In this episode of "Gateway to the Smoky Podcast," host Joseph Franklyn McElroy introduces listeners to Andrew Wakefield, a Asheville-based musician known for blending traditional and modern sounds into his music. Andrew shares his global influences, from a childhood in Korea to Southern and Appalachian music. They discuss Andrew's journey through various music genres, his current bluegrass focus, and the importance of live performance energy. The conversation also touches on the challenges of a musician's life, including constant travel and the need for creative space. Andrew highlights Chimney Rock as a must-visit in the Smoky Mountains and recommends Gypsy Queen for dining in Asheville. Listeners can learn more about Andrew's work and upcoming gigs through his website.

In this podcast episode, I interview Jennifer Cole, a successful chef who has won the competition show “Chopped” and has been cooking professionally for over 25 years. We discuss her career path, including working in Atlanta, New Orleans, Paris, and Spain before returning to her family farm in Haywood County. Cole emphasizes her interest in working with local farmers and using locally sourced ingredients in her cooking. The conversation also touches on topics such as the importance of creativity and understanding recipe rules as a chef, favorite ingredients like olive oil and heirloom beans, and the growing trend of farm weddings.

Our special guest in this episode is Darren Nicholson.Darren Nicholson ended his relationship with Balsam Range and has launched out in new directions with his music.Darren shares all about his new music, what he's been up to, and how the major life-changing events in his life have shaped him into who he is today.------------------------------------------------------------------------------Transcript:00:00: 27--00:00: 55 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Hi, this is Joseph Franklyn McElroy with the Gateway to the Smokies podcast, talking about the people and culture of the Smoky Mountains where my family has been around for a couple of hundred years. And I own a business here called the Meadowlark Motel as well as a restaurant called Homecraft. And I'm pretty proud to be back in the area and meeting and greeting, and talking to some wonderful people, like my guest today, Darren Nicholson. How are you doing, Darren? 00:00: 56--00:00: 58 Darren Nicholson:  Doing great, Joseph. Thank you so much for having me on. 00:00: 58--00:01: 12 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Sure. Last time I had you on the previous podcast series and I did a whole intro. But why don't you do three sentences of what you think is your highlights of your bio? 00:01:14--00:01:20 Darren Nicholson:  I'm the world's foremost turkey hypnotist. 00:01: 20--00:01:21  Joseph Franklyn McElroy: There you go. 00:01:21--00:01:31 Darren Nicholson: I wear frilly leg warmers, and I have quite an impressive Beanie Baby collection. 00:01: 31--00:01:49  Joseph Franklyn McElroy: There you go. Let me tell you, I have to look at you quite a bit because you gave me a shirt with I think it was a picture of your album of you with a rose in your teeth doing a deep sort of lunge in your underwear, right? 00:01:50 --00:01:53 Darren Nicholson: Yes. It's a provocative pose for an early morning. 00:01: 53--00:02:14  Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  The problem is you put that on a T-shirt that's soft that my wife grabbed it and she wears it to bed about once a week. So I got to look at your face in a bone about once a week. 00:02:14 --00:02:58 Darren Nicholson: It's actually the evening before pill. It's not the morning-after pill. It's the evening before you put that on and make sure nothing happens in the bedroom. That was actually a graphic. A guy in Kentucky did that graphic. His name is Jonathan Carroll. He's a great graphic artist. He was nominated for an IBMA award this year for his graphic art. But he took me and it was the if you remember, the Seinfeld episode with George Costanza on the couch that pose in his underwear. It was basically kind of a spoof on that version of this. I still have a few of those left, believe it or not. I did not sell all of those. 00:02: 58--00:03:47  Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Well, for the folks out there who might not know, which I doubt, I think everybody's going to know. But Darren is one of the foremost musicians in American and bluegrass today, and he has a solo career, and he also has been a member of several bands. Most recently, he left Balsam Range, which is one of the top bluegrass bands in the world right now. I'm assuming that you were looking to pursue new opportunities and new opera things. So what is new with your career in that regard? And I guess you have a new bluegrass booze, right? 00:03:47 --00:06:26 Darren Nicholson: Yeah, got a brand new bluegrass record that I finished last year, actually. But the first single just came out on January 29. It's called Arkansas without you. And it's a host of hot young pickers and I'm really excited about the new bluegrass project. And so far the thing, it's got raised reviews. It's been a long time since Balsam Range. I've been in the studio, and my departure from Balsam Range is definitely not an end for me. It's a new beginning. I did 15 years. I was an original member, and I'm very grateful for those 15 years, but definitely got to a place professionally and personally where I wanted to do something different. Balsam Range, a lot of people don't realize, has always been well, not always, but for the last at least ten years has been a part-time band and so with every year, the dates have seemed to be doing less and less. And I think that's by choice. I think that's what they want to do. But they only did 30 dates last year. That was what was on the calendar, around 30 dates. And I did about 250 dates on my own, so I couldn't by the time it was the smoke cleared, I did about 290 performance dates last year. And so it got to it just got to a place in my career where instead of doing a couple of part-time things, the opportunity presented itself for me to play music full-time and focus on my full-time solo career. And to be honest with you, it was a no-brainer. I had to do it for my business, and then I had to do it for my mental health, too. It's hard juggling a schedule and setting a calendar because people would try to book me for the fall of next year. And I was constantly in limbo with their schedule and what they may or may not do. It was a difference in direction of my career. And it's nothing personal, it's nothing against them. They're going to continue doing what they do, and I wish them well. But I've got a singular focus. I'm a lot happier and it's a lot less stressful trying to juggle a bunch of things, so I'm in a much better place. 00:06: 26--00:07:07  Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  I remember last time we talked, I listened to quite a bit of your solo stuff, right?  There were some of the American, almost country music things that I really liked a lot. And you had a little bit of sort of bluesy parts to it and some real almost southern rock rifts and things like that. I thought, wow, you should be out there doing a lot on your own, which of course you were, but I think you keep rising higher, just mean yourself, right? 00:07:10 --00:09:58 Darren Nicholson:  That's it.  Well, that seems to be knock-on-wood, the direction things are going. And part of it is if you're always comfortable, that means you're not growing. And so I don't want to get into a place with my music where I'm doing the same sets all the time, or I'm just doing the same thing. I wanted to get outside the box, and get outside of my comfort zone. I'm writing songs. So the record you're talking about is called the man on a Mission. And that album, I had another guy produce it, Jeff Collins. And I had a whole cast of musicians that I don't normally use, and it forced me in a different direction. And that's what I wanted.  