Bath County Kentucky, celebrated a historic occurrence this month. It's the meat shower of 1876. That’s when pieces of meat mysteriously fell from the sky onto a farm.

At the Bath County History Museum in rural Kentucky, dozens of people crowd around Kurt Gohde. He’s a professor at Transylvania University in Lexington

“We believe it’s a sample from the meat rain of 1876, “ said Gohde.

He’s holding a glass jar with the meat sample in a clear liquid. Gohde has been fascinated with the meat shower for over 20 years.

“And the pieces that rained in that storm ranged from the size of a hailstone to the size of Rebecca Crouch’s hand,” Gohde explained.

Rebecca Crouch is the woman who witnessed the meat shower 150 years ago. She was outside making soap on her Bath County farm when pieces of what appeared to be raw meat rained on her under cloudless skies.

In line to see the meat is Andrew Cruse. He has a cabin in eastern Kentucky and has heard the meat shower story for years.

”It’s wild. You know? It’s one of those things that you hear about and assume it’s kind of urban legend, but it’s actually, there’s a piece of it,” said Cruse.

Some, like Sasha Reinhardt, are having their picture taken with the jar of meat. She believes she’s a descendant of the Crouch family who experienced the meat rain,

“It’s definitely a family, you know, part of our oral tradition. Of course, you know Appalachia is really big on storytelling, oral tradition, and this was always a favorite,” Reinhardt.

A hundred and fifty years ago, the story was heavily publicized,  in The New York Times and in scientific journals. There were several theories about what it was and why meat fell out of the sky. Theories ranged from it being a sign from God to a hoax. But Gohde said the most accepted theory is that the meat was vulture vomit.

“And the idea ultimately there is that a flock of vultures was flying high enough above the farm that when Rebecca Crouch was hit with the meat, she looked up, she couldn’t see them, and the whole flock disgorged at the same time,” said Gohde.

He said they tested the meat in the university's gene sequencer.

“ultimately the strands were not long enough to be completely conclusive, so we don’t know exactly what it was, but we do know that it was closest to a goat,” explained Gohde.

“It was one of those things that, as a child growing up here in Bath County, that you learned it from your parents," said Corbin.

That’s Ian Corbin who grew up here.

“We even had a week in school where you had your local history of Bath County, and learned about it,” said Corbin.

Now he has organized a festival around the event.. He orchestrates meat-themed games in the town square, like a meatball toss and a bologna throw, where a thick piece of bologna is hurled like a frisbee.

Vendors line the streets and sell things like t-shirts and mystery meat chili.

At the town’s library, author Mick Sullivan reads his meat rain book to the kids.

“ Sometimes strange things happen. And you’re most certainly going to think this story is strange,” read Sullivan.

Janie-Rice Brother brought her two kids to the library to hear the story. She said she’s heard it from her father, who heard it from his father.

“I think it’s just a wonderful thing that this small community has decided to take what is a very strange occurrence and make it into something that the entire community can get behind and support,” said Brother.

At the end of the festival Hundreds of people stand around a white split rail fence near a field. A Cessna airplane flies over the area. One thousand eight hundred seventy-six individually wrapped pieces of beef jerky spill out of the window.

That’s the work of Kurt Gohde and his team. Thanks to them, a meat shower has rained in Bath County for the second time in 150 years.

Giving birth to a baby is a life-changing event. Most hospitals offer classes that prepare the mom-to-be for labor and delivery.
An aromatherapy class for expectant parents at St Elizabeth Hospital in Northern Kentucky teaches parents about essential oils.

There’s nothing like the scent, the feel, and even the sound of a newborn baby.

And when someone is a first-time parent, information and ideas to make labor and delivery as stress-free as possible can be helpful.

At St Elizabeth Hospital in Northern Kentucky, five couples are preparing for the births of their babies in a natural childbirth class. The class includes information on relaxation techniques like massage, breathing, and aromatherapy.

Melissa Wills is a registered nurse, a certified childbirth educator, and a certified aromatherapist at St E’s.

“Aromatherapy is just the use of essential oils, which are normally derived from some sort of plant or flower. And it’s the application of those oils either to your skin or by inhalation,” explained Wills.

Using a slideshow with pictures of plants and names of oils, Wills explains to the class the value of essential oils and emphasizes the importance of research.

“We do research-based aromatherapy, which means that we treat the essential oils as a medication. And that’s how we would suggest you treat them, too,” said Wills.

Wills said at St Elizabeth, the staff makes sure the use of oils is safe. She said it’s important to dilute the oil before use.

“You dilute them in some sort of a carrier oil. So, oil and water don’t mix. So, you definitely wouldn’t want to use water. So, the carrier oils that we would generally use would be a coconut oil, jojoba oil, something like that,” said Wills.

She also lists those who should not use oils when it comes to pregnancy.

“We’re going to recommend that you not use oils when you are less than 24 weeks, just because they’re not studied. There’s also several studies that if you’re at a high risk for bleeding or hemorrhage, or if you are a V back, which means a vaginal birth after cesarean. There are several essential oils we would not want you to use if you are a V back,” said Wills.

When it comes to relaxation during labor and delivery, one oil commonly used is lavender. But Wills said another oil that can be helpful, that’s not as common, is clary-sage.

“And that’s actually a uterine tonic. If you’re having contractions, it will make the contractions stronger. So that’s a low intervention option that you could use to help your labor progress. I would say the most effective use for clary-sage would be a topical administration, so putting that on the patient’s wrist or ankles," said Wills.

One of the essential oils used during labor, said Wills, is frankincense, which can be very grounding. She said rose oil, lemon, and mandarin are also among the oils used at the hospital.

“Rose oil helps your pain. It can also strengthen your contractions too. We also have some citrus oils like lemon and mandarin, which a lot of people feel that gives them a boost of energy, it’s uplifting, and help decrease nausea, which is kind of common in labor as well,” said Wills.

While all the oils might smell good, Wills said, during labor, the St Elizabeth staff avoids using all menthol oils, especially peppermint.

“There was one research study that showed that peppermint oil caused respiratory depression of the newborn, so for that reason , that’s one we don’t carry in this hospital," said Wills.

Ashley Collins and Jessica Hipp are married and expecting a baby girl in April. They said the class was informative. Collins said she’s been doing research, but was pleasantly surprised at what she learned in class.

“Like having the rollers for the different oils was surprising. I didn’t know that they had those. I thought it was more just a diffuser situation. And then seeing all the different kinds and realizing how much they know about that, this is what helps with this. Specifically, it made it a much more comfortable thing, like there’s been a lot of research done into this,” said Collins.

As the labor coach, Jessica says the oils might help her, too.

“As a partner to keep me calm with her and help her relax,” said Hipp.

St Elizabeth’s next available Natural Childbirth Class is virtual and scheduled to begin April 14th.

A gathering designed to educate, empower, and connect women is coming to Lexington. Thrive is a day-long event focused on the art of self-care for women.

On a recent Tuesday at her home yoga studio, certified menopause movement specialist Lisa King captures the sound of her one-on-one session. The lights are dim, a candle is lit, and a yoga mat with bolsters and blankets is set up for a session meant to help relieve tension in the body.

King works with women in this way regularly. She’s one of the co-founders of a day-long event to be held in Lexington called Thrive, a health gathering where women can learn together, feel empowered, and connect.

“Thrive is an opportunity for women to come together with other like-minded women in a safe space to have discussions around topics that maybe we don’t talk about enough, things like financial wellness, and nutrition, and hormone imbalances,” said King.

There are several speakers and topics for the day, said King, including setting healthy boundaries and functional medicine. King will lead a session on menopause, movement, and the nervous system.

"I want women to know that they don't have to suffer through menopause as they age. Because there are reported about eighty symptoms that go along with menopause. And I think for women, we've just been told historically and even very recently that that's just something we have to deal with. That's just how it is as we age. And that is certainly not true. We don't have to suffer with insomnia, joint pain, and hot flashes. There are things that we can do utilizing movement and other resources so that we feel our best," said King.

Physical Therapist Kelsey Karnes, one of the co-founders of Thrive, said while Thrive is a place where women can learn about burnout, setting boundaries, and financial health, there is also information on pelvic health, which Karnes is passionate about.

“Research shows that one in three women experience pelvic floor dysfunction in the U.S., and that number increases to one in two women, so 50 percent of women after menopause having pelvic floor dysfunction, “ said Karnes.

The physical therapist said this is the second year for Thrive, and it’s valuable for women of any age.

“It allows you to take time and space to literally just care for you as a woman. I think it’s important for us as women to take time away and step away from the day-to-day rat race that is life and do things that fill us up and care for us. And that’s what we hope Thrive is for women,” said Karnes.

It was King and Karnes' client, Kim Schroeder, who came up with the idea for this daylong self-care event. Schroeder approached King and Karnes and suggested they create an event where women could come together in a safe space to have difficult conversations and get high-quality information and sources for self-care. It’s something Schroeder wished she had. For years, Schroeder had experienced trauma around medical issues she was dealing with. The 47-year-old was diagnosed with endometriosis in her early twenties. She had infertility issues and several surgeries that took a physical and emotional toll on her. She says even though she’s a trained researcher with a PhD in education, many times during medical appointments, she was reduced to a puddle of emotion and felt dismissed. It was the teamwork of Lisa King and Physical Therapist Kelsey Karnes that helped Schroeder through the physical and emotional challenges.

“On days when I wanted to give up, they were like, no, you know your body, you are the expert on your body, you’ve been researching this for three and a half years. You are doing the right thing. Don’t let people who’ve met you for 30 minutes tell you what you’ve been experiencing for 30 plus years,” explained Schroeder.

Schroeder said her experience of support from these women was so life-changing that she felt that an event supporting other women and encouraging self-care would be valuable.

“We wanted to create a wellness event that was uplifting and supportive, and that definitely gave women high-quality information, and that they walked away with ways to potentially improve their life. But it was in a positive and accessible way, so they didn’t walk away feeling overwhelmed or shamed for things that they weren’t doing,” said Schroeder.

Thrive is scheduled for March 1st at the Embassy Suites in Lexington. The co-founders expect to triple the number of women who attended last year.

Key Latino figures in the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry are featured in a new bilingual exhibit at the Keeneland Library in Lexington.

It’s a quiet day at the Keenland Library in Lexington.

Outside, airplanes from Lexington’s Bluegrass Airport are the only sound as they fly over the 1200 acres of Keeneland, a National Historic Landmark and leader in the Thoroughbred industry. Inside, Keeneland Library director Roda Ferraro leads a tour of the facility’s latest exhibit.

