00.360 Sarah Bryan: Barbecue home for my family and yeah just lovely.
00:36:00.480 --> 00:36:03.690 Joseph McElroy: You could do some wonderful things with vegetables and smoke, you know.
00:36:04.320 --> 00:36:08.970 Joseph McElroy: yeah there's a there's a recipe comes out of the middle of the state that I love of US it's.
00:36:10.170 --> 00:36:23.550 Joseph McElroy: This African American chef I forget her name right now i'll post it at some point that as smoke beats and then she makes cornbread beats so you think it's it's fabulous oh yeah and burnt sugar.
00:36:23.700 --> 00:36:24.750 Sarah Bryan: Smoke oh wow.
00:36:26.130 --> 00:36:36.990 Joseph McElroy: Oh it's it's incredible yeah so there's a lot of vegetables that are really enhanced by the grill experience yeah people know you know about doing just about some things but there's a lot more that you could do.
00:36:38.220 --> 00:36:42.660 Joseph McElroy: Any any programs cooking programs on mountain cookie or cherokee crusey.
00:36:43.590 --> 00:36:47.730 Sarah Bryan: yeah yeah absolutely that's where you're really.
00:36:48.930 --> 00:36:52.620 Sarah Bryan: Love being involved in in programs about appalachian.
00:36:53.670 --> 00:36:54.810 Sarah Bryan: Food in particular.
00:36:55.830 --> 00:37:07.110 Sarah Bryan: yeah we've we've had some classes, through a program called in these mountains, which is sponsored by South arts in Atlanta and have had to have several food related courses.
00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:16.680 Sarah Bryan: right before the pandemic began, we were working with Nathan Bush, who is a cherokee herbalist and.
00:37:18.480 --> 00:37:29.010 Sarah Bryan: artist and language specialist and his mother, Mrs Anita Bush is is also really renowned herbalist and so he was gave a great class.
00:37:29.910 --> 00:37:41.070 Sarah Bryan: Going into the woods and the area, and you know, showing which plants are edible which you got to stay away from which have different you know medicinal properties and.
00:37:42.000 --> 00:37:51.150 Sarah Bryan: More recently, and in fact going on now we're sponsoring an online class called mountain battles and it's taught by William breder.
00:37:51.570 --> 00:37:52.140 Joseph McElroy: Oh well, you.
00:37:52.890 --> 00:37:53.490 Sarah Bryan: know there again.
00:37:53.910 --> 00:37:55.020 Joseph McElroy: we're able to show you.
00:37:55.080 --> 00:37:56.250 Sarah Bryan: Oh good good.
00:37:56.370 --> 00:38:10.110 Sarah Bryan: yeah yeah yeah William from Mitchell county and he is teaching it's a great class we've only had two so far as and it's going to go into you know the summer and early fall and we are still taking.
00:38:10.890 --> 00:38:27.870 Sarah Bryan: Taking students students can still register anyone 13 and up and it's free class just about you know heritage appalachian crops cooking baking stories having to do with food songs having to do with food.
00:38:29.370 --> 00:38:38.970 Joseph McElroy: We know here to here we've we've built our first guard here, right at the hotel, we also put a field in at a farm and what we have.
00:38:39.930 --> 00:38:47.850 Joseph McElroy: we're starting to really get into you know, like I don't know if you've heard of candy roasters we got a whole bunch of candy restaurant or probably even better, believe it or not.
00:38:49.080 --> 00:39:05.100 Joseph McElroy: And we're planning on doing a lot of those big breads and things like that, for those who don't know, can you rosters are like the pumpkin or squash family they're giant but oh long you know and they only really grow well the bounce but they're they're really sweet really fantastic.
00:39:06.390 --> 00:39:19.410 Joseph McElroy: So I I love that you're doing this kind of stuff and yeah we're gonna we're gonna we're going to actually open a restaurant focus on merited mountain heritage food with a lot of traditional things and.
00:39:19.680 --> 00:39:21.600 Joseph McElroy: And we just I don't know if you know i'll a hatter.