I wanted something new and organic to get me out of my comfort zone and push my own creativity and my own growth, to push my boundaries a little bit. And it was a great experience. And so with this new bluegrass record, I did the same thing, but in a different direction. I've produced several records on my own, and so I know what that sounds like. So I got a young guy, a guy I play a lot of music with named Colby Laney. He's from Marion, North Carolina, and he's probably the best acoustic guitar player on the planet. Or if he's not, he's one of the leading three. He's incredible. But I had him coproduce it with me and he brought this new energy and new life to my bluegrass recordings, and that's what I wanted. I picked all musicians I'm only 39, but all musicians who were younger than me and who were all more progressive players.  I did. And it just put me I'm still doing what I do. I play like I play, I sing like I sing. But with this other cast, with different musicians, it's going to have a different sound, and I want to keep doing that. There are musicians that I look up to, like Marty Stewart and Darryl Scott who marty Stewart will do a black gospel record, then he'll do a rock record, then he'll do a country record. But it's always good. But it's got a different feel. And in the last record he did, he had Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. He had him produce it. And I like the even for seasoned musicians who have a style and an idea of music, it's good to get out of your comfort zone. And so that's what I do. 00:9: 59--00:10:47  Joseph Franklyn McElroy:   I agree. One of the things that surprised me in talking to you is that you really have an artistic mind. Right. There are a lot of artists that are really focused on the craft, and you are great at your craft. There's nothing to short you there. But you also get into the whole conceptual, artistic thinking as well, about the concept of what you're doing, the concept of what you're playing, like partnering with the younger players, I think it makes your work have a depth that is unique a lot of times. So I'm pretty excited about what you're doing. How do you think it'll change your live performances? 00:10:48 --00:013:37 Darren Nicholson:   It already has. Playing with Colby and just the last few years, it's reinvigorated my interest in music. And so for years and years, I would do shows and I would just show up and play, and I would go home or go do whatever. But during the pandemic, when I had some personal changes and some lifestyle changes, I've almost had this rebirth and this fire reignited in me for music. And so I find myself every day writing songs or getting my instruments out of the case and practicing at home. Plus, I play shows five or six days a week somewhere. I'm doing a lot of traveling, a lot of playing, but I'm really inspired to get better and being with young musicians with different ideas and new ideas to kind of get me out of my thing, I think it's important.  I love that saying, if you do what you've always done, you'll have what you've always had. And so I want to get out of my comfort zone a little bit. I want to grow my business. I want to grow my music. And the biggest thing for me is not about when I say grow my music, I don't necessarily mean I want my name in the Marquee Lights, playing in front of 10,000 people or playing arenas. I want to do more shows, and I don't care if the shows are for less people. I like the intimate listening rooms, and I like smaller crowds. I've been doing a lot of solo and due at shows, and a lot of this came out of the pandemic where I was doing house concerts and these smaller things, and it just clicked with me.  I'm like, man, this is how this music was intended. When I look at your background, what I see is I see people in these mountains, on their porches and in their living rooms playing music. That's how I grew up. And then when we started doing that during the pandemic, there's a connection that happens with the music that does not happen at a big theater show or a big arena. There's a connection that happens when you can almost reach out and touch the artist with the music that's so organic. And I'm like, that is what I want to grow into. I want to be the guy who takes music everywhere.  I want to share the joy and share music and share culture, and I want to be an ambassador for Western North Carolina music and for the culture that I love and make people happy in the process. 00:13: 38--00:14:09  Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  That's pretty fantastic. You mentioned songwriting. I saw on your Facebook the other day you had just written a song with Charles Humphrey III, who's also been on this show and is a friend of the gateway that smoked his podcast, and you sang it. It was really nice. So you're doing a lot of songwriting, and you talk about it quite a bit, but did you start playing first or songwriting first, and what inspired your interest in spotting songwriting? 00:14:10 --00:014:18   Darren Nicholson:  Well, are you talking about, would I get interested in just performing music first or songwriting? 00:14: 18--00:14:58  Joseph Franklyn McElroy:   Well, it's interesting the question is, I think some people in my craft, which is doing painting and things like that, some people become just interested, really drawing well, or really painting a rose and doing it really well, or other people have a purpose that they're doing it for. They want to communicate something, they want to say something and have meaning behind the craft. So what is your approach? 00:14:59 --00:017:15   Darren Nicholson:  Well, that is my approach to songwriting is I love songs that tell stories and songs that have a deeper meaning. I don't like songs that paint pictures. Like my grandpa's cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountain hills. We played there when I was a kid, like nostalgia songs and things like that. To me, anybody can write those. But when you start getting into deeper meaning, like talking about love or hope or inspiration or a message in a song or telling a story, basically turning a three and a half minute musical piece, it's basically like a three and a half minute sitcom. I think those kind of songs connect on a deeper level, and that's usually what I'm going for. We don't always do it. Sometimes we write silly songs, sometimes you're not going to change the world with every song. But those are the songs that I like, and that's what I'm trying to do with my songwriting, is write something that's meaningful to somebody. But for the song we wrote the other day, I put a really rough video out on Facebook, and it was not the greatest singing or playing, it was just really rough and raw. And to do that, it takes vulnerability. There are some artists who really hide behind going into the recording studio, you know what I mean? Once Pro Tools and everything's run through, they sound like a million bucks. But you don't ever see them sing live. You don't ever see them. You get on there with just them and their instrument and perform. And I think there's a vulnerability about that. If you can translate it well enough to convey the emotion.  I think people are connected to the wrongness of that on a certain level. And I be dang. I put that video out and I got a call from a national touring act. That's one of the biggest acts in bluegrass. And before the day was out, they're going in next week and recording that song. 00:17: 16--00:17:18  Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Oh, my gosh, 00:17:18 --00:017:20   Darren Nicholson:  We wrote that song two days ago. 00:17: 20--00:17:22  Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  That's fabulous. That's the way to do it. 00:17:24 --00:017:38  Darren Nicholson: They said, do you have a work tape of it? And I said, well, we just wrote it like 30 minutes ago, and I had a rough work tape of it on my phone. I sent it, that and the lyrics, and they called me right back and said, we're going to cut it next week. 00:17: 38--00:18:38 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Wow, fabulous. There you go. My conversations with you. We're planning a performance, and this is my little pitch for the Meadowlark I'm weaving it in here, but the Meadowlark Motel has a speakeasy called the Skylark SpeakEasy. And we've been talking to you about it. We've been doing some great musical acts there and talking to you. You really had the idea of saying, I'll do some set of music, but then I want to have conversations with the audience and then I may even jam with some people that might show up. It seems to be that this sense of community and intimacy is central to what you do and why you left Balsam Range and why you're performing and you said small clubs and things like that.  