“The title of our newest exhibit is Raices: The Making of Latino Legacies in Racing. Raices is the Spanish word for roots. We have an advisory panel of folks from four countries who weighed heavily in on every aspect of this exhibit’s creation, including that title. We wanted to land on a word in Spanish that kind of invoked the main themes of the exhibit, especially the depth and the breadth of contributions of folks from across the Americas over time. What better metaphor than roots to kind of connote this multigenerational, longstanding lives and impacts in the industry?” explained Ferraro.

The display showcases stories of 100 Latino men and women recognized as having a significant part in shaping American horse racing. It begins with 12 large interpretative panels. Ferraro points to the text on the panels, which is printed in English. She says the audio guide is in Spanish.

“All of these exhibit panels have a QR code, and that QR code takes you to that segment for a total of 24 audio guide segments in this exhibit,” said Ferraro.

Ferraro interprets some of the audio guide.

“Raices: The Making of Latino Legacies in Racing showcases groundbreaking Latino figures in the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry from the late 1800s to today,” said Ferraro.

The core content of the exhibit, for the most part, said Ferraro, resides on these 12 panels, which are packed with biographical vignettes that span history. There are also many photographs and artifacts displayed. Ferraro points to the second panel which includes, Hall of Fame jockey Ramon Dominguez. Dominguez is from Venezuela and now lives in New York.

“Ramon was born into a family where these multigenerational ties to the sport were an always presence for him. Ramon was the very first Venezuelan inducted into the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame. And that induction was in 2016,” said Ferraro.

Ferraro said among his many accomplishments, Dominguez also has the unique honor of receiving the Eclipse Award for outstanding jockey three years back-to-back. Dominguez is on the advisory panel for the exhibit. The retired Hall of Famer explains why the exhibit is important.

“Latinos undeniably have been in big part able to help shape American horse racing. So, it is important because often time you may see the headlines, and if it is somebody from the U.S., wonderful. At the same time, when we stop and look at any area of any profession, whether it is jockeys, trainers, you name it, that have been historically involved in horse racing in the United States, there is a huge percentage that are Latinos,” Dominguez.

In a glass case next to a picture of Dominguez are some of his awards and a special riding crop or whip he created called the 360 GT or gentle touch. It’s been used in major races.

“ I invented a riding crop or a whip that is more humane that a lot of the jockeys have adopted. It is something that is really humane for the horse. It doesn’t cause them any harm. It gives them the cue to do their work,” said Dominguez.

Library director Ferraro said the story of Ramon Dominguez is just one example included in Raices: The Making of Latino Legacies in Racing. The exhibit is expected to be displayed at the Keeneland Library through 2026. It’s free and open to the public.

Have you known someone who could pick up an instrument and play any requested song without looking at a note? You might be one of those people who can hear a song and replicate it.
Some musicians are comfortable using sheet music, while others prefer to play by ear.

Sixty-four-year-old Rick Betsch sits down at a digital piano in his dining room and plays one song after another without using any sheet music.

The retired Cincinnati corporate executive wears blue jeans and a dark buttoned-down shirt. He seems relaxed and confident as he plays any request by ear. Betsch said he was inspired by his dad, who also played music by ear. He credits a former neighborhood piano teacher with helping him get started at age six.

“So I actually, for two dollars an hour, I walked through our back yard, through the cornfield, to the same lady that originally taught my dad a few things when he was a little kid. Her name was Lillian. And she taught me some of the basics. And she said, ok, I can’t teach you anymore. So, I was on my own. And really, she gave me the foundation to grow naturally because I had enough understanding that I could improvise on everything,” explained Betsch.

Betsch plays for fun and occasionally at a retirement home or family party. He recalls how his dad would play for people at parties and at the neighborhood ball fields, where there was an upright piano near the concession stand.

“I saw how happy it made people when he played, you know? Everywhere we’d go, these guys would stand around a piano and ladies, and they’d sing these harmonies and these old songs, and they would just be loving it, and they’d go all night. So, I was happy that I could carry on that, sort of,” said Betsch.

Dr. Jill Campbell is an Associate Professor of Music Education at Eastern Kentucky University. Campbell has been teaching music for 30 years. She’s played by ear since she was six years old. She also uses sheet music and said both approaches have served her well. She compares playing music by ear to speaking a language.

“There are some people that are more in tune to certain languages than others. For example, I am learning German, and I find it very difficult. And I can pretty much do certain elements of the language, but not the whole thing. And so, I think that music is a lot like that. You know, there’s some nature, and there’s some nurture, and for some people, it just kind of comes naturally to them. A lot of people in the world only do music by ear. They only sing or play instruments by what they hear. A lot of the world is not tied down to Western music notation. If you go to different countries a lot of how they learn is by sitting next to someone who is singing a part, and you learn to sing that part in the choir. That’s sort of everything from Appalachia to Africa,” explained Campbell.

The song, titled Rocket Point, was written and performed by Alanabeth Duncan. Duncan is a freshman at Morehead State University in the Traditional Music program. The 18-year-old banjo player sits cross-legged, wearing a black t-shirt and blue jeans. Duncan said she’s been playing music since she was three years old and the banjo since she was nine. Playing by ear comes easily to her.

“I have always had the natural inclination of playing by ear, and I’ve always loved music ever since I was a tiny baby. If I can hear something. Like if I can hear the recording or hear someone play it, I can pick it up much faster than if I’m just looking at the music to it. So, most of the time, if I’m looking at a piece of music but I haven’t heard it before, I’m not going to be able to play it correctly by just looking at it. I can play it, but it’s not going to sound right. I have to hear it first,” said Duncan.

At Morehead State University, Daxson Lewis is the director of the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music. Lewis said he plays banjo, guitar, and bass, and he usually plays by ear.

“I think one of the most important things about playing by ear is the connection from one person to another, and particularly thinking about the traditional music styles of Bluegrass, and Old Time, and Country Music. These songs and this repertoire was passed on knee-to-knee in an aural tradition. So, you know, we were sitting across from somebody, and we still do this, of course. But folks were sitting across from somebody who taught them a tune as they knew it, and it had been passed down to them in the same way. So, there’s this personal connection that’s as important as the music itself is. But to learn by ear is essentially hearing something and then sort of regurgitating that information back to the person showing it to you. It’s about recognizing musical patterns and trying to replicate what you’re hearing to the best of your ability,” said Lewis.

The 33-year-old plays professionally with the McLain Family Band and the David Parmley Band.

Traditional Music Studies major Robert Myers is a junior at Morehead State University. He primarily plays mandolin and wrote the song Tree Hugger. The 21-year-old plays in a couple of bands. He said that playing by ear quickly is valuable, especially being in a band. He explained why he thinks he is able to play by ear.

“It’s definitely practice and time, and experience. I probably practice about four hours a day, and I have for the last three or four years. When you spend that much time listening to music and playing music and soaking it all in, you get a lot better feeling for how songs work,” said Myers.

Dr. Pradeep Sharma is Dean of the College of Engineering at the University of Houston. Sharma said most people who train persistently ought to be able to play by ear. He conducted research to find out why playing by ear might come more easily to an individual. In his research, he posed this specific question.”

“Is there something structural in our ears that make us better? And turns out the answer is yes. So, the way we hear sound is that we have in our ears, we have these hair cells. They’re not actual hair; they just look like hair, but they’re cells, like biological cells. They’re responsible for the sound once it enters our ear, as well as to discriminate between pitches. For some people, if they have the right structure and properties of these hair cells in the ears they will be able to play music by ear much more easily, better, and more quickly,” said Sharma.

Whether playing by ear is a gift, a skill, or both, chances are, this holiday season will find these musicians playing a few Christmas tunes. Rick Betsch says he’s looking forward to it.

From the Kentucky Kuzzins to the Wheeler Dealers and Scrambled Legs, there are several different square dance clubs in Kentucky. While there are numerous physical and mental benefits to square dancing, it’s the fun and fellowship that keep many of the dancers returning to do-si-do.

  In October, Dianna Schweitzer turned 60 years old and decided to celebrate by hosting a square dance. She said the last time she participated in square dancing, she was in the fourth grade, but it was memorable, and she thought it would be fun.

“And it’s just a way of mingling with everybody. I just thought it was a nice way to have community while dancing," said Schweitzer.

 It’s an activity some people enjoy regularly because they crave that community connection. On a recent Saturday evening, several people from Northern Kentucky and a few folks from Ohio who belong to square dance clubs spent about two hours on their feet following square dance directions in a room at an area civic center. Caller Pam Courts instructed about 32 people at a time which way to turn, bow, and swing their partners.  Courts has been calling square dances for about 36 years. She said the sport attracts a variety of people.

 ”It attracts a lot of engineers and educators, people who always want to keep learning. In a two-and-a-half-hour dance, you can do the equivalent of a 5-mile walk, but it doesn’t feel like it because you’re playing around and having a good time,” said Courts.

Wearing a maroon top and white pants, Fran Naegel has short white hair. The 85-year-old’s been square dancing since 1990. She started with her husband, who has since died. But she continues to dance three nights a week.

Naegel explains why she square dances.

“Cause I love it. I broke my hip the first of September. Three weeks later, I was square dancing,” said Naegel.

The dress code is casual, but Diana Sova wears a full skirt with a floral pattern. It flares out when she twirls.

"It’s a lot of fun. It’s good exercise without thinking about exercise,” said Sova.

On this night, the dancers’ ages range from 45 to 90. Vickie Reinhardt, Jon Zipf, and Linda McAtee tell what keeps them coming back.

“There’s a lot of camaraderie in it. If you happen to miss a dance, usually there’s somebody that will follow up and call on you and say, How are you doing?" We missed you at the dance. Are you okay?” explained Reinhardt.

“It’s a group of family, friends. It’s a fun activity. There’s always food to eat,” said Zipf.

“It makes you think. And it’s a social thing,” said McAtee.

 Dee Dlugonski, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health and Clinical Sciences at the University of Kentucky, said there are mental and physical benefits to the dance, and it’s important to remember the benefits of having fun while square dancing.

“I think that the cognitive benefits from remembering routines and doing all the steps in order. We often hear recommendations about puzzling or cognitive word games, and this is a form of that cognitive functioning that people are staying sharp, not only physically but mentally, through this activity too,” said Dlungonski.

  In central Kentucky, retired Fayette County School bus driver Rein Nabar has enjoyed calling square dances since 2009. The 75-year-old also teaches square dancing twice a week. On this Saturday, he recorded his last class for this year, but said he’ll start classes up again on January 6th.

Nabar said there’s Traditional and Modern Western-style square dancing.