00:39:21.930 --> 00:39:22.950 Sarah Bryan: yeah yeah.
00:39:23.040 --> 00:39:24.000 Joseph McElroy: He was just here.
00:39:25.050 --> 00:39:29.100 Joseph McElroy: day before yesterday, she did a program here and we had over 30 people show up.
00:39:29.430 --> 00:39:40.680 Joseph McElroy: right here and learn how to forage and and use it to make meals, a day so it's something that people are very interested and it's great to look up that program you guys are doing.
00:39:40.890 --> 00:39:42.660 Sarah Bryan: Definitely yeah join us, please.
00:39:42.840 --> 00:39:54.480 Joseph McElroy: yeah another big thing that you're involved with this festival productions right documenting and talking about what what's going on, do you have any favorite festivals in the in the western part of the state.
00:39:55.230 --> 00:40:04.530 Sarah Bryan: Oh gosh yeah that's that's what it'd be hard to narrow down my my favorite favorite old time festival in the world is the Mount airy fiddler's Convention and.
00:40:05.580 --> 00:40:17.610 Sarah Bryan: yeah I haven't gone for the last couple years because of just pandemic strangeness but but yeah i've been coming to that, since I was about 20 and just fabulous.
00:40:19.320 --> 00:40:26.280 Sarah Bryan: festival it's one of these events, where the old time musicians from all over the world really come together and.
00:40:26.670 --> 00:40:35.760 Sarah Bryan: meet the people who grew up in the traditions and you know are carrying it on from home and and vice versa it's just it's a wonderful.
00:40:36.540 --> 00:40:56.700 Sarah Bryan: Another another one I love and i'm not certain if it's still happening is the fading voices festival and takes place in snowbird the the cherokee Community near Robin school and it's cherokee Gospel music and wonderful wonderful.
00:40:57.720 --> 00:41:06.720 Sarah Bryan: Quartets mostly from the eastern band of cherokee Indians in North Carolina Tennessee and also from the cherokee nation in Oklahoma.
00:41:09.570 --> 00:41:19.020 Sarah Bryan: Court that's will come from air to to this festival and just incredibly beautiful music in this really, really beautiful little mountain cove and snowbird.
00:41:19.800 --> 00:41:21.300 Sarah Bryan: wow that's still going on.
00:41:22.320 --> 00:41:27.000 Joseph McElroy: look it up, you know, one of the most successful I thought you know the hospitality.
00:41:28.140 --> 00:41:46.830 Joseph McElroy: thing I actually saw in Barbados, was a Gospel Gospel brunch on Sunday, and it was huge, it was a big fantastic success people, it was all you know really sort of old time you know Gospel music this surprising place to have it is hugely successful.
00:41:47.310 --> 00:41:49.050 Joseph McElroy: For the idea of doing that here.
00:41:50.460 --> 00:41:57.360 Joseph McElroy: But you know he didn't you didn't the folklife it's two to one point put on the first statewide folk fest folk festival.
00:41:57.930 --> 00:42:11.880 Sarah Bryan: That was that was our origin actually were founded in 1974 to help the actually as an arm at that time of the folklife program with the North Carolina arts Council and they were putting on.
00:42:12.330 --> 00:42:23.250 Sarah Bryan: A statewide folklife festival here in Durham and it was sort of the lead up to the bicentennial so you know, there was a renewed interest in American traditions of all kinds.
00:42:23.760 --> 00:42:26.460 Sarah Bryan: And that festival and 74.
00:42:27.780 --> 00:42:41.220 Sarah Bryan: It just it's incredible looking back at who all was there as a tammi terrell Elizabeth cotton willard Watson just yeah just some of the most wonderful let's kill on artists.
00:42:41.880 --> 00:42:45.210 Joseph McElroy: Have you been involved with the phone booth two senators festival here at haywood county.
00:42:45.780 --> 00:42:49.260 Sarah Bryan: We haven't, but I would like to do great work.