I think one of the essences of what you're trying to be is a community and having intimacy with your community. 00:18:38 --00:020:42  Darren Nicholson:  It's an organic approach, but I think that's how you build long-term fans. And when I was talking about that vulnerability, like in that video, when you connect with people on a personal level, people would see me with Balsam range, and they only saw probably really about 5% of what I can do. If you want to get to know me and my personality and my ability, my talent, you would come to see me at a solo show or one of my other performances. And that's not for everybody. Some people don't like my music or my personality, and that's fine. They don't have to come. But for the people who do and come see me in that capacity, that's the way to build relationships. And I'm not really interested in making fans. I want to make friends and I want to perpetuate the kind of culture that I was brought up in. That very much is a sense of community. The technological world has created a place where people are missing a sense of belonging, and that's why they join these little groups, and that's why there's a division in politics and there's a division in social issues. Because anytime people are so disconnected in a way, it's way that they can feel a part of any kind of group, it's almost like, this is my family online, this is my tribe. And so I want to kind of do that with music. I want to make a place where people can come together with music.  And you don't have to worry about politics, you don't have to worry about social issues, you don't have to worry about enjoying music and just having fun. A night of entertainment. 00:20: 42--00:22:20 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:   I grew up in the smoking mountains here, and I get it really well. Recently, my family first got the Meadowlark Motel, my grandmother, first of my parents, and they hired maid who was with us for a long time, and us kids would actually work with her and clean and became good friends. She actually sort of babysitters and things like that. And then her sister was much younger than her, came and did some things here. Well, recently her sister showed back up here to come to the restaurant, and she saw pictures on the wall community. She came to talk to me, and her sister had died.  And the fact that we're celebrating the culture that was here and is still here, she started crying, and she started talking and being part of it, and other people communicate, but even with the people that you worked with, there was a sense of community and intimacy and understanding that existed here. And I really appreciate that. You are perpetuating. I can remember the old timers would get together in a basement and have a little party, right, and bring out their instruments and sing, and then people would start clogging and dancing. That sort of is a way of life and a way of being that you felt connected. And I understand what you're talking about. Right. Do you think the way you design this program that you're going to do with Meadowlark is stemming from directly from that culture? I think it does. 00:22:21 --00:023:45  Darren Nicholson:   It does. Yeah. And that's what I want people to get to know me especially. There are fans of Balsam Range who are like, why in the world would you leave why would you leave that band when they seem to be doing all these things? And it's like, well, this is a good opportunity. If people have questions about my career, like what I want to do, why I want to play music, why I want to do more shows, or why I want to do the things that I want to do, I can explain it to them, and then they don't have to keep guessing. I don't expect questions about Balsam Range, but they can ask me questions about my childhood, how I got into music, the music business, instruments, whatever.  I think when you have an evening like that with people, it's different than just buying a ticket, sitting in a seat, watching somebody play for an hour, and then going home and be like, hey, that was good. There's a connectivity that I think goes along with the music that is just as important. 00:23: 46--00:24:17 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:   Well, we've been having some weekly jams here on Sundays, five to seven people listening, and I'm hoping some of them old-time players we had this last Sunday old time, like 70 something, 75 something people show up and just started clogging, and they're, you know, singing and playing. I hope some of them come and take you up on the offer to jam with them at the end. That would be a major, I think, cultural moment. 00:24: 18 --00:024:45  Darren Nicholson:  So that's what it's all about. And I remember, like, players that I looked up to and players that I wanted to play. I remember when people like Steve Sutton or Mark Pruitt or Arvill Freeman were like, hey, man, get your manly. And Ralph Lewis would always take his Manlyn off and hand it to me, and that was a big deal. He's like, get up and play one with the band that meant so much to me, to a young budding musician. And it's like, man, that was a self-esteem builder. That was a motivator. And I also remember the musicians that were kind of like, who made me feel less than, too, you know what I mean? Who made me feel like, hey, you're not good enough to play with me or don't talk to me. And I do not want to perpetuate and I don't want to come across with that kind of attitude because I have zero tolerance for that. And I'm sure I've probably people the wrong way if I've been in a bad mood after a show or something. I've not lived my life perfectly, but I've never intentionally ever wanted to make someone feel bad or not make someone feel welcome. People remember how you make them feel. I love that. I love that about my musical heroes, Steve and Ralph. Those are the kind of things that I don't want to die. These old times. 00:25: 46--00:26:18 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: That's right. The reason I'm here, too, is because I don't want that culture to die. I'm trying to do my part also, my little tiny part, to try to perpetuate and progress it. It doesn't have to be these mummified things. It can be a thing that grows right. And I'm glad that you are helping grow that now. I was trying to keep this to about 30 minutes, so we're about at that time, what do you want to tell people? Shout out to people to find out more or look you up or what do you want to tell them? 00:26: 18 --00:027:29  Darren Nicholson:  Well, a couple of things going on. I've been working really hard on doing a benefit. It's going to do a lot to help the community. The Steve Sutton Fest is going to happen June 3rd at Silverado in Black Mountain, and proceeds are going to go to Haywood County schools, Buckham county schools, and the IBMA trust fund. That's going to be on June 3 at Silverado with Perpetual Groove being the headliner. But then also I have a brand new single out. It's called Arkansas without you. You can stream it anywhere. Spotify pandora apple Music Arkansas Without You I've got a brand new bluegrass record out with songs that I've written. And if you go to my website dear Nicholson Net, I've got about 120 dates on the books for next year and going to be going all across the country and probably we're going to do over 200 when the smoke clears the road dates, and going to be traveling out further, doing a tour out west. Going to Canada. It's a really exciting time, so I encourage people to come out and see some live music. 