“Traditional would be one that a person could walk into, and they would get taught what to do and have a fun night with some simple routines, and go home and forget about it until the next time. The Modern Western Style is built on a standardized group of calls that is used worldwide. So, you can actually travel to Japan, and they will use the same calls in English they do here,” said Nabar.

  As for 60-year-old Diana Schweitzer, she’s looking forward to square dancing again. She had so much fun at her 60th birthday party and especially liked how everyone kept smiling.

  “Nobody’s sad. Everybody’s happy. You can’t be sad and square dance at the same time, said Schweitzer.”

A Kentucky award-winning singer, songwriter, and cultural organizer, Jeri Katherine Howell, has been on tour with her third solo album..

Thirty-two-year-old artist Jeri Katherine Howell said she’s been playing music and writing songs since she was 12 years old. The Frankfort native’s song, Woman, is the title track from her latest album. And she said it’s about self-liberation.

“When I introduce the song when I perform it live, I say it’s titled Woman, but it’s really for all of us to recognize how the world may label us, how other folks may label us based on stereotypes or whatever, but it is us as beautiful, complex, messy beings in this world to identify and share who we are. And that that can be a challenging, painful process, especially if you don’t fit into the mold of how other folks view you,” explained Howell.

This album is Howell’s third solo album and features nine original songs. Howell said she wrote the track Thinking and Loving in response to loss in her life. She said she wrote it as a way to recognize that feeling of grieving someone who’s not in your life due to reasons other than death.

“You know, for me, this song particularly is resonant in the context of addiction. And I shared that while I was on tour and for the first time a person came up to me after the show and said, you know, I am one of those people who has been separated from my family and I was able to feel through your songs and be reminded that even though I might be separated from my family someone’s thinking of and loving me. I want to cry right now that on both ends, for someone who has chosen for someone to no longer be in their life, to recognize you can still send that person love by thinking of and sending love to them,” said Howell.

Jeri Katherine refers to herself as a Folk/Americana singer-songwriter and cultural organizer. She said she’s greatly influenced by Bluegrass and World music and calls her music a blend. Although she was born and raised in Frankfort, Howell explains how she’s inspired by Appalachian culture.

“I have always been, since age 12, really inspired by Appalachian culture and the connection to nature as identity, and also connection to community and taking care of each other, and that sense of resilience, of resilience through culture, through music, food, and dance. You can really make a difference with this music rooted in these traditions but also bringing it into a contemporary context and in response to what’s going on,” said Howell.

Howell talks about the theme of the album Woman.

“Woman is about letting your heart break open in a way that lets you fall in love with yourself and the world around you every day. And there’s a lot that fits into that for me, but that’s also kind of how I phrase Always in Love, which is the last song on the album," said Howell.

Howell has just returned from touring and is planning to lead a virtual songwriting workshop this winter. More information is available at the artist's website.

The historic Washington Opera House in Maysville is one of the iconic theaters in the small river town. On a recent trolley tour of the town, tour guide Danny Weddle shared a few facts about the arts center with passengers.

“Opera theater’s one of the longest operating theaters. They do four to five productions a year, children’s theater. Jerry Lee Lewis played here in the '60s. Here recently, Mr. Crossan has had his convention here. He’s brought in Peter Noonan, K.C., and the Sunshine Band,” reported Weddle.

Maysville Main Street Director Caroline Reece says George Clooney held the premiere of his movie, Leatherheads, at the Washington Opera House in 2008.

“It would have been very easy for him to have the premiere of that movie in Los Angeles or New York. But kind of as a nod to his family’s heritage here. And he was on this stage here. He decided to bring the premiere here. So, he came. Renee Zellweger was here. His father Nick, introduced everybody, and there was red carpets all the way down Second Street and the big Hollywood lights,” explained Reece.

Reece said the Opera House dates back to the 1800s and has remained an important venue for the arts.

“It is the home of the Maysville players. This is the 64th year of the players. Maysville is a very artsy community. And I believe what has gone on in this building for years and years has really contributed to a love of theater, love of the arts, love of the music. Three Dog Night was in this theater just a few months ago,” said Reece.

And Reece said, last month the Washington Opera House hosted Derek Wang, a finalist from the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition. Twenty-seven-year-old Wang resides in New York and has started a position at his alma mater, Juilliard. He tells us about the prestigious Liszt competition.

The Franz Liszt Piano Competition, which takes place every three years in Utrecht, in the Netherlands, is a really unique event because it focuses entirely on the music of one composer, that composer being Franz Liszt, who was really one of the most important pianists of all time. And in the 19th Century, he really created the idea of the virtuoso pianist. Every pianist enters the competition individually, and it attracts pianists from really all over the world, from many different European and Asian nationalities as well as American. I believe I’m one of the very few American prize winners of the competition in its multi-decade history,” explained Wang.

Maysville has been hosting competition finalists for more than 20 years. Wang said he received a second-place award in 2022. Although the piano competition is usually held every three years, the next one is scheduled for 2026. Wang said he has had the honor of performing in concert halls around the world and thoroughly enjoyed his time at the Washington Opera House.

“I was lucky to have a debut recital at Carnegie Hall with a program of all Liszt’s music. And I’ve been lucky thanks to the competition in Utrecht to return to the Netherlands for a tour of about ten cities there, which was really terrific. Since the competition, I’ve also performed across Europe, in Italy and France, also across America, “ said Wang.

“But my trip to Maysville most recently was really an incredible treat and a wonderful connection that I could feel in a way so unexpectedly through this charming little town, an incredible connection to generations of pianists indeed from all over the world who have been winners at the Liszt competition and who have given of their artistry to the Maysville community. The Opera House is a gem, the Washington Opera House. It has such a feeling of spectacle and yet of intimate warmth. So, I eagerly want to visit again as a tourist,” reported Wang.

Maysville’s Caroline Reece said while the Liszt International Piano Competition finalists get to perform in New York, population nearly 8.5 million, they also get to perform in Maysville, population 8800, and experience the arts in small-town America.

“So, it’s kind of been a little plus for them. And definitely a plus for us,” said Reece.

The first time I traveled to the Eastern Kentucky mountain town of Pikeville for the Mountain Grrl Experience, co-organizer Kris Preston and her bluegrass band Coaltown Dixie were entertaining the audience from the large outdoor stage.

Preston, along with a host of musicians and artists, is preparing for the next Mountain Grrl Experience, scheduled for Oct. 17th and 18th.

“Mountain Grrl Experience is an event that we started here in Pikeville five years ago as an endeavor to uplift, celebrate, and support Appalachian women, the creativity, the strength, the resilience of Appalachian women. And we also want it to be an event that has purpose. So, we raise funds and awareness for domestic violence services in our area. And this year, we’re raising funds for the Pike County Health Department’s Domestic Violence Coalition,” said Preston.

While live music is an ongoing part of the weekend, there are also workshops, a juried art exhibit, and a panel discussion titled Front Porch Panel/The Power of the Appalachian Woman. Co-organizer Bek Smallwood said the women on the panel embody resilience and leadership.

“There’ll be five really strong women from Appalachia that have unbelievable stories and unbelievable careers. One of the ladies on the panel actually sat through one of the first panels that we had with Mountain Grrl and actually decided to move back home after that panel,” said Smallwood.

Smallwood lives in Pike County and is the lead vocalist with Bek and the Starlight Revue. She calls her band’s music a melting pot and said it includes a lot of country influence and a lot of rock and roll. Bek and the Starlight Revue are expected to take the stage Saturday evening to entertain Mountain Grrl’s audience. Smallwood said she writes songs about Appalachia.

The 38-year-old said this weekend experience for her means tradition, keeping art alive, and an opportunity to share Appalachia. She reflects on what it means to be a Mountain Grrl.

“You know, for me, a mountain girl is somebody who has the spirit of the mountains. And for me, that’s resilience. And I think that’s probably the most important thing. What does it look like to be from here? Well, we have to create our own opportunities. We have to be strong and resilient, we have to be all those things, but we’re also soft. So, when I look at the mountains here, they’re rounded, they’re tall and strong and tough, but they’re also soft. That balance, I think, is what a true mountain girl is. Like I think about my Mamaw, who was an original mountain girl to me. And there were times when she was tough, but when it really mattered, she was soft, and she was always dependable,” explained Smallwood.

Smallwood emphasized that the festival is for everyone.

“ It’s not like it’s a female-only festival. We’re just celebrating Appalachia through women. And most of us have those strong Appalachian women that we love. So, it’s for everybody. It’s just been really life-changing for me. It’s brought me new friends. It’s brought me new opportunities. And I don’t want anybody to think, well, is this for me? Because, if you’re breathing, it’s for you,” said Smallwood.

The lineup of musicians is an eclectic mix of vocalists. For the second year in a row, Americana singer-songwriter and Frankfort native Jeri Katherine Howell is participating in Mountain Grrl. She’ll perform at the Downtown stage Saturday, sharing songs from her new album, Woman.

Howell said she’s also looking forward to presenting a songwriting and community singing workshop.

“So, I’ll be singing lead and playing guitar. And we’ll be doing all my songs. But then my husband, Nat Colten, will be playing banjo and maybe electric guitar, and then Ellie Ruth Miller will be playing fiddle. The workshop is called Come Sing. It’s all levels community singing activity. And we’ll bring in some songwriting activities as well. The idea is that everyone is contributing to the music-making. That everyone’s part of the music-making, whether you consider yourself a singer or not. You can come and play percussion on your body if you want. Or you can come and hum or sway,” said Howell.

The weekend schedule is packed with arts and entertainment. Talent like Carla Gover, Grace Rogers, and Zoe Howard are some of the folks also ready to perform.

On opening night, Maggie Noelle, lead singer and rhythm guitarist for Magnolia Boulevard, is expected to headline. Noelle, who’s originally from Clintwood, Virginia, said she’s honored to be part of Mountain Grrl and plans to sing a set that includes her song Strong Willed Women.

"First and foremost, I have always been and I will continue to be until I die an advocate for women and not just women in the music industry but women all over the world,” explained Noelle.

I caught up with Kentucky’s Kelsey Waldon on tour in LA. The singer, songwriter, and performer is on the schedule to headline Saturday night at the Mountain Grrl Experience. The Ballard County native said her childhood dream was to perform at the Grand Ole Opry, which she has now done several times. As the headliner on Saturday evening, her set will include a song dedicated to her late grandma, who had a huge impact on her life and who grew tiger lilies.

“Made a huge impact not just on my life, on a bunch of people’s lives. She just had this beautiful vibrant display of tiger lilies in her yard. When she passed away, I dug up a bunch of her tiger lilies and put them in my yard. And now every time they bloom I think of her,” said Waldon.