00:42:49.770 --> 00:42:52.650 Joseph McElroy: Alright cool i'll get that Bob did it he does a pretty well.
00:42:53.820 --> 00:43:00.810 Joseph McElroy: Well hey listen, we got to take a break and then we'll come back and talk continue talking about yeah folk folk folk life here in the mountains.
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00:45:02.610 --> 00:45:12.180 Joseph McElroy: hey this is Joseph Franklin mcilroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcast and I guess Sarah Brian so Sarah you know, one of the reasons I.
00:45:13.260 --> 00:45:20.520 Joseph McElroy: You know started doing the mountain heritage stuff here and got involved with this, because I really believe in the importance of Community education.
00:45:21.120 --> 00:45:36.600 Joseph McElroy: And you know and getting you know things right, where the Community can be involved with it and even online, you know inner interactions, what do you think about the importance of that and also the importance of oral history documentation that comes out of communities.
00:45:38.280 --> 00:45:47.490 Sarah Bryan: I think I think it's an essential part of all of our lives and yeah Community arcs and oral history and.
00:45:48.510 --> 00:45:54.600 Sarah Bryan: far too few people nowadays experienced that, and you know, in a full way um.
00:45:55.980 --> 00:46:03.180 Sarah Bryan: i'm not one of those people who thinks that you know the old days were better across the board, but, but I do think that the.
00:46:05.130 --> 00:46:08.190 Joseph McElroy: closeness there's a lot of you there's a lot of beauty in it there's.
00:46:08.190 --> 00:46:09.120 Sarah Bryan: Absolutely.
00:46:09.360 --> 00:46:09.870 Joseph McElroy: There was also.
00:46:10.320 --> 00:46:16.290 Joseph McElroy: A hardship and ugliness in there, but you're trying to preserve the beauty and letting the nastiness go away.
00:46:16.620 --> 00:46:29.310 Sarah Bryan: Exactly exactly, and I think that that closeness of community is something that a lot of ways, many of us have lost and also more so over the last two and a half years with the pandemic.
00:46:30.510 --> 00:46:43.320 Sarah Bryan: But then that makes makes it all the more essential for organizations like like both of ours to create these opportunities whenever we can to help.
00:46:44.070 --> 00:47:00.210 Sarah Bryan: Especially young people find out about traditions in their communities get to know elder artists or you know story storytellers people who know the Community history and yeah the more opportunities there are, the better.
00:47:02.130 --> 00:47:06.780 Sarah Bryan: That makes me think in particular about the jam programs the junior appalachian musicians.
00:47:07.140 --> 00:47:07.710 Joseph McElroy: that's a great.
00:47:08.310 --> 00:47:15.270 Sarah Bryan: yeah yeah I mean that's sort of a stellar example of creating creating new.
00:47:16.560 --> 00:47:17.760 Sarah Bryan: Learning environments.
00:47:19.230 --> 00:47:36.090 Sarah Bryan: Where you know, a young person 100 years ago may have been able to go to the next door neighbor or her next door neighbor and learn the banjo and that those links don't exist as a strong layer as frequently now so creating these.
00:47:37.500 --> 00:47:47.190 Sarah Bryan: classes, essentially for for young people to learn has been an amazing contribution to old time and bluegrass music, because now there's this whole.
00:47:47.880 --> 00:47:59.370 Sarah Bryan: generation of young just incredibly good musicians, who are graduates of the jam program and you know counties throughout the appalachian South and.
00:48:00.510 --> 00:48:02.010 Sarah Bryan: You know, thank goodness for.
00:48:02.250 --> 00:48:12.720 Joseph McElroy: For what you've actually cultivated network, so that they can interact and learn from each other and prevent also promote artists and created a handbook for artists to promote them so sorry about that.
00:48:13.770 --> 00:48:16.560 Sarah Bryan: that's, this is a good chance for me to.
00:48:17.580 --> 00:48:24.450 Sarah Bryan: Tell listeners, please watch this space, because the the artists handbook is actually being revised, as we speak.