00:27: 30--00:29:00 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Well, thank you very much for being on the show. I might mention that Darren also plays a lot here in the Smoky, especially in Hayward County. So if you can't find a place in the country, just come here and visit and stay at the Meadowlark Motel he might be here or he'll be some other great place here in town. There are a lot of wonderful music venues and things in Hayward County that are worthwhile and have a lot of authenticity. Right. Haywood County has not become a dramatically corporate tourist county. It's still pretty authentic in terms of the way of life and how people live here and how people enjoy music. So come on down to hear them out, either on the road or here. I'll just shout out if you can find out more about the Meadowlark Motel@ meadowlarkmotel.com and if you go slash homecraft, you'll find out about a restaurant, which is almost it's a mountain heritage food with a twist. My wife is from Trinidad, and we do a lot of Caribbean Trinidad spices and things like tomato gravy or cream corn. We just twisted a little bit. But you still taste the authenticity of these mountains in there. People are just raving about it. And we're getting great reviews online and some newspapers are great. And when you come here, you're going to get some Darren. All right. I hope I'll get a testimonial out of that. 00:29:00 --00:029:01  Darren Nicholson: I like your haircut.00:29: 02--00:29:57 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  It's the perfect haircut. The Gateway to Smokies podcast exists on Smokiesadventure.com. It has its own Facebook page, but all the episodes, the previous ones had a couple of different series, longer episodes, but these are going to be shorter but more fun episodes. And you can go there and find more about everything in the Smokies because it's also a great site for directories of things like places to stay, lodging all over the Smokies, not just Haywood County, and what to do, and attractions and things like that. So thank you all for listening. This has been the gateway to the Smokies podcast. You can go to Facebook.com, Gatewaytothesmokiespodcast, or you can go to Smokiesadventure.com to find out more about this. And I'll see you all next week. 00:29:59 --00:030:00 Hey, thanks for having me. Bye. 

Joseph Franklyn McElroy got a chance to interview our special guest this week, Jim Lauderdale. Jim won two Grammys, released 34 full-length albums, and took home the Americana Music Association’s coveted Wagonmaster Award. But his forthcoming album Game Changer is convincing evidence that the North Carolina native is only continuing to hone his craft.Check out this episode to hear about how he’s been making music, the strategies and techniques that help him stay inspired and focused on his craft, and what advice he’d have for other musicians in their own creative pursuits.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Also, we’ve got something special for all of you #music lovers, and it’s a bit of a collaboration between Jim Lauderdale and friends. The #Songwriters Camp and Concert on August 12- 13,2022, will feature our own special guest Jim Lauderdale with Charles, Humphrey III, Darren Nicholson, Clay Mills, and Charles Chamberlain, who will be instructing on songwriting techniques and helping out with some live performances. This event is going to be jam-packed full fun, so be sure to check it out!https://meadowlarkmotel.com/event/songwriters-camp/#smokymountainsnationalpark #songwriter #northcarolina #maggievalley #podcast---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------TRANSCRIPT00:00: 27--00:00: 47 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Howdy. Welcome to the gateway to the Smokies podcast. This podcast is about America's most visited national park, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. In the surrounding towns, this area is filled with ancient natural beauty, deep-storied history, and rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly episodes. 00:00: 48--00:01: 01 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: I am Joseph Franklin McElroy, a man of the World, but also with deep roots in these mountains. My family has lived in the Great Smokies for over 200 years. My business is in travel, but my heart is in culture.00:01: 02--00:01: 27 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: First a few sponsor messages and some events coming up. I want you to imagine a place evocative of motor courts of the past, yet modern and vibrant, with a chic Appalachian field. A place for adventure and for relaxation. Imagine a place where you can fish in a mountain heritage, trout stream, grill to catch on fire and eat accompanied by fine wine or craft beers.00:01: 28--00:01: 39 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Imagine a place with old-time music and world cultural sounds. There is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Your Smoky Mountain Adventure Starts with Where you Stay.00:01: 40--00:02: 07 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Another sponsor is Smokiesadventure.com. That's smokies plural. Adventure, singular. The Smoky Mountains and surrounding area is a vacation destinations for all seasons. Some of the nation's best hiking trails, waterfalls, outdoor adventures, and family entertainment can be found right here. Start your adventure by using Smokiesadventure.com to explore all the wonderful features of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.00:02: 08--00:02: 18 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: The trails, the waterfalls, the caves, cove, the elk, and more. Then check out all the awesome family attractions and entertainment you and your family can enjoy.00:02: 19--00:02: 35 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Find lodging, find places to stay. Find places to eat. Find where you can do outdoor life events like weddings and honeymoons. It's all at Smokiesadventure.com, which is the leading information portal for adventure experiences in the Great Smoky Mountains.00:02: 36--00:02: 54 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: So, events coming up at the Meadowlark, August 12 to 13th we're having a Songwriters Camp it's a songwriter’s camp in concert with Grammy-winning artists Jim Lauderdale and Charles Humphrey III, along with award-winning artists such as Darren Nicholson, Clay Mills, and Charles Chamberlain.00:02: 54 --00:03: 10 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  It's a two-day event of interactive songwriting instruction for world-class musicians, and a demo tape will be produced for each participant. And there'll be a concert of songs from the Rogue Band on Friday night and a barbecue dinner and also our concert on Saturday night.00:03: 10 --00:03: 50 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  This is going to be a unique event like no other, and space will be limited to ensure individual tension is given to all participants. The price is $675 per person, including all the activities and demo tapes and concerts, and barbecue dinner. And then there's special pricing for rooms, and there'll be room packages as well. Call 828-926-1717 for details. And there's also a limited amount of concert tickets available for the general public, and those are available on Friday and Saturday nights, and they're $30 each. And again, you can reserve your spot by calling 828-926-1717.00:03: 50 --00:03: 56 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Welcome to the Gateway to the Smokies podcast with my guest Jim Lauderdale. Hey, Jim. How are you doing?00:03: 56 --00:03: 57 Jim Lauderdale:  Great, how are you?00:03: 57 --00:04: 01 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  I'm doing good. We're huge fans of yours.00:04: 01 --00:04: 02 Jim Lauderdale: Thank you.00:04: 02 --00:04: 16 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  And all the artists are coming to that songwriter camp. I'm really thrilled that this came up. Was the songwriter camp your idea, Bob's idea? You guys came up with it together or what happened?00:04: 16 --00:04: 30 Jim Lauderdale: I think Bob approached Charles Humphrey about it and then he asked me. And so luckily, timing-wise, it worked out00:04: 30 --00:04: 36 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: cool. Yeah. I see that you do another couple of other camps, like one out west somewhere, don't you? 00:04: 36 --00:04: 49 Jim Lauderdale: I did. I did Steve Polt's camp out in Joshua Tree in May. And I just did the Swannanoa gathering and November00:04: 49 --00:05: 05 Jim Lauderdale:  I Believe it is. I'll be at Jorma Calconin's Fur Piece Ranch. Cool. Yeah. But I enjoy it a lot. I really do. Yeah.00:05: 05 --00:05: 19 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Cool. I have a friend of mine I think is going to make it who's been doing music for a number of years but really wants to learn from some real professionals. I got some people that are fairly excited. It's an exciting thing, I think, for people to get to work with some great artists like yourself. 