The Mountain Grrl Experience is free and open to the public. It’s scheduled to be held in downtown Pikeville, October 17th and 18th.

Clay pigeons being hurled at the wall, Mason jars smashed to smithereens with a baseball bat, and a 75-inch flat-screen TV bashed with a sledgehammer, that’s the scene at a rage room in Florence, Kentucky. And it’s where Nathan Powell came to celebrate his 31st birthday. Powell admits he was hesitant at first.

“Well, you know, the whole concept, when I first was told that it was a rage room, I was questioning it, to be honest. I was like, is this going to be a healthy thing to do? Like oh, I’ll just start punching stuff,” said Powell.

These rooms are designed to create a safe environment where people pay to smash discarded objects. Full Throttle Adrenaline Park is the family entertainment facility where Powell and his friend Nathaniel Honious prepare to enter what’s referred to as the rage cage.

Honious puts on the required coveralls. He reflects on how he’s feeling before breaking items.

“It’s definitely an interesting feeling. The suit’s pretty thick. So, I’m feeling the heat already,” said Honious.

After Nathaniel and Nathan suit up in coveralls, they slip on steel-toed boots, thick gloves, and a helmet with a face mask as rage room assistant Jordyn King lays out the rules.

“ Only one person in the rage area at a time. Make sure the other people are behind our rage cage. You guys have the glass package,” said King.

As King captured the sound of items breaking, she said, sometimes people play loud music while they bash. But Nathan and Nathaniel are content with the sound of shattered glass.

Nathan goes first and takes a swing at the big-screen TV with an aluminum baseball bat. When it’s Nathaniel’s turn, he takes a crack at an entire box of Mason jars that go crashing into the rage cage wall. After about 20 minutes participating in rage room activities, the two men exit the room where slogans include Smash Your Heart Out and Obliteration as an Art Form. These guys are sweating. Nathaniel and Nathan recalled their experience.

“In the aftermath of that, it’s quite exhausting, I’ve got to say. But it is very much cathartic. I’ve never done anything like that quite before. It’s kind of against every instinct you have. You’re not used to seeing a nice expensive piece of electronic or AV equipment and saying, You know what, I’m just going to swing the hammer today,” explained Nathan.

“As we were going, it was kind of like, I shouldn’t be doing this, but as we kept going, it was like, oh, this is a different experience, it was, this is exciting,” reported Nathaniel.

One of the first rage rooms opened in Tokyo, Japan, in 2008, according to WHYY’s science and health podcast The Pulse. The Operations Manager at Full Throttle, Andrew Passman, said he believes the activity has gained popularity around this region in the last five years.

“I’ve seen people are here with their significant other. They want to break things together. I’ve seen people come in by themselves, and buy packages, and just spend thirty minutes letting it all out. So, I think it’s a cathartic experience for a lot of people. But it really depends on your mindset going in,” explained Passman.

Passman said bashing objects may feel like a cathartic experience. But he said, for those people looking for therapy or anger management.

“That’s what the professionals are for. We’re professionals in fun, not therapy,” explained Passman.

Dr. Kim Breitenbecher is a Professor of Psychological Science at Northern Kentucky University. She said if someone is interested in anger management, the research indicates that the best methods to diminish anger are more calming.

“That’s going to be things like meditation, controlled diaphragmatic breathing, mindfulness, there are cognitive behavioral techniques, even sometimes just something like taking time to count to ten, count to one hundred,” said Breitenbecher.

At a Lexington rage room, Ethan Mavity said they take an interactive approach. The owner of Lexrage said he typically helps people warm up with a game.

“The one I’ve been doing this week is the hammer throw. I stack bottles along the back wall. And then I give each person two hammers, and the goal is to knock the bottle down and shatter it from the other side of the room,” said Mavity.

The central and northern Kentucky rage room managers said most people leave smiling.

As for Nathan Powell, he said he’d like to bring his family. And what about Nathaniel Honious? Will he return for another session?

“Oh, a hundred percent, I would do it again,” said Honious.

The bells of St Patrick’s Catholic Church ring at noon as passengers board the Maysville Trolley at 3rd Street in front of the historic Cox building for an hour-long tour. Tour guide Danny Weddle welcomes the group.

“Welcome, everyone, to the Maysville Trolley Tour. I’m Danny Weddle, and our driver is Kenny Mulliken, and we’re going to make a couple of laps in the downtown business district and then go out to Old Washington. I’m going to give you a lot of names and talk a little about architecture. Our kind of a timeline of the city and some of our interesting characters,” announced Weddle.

Tour guide Danny Weddle has been hosting Maysville tours since 2019. He welcomes a small group of riders onto the green and yellow vehicle.

It’s a warm sunny day and the temperature is mild. As the trolley heads down Third Street, Weddle mentions out six different churches, including the First Christian Church, the Tudor-style Episcopal Church, and St Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church.

“The Roman Catholic Church, St Patrick Church, is there on the driver's side. It’s their second church. Their first church building was on Limestone Street, facing Limestone Street. It opened in 1847. This church opened in 1909, had its first mass before the church was actually finished being built. The first church was right here, where the parking lot is. Bob Newhart, the comedian, his maternal grandparents were from Maysville. They were married in that church,” reported Weddle.

The town that one could describe as quaint sits on the Ohio River in Mason County. Weddle said it was established in 1787. It was originally called Limestone and eventually named Maysville. Weddle said Simon Kenton and Daniel Boone are among the city’s founders. The trolley tour moves toward the Ohio River near the Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge.

“Now Simon Kenton was one of our early settlers. He is a contemporary of Daniel Boone, and in my opinion, is just as important as Daniel Boone. But Daniel Boone had a biographer, so Simon Kenton is not as well-known. Simon Kenton actually saved the life of Daniel Boone at Fort Boonesborough. The Simon Kenton Memorial Bridge opened in 1931, named for him. Opened as a toll road. Later, the tolls were taken off,” said Weddle.

This bridge connects Maysville with Aberdeen, Ohio, and is visible from Maysville’s floodwall. Weddle said the floodwall is 14 thousand feet long. The Trolley slows down as Weddle talks about the murals along the wall, a project that began in the late 1990s and was created by artist Robert Dafford. The artwork depicts historical scenes of the region, including a Native American bison hunt, and Maysville’s Rosemary Clooney, the legendary singer.

“Next is a mural to Lafayette. He stopped here in 1825, and we just recreated his visit back in May. Next is a tribute to the Underground Railroad. The slaves were trying to get to Ohio and eventually to Canada, that’s for the Underground Railroad,” said Weddle.

As the trolley travels through downtown Maysville and then 4 miles out to the historic neighborhood known as Old Washington, Weddle shares stories about everything from the area’s arts to its architecture. He recalls information about entertainers, politicians, and pioneers, including Mary Draper Ingles.

“This is also the Mary Ingles Highway. Mary Ingles was captured by the Indians in Virginia, taken all the way south of Cincinnati what is Big Bone Lick State Park. She escapes with another woman. She makes it all the way back to her family in Virginia. She’s believed to be the first white woman in this part of what became Kentucky,” said Weddle.

Weddle reports on numerous legendary characters connected to this region. He said three names in his mind synonymous with Maysville are pioneer Simon Kenton, singer Rosemary Clooney, and Stanley Reed, a Supreme Court Justice who was appointed by FDR.

”He’s the last Supreme Court Justice to not have a law degree. You could actually be a Supreme Court Justice without a law degree. But he was on the Brown v Education Ruling. Stanley Reed Court by the Old Courthouse is named in his honor,” said Weddle.

As the Trolley returns from Old Washington and reaches the edge of Maysville’s downtown, Weddle points out a large white house.

“This white house here is the Bierbower House. It’s also the National Underground Railroad Museum,” said Weddle.

Maysville Tourism Director, Katelyn Bailey, explains the house and its relationship to the Underground Railroad.

“Yes, this was a very famous stop on the Underground Railroad. And again, this is the National Underground Railroad Museum, not to be confused with the Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati.”

“So, the National Underground Railroad Museum is actually called the Bierbower House. And the Bierbower House was home to a family of abolitionists. They’re descendants of German immigrants who left Pennsylvania in 1837 and came to Maysville. So, the family of the Bierbower descendants came back to town this late spring, early summer of 2025, and they brought with them one of the original candelabras that they used inside of the home that they would light to let the slaves know that their home was safe to come in. And there’s a place inside of the museum that you can see where the slaves would have hidden when people would have come to check the home,” reported Bailey.

The Trolley returns to Maysville’s downtown business district close to the iconic Russell Theatre.

The Russell Theatre, here on the driver’s side, built in 1930," said tour guide Weddle.

The premiere of Rosemary Clooney’s 1953 film, The Stars are Singing, was held at the theater. Maysville Main Street Director, Caroline Reece, says Maysville, Kentucky, is Rosemary Clooney’s hometown.

“Rosemary was born here and raised here, along with her brother Nick, who would be George’s father. And she used to sing, she said on the street for free right up there on Third and Market Street, I sing for free here. And that’s what she did, she and her sister Betty, people threw them coins, and then they went down to WLW on the radio in Cincinnati, and that’s kind of how their careers got going. Well, fast-forward to the late 90s, early 2000s, and there was a Rosemary Clooney Music Festival here in town, the proceeds going to Russell Theatre. Closed down the streets. She would come and sing, and she did it until she died. She did it about three or four years. After she died, the Clooneys wanted that to continue. So, big artists came. We had Michael Bolton here, Neil Sedaka, Roberta Flack, The Pointer Sisters. All those people have been here performing in Maysville, kind of in honor of Rosemary Clooney,” said Reece.

The Trolley Tour ends where it began, and tour guide Danny Weddle said there are so many layers to Maysville, and information on the Trolley Tour is just the tip of the iceberg. Weddle encouraged everyone to take a Trolley Tour as he thanked the passengers.

Two Kentucky women have a unique way of exploring the Commonwealth. They say it’s a great way to feed their bodies and their souls.

Hovering over a laptop computer at the kitchen counter, close friends and next-door neighbors Barbara Hamilton and Barbara Stokley are searching the internet for a Kentucky mom-and-pop type restaurant they’d like to try.

The widows who’ve lived next door to each other in Georgetown for eight years have made a game out of eating at different restaurants in every Kentucky county.

Seventy-six-year-old Barbara Hamilton said the fun all started during COVID, when they had to eat in their car.

“We just started having lunch out once a week. And then Barbara mentioned a place that she would like me to go to that was in Carrollton. And then I mentioned a place, let’s go to Paris. And then we just got to talking, well, let’s start going to different counties. And then we decided we were going to travel Kentucky and have lunch at all 120 counties,” explained Hamilton.

