Folk studies

[lifeinajug]

I was wondering if anyone in the cafe has had experience with folk studies in a college or university setting. I'm considering going back to school and am looking at focusing on Appalachian studies. Mainly looking at Appalachain State, Berrea, and UNC Ashville. It would be great to also have some music courses maybe as a minor or part of a degree program. Any advice or related experience is appreciated.

Also, if anyone knows of programs or school that have specific folk music programs and could pass on some information that would be great.

Thanks!
Travis

[Red Englemann]

East Tennessee State Univ. (ETSU) has such a graduate program and is located in Johnson City, Tennessee. I think you can view the particulars online.

Red

[cooper4205]

i'm minoring in Appalachian studies at ETSU (my concentration is in bluegrass music); PM if you want any details on it.

[Deaf David]

I teach sociology at a community college in Paducah (far western Kentucky) and have a fair amount of dealings with people in folk studies. I sometimes wish I had gone that route, but then I wouldn't have the job that allows me to be on my multi-generational family farm. The job situation is something to consider, and I would recommend pursuing the folk studies, if that's what you are really into, but adding a double major of something akin to sociology, history, anthropology or even geography. It won't take much more time but will give you much more flexibility when you go looking for the monetary payoff at the end.

I don't know much about the other programs, but Berea has an excellent choice of programs, most of which seem to be related to general Appalachian studies.

Also, for what its worth, I left grad school after being within a semester of a double doctrate in philosophy and sociology to keep the farm in the family. My wife and I made it on the farm for several years. We were always broke, but loved the life. Then we had kids and the lack of health insurance (only developed nation in the world without sociolized healthcare, and among the worst medical stats in the developed world) led me back to teaching. I don't get as much farming and immersion in my disappearing rural community as I'd like, but I've never regretted the ability to be able to do things like buy instruments and try to learn to play them! (Not to mention having health care for my now teenage daughters.)

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[lifeinajug]

Thanks for the replies! Dave... my grandparents live in Paducah, my parents in Bowling Green. It would be great to get together and swap tunes sometime when I am visiting. I play old time and some bluegrass on banjo and mando.

I also am working on a farm, a really small scale organic CSA near Eugene, OR. My heart is in the land, but at this point in my life I feel a need to explore my history and culture, and hopefully will find a way to connect with the land while I am at school. I dropped out of an ecology program for various reasons a couple of years ago.

Anyways, thanks for the input!
Travis

[Deaf David]

Travis, If you are in this part of the world be sure to look me up. Almost all my "professional" work and real life approach is about connection to place and being rooted. I grew up as the sixth generation on a farm that was taken from us for the Land Between the Lakes project. I'm now living, and raising my kids, on my maternal grandparents' farm, just across the Tennessee River from Paducah.

We could hang out by the wood stove in the shop, pick a bit and swap stories.

[Jefa432]

Hey Jug, off subject but, I grew up in Bowling Green (Oakland actually, about 12 miles north of BG) I live in Louisville now, do you ever get back in the area? If you get over here maybe we can do some jamming. I went to college at Eastern KY Univ., just up the road from Berea. From what I can remember Berea (the town and the college) is a good place for all things Appalachian.

[Katie]

If you're looking for just a masters and a good chance at an assitantship, you might want to look at Bowling Green, OH. It's got a pretty good ethno program, offers full tuition waver, and I know someone who went through with a focus on Appalachin and Caribbean. This is a program where you have to take ownership of your own education though.
-Katie