00:05: 19 --00:05: 39 Jim Lauderdale: It's exciting for me to see people it means a lot to people that are writing songs, and I think they're just as valid as somebody that's been doing it for a long time.00:05: 19 --00:05: 39 Jim Lauderdale: And so, it's great to see that enthusiasm and the ideas and to see where these songs can go, too well.00:05: 39 --00:05: 49 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: it's nice to bring it to Western North Carolina. You grew up with Westville, right?00:05: 49 --00:06: 19 Jim Lauderdale: I lived around the Piedmont area and then in South Carolina for a few years not too far from Greenville in due west. And I've been coming to Flat Rock every summer of my life since I was born and have continued to come here a lot. 00:06: 19 --00:06: 36 Jim Lauderdale: And then other times in North Carolina. Winston Salem and Chap Hill for school. So, yeah, North Carolina is my home. Yeah.00:06: 36 --00:06: 43 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Well, I'm glad that you're bringing the art of songwriting here. So, when did you get involved in writing songs? Did you start pretty young?00:06: 43 --00:07: 03 Jim Lauderdale: I guess I was going through my last year of high school and the idea came to me when I was visiting Troutman, North Carolina, where I lived my first five years.00:07: 03 --00:07: 34 Jim Lauderdale: And so, this melody and a title came to me in a few lines here and there. It was kind of an old, tiny, like, string band type thing. I'd been doing bluegrass banjo for a few years, but that type of melody hit me first, and then I had some melodies I gave to one of my classmates when I was a freshman at the North Carolina School of the Arts.00:07: 34 --00:07: 55 Jim Lauderdale: And he wrote some lyrics. And from there then I started writing on my own and doing a few demos produced by a guitar-playing friend of mine named Zan McCloud, who I knew in Chapel Hill.00:07: 55 --00:08: 33 Jim Lauderdale: I had a duo when I was in high school with a mentor named Rick Bowley who started a music store called Oxpo Music. And I would travel around with him to festivals and help him sell stuff, and we played as much as we could. And then I went off to college, and these songs were coming to me. So Zan took me to a place kind of out in the country there, outside of Chapel Hill fella named Steve Grandback, who later moved to Charlotte and opened up a studio.00:08: 34 --00:09: 08 Jim Lauderdale: And I thought, just doing three songs and six songs, I thought, well, hey, a record deal is going to come any day. I'll be touring all over the place. I'll have to quit school, but this is what I want to do. I was naive about that process. Like everybody, it took a while, but that's where my passion for songwriting started, really. 00:09: 08 --00:09: 21 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: I've always wondered. I've been a visual artist, and I've done a few things as a visual artist. I learned that there are different kinds of visionaries.00:09:21 --00:09: 42 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: There's, like, people that are haptic and there are people that are not haptic and non- haptic. Non-Haptic are people get the vision of the painting in their head, and then they just go create the vision, whereas a haptic artist gets the idea and sort of the sense of a painting, but then they have to work it with their hands.00:09:42 --00:09: 50 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Haptic, they got to do it. Is that similar to songwriting? Do some people get, like, just the whole thing in their head and just put it on paper and other people have to work it? 00:09:50 --00:10: 25 Jim Lauderdale: That's right. It's different, really, for everybody. For me, a melody usually comes first, sometimes along with the title, but sometimes just a melody. I know some people who write down whole songs on paper and don't have a melody, or else then a melody comes to them or kind of simultaneously. So, it happens a lot of different ways.00:010:25 --00:10: 36 Joseph Franklyn McElroy That's interesting. So, in a songwriter camp, how would you help the different types of creators with the different ways of doing their creating of songs? How do you help them?00:10:38 --00:12: 33 Jim Lauderdale: I kind of feel like because usually these camps, there's so much to kind of cover in a short amount of time. I like to do things kind of spontaneously. I don't really have much of a format I follow. And it's kind of like that with me. With writing songs, if I'm co-writing or writing alone, it just kind of is spontaneous. And so, I kind of have to evaluate those writers in front of me at that time and ask them what they need, what do they need to learn, or to help them. And it's funny. My friend Steve Polts was saying at the start of this camp we did a few months ago, it's like, I can't teach you how to write songs, but I can help facilitate them, we'll kind of go through certain very briefly personal experiences of like well, this happened to me one time and that's how I got out of this block or something like that to help them. But I really make it about them. Usually, people have things that question of places where they need to work through.00:12:33 --00:012: 43 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Now, does every songwriter really need to practice the discipline or can they come and go from it? How does the discipline work in the songwriting craft?00:12:43 --00:014: 03 Jim Lauderdale: I think it happens in all different ways too. Some people are super disciplined and I try to be putting and everything I've got into it, but I don't have necessarily set times. Like I don't have a schedule where I go okay, I'm going to get up at eight, have a cup of coffee, right, for 2 hours. Some playwrights and novelists and people like that. It's like I get up at five, I write for 3 hours, that's it. And some people I've also written really late at night with co-writers. We will have tried to write at nine and then we kind of plugging along and then as I'm about to leave or something, somebody will say something and an idea comes out. And then you stay till two or three in the morning. If you're on a role, it's good if you can go ahead and capture that magic.00:14:03 --00:014: 15 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Now, when you are just going about your life and living, do thoughts for a song come to you all the time and you write them down and put them into snippets? Do you save those?00:14:03 --00:015: 25 Jim Lauderdale: My song ideas do come to me quite often in conversation or hearing something or just the thought will come into my head. So, I record them on my phone, on an app, on a voice memo app and refer to them later. I go back to them sometimes if I'm then though just playing also something comes out and then you've got your guitar there. But a lot of times I'll just hum the melody. I'm kind of old school. Instead of doing everything on my phone or computer