The women call their culinary excursions B&B Adventures of Kentucky. It took them two years to complete visiting all 120 counties. But they missed the adventures so much, Hamilton said, they’re at it again.

“After, I don’t know, two or three weeks, we missed the excitement, the fun. We giggle. We laugh. Barbara one morning, she said I’ll be ready with bells on in the morning and she jumps in the car and she starts ringing bells," said Hamilton.

Both neighbors were raised in Kentucky, but Barbara Stokley said they’re enjoying places in the state they’ve never seen before.

“I had never been to eastern Kentucky. And you know, usually when my husband, well, my family went on vacation, we went to Florida. We didn’t go to places in Kentucky. And I’m finding out now there’s a lot better places in Kentucky than any place else,” said Stokley.

On this day, the women have traveled to Kenton County and the iconic Greyhound Tavern.

One of Hamilton’s criteria for selecting a restaurant is its history. Munching on an onion ring the size of a butter plate, she reads a little of the Tavern’s history.

Barbara Stokley recalls how the pair would select a destination when they first started this adventure.

“We started doing the research on the internet, and then Barbara came up with the idea of putting them in a Ziplock bag and just picking out where we’re going to go. She would write the name of the restaurant, the town, the county, how long it took to get there, and the phone number,” said Stokley.

Stokley said they are a little more particular now. They visit one county a week, a different city this round, but spend extra time researching. The 74-year-old said a trip to western or eastern Kentucky usually becomes an overnight stay.

“And then we try to eat breakfast in one county, lunch in one county, and supper in one county,” explained Stokley.

After a satisfying lunch at Greyhound Tavern, B&B Adventures get back on the road. Barbara Stokley said she is living with an eye condition and is unable to drive. So, Barbara Hamilton does all the driving.

“I see a lot of things through her eyes because I can’t see it. She’ll tell me what’s going on down the road, and I can’t see it because I have to be able to focus before I can see,” said Stokley.

Hamilton said one of their newfound favorite places to hang out is Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area in western Kentucky.

”And we like to go to the Elk and the Bison farm. And we have spent four hours in there, two little old ladies driving around watching the animals,” said Hamilton.

They’ve even had a few dicey situations while driving, said Hamilton. Once the GPS took them down the wrong road, and she wasn’t sure what she was going to do. She said it felt scary.

“So, I’m scared to death, and it’s a little bitty country road that takes you to a creek bed. But out of the sky blue there was a mail carrier that come down this road. It was a woman. And she stopped and she got out and told me what to do. Anyway, I feel like she was our Guardian Angel. She got in the car and left,” said Hamilton.

From places like Fat Patty’s in Boyd County to Otto’s in Kenton County, to people they meet along the way and beautiful sights in the Bluegrass, the women said restaurant hopping in Kentucky is a fun way to feed their bodies and their souls.

At Griffin Hall on Northern Kentucky University’s campus, sisters Lillian and Bella Duhaime sit across from each other while they play music with a chamber quartet. Lillian glides the bow across the strings on the cello that rests between her knees. Bella sits upright with her violin underneath her chin and draws her bow across the strings. She cues the group by softly counting.

Sixteen-year-old Lillian and fourteen-year-old Bella said this week-long day camp is a chance for them to play new pieces with new people.

“I think it feels rewarding. It just feels good to play music with other people. Performing’s my favorite part of playing my instrument,” said Lillian.

“My favorite part would also be performing because I just like going through the song and feeling the music,” explained Bella.

NKU’s strings camp is for kids who have some experience with instruments like violin, viola, or cello.

Camp coordinator, Betsy Mendel, said students range from ages 8-18 and are split into three groups based on how long they’ve played their instruments and how comfortable they are with the music.

So, we have different levels of music. We have different master teachers for each group, and we have teaching assistants helping. So, we have a lot of wonderful faculty," said Mendel.

Mendel said this summer, about 70 kids show up every day from 9:30 until noon and are immersed in the music.

“It’s a short amount of time, but they do a lot during that time. They are playing their instruments almost the entire two and a half hours, and they learn a lot of new music,” reported Mendel.

Violinist Kathy Anderson conducts a group of more than 20 middle schoolers with enthusiasm and a sense of humor.

Anderson is credited with starting the strings program at Fort Thomas Independent Schools, but has since retired. She continues to perform, though. Her style seems to inspire the young musicians and keeps them smiling.

“I’m honest but not brutally. So, I’ll say that didn’t sound very good, but I say it with a funny tone, and they think that’s funny, and they agree that it does not sound good. So, we figure out what is it that’s not sounding good. And then we make some improvements. So, we’re having fun along the way. It’s always hard because you can’t tip the scales toward crazy and chaos and anarchy,” said Anderson.

The NKU Strings Camp is one of the programs under the umbrella of the NKU Music Preparatory Department. The University also hosts the String Project that runs during the academic year. The String Project offers the students quality string music instruction that's affordable.

Dr Holly Attar is Director of NKU’s Music Prep Program and the director of the award-winning NKU String Project. For the Strings Camp, Attar said she’s primarily administrative but plugs herself in to teach where needed. She said there aren’t enough school districts in Northern Kentucky with a daily strings program. One of her goals is to provide kids in this region the opportunity to experience string instruments from an early age.

“I mean, Northern Kentucky is home to the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra. And all of this gets cultivated from a young age. If you don’t have string players at the beginning of their lifetime learning at 8,9,10 years old, you don’t have string players at 35,45,55,65. They have to be cultivated from the beginning,” said Attar.

String music is also being cultivated at Western Kentucky University for young musicians.
Dr. Andrew Braddock is the co-director of WKU’s String Academy. He said its mission is to develop and educate students in string education. Part of the mission, he said, is to keep music engaged throughout the year, so there are two summer programs, one for advanced students and one for beginners, called the Twinkler session.

“And that's where we welcome beginners as young as four years old. And we provide them with violins for the week. And we are able to teach them and get them playing on the violin. And by Friday, they stand up on stage and play a couple of short pieces. And it’s really kind of magical.”

NKU strings camp student Lillian Duhaime said she hopes one day to perform with a professional orchestra. NKU camp coordinator Betsy Mendel said that whether it’s for a career or just for fun, learning to play a string instrument can change a child’s life.

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Falcon takes Flight, a wing of Falcon Theater, performs to a full house at the Newport Branch of the Campbell County Public Library by presenting poems with the theme of what it means to be human.

The group known for its dramatic readings was asked to perform as a kickoff to the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit, Exploring Human Origins: What Does it Mean to Be Human?

Clint Ibele, director of this evening’s presentation, said he contacted seven poets from this region and asked them to submit poems that would reflect the exhibit’s theme. Ibele said different voices, including teachers, ministers, and the public, will have thoughts about the exhibit.

“ I wanted to hear from the artistic community, their interpretation, which would give a somewhat unique perspective through these different authors’ work,” explained Ibele.

After getting input from the seven authors whose work is featured, Ibele suggested the title of the presentation.

“By using sort of a combination of their suggestions, I proposed calling it (Un) with the parentheses and then Common Ground, which suggests that which makes us unique as well as that which we share in common," said Ibele.

Programming and community engagement manager at the Campbell County Public Library, Amy Carroll, said the library can display Exploring Human Origins due to a partnership with the Smithsonian and the American Library Association.  Carroll said the exhibit includes display panels, interactive kiosks, and a life-sized Neanderthal mother and child statue.

“It explores evolution and it’s coming from the perspective of what does it means to be human. The goal is to have a respectful community conversation around the theory of evolution and just what people think it means to be human. It shows the timelines and the skulls of early humans and what that evidence looks like. There are several programs that are also attached to it that are going to delve deeper into the question,” said Carroll.

Carroll said the library has a long-standing relationship with Falcon Theater. She likes the idea of poetry as an introduction and said the poets submitted their work before seeing the exhibit.

Standing in the middle of Exploring Human Origins, actor Anna Hazard, who is reading some of the poetry tonight, said the exhibit creates a little bit of a museum-type maze in a very small space.

 “You can kind of go through in whatever order you like, but you go through different topics of human evolution. It just kind of guides you through different areas of thought and different discoveries, different changes that have evolved over time. There’s interactive pieces with QR codes. There’s a couple of screens that have interactive opportunities. It’s really like a mini museum in a library,” said Hazard.

“I really like the timelines and seeing how recent human history is in the grand scheme of things, I think we lose sight of that sometimes that we’re still pretty new in the grand scheme of time, like capital T, Time. Just seeing it’s not even been a million years since we’ve started gathering around a hearth,” explained Hazard.

After walking through the exhibit, David Derringer and Worley Stidham said there were several takeaways.

“Even though there are lots of differences in terms of shapes of the skull, in terms of how people ate and what kind of food they ate, depending on where they were in the world, there are a lot of similarities as well. Emotions and feelings haven’t changed. People still find joy. People still feel sadness. People still want love. Those things that make us human, the things that make me enjoy the arts, has transcended time and transcended culture,” said Derringer.

"It does make a person feel small, but in a good way. It's good to be reminded that you're not alone, that you're standing on the top of a huge mountain. You're standing at the very end of a long line of people. It's crazy to think that thousands and thousands of generations eventually led to your family and you. You have to imagine what your great, great, great times a hundred, times a thousand grandmother or grandfather would think of domesticated animals and freeways and fast food," said Stidham.

The theater group Falcon Takes Flight spent nearly an hour sharing dramatic readings of poems based on the exhibition’s theme. Campbell County poet Nancy Jentsch wrote two of the poems read this evening. The poet said she was a German teacher for 37 years at Northern Kentucky University and felt honored to have her work included in this performance. Both of her poems presented have to do with language. She recalls her first poem read, called Origin’s Song.

“Talking about the very origins of the species and the inability of language to define what it is that makes us human,” said Jentsch.

Exploring Human Origins opened May 29th at the Newport Branch of the Campbell County Public Library and is expected to be on display until August 1st. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

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It’s a muggy June evening at Lexington’s Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning. Kentucky musician Mitch Barrett strums his acoustic guitar and wears a red shirt with his hair pulled back in a ponytail. He leads a crowd of more than two dozen people in a sing-along with Carla Gover, a musician and community organizer. Gover said this is the first of three workshops called Kentucky Voices Rising: Songs of Social Change.

“The idea is that we bring people together, learn a little bit about some particular aspect of Kentucky’s history, and how music has been part of social change movements, and we’re bringing in artists that represent different communities. So, songwriters, all the artists that write songs that are social justice-themed, and then we’re just going to sing together,” explained Gover.