00:48:26.790 --> 00:48:30.900 Sarah Bryan: The North Carolina arts Council and Evan had to folk mode.
00:48:32.310 --> 00:48:36.150 Sarah Bryan: Evan when he was with the North Carolina folklife so it was actually the.
00:48:37.710 --> 00:48:58.800 Sarah Bryan: First person who started this project and yeah it's an online handbook in PDF format of ideas resources for traditional artists to get the word out about what they do, essentially to help them make a living if that's what they want to do with their with their art form.
00:49:00.390 --> 00:49:07.710 Sarah Bryan: find opportunities to learn and to and to teach and pass it on so that's being revised, and you know things change so quickly.
00:49:08.550 --> 00:49:20.220 Sarah Bryan: Especially in terms of technology that you know it needs to revision pretty quickly so that's what we're working on now, and hopefully it'll it'll be back up in a new form in a few months.
00:49:21.420 --> 00:49:30.720 Joseph McElroy: You know that's you know I guess the work of things like the blue Ridge heritage trail is all part of that work to give artists ability to promote themselves.
00:49:30.810 --> 00:49:37.020 Joseph McElroy: Absolutely, and in the state is that the statewide directory of artists as well, or is that a different.
00:49:38.820 --> 00:49:42.330 Sarah Bryan: that's a different a different project and.
00:49:43.410 --> 00:49:57.960 Sarah Bryan: One that I that also like for us to return to and revitalize it's it got started in with artists from Warren Vance and Halifax counties and sell to North Carolina and.
00:49:58.770 --> 00:50:09.270 Sarah Bryan: yeah directory was very much like the blue Ridge national heritage areas traditional arts directory, you know modeled after that that aiming for us a statewide.
00:50:12.510 --> 00:50:13.020 Joseph McElroy: And you know.
00:50:14.430 --> 00:50:14.790 Joseph McElroy: You know.
00:50:17.100 --> 00:50:25.830 Joseph McElroy: yeah I love that the other there's a there's a sensitive to promote the diversity of what was what built, these are communities it wasn't just.
00:50:26.160 --> 00:50:37.830 Joseph McElroy: Scotch Irish settlers and you've mentioned some charity works how about the Africa Fo appalachians and fluids in the western part of the state and you were those documenting those are.
00:50:38.880 --> 00:50:39.660 Joseph McElroy: Those anywhere.
00:50:40.500 --> 00:50:41.700 Sarah Bryan: yeah yeah I think.
00:50:43.320 --> 00:50:55.830 Sarah Bryan: I mean, of course, black appalachian communities have always known that they were there themselves, but you know, those of us from other backgrounds, have not, you know, known as much as we should have about them and.
00:50:57.630 --> 00:51:03.540 Sarah Bryan: there's one one person whose research, especially excuse me i'm gonna have to pause for a second and call.
00:51:05.490 --> 00:51:22.410 Sarah Bryan: The person who's done some really wonderful work in Southwestern North Carolina is and Miller Woodford she's the founder of an organization called one doesn't do care and she's written a wonderful book which I happen to have here, if I can hold the screen.
00:51:23.550 --> 00:51:35.610 Sarah Bryan: it's called when all god's children get together celebration of the lives of music African American people in far Western North Carolina yeah and it talks about communities, particularly in.
00:51:37.050 --> 00:51:39.840 Sarah Bryan: Making cherry cherokee clay counties.
00:51:41.070 --> 00:51:53.220 Sarah Bryan: And Franklin area especially is very old African American communities that have wonderful rich histories and traditions and and she's helping you know, bring a spotlight to that.
00:51:54.780 --> 00:51:56.160 Joseph McElroy: wow well.
00:51:58.620 --> 00:52:10.680 Joseph McElroy: This is all important work there's so many other things that you do you know when we're getting to the end here, you know I like to ask my guests, what are your what are your what are your some of your favorite places in western North Carolina Where would you recommend people go.
00:52:12.030 --> 00:52:14.010 Sarah Bryan: Oh wow oh.