as far as writing out lyrics, I write them down with a pen on if I have a notebook with me or just a scrap of paper. Sometimes I've lost a movie about that. Was there really somebody lost it.00:15:25 --00:016: 15 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Some creative piece and they spent the whole movie trying to find it? Yeah, it was a silly movie, I'm sure. But it's true. When you're in the visual arts is the same thing. You wake up in the middle of night and think you have solved the mystery of the perfect painting. You write down the thing and then you lose that piece of paper and you're searching for it forever. the creative process is really interesting. If you do voice memos, how do you remember what to search for to find the thing that you went?00:15:25 --00:017: 23 Jim Lauderdale: I labeled them. I labeled them like if it's a bluegrass song, I say BG. If it's a country song, I say c. If it's for donna the buffalo, I say donna. Songs from the road band SFRB. So different thing. If it's a soul thing, I'll say royal or soul. I do have a bunch of unfinished things. I've recorded a few albums at royal studios in Memphis, which was a great sole studio. If I have a studio booked in advance and I'm trying to write for that outright, like, for instance, blackbird for blackbird studio for those sessions. So, I'm not very organized, but at least I can reference those. Then when I'm flipping through the phone, trying to find something to have ready,00:17:25 --00:18: 00 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: I mean the human database is the most complex and sometimes also the most infuriating product. We own mine, trying to remember what it was you had thought of. Yeah.So, given that you're going to be working with some people in a collaborative manner here at the Meadowlark Motel August 12, 13th, but then you also write by yourself, what do you prefer? Do you prefer to write solo or with a partner or with a group?00:18:00 --00:18: 40 Jim Lauderdale: When you're writing with somebody else, I feel like you always come up with something that neither one of you could do alone, necessarily. There's some different strength about that collaboration, but I still like to write alone to kind of challenge myself to do it because it's harder for me to write a loan. It's slower and sometimes more tedious, but I enjoyed both.00:18:40 --00:20: 07 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Cool. You've written with some really great people, and I know that you have a podcast with another legend, Buddy Miller. Have you written with him? Yes. We've got a radio show on Sirius X outlaw country on channel 60 called the buddy and gym show. We have written it's been a few years. The last time we wrote, we did a record together, gosh, I think it was eight years ago, and we wrote for that record, and before that, we'd written some things for his albums. He'd usually save a song or two and say we'd work backwards. Usually somebody gives me lyrics and I put a melody to them, but he gave me melodies and I put lyrics to them, and then he'd be under a deadline, too, so I put deadlines on myself also. But he would be like, hey, I've got to finish this record. How are those lyrics coming along? You have to deliver in those situations,00:20:07 --00:20: 10 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Especially professional and the legend.00:20:10 --00:20: 12 Jim Lauderdale: Yeah, absolutely.00:20:12 --00:20: 15 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: You have a reputation to meet now. 00:20:15 --00:20: 17 Jim Lauderdale: Yeah, that's right.00:20:19 --00:20: 25 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Is there any other people that you have co-written with that are sort of favorite co-writers?00:20:25 --00:21: 32 Jim Lauderdale Yes. The man I've probably written the most songs with is Robert Hunter, who used to write with Jerry Garcia and wrote kind of just so many of the grateful dead songs. And we've probably written about 100 together. And sadly, Robert passed a few years ago, and I've written a lot with John Levanthal, great writer and producer, guitar player, and a lot with OD Blackman and several songs with Harlan Howard, who was one of my songwriting heroes, and also Melbourne Montgomery and Charles Humphrey that will be there at the camp. I really enjoy riding with him a lot.00:21:32 --00:21: 36 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: He's a good guy. I've had him on the sales.00:20136 --00:22: 38 Jim Lauderdal: He really is. He's a good he really is. He's really a really great writer. And we have a few things. I did a bluegrass record at Echo Mountain a few years ago here, and my concept of it was to have North Carolina bands and North Carolina artists do tracks with me for this record. And so, Charles and I have a couple of cowrites on that. And then I've got a song coming up on a country record that's coming out in August of Charles. And I wrote that original I was thinking it was going to be more acoustic and bluegrass, and then now it's kind of more of a western not western swing, but slight swing thing. Well, I guess you could call it a western swing. Swing to it, right? Yeah. So that's going to be great to work with him at this camp.00:22:38 --00:22: 42 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Is the swing a hard thing to get into performing?00:22:42 --00:22: 52 Jim Lauderdale: No, it's good. Not think it breaks up the other grooves you might be doing. I really like it a lot.00:22:52 --00:23: 16 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Yeah. The reason I asked is my wife is actually a Brazilian percussionist, a swing in that that you have to have or it's just no good. Right. She's done all right with that. It's an advocation, but she got to be on Saturday Night Live and that sort of thing. 00:23:17 --00:23: 18 Jim Lauderdale: Oh, that's awesome.00:23:18 --00:23: 20 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: That's a great hobby.00:23:20 --00:23: 25 Jim Lauderdale: Yeah, that's terrific.00:23:26 --00:23: 29 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Which do you prefer? Do you prefer writing or do you prefer performing?00:23:29 --00:24: 15 Jim Lauderdale: I like them both. They both have their attractions and fulfilling things about them. It's a great feeling to write a song and then it's great in those circumstances when you're on stage and then you get to do those songs and interact with people, interact with the audience. And if you're playing in a band setting, those other musicians. So, I wouldn't be able to choose one from the other.00:24:16 --00:24: 18 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Have you done, like, over 30 albums? Is that right? 00:24:19 --00:24: 22 Jim Lauderdale This will be my 35th coming out in August.00:24:22--00:24: 23 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Wow. Yeah. What's the name of that one coming out in August?00:24:23 --00:24: 24 Jim Lauderdale Game Changer. 