Barrett and Gover discuss music as a tool for social justice. This evening’s presentation, Singing, Songwriting, and Solidarity, includes traditional and original songs. All three workshops, said Gover, are funded by a grant from the Kentucky Arts Council and are free to attendees.

The singer-songwriter applied for the grant, which she said is offered as part of the year-long celebration commemorating next year’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Gover said the funding is being made available to explore the people, places, and events that shaped Kentucky’s history over the last 250 years.

“Communities across Kentucky are going to be celebrating this in different ways. And when I was reading about the details of the grant, I was like, wow, how perfect would it be, and how appropriate to celebrate this, looking at how different communities, especially oppressed and marginalized communities, have used music as a tool for change. Plus, at this moment in our history, with the division that we have and the political chaos on every front, every time we turn on the news. I think there’s something fundamentally healing about coming together to sing," said Gover.

Audience members like Meriah Kruse are inspired by tonight’s singing. The health and wellness coach said she’s been craving a community sing-along.

“ I need to sing with other people right now. The world is so crazy. And there’s so much negativity. And we need to shore up our strength and inner power right now,” said Kruse.

On July 31st, the theme of the workshop is Roots and Resistance, Songs of Justice and Freedom from Kentucky to Nicaragua. Marlon Obando Solano will lead the music with his songwriting method, as well as what inspires him.

“We just want to live our lives in peace. We want to protect kids, protect family. We need to think about we all immigrants,” said Soldano.

 The final workshop in the series is scheduled for the end of August. La’Shelle Allen, also known as Sistah LaLa, is the founder of Spirituals in Motion, an outreach program and musical project. She’s looking forward to leading the songwriting workshop and discussing the history of the American Negro Spiritual. Allen says music brings people together in a magical way.

“And so I like to tap into that energy to use both music, activism, and group work to create something beautiful and to create a beautiful moment,” said Allen.

As this evening comes to a close, musician and activist Carla Gover said her aim with these workshops is to support people in feeling some relief, solidarity, and the strength to keep going.

“As we sing these songs together, it just adds to the momentum of people who are trying to build a world that is more inclusive and more just for all of us with liberty and justice and equality for all,” said Gover.

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At his Louisville home in a room done in minimalist Japanese Style, tea-tasting facilitator Rohit Wason sits cross-legged on a round meditation pillow across from guests Jen Hankee and Frank Puc. At this tea ceremony, Wason pours each of them a cup of Oolong tea.

“Since we are drinking several teas, I’ll ask that the first cup of this tea we can enjoy in silence. That way we are present with the touch and the feel and the smell of the tea. Of course, after the first cup is over, we will continue our wonderful conversations. The second thing is slurping. It is a very common thing to do in Chinese and Japanese food cultures. I will be slurping, but I want to give you a heads up. And if you always wanted to practice slurping but were afraid to do so, this will be a good place to practice,” explains Wason.

“What is the effect that has? Why is that encouraged?” asked Frank.

“I will invite you to try and see if you find the difference first, and see what you think. Is that ok?” asked Wason.

Tea ceremonies date back thousands of years, and there are numerous variations. Wason has been offering tea-tasting sessions for four years. His sessions last from 90 minutes to three hours and are inspired by a traditional Chinese tea ceremony known as Gong fu.

“Gong fu literally means skillful. So, it is a skillful way of doing something.  It’s the same word as Kung-Fu, the martial art. So, in this case, what I’m doing is I’m channeling the energy of tea skillfully, hopefully skillfully by sitting with other people. I will steep the teas in my way, in a slow, mindful movement. We will have several teas today. We will steep all of them many times, which takes time. Time is one of the biggest ingredients of a tea ceremony, which we don’t have enough of these days,” said Wason.

People come from all walks of life to experience a tea ceremony at Wason’s home, which he refers to as Shelby’s Tea House. Wason teaches high school math during the day and hosts guests for tea ceremonies on weekends and evenings. He enjoys the teaching component of the tea ceremony, where he talks about the different teas and the ritual of preparing the teapot and cups.

 ”So, we’re just giving our utensils a little wash or a bath. That teapot, the clay that is unglazed is a very common thing in the Chinese tea ceremony of Gong fu," said Wason.

The three tea drinkers each hold their small white cups with two hands while they slurp the tea. The tea taster explains that slurping is done intentionally and enhances the tea’s flavor. Wason: “When you ingest it and if you exhale through your mouth, there’s almost a lingering aroma that you can pick up,” said Wason.

Wason hosts up to 6 ceremonies a month. On this day, Jen and Frank are traveling from Chicago to Greenville, South Carolina. The couple said this experience has been peaceful and eye-opening.

  “The knowledge is really wonderful and the teas taste great,” reported Jen.

” The whole experience is, I’m going to use the word, Zen-like,” said Frank.

In Danville, historian and tea expert Bruce Richardson welcomes me to his family tea shop, where more than 150 teas line the walls.  The 72-year-old has been educating people worldwide about tea for more than 3 decades.

“You know, tea sales in the United States are approaching 15 billion dollars. We’re talking about loose-leaf gourmet sourced teas,” explained Richardson.

Richardson has written numerous books on tea, he’s the contributing editor for Tea Time Magazine and the Tea Master for the Boston Tea Party Ships Museum. With his background in music and his interest in art, Richardson said, he has a real empathy for the creative process of blending teas.

 “So for instance, the Cincinnati Art Museum comes to us when they have an exhibit going on and say produce a tea for us. The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum out in Santa Fe, we design all the teas for them. The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Peabody Essex Museum there. The British collection at Yale, we designed all the teas for them,” said Richardson.

He travels to places like China, Sri Lanka, Japan, and India to meet with tea farmers.

He recalls going to Japan, being about 3000 feet up on a mountain in Japan, having tea with a man who had produced the best green tea in the world 3 years in a row.

“We went into his house, which is a 400-year-old Japanese house, and he made tea for me. We don’t have to talk. He sees how my eyes are reacting, how I nod my head. He sees how I sniff the tea. At that point, we are speaking in a much deeper relationship than anybody who is speaking in a common language. We are actually communing over that tea that he has made, and I know exactly why that tea was chosen as the world’s best,” said Richardson.

This tea master calls tea a cup of humanity.

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More than 100 people, including park officials, gather under a shelter surrounded by lush green grass at the Big Bone Lick Historic Site in Boone County. Park interpreter Claire Kolkmeyer welcomes the crowd.

“Good Morning, everyone, my name is Claire Kolkmeyer. I am the park naturalist and bison caretaker here at Big Bone Lick State Historic Site. It is a privilege to host you all here today for Big Bone’s newest designation as National Historic Landmark,” announced Kolkmeyer.

Kolkmeyer said that a National Historic Landmark designation is the highest federal recognition a property can get.

“And that’s for its archeological significance, which is Big Bone’s reasoning. But also it can be architecture or history of the building itself. So, Big Bone still holds a National Natural Landmark designation. And so, we’re one of only now 16 sites in the entire U.S. that holds both the National Natural Landmark and the National Historic Landmark,” said Kolkmeyer.

She said the more than 500-acre park is significant, not only nationally but internationally.

“With our understanding of extinction as we know it today, with our understanding of early life, especially in North America. Identifying all these new species, different historical figures who have been here, like Lewis and Clark and George Washington, had bones from Big Bone. And Benjamin Franklin had an interest. And President Jefferson sending Lewis and Clark here to collect bones,” said Kolkmeyer.

The 29-year-old wears forest green pants and a matching cap. Her khaki-colored shirt displays her name tag and a park emblem. She said Big Bone Lick houses artifacts and fossils from thousands of years ago.

“Here at Big Bone, we focus on the end of the Ice Age or the Pleistocene, and that’s when your glaciers were retreating, the earth was warming. So, it can stretch back as far as about 20 thousand years, but we primarily focus on the last 10 to 12 thousand years ago,” said Kolkmeyer.

Kolkmeyer explains why the museum is a good place to start a tour.

“Here in the museum, we cover a little bit of everything about the park’s history, which reaches all the way back to 450 million years ago with our Ordovician fossils. You can see a full-scale Harlan’s ground sloth, a bull mastodon skull, and loads of other artifacts and bones. So, most people are able to connect the big bone to the big bones that were found here, but the second part of our name is what really drew the animals here. So Big Bone Lick. Lick is another name for a salt spring. These animals that visited the park were all herbivores, so they were needing to find salt from somewhere. So, they’d come here to Big Bone to lick the waters of our salt springs or lick the mud to get the salt they needed,” explained Kolkmeyer.

Inside the museum, there are a couple of open-air exhibits and nine display cases. Kolkmeyer stands next to a replica of a Harlan’s ground sloth.

“He’s totally a replica except for the tibia in the case there that was found by a park guest back in 2017. This sloth is a great example of what they would have looked like, but this is not how we would have found them. This would be considered an articulated skeleton where he’s still all together. The way we find our fossils and bones here is they’re typically separated, they’ve been tumbled in the creek. They’ve been buried and reburied several times. So, it’s usually finding bits and pieces rather than the whole skeleton,” said Kolkmeyer.

Claire invites me to ride with her in a utility vehicle back a long gravel pathway to see the herd of Bison.

“The Bison serve as our living link to our Ice Age ancestors. So, they connect us directly to what the park is most well-known for. But then, Bison are also our national mammal, so they hold the same status and recognition as the bald eagle,” said Kolkmeyer.

Thousands of people visit the park each year. Gift shop associate Janie Peace said visitors come from around the world.

“We have people here last week was from Ireland. I had some from Switzerland. I had some today from Toronto. They’re very interested in the history here and how it came about,” explained Peace.

On this day Bill Schieman from Wilmington, Ohio, and his family are checking out the salt springs at Big Bone.

“I love all the history. I love the history of the collection of salt," said Schieman.

While federal funding cuts could impact some national parks, Commissioner of Kentucky State Parks, Russ Meyer, said he isn’t worried about that for Big Bone Lick.

"We’ve got our share of problems, but that’s not one of them."

Meyer is looking forward to improvements and a new project being developed at Big Bone Lick Historic Site.

It’s a warm, windy spring day at Martin Luther King Park in Lexington, where dozens of kids and adults are enjoying the outdoors. The day is hosted by the Red Oaks Forest School, a non-profit organization in central and eastern Kentucky. Tina Brouwer-Kraska is the executive director and founder. She said the school’s mission is to connect people to nature and community through education, exploration, and play.

“So, every now and then, we want to get out into the community and host free events to get people connected to nature. And that’s what Zugunruhe’s all about. It’s all about connecting people to nature and each other. So, we host four in-person events in our different service areas to meet people where they are,” said Brouwer-Kraska.

