Singing for Sean McCullough's Music of Appalachia Course
(This page uses info from processed Minutes; that task is ongoing in 2024.)
About this singing
A singing in support of Sean McCullough's `Music of Appalachia' class. It was started before 1999.
A note by Sean written in 2015 (in the Old Harp Newsletter):
I've been bringing my Appalachian Music class to sing Old Harp at the Laurel Theatre for almost twenty years. At this point I imagine one could accurately call it an annual tradition. I've been around long enough to see changes in leadership. I've seen singers who were once the young folk-revivalists in the group become the old guard as many of the “old-timers” have passed on. I've come to appreciate the many different experiences of Old Harp - a religious experience for some, a spiritual practice for others, historic preservation for those who are so inclined, and community-building for all. I look forward to bringing my students each year and am thankful for the experience for them.
Our trip to the Laurel Theatre to sing is always the first field trip of the semester. My students are typically nervous—about the “strange” music that I have introduced to them in class, about having to sing, about having a potluck with a group of strangers who are mostly older than them. But it is really the perfect way to start the semester. Half way through the potluck I can see the nerves begin to subside as they get to know each other, visit with the harp singers, and eat food that likely reminds many of them of home. By the time we begin to sing, they are comfortable enough that most of them actually join in and most of them enjoy themselves.
I have had various reactions over the years, but the overwhelming response has been positive. Students make comments ranging from “that was a lot cooler than I thought it would be,” to “that was really powerful” to “I want to do that again!” They don't all “like” the music, but the vast majority appreciates the experience and the role that the music plays in people lives.
I have had a handful of students over the years who could not get past their dislike of the music. If my memory serves me correctly, all of these have been music majors who just could not overcome the rather closed-minded training that often comes with studying classical music. They are put off by the fact that the singers don't sing “pretty,” that the composers of the songs didn't “follow the rules,” etc. But the other students typically defend harp singing for the beautiful tradition that it is. And some of the detractors have even come around in the end.
One interesting change in students' attitudes over the years has been more and more enthusiasm. I have seen this trend in students' response to old Appalachian styles in general. It may be related to the exploding popularity of “Americana” which seems to have built a younger audience for “rough-around-the edges” music such as old-time and harp singing. It is a trend that I am very happy about. I hope it continues, and I hope to continue the tradition of bringing my class to sing at the Laurel.