00:24:24--00:24: 25 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Game Changer. And00:24: 32 --00:24: 56 Jim Lauderdale: it's a country record. I consciously I kind of go in different cycles with records, whether it's country, bluegrass, kind of singer-songwriter, soul or blues rock, or whatever. And this is a consciously focused country record.00:24:56 --00:24: 58 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: That's fabulous. Of all your records, which one is your favorite?00:25:01 --00:25: 14 Jim Lauderdale: I can't decide. I mean, I really don't have a favorite because a lot of times the most current record is the favorite one.00:25:14 --00:25: 42 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  It said as the tea surpasses. People would ask the question, what's your favorite painting and they say, the last one. But I think there's a lot of truth to that. Yeah. When you hear a song or you see a song that you've written or listen to it, do you think, oh, I could improve it? There's something I should have done to improve it here? 00:25:42 --00:26: 10 Jim Lauderdale: Not really, no. I'm always if I hear somebody doing one of my songs, I'm just so elated that somebody else is doing, and I've never heard I've been asked before if I've ever been disappointed in a song offer, and I never have. It's always just real rewarding to hear somebody else's take on it.00:26:10 -00:26:14 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  Cool. Well, people come into the songwriter camp. What kind of things can we expect?00:26:17--00:26: 55 Jim Lauderdale: I think hopefully they'll walk away from that camp with a different take on their own writing and that they will be able to incorporate some of the tips and methods and things like that and suggestions and that. They'll walk out of there feeling more confident about their writing and their minds will be more open to things and their creativity, hopefully, will expand.00:26:55 -00:27:00 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: And will you give them insights on how to pursue a songwriting career and that sort of thing?00:27:00 --00:28: 59 Jim Lauderdale: I think first somebody's got to develop their catalog. They've got to have a body of work to and it doesn't have to be hundreds of songs or anything. You could have ten or 15 songs and go out there and try, but it's a process we won't get into because, see, the business part of things changes a lot all the time. But, basically my thing to people, and to myself, too, is that you have got to constantly challenge yourself. If you feel like, hey, this one song am I, this is it. This is going to change everything. It's going to change my life. This is going to open up the doors. That's terrific that you've got that song, but you've got to keep going and create another one and another one and another one. Not to just set that aside and go, well, Madison, but to build on what you're doing. And I feel like it might be naive or old fashioned or something, but I feel that when the songs are there, then those doors open. But it doesn't matter what kind of contacts you have or this or that. The songs have to be there. 00:28:59 -00:29:02 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Well, there's less than people write a good song, they can sing a good song, right? 00:29:02 -- 00:30:22 Jim Lauderdale Well, maybe, possibly, but sometimes it's mentioning that one song that somebody has. Some people have had careers, though, off of one song, but I think it's good to kind of be well rounded and have, let's say if you're outperforming, if you're a performing singer-songwriter, you've got to have a whole set of songs that you really feel are stand up to other people, other writers that you really like, and to your other good ones. And of course, that's a process. It doesn't happen all at once. It's like an art show. You've got to have a room full of art. You might have that one painting in the show. Yeah. And hopefully, those paintings in the room will be just as compelling.00:30:24 -00:30:31 Joseph Franklyn McElroy Your whole body of work. I know in other writing professions, there's writer's block. There's a writer's block in songwriting as well.00:30:32 -- 00:31:17 Jim Lauderdale: Oh, yeah, definitely. Yes. If we only had a series, we could do, Right? It would be a marathon. Yeah. I think that anybody that's riding something, will come across that rider block. That's one of the secrets I will talk about during this songwriter’s workshop of how to break free of that rider's block.00:31:18 -- 00:31:19 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Oh, wow.00:31:21 -- 00:31:34 Jim Lauderdale I would say right now, but people will have to come to see that one time.00:31:34 -- 00:31:43 Joseph Franklyn McElroy:  That's the magic sauce, folks. Now you can learn, especially if you're starting out, you probably have riders block a lot.00:31:43 -- 00:32:45 Jim Lauderdale: Yeah, you do. But it takes practice and getting through growing as a writer, and you'll go through different steps and stages and things and just keepexpanding your abilities as time goes on. The more you do it, that 10,000. What is the expression when you do something for 10,000 hours, then you are good at something like that? Now you won't have to do that long, especially with the techniques people will be learning at this camp. They'll take a shortcut of 10 hours instead of 10,000.00:32:45 -- 00:33:06 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: There you, That's a big promise, man. I knew you had that big thing in you. Oh, that's great. And then you guys can have an all- star concert on the finale, right?00:33:06 -- 00:32:08 Jim Lauderdale: Yeah.00:33:08 -- 00:33:12 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: So, have you prepared to play this?00:33:012 -- 00:33:58 Jim Lauderdale: Yeah, we'll jam. I'm sure we'll talk about it before we get up there but on stage. But that's the cool thing about people can pick up. They can look at you while you're playing, or you can just say, Kia, this is like a one, four, five progressions. I'll kick it off. Whatever. It's fun to jam like that with people and hear what comes out.00:33:58 -- 00:34:25 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: So, it's going to be a fabulous time. I've got my whole family booked in at our motel, Meadowlark Motel, where it's going to be. That's great to be here because we're excited just to be around it. It's a two-day thing. It's two concerts. I imagine there'd be some jamming as well. Oh, yeah. Wonderful meals. I'm a cookie guy. Breakfast on Saturday morning.00:34:25 -- 00:34:28 Jim Lauderdale: Oh, nice. Yeah. Great. I'm a supporter of that. I'm a big breakfast guy. 00:34:28 -- 00:34:33 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Have your requests? What do you like for breakfast?00:34:33 -- 00:34:40 Jim Lauderdale: You know what? Whatever you have I'm sure will be delicious.00:34:43 -- 00:34:50 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Well, I can range from chicken fried steak to tomatoes with a smoked trout dip. Whatever slowed to you folk.00:34:50-- 00:34:52 Jim Lauderdale: Stop. You making me hungry.00:34:54 -- 00:34:56 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: So, what's next for you?00:34:56-- 00:35:23 Jim Lauderdale: I am working on my follow-up to the Game Changer record, and that's coming out, and several bluegrass things right now. And I have a fair amount of gigs coming up starting in September until the rest of the year.00:35:24 -- 00:35:36 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: Okay. Yeah. Cool. And are there any shoutouts you want to do? Any websites or anything you want to mention for people checking things out?00:35:36-- 00:36:02 Jim Lauderdale:  I guess my website is Jimlauderdalemusic.com and then all the social media things, I've got stuff on those. Yeah. So that's kind of got the current things that will be happening on there listed.00:36:02 -- 00:36:19 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: I will be sure to follow some of that. That is exciting for us. I want to thank you for being on this podcast and also thank you for doing this campaign.00:36:20-- 00:36:56 Jim Lauderdale: Guess I'll say one more thing about the camp. When you're a kid and you went camping and how much you enjoyed it and everything, this camp will make those times when you're a kid look like a Greek tragedy. This camp is going to be even though it's short, we don't have time these days to go to a summer camp for two weeks. We cram all the gusto in two days.00:37:02 -- 00:37:35 Joseph Franklyn McElroy: In a day and two- days, it'll be the center of your life for the rest of your existence. That's right. It'll be the sun about which your life repeats. Yes. Well, that's fabulous. We are about to change people's lives and looking forward to it. Well, thank you. This has been the Gateway to the Smokies podcast. You can find us@ facebook.com GatewaytotheSmokies and also smokiesadventure.com and there'll be this episode as well as other episodes on that website that you can find. Thank you much. And that's it.00:37:35-- 00:37:36 Jim Lauderdale: Thanks a lot.Bye!

