College

Tusculum professor helping to preserve,
promote Appalachian musical heritage
Tusculum College professor Katie Doman’s summer
plans involve the Smithsonian, Washington,
D.C., Appalachia, Scotland, and the African country
of Mali.
The cultures of Appalachia, Scotland, and Mali will
be featured during the 2003 Smithsonian Folklife Festival
June 25-29 and July 2-6 along the National Mall in
Washington, D.C., and visitors to the music stages in the
Appalachia area of the festival will find Doman
introducing some of the artists.
The festival is the culmination of a project that is a labor
of love for Doman — the
preservation and promotion of
traditional Appalachian music.
“This is the most soul-satisfying
thing I am doing besides my
teaching,” says Doman, an
assistant professor of English, of
her latest project.
She is serving on the curatorial
committee for the Smithsonian
Folklife Festival, and is a co-chair
of the music task force along with
Tim Stafford, who was once a
member of leading
contemporary bluegrass artist
Allison Krauss’ band and now
has his own band, Blue Highway.
As part of the “Year of
Appalachia” project, Doman has
been helping to collect recordings
of traditional artists of this region.
The recordings will be given to the Smithsonian to become
part of its Folkways collection, and copies will be provided
to the Archives of Appalachia at East Tennessee State
University.
Collecting tapes, records and compact discs of artists
ranging from bluegrass bands to storytellers, Doman says
has given her the opportunity to meet people she has
only known through their music. “It has been fun, and I
have learned so much,” she says. “Everybody we have
contacted has been so enthusiastic about sending their
recordings.”
The regional aspect of the project is significant, Doman
says. “One of the greatest things of all is that the effort is
a truly a regional project. People are coming from all over
to help.
“Everyone also recognizes the fact that our most
important audience is Appalachians themselves,” Doman
continues. “A lot of times, people who grow up here feel
that other people may look down on them. But, we are
trying to help people learn the truth about Appalachia
and the good things that happen here.”
Modern Appalachia will be in the spotlight during
the Folklife Festival as the musicians, artists, and
artisans participating will illustrate
how the old traditions and the new are
being sustained today.
“It’s going to be interesting to see the
different people play live,” Doman said
of the festival. “And the performers will
not just be giving a show. They will be
talking to people in the audience about
their music. As a presenter, I will be
helping to facilitate that discussion.”
Doman is also looking forward to
the “pickin’ porch” to be set up at the
festival. People will be able to join the
performers on this stage for informal
jam sessions.
Interaction between performers
from the Appalachian region and
those from Scotland and Mali will also
be “a really big treat,” she said. While
the connections between Appalachian
and Scottish culture are better known,
there is also a link between our region and Mali
through music, Doman said. This country is believed
to be where the banjo originated as an instrument.
The Folklife Festival is the largest annual cultural
event in the U.S. capital and receives considerable
publicity, typically reaching 40 million through print
and electronic media, according to the Smithsonian.
The festival includes daily and evening programs
of music, song, dance, celebratory performance,
crafts and cooking demonstrations, storytelling,
illustrations of workers’ culture, and narrative
sessions for discussing cultural issues. •
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