Children line up near Brouwer-Kraska at a colorful poster that says Migratory Marvels and How Far Do They Go? She explains to the children how birds have different rates at which they flap their wings
.
“The hummingbird is 4200 times per minute, but look down here, the crow is only 120 times per minute,” explained Brouwer-Kraska.

Five-year-old Kate Andrews is excited to be timed and find out how many times she can flap her arms. Kate says she can flap as fast as a crow and tells why she likes birds.

“I like them because they can fly, and I like them because they’re so feathery, and their babies are so cute,” said Kate.

Brouwer Kraska explains Zugunruhe and its relationship to birds.

“Zugunruhe means an inner stirring to move or migratory restlessness. And it’s a term that refers to what birds feel, like this pull to migrate. It’s an instinct, and they know it’s time to go. So that’s what Zugunruhe means, quite simply. And, it’s just the beginning of taking that big journey,” explained Brouwer-Kraska.

The educator said she’s pondered the idea of Zugunruhe and wondered how humans could learn from it. That inspired her to create events that would get people outdoors.

“There are just so many benefits to spending time outdoors, mental and physical. But of course, we also hope that connection extends to compassion, conservation, and stewardship of the natural world. But at minimum, happier, healthier people make stronger and better communities,” said Brouwer-Kraska.

Activities like art in the park, storytime, and a dance performance are on today’s agenda to help visitors connect to nature. But the highlight is the Birds of Prey exhibit. That’s where Kimmi Sparkman, Executive Director of Lake Cumberland Wildlife Refuge, shows the audience several live birds like a red-tailed hawk and an owl, while she talks about each one and answers questions about the birds.

: “What color do you think this is? Red. So she is a red-tailed hawk. This color doesn’t start coming in until about one year old,” said Sparkman.

Red Oaks Forest School teacher Jenn Hazzard, her husband DJ, and her daughters are having fun at the Zugunruhe: Meet the Birds event. Hazzard said even though humans aren’t a migratory species, they can experience a feeling like Zugunruhe. She likes that the school has named its annual campaign Zugunruhe.

“It talks about that inner stirring in spring. So, we try to reach out to folks to embrace that. To teach people that that might be what they’re feeling and then to show them ways they can get used to that out in nature whether it be at a local park or at one of the forest programs,” said Hazzard.

Hazzard and her family are enjoying the Birds of Prey demonstration. She points to a table next to the birds where she says children touch pelts of skins and furs of animals found in Kentucky. Hazzard said the pelts are included in the Birds of Prey exhibit for the purpose of teaching.

“So kids can get to know and see some of the animals they might see when they’re out and about. They can touch them and feel comfortable. And it also kind of gets you to understand where these animals live,” said Hazzard.

Lake Cumberland Wildlife Refuge Executive Director Kimmi Sparkman teaches about the birds and the furry animals as kids touch the pelts.

Adults and kids seem equally engaged in today’s outdoor activities. Parents, Jaimee Cheney, Tiffany Carson-Givan, and Hannah Andrews, share why events like this and a conscious effort to get outdoors are important.

“I think it gives your brain a break and stimulates creativity,” said Cheney.

I just think for my kids, it makes them more curious. It makes them healthier,” said Carson-Givan.

”Anything where she gets to have a hands-on experience with nature and science is really positive for her,” said Andrews.

Red Oaks Forest School founder Tina Brouwer-Kraska said the school is being featured in a documentary called In Our Nature. She said it’s expected out this spring.

Red Oaks Forest School is a WEKU Sponsor.

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It’s a Wednesday evening at the Spotlight Theater in Berea.

On stage, four actresses sit around a long white piece of tobacco canvas draped across a quilting frame with sewing baskets at their feet. The play contains six scenes, each representing a certain time period, from the Revolutionary War until the present day.

Production assistant Kat Davis directs scene two, which represents the Civil War. Susan Crumbaugh was a slave in Kentucky during that time and reportedly lived to be 102 years old. She’s highlighted in this scene that Davis directs.

“So you’re going to sing across the stage until you get to them. So, we’re going to start at the top of scene two, go ahead,” directs Davis.

Johnnie Chavours portrays Susan Crumbaugh and sings, “I got more trouble than I can share, but the Lord, you never give me more than I can bear. Amen, Amen.”

Production assistant Davis explains the play’s theme.

“The play is called The Sewing Circle, and it is where we are basically mending the fabric of time. And we’re mending it with the people that throughout much of history have always done the sewing and the mending, the women. So, we’re highlighting different characters, eras, and women throughout history and their impact on our society,” explains Davis.

Berea playwright Hank Gevedon wrote The Sewing Circle. He calls it a historical drama. The 61-year-old said the Association for Teaching Black History in Kentucky, based at Berea College, awarded Gevedon a grant to help promote Black history. Gevedon says that in each scene, the production features a Black female character based on a real woman who had an impact on the world. Gevedon said the production highlights these forgotten voices at some of America’s most critical moments. He recalls the woman represented in the first scene.

”In the first scene during Revolutionary War Times, you’re going to meet a woman named Jenny Sidebottom. And as far as we know, nothing was ever written directly about her, but a lot of it was written about her husband, John Sidebottom, and he was a free white man in Kentucky. He saved the life of a guy named James Monroe, who would go on to become the fifth president of the United States. And we tell Jenny Jane Sidebottom’s story through a speech that she gives and shares her position and her situation in the late 1700s in Kentucky. She lived her life out in Clark County and had 17 children. She was a free Black woman in Kentucky,” explained Gevedon.

On this night, the cast rehearses only the first three scenes based on the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and World War I. In scene three, the focus is on World War I and Nurse Mary Merritt. This character, says Gevedon, was the first Black nurse in Kentucky and is played by Johnnie Chavours. The scene opens with Chavours hovering over what she imagines to be a soldier’s uniform that she says smells of mustard gas.

Chavours said she’s honored to play the main character in each scene. But she said it’s the prayer she sings as Susan Crumbaugh during the Civil War that’s stirring. Chavours recites a few lines of that prayer that she said feels relevant in today’s climate.

“We thank you, Lord, for the needle and thread, for the days past and the days ahead. But, oh Lord, we pray for this divided land. The freedom for each to make a stand. And that’s what we want to do, make a stand in what it means for us to continue to be one as a country,” reads Chavours.

As the rehearsal ended, assistant director and actress Joy Sunshine Lady said it was easy to see the production as a tragedy with all of the scenes centering around wars and upheaval. But she says the beauty of the production is that it encompasses the beauty of life.

“At the end we come to a moment where we challenge ourselves and the audience to question how they are going to learn from the past, what they are going to do to repair our strand, to move forward in a lifegiving way,” said Lady.

Playwright Hank Gevedon said The Sewing Circle is scheduled to be presented at the Spotlight Theater in Berea on April 4th,5th, and 6th. He said the play is expected to be recorded and used as a teaching tool.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

Central Kentucky’s Young at Heart Big Band opens its show at Porter Memorial Baptist Church with its theme song, Young at Heart.

With white hair, a goatee, and wearing a blue sports coat, ninety-seven-year-old George Ely sits between two other band members and plays his saxophone. Ely is the oldest member and president of the group.

“It has given me something to do. I’ve been in the band now for 31 years and it keeps me busy. I enjoy it and fellowship, obviously the fellowship,” said Ely.

Ely said the band was initially established at the University of Kentucky more than four decades ago as part of the Donovan program. It recognized that senior citizens have a lot to offer. The band is on its own now and George Ely is happy to be part of it.

The slender eastern Kentucky native says playing in the band is good for the band members and good for the audience.

“We get a lot of pleasure out of the audiences. I’ve had remarks. One lady came to me as I was putting my horn away after the performance and she said, this is the happiest day of my life. It brought back so many memories, “ said Ely.

There are usually 22 musicians who play each concert. They are all volunteers and most are retired. Several band members are in their 70s 80s and 90s. The lead trumpet player and music director for the group, Reg Richwine, enjoys playing a solo. He says the non-profit organization performs at various places including churches, Veterans halls, and senior centers.

“The music we play is geared to the 40s and the big band era. So, a lot of the residents grew up listening to this music and dancing to this music. So, it’s important to me because we’re bringing back an era that was so predominant in the 40s but you don’t hear these tunes very much anymore,” said Richwine.

The band’s mission is to introduce and preserve big-band-era music. The non-profit also helps young musicians by supporting public school music programs.

Sitting at the piano and playing along with the song Satin Doll, Claire Vance wears a leopard print jacket and has short highlighted hair. The 83-year-old is the only female musician in the group. She says there are also two female vocalists. Vance believes in the band’s mission.

“It keeps my skills going. Plus, I do some good, I think. It keeps me young too,” said Vance.

On this Thursday afternoon audience members Connie Bowen, Jan Meade, and Rosemary Houp are all smiles at the Young at Heart Concert.

“Oh, I loved it. As I was saying, oh they knocked us off our feet. That’s why we could hardly get up. Brings back memories of music I saw when I was growing up," said Bowen.

” I just think it’s wonderful that they’re the age they are and they are as active and involved as they are,” said Meade.

” It was awesome. And the drummer. He’s my favorite," said Houp.

The drummer Barry Miller said he’s been playing drums since he was 14- years- old. He gets emotional when he recalls the joy Young at Heart Big Band provides.

“It’s really fun to play really good music. And it’s really fun to play with good musicians and it’s fun to have people respond to us. I mean, people come up to us and say, that’s the best thing that happened to me today. We play at a lot of nursing homes and we get a lot of people who they come in, in a wheelchair and they sit there motionless. We start playing and they respond,” said Miller.

At age 92 John Cantrell said he creates the playlist for each performance. There are over 300 songs to choose from. Cantrell said there are usually 14 songs in the hour-long concert.

“What I try to do is pick up-tempo tunes that will keep the audience interested, a strong opener, and finish with something that’s familiar and hopefully really up-tempo and exciting,” explained Cantrell.

President of Young at Heart Big Band, George Ely, said he schedules 36 concerts a year in places around the Commonwealth.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

Central Kentucky’s Young at Heart Big Band opens its show at Porter Memorial Baptist Church with its theme song, Young at Heart.

With white hair, a goatee, and wearing a blue sports coat, ninety-seven-year-old George Ely sits between two other band members and plays his saxophone. Ely is the oldest member and president of the group.

“It has given me something to do. I’ve been in the band now for 31 years and it keeps me busy. I enjoy it and fellowship, obviously the fellowship,” said Ely.