We had the opportunity to sit down with Zeb “The Legend” Ross and his partner, Ashley Ross, of JCreek Cloggers on Gateway to the Smokies Podcast before their amazing performance in Meadowlark Motel.Enjoy this fun interview with the stars of JCreekCloggers! We talk about their unique dance style, how they began dancing together, touring around the world, how they became Viral on #Tiktok, and much more.#smokymountainsnationalpark #northcarolina #mountaindance #jcreekcloggers #podcast #mountainlife

WHAT WILL THE AUDIENCE LEARN?What does Agritourism mean for farmers, entrepreneurs and residents in the mountains? Tune in to find out the answer to this question from our guest today, Laura Lauffer as we go on with our conversation with her.EPISODE SUMMARY:Joseph will interview our special guest, Laura Lauffer, Project Director of EmPOWERing Mountain Food Systems and Appalachian Regional Commission Power Project Center for Environmental Farming Systems sponsored by North Carolina State University – an organization whose objective is to offer financial, technical, and business support to regional farms and food-related businesses, while also being an advocate for agritourism. This conversation will cover the process of creating and implementing a business model that emphasizes community development, as well as the relationship between public policy and economic development in Appalachian communities.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empowermtnfood/Website: https://cefs.ncsu.edu/food-system-initiatives/emfs-empowering-mountain-food-systems/EPISODE QUOTE: “ Everybody’s got a yellow squash in July, so maybe planta different kind of beet instead. You have to be smart.”  Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

WHAT WILL THE AUDIENCE LEARN?Learn about folk culture and heritage with Evan Hatch, Executive Director of Folkmoot USA. Listen to this episode, as he dedicated this to all folks who carry forward their heritage through music, dance, and song!EPISODE SUMMARY:What's the Folkmoot USA all about? Discover all about the Folkmoot USA with Evan Hatch on our podcast! Tune in as Joseph interviews Mr. Hatch, an expert folklorist with almost two decades of experience as a Grammy Award-winning record producer, event production coordinator, vernacular artist, documentary filmmaker, and recorder of oral history, as well as holding high-level management experience with some of the most prestigious cultural organizations in the Southeast. Hatch is currently the Executive Director of one of the oldest and most popular educational centers and festivals in the Southeast—Folkmoot – with headquarters in Waynesville, N.C. He holds degrees from both UNC and Ole Miss and resides in Waynesville. He's going to tell us all about the Folkmoot USA, including what it is and how you can get involved! He will also share what makes this festival so unique, as well as how he got involved in this industry and how he got started. Don't miss this episode! LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhatch22/ Website: https://www.folkmoot.org/‍EPISODE QUOTE: “If you want to get to know your future ancestors I would definitely talk about going to my website, Narrate Project, which is a business I;’m still running and still love to do.” Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

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://sarah-bryan.com/‍https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahbryannc/‍https://twitter.com/sarahbryan‍EPISODE 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.

This week's episode explores the world of Appalachian dance, and why it is so important to keep the culture alive.The Gateway to the Smokies Podcast is proud to introduce our special guest today, Kim Ross. Kim has roots firmly entrenched in the Southern Appalachians. A native of Snowflake Virginia, not far from the historic Carter Family Fold and the birthplace of country music on the Tennessee- Virginia border, Kim grew up loving old-time music, Appalachian culture, and especially traditional mountain dancing. Today she resides with her family in Waynesville, N.C., and perpetuates her family legacy by managing and dancing with the iconic J Creek Cloggers. Kim Ross will discuss the rich history and culture of the Southern Appalachian region while sharing the stories of their ancestors and their passion for mountain dance music.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063452415685Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Hi, Folks! Tune in, as you'll learn from our guest today some of the great advice for musicians and musicians-to-be and we are glad to have him on the show today! We’re pleased to introduce our special guest today, Richard Hurley, a Canton, N.C. native, and UNC grad who is a veteran of the U.S. Navy, a former radio DJ, and a renowned award-winning songwriter and musician. He is active in community work, serving on various boards and as an emcee for Folkmoot, Shindig on the Green, the Mountain Dance & Folk Festival, and the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival, while also promoting area musical events along with his own musical projects –Cataloochee, and My Mountains, My Songs. He now resides in Asheville, N.C. In this podcast episode, he will discuss the North Carolina mountain music scene, his involvement in the community, his first (and second) music project as well as upcoming events in the area. https://richardhurleymusic.com/Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.