00:52:18.480 --> 00:52:19.620 Sarah Bryan: gosh I mean.
00:52:20.670 --> 00:52:22.020 Sarah Bryan: it's so hard to.
00:52:23.190 --> 00:52:23.640 Joseph McElroy: focus.
00:52:24.900 --> 00:52:27.240 Sarah Bryan: On a weekend I love haywood county um.
00:52:27.570 --> 00:52:41.430 Sarah Bryan: Let me see Oh, there is a it right north of you are right, right up the road from you, one of my favorite views in all of North Carolina is on the road between Maggie Valley.
00:52:41.790 --> 00:52:49.950 Sarah Bryan: And cherokee if you're driving towards cherokee look out to the right there's this incredible beautiful view of soco gap.
00:52:51.240 --> 00:52:53.490 Joseph McElroy: is called the most photographed view and.
00:52:54.420 --> 00:52:56.790 Sarah Bryan: that's the one that's got the little viewing tower and.
00:52:57.990 --> 00:52:59.040 Sarah Bryan: It deserves that.
00:53:01.170 --> 00:53:03.480 Joseph McElroy: i've been there since before I was born.
00:53:06.900 --> 00:53:21.540 Joseph McElroy: Well it's been a pleasure, having you on the show we have to call it quits davin what's, what do you what would you like people to go to find out more information or looked up your books or read something really important things for them to find out more about you.
00:53:21.990 --> 00:53:30.360 Sarah Bryan: Well, I would love for them to visit our website for the folklife Institute, which is nc folk Lol K dot O rg and see folk.org.
00:53:30.990 --> 00:53:44.130 Sarah Bryan: And also, if they're interested in old time music old time music, in particular, old time harold.org they find a lot about appalachian and particular of Western North Carolina music.
00:53:45.060 --> 00:53:50.250 Joseph McElroy: cool What about you, you get books, you get some things wherever they find out about that do you have a Facebook page or anything like.
00:53:50.580 --> 00:53:52.470 Sarah Bryan: yeah you can find me on Facebook for sure.
00:53:53.070 --> 00:53:54.300 Joseph McElroy: Alright fabulous.
00:53:55.410 --> 00:54:00.870 Joseph McElroy: Well, thank you again, we might have to have another show, because you got a lot to talk about fabulous.
00:54:01.560 --> 00:54:02.430 Sarah Bryan: fun, thank you.
00:54:03.210 --> 00:54:21.120 Joseph McElroy: So this, this is the gateway to the smokies podcast you can watch this podcast live on facebook@facebook.com slash gateway to the smoke these podcasts we also have all the episodes recorded and with transcripts on smokies adventure calm.
00:54:22.260 --> 00:54:30.060 Joseph McElroy: there's a link at the top, to bring you to all the different episodes that you can review we're also on the talk radio dot nyc network.
00:54:30.390 --> 00:54:38.190 Joseph McElroy: Where they also stream the the audio live as well as on their Facebook stream and I advise you to take a look at all of the.
00:54:38.760 --> 00:54:46.410 Joseph McElroy: podcasts on this network because it's a network of live podcast which I think is very interesting you get a lot of.
00:54:46.980 --> 00:54:53.310 Joseph McElroy: The spontaneity and and extensive I think vibrancy by listening to things that are live.
00:54:54.300 --> 00:55:03.840 Joseph McElroy: And they range from small business to self help to travel to stuff about New York City and and and other other parts of the world.
00:55:04.620 --> 00:55:10.710 Joseph McElroy: So go there, if you get a chance, I also have another podcast for wise content creates wealth on that.
00:55:11.400 --> 00:55:20.970 Joseph McElroy: On that network it's about marketing and Ai So if you get a chance to take a look at that and i'll see you next week again for another fine podcast.
00:55:21.270 --> 00:55:29.790 Joseph McElroy: Always on Tuesdays from six to seven the gateway to the smoke these podcasts and appreciate you all for listening today and i'll see you then.
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