Ely said the band was initially established at the University of Kentucky more than four decades ago as part of the Donovan program. It recognized that senior citizens have a lot to offer. The band is on its own now and George Ely is happy to be part of it.

The slender eastern Kentucky native says playing in the band is good for the band members and good for the audience.

“We get a lot of pleasure out of the audiences. I’ve had remarks. One lady came to me as I was putting my horn away after the performance and she said, this is the happiest day of my life. It brought back so many memories, “ said Ely.

There are usually 22 musicians who play each concert. They are all volunteers and most are retired. Several band members are in their 70s 80s and 90s. The lead trumpet player and music director for the group, Reg Richwine, enjoys playing a solo. He says the non-profit organization performs at various places including churches, Veterans halls, and senior centers.

“The music we play is geared to the 40s and the big band era. So, a lot of the residents grew up listening to this music and dancing to this music. So, it’s important to me because we’re bringing back an era that was so predominant in the 40s but you don’t hear these tunes very much anymore,” said Richwine.

The band’s mission is to introduce and preserve big-band-era music. The non-profit also helps young musicians by supporting public school music programs.

Sitting at the piano and playing along with the song Satin Doll, Claire Vance wears a leopard print jacket and has short highlighted hair. The 83-year-old is the only female musician in the group. She says there are also two female vocalists. Vance believes in the band’s mission.

“It keeps my skills going. Plus, I do some good, I think. It keeps me young too,” said Vance.

On this Thursday afternoon audience members Connie Bowen, Jan Meade, and Rosemary Houp are all smiles at the Young at Heart Concert.

“Oh, I loved it. As I was saying, oh they knocked us off our feet. That’s why we could hardly get up. Brings back memories of music I saw when I was growing up," said Bowen.

” I just think it’s wonderful that they’re the age they are and they are as active and involved as they are,” said Meade.

” It was awesome. And the drummer. He’s my favorite," said Houp.

The drummer Barry Miller said he’s been playing drums since he was 14- years- old. He gets emotional when he recalls the joy Young at Heart Big Band provides.

“It’s really fun to play really good music. And it’s really fun to play with good musicians and it’s fun to have people respond to us. I mean, people come up to us and say, that’s the best thing that happened to me today. We play at a lot of nursing homes and we get a lot of people who they come in, in a wheelchair and they sit there motionless. We start playing and they respond,” said Miller.

At age 92 John Cantrell said he creates the playlist for each performance. There are over 300 songs to choose from. Cantrell said there are usually 14 songs in the hour-long concert.

“What I try to do is pick up-tempo tunes that will keep the audience interested, a strong opener, and finish with something that’s familiar and hopefully really up-tempo and exciting,” explained Cantrell.

President of Young at Heart Big Band, George Ely, said he schedules 36 concerts a year in places around the Commonwealth.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

At a Lexington recording studio, award-winning musician Carla Gover listens to a rough mix of the title track of her latest album.

The eighth-generation Kentuckian is a native of Letcher County. She said on this album she’s celebrating women and paying homage to the women who have shaped her musically and personally.

“I also wanted to sort of center women’s voices and vision and values on this album because I believe that some of the values that we typically associate with femininity which are really just basic human values, but things like taking care of each other, community building, nurturing, connection with community, connection with the land, those things that have been relegated to the sphere of woman’s values, I think they’re what humanity needs right now," explained Gover.

  Gover is known for playing traditional music with a social justice theme. This is her first solo album in 15 years. There are 13 tracks. Ten of the tracks she says are original.

On this wintry Thursday afternoon, Gover strums her guitar while three other female singers from Kentucky stand near her as they rehearse the song Kentucky Queen. The women harmonize, experiment with their sound, and laugh a lot as they work together and with engineer Tom Hnatow to record tracks for Gover’s album.

Diane Timmons is one of Gover’s long-time friends. She has long wavy hair and wears a blue dress with a white design and red trim. She sits next to Gover on the couch and listens closely as the engineer plays a cut of the women singing. Timmons called this album relevant.

“This is powerful women’s voices supported by supporting and loving and generous men and everyone laughing together and feeling joyful. And that’s the most powerful force we have in this human plane," said Timmons.

Well-known Kentucky Dulcimer player Sarah Kate Morgan has an infectious laugh and auburn hair that frames her smiling face.  She plays her dulcimer like she was born with it in her hand. The Hindman, Kentucky resident said she feels blessed to be part of this project.

“There’s such a depth of history and depth of meaning to be singing these songs. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do. And you know just standing on the shoulders and linking arms with women that I respect and love so much is really special,” reported Morgan.

  The women rehearse the song Kentucky Queen together several times. And then record their tracks individually. Soprano Karly Dawn Milner is excited to be part of the album and loves the song Kentucky Queen.

“There’s so many moments in it. It’s almost incredible that she was able to grab so many pieces of Kentucky and put them all in one song,” said Milner.

Carla Gover is also partial to the title track. She said it’s the song where she references a lot of her favorite Kentucky singers.

“In literature and poetry, they have allusions. So, I use some allusions, a-l-l-u-s-i-o-n-s in the song, referencing other songs and singers that are important to me like Jean Ritchie and Lily May Ledford. Some of the songs that we sang, traditional songs like In the Pines. There’s a little quotation of In the Pines in there. And of course, just the woman I picture most when I sing the song is my grandmother who was an amazing ballad singer and hymn singer,” explained Gover.

An eastern Kentucky native Gover said her music has always been about more than entertainment. She said it’s about standing up for what is right. She’s also good at describing her favorite places in Kentucky like Pine Mountain which she said is not only a landmark in eastern Kentucky but a place of unique beauty.

Her song Pine Mountain High is a nod to this special place and John Denver.

  Carla Gover said most of the tunes on Kentucky Queen are original. She’s producing the album which is expected to be released this June.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

On most Tuesday afternoons in a large second-floor room at St. Luke United Methodist Church, a group of people who have Parkinson’s disease enjoy a wellness program that combines drumming, music, and movement.  Participants for Drums Alive sit in a semi-circle. They all use wooden drumsticks and keep the beat to the music on large grey rubber exercise balls.

Caleb Posey leads the Drums Alive class for the Bluegrass Parkinson’s Alliance, a non-profit organization that provides resources and support to those affected by Parkinson’s Disease.

 The 26-year-old is a board-certified music therapist with a background in drumming and said he has specific training in Drums Alive.

Posey said this program is designed for anybody interested in using drumming to improve their wellness.

“There’s physical engagement, cognitive stimulation. It’s a whole-body activity. But, we tailor it for people with Parkinson’s and their caregivers to work on things specific to Parkinson’s. So, like upper body control, lower body control, coordination, balance, and it’s also just a good full body workout,” said Posey.

Drums Alive is recognized as an international program with thousands of classes held worldwide. The program was developed by a woman named Carrie Ekins over 20 years ago. From kindergarten physical education classes to senior citizen centers, all kinds of organizations benefit from the experience. Karen Watanabe-Sakamoto is Ekins business partner with Drums Alive in North America.

" What she's done is she's created a program that can be done by anyone of any age of any ability to really, truly experience the power of music, the power of movement, and have a way of expressing their emotions,everything from happy to anger and then to calm and peace.," explained Watanabe-Sakamoto.

University of Kentucky Professor Austin Robinson said he, along with a research team, developed the protocol being used for Drums Alive to help people with Parkinson’s. Robinson calls Drums Alive an aerobic, drumming exercise program.

“I found that the exercise combined with the drumming makes it more engaging, is kind of what the idea of the program is. But for the musical side of it, uses some of the aspects from music therapy about using music to connect, engage and socialize. So, like this class is designed to be a social group. So, we’re trying to hit all of those aspects of physical, cognitive, social, and emotional engagement,” explained Robinson.

Instructor Caleb Posey said he frequently incorporates a musical game into the class that stimulates thinking. He said his background in music therapy helps him optimize what the class offers.

“From my training as a music therapist I know that exciting and motivating music experiences are associated with increases in dopamine levels in the brain and dopamine is also involved with Parkinson’s. So, there’s an overlap with the brain chemistry and the rhythm that is required to play with Drums Alive can encourage the production of dopamine when you play in synchrony with other people and you synchronize with a beat,” said Posey.

Laura Soldato is the executive director of the Bluegrass Parkinson's Alliance.  She’s responsible for scheduling the classes and raising funds so members of the Alliance can take the class for free.  

“Not only do you have the physical, you also have a mental exercise that’s going on in this class. And then studies also prove that listening to upbeat music is very good for your mental health. So, we have also seen a great mental benefit to people that attend Drums Alive regularly," said Soldato.

  Mark Woodward said he’s been living with Parkinson’s for about 15 years. He said the class is fun and a good social experience.

“It releases a lot of energy, a lot of stress and anxiety. You can take it out on the drums. When I first started this class, I couldn’t use my right hand to make the stick crawl up my hand and I can do it now. Having practiced here at Drums, I can now walk the stick up my hand,” said Woodward.

 Barry Bingham and Bill Crawford list several positives of the class. Like most members of the Bluegrass Parkinson’s Alliance, the men enjoy the social aspect.

“I think I get as much out of the friendship, in my opinion. We’re Parkinson’s now. We’re a family. And you show up for them as much as they do for you,” said Bingham.

“  It’s really good to form a bond of togetherness. We help each other out,” said Crawford.

Drums Alive instructor Caleb Posey said he makes the class as engaging, and personal as possible. For members of The Bluegrass Parkinson’s Alliance, the class is free and held on Tuesday afternoons.

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Sometimes during an election year, some people could focus on what divides us. One Lexington woman has made it her mission to share food and music to help unite us.

It’s an early December afternoon in Lexington. Stephanie Duckworth, musician, physical therapist, and owner of Honeyshine Pies sings and strums her guitar while she and musicians Karen Jones and Matt Ruffner hold an old-time jam session at a neighborhood grocery store.

 The 42-year-old Duckworth performs regularly and has entertained audiences from Lexington, Kentucky to the United Kingdom.

For years she organized old-time music jams in Lexington where her pie baking started taking center stage. Duckworth said she just wanted to learn to make a good apple pie from scratch. One thing led to another and pretty soon she started winning pie-baking contests.

“There was a pie contest for the Fourth of July downtown and so I had two pies at that point I could make pretty well. I entered them, one was in the made-from-scratch category and one was in the semi-homemade. So, one of my pies got first place and the other pie got second place. That was just enough encouragement for me to do more with it,”  explained Duckworth.

Her pies are delicious works of art. Some fan favorites include pecan, spicy peach, and Moscow mule. The artist thinks it’s also some of the themed designs she adds for events like the Derby or UK Games that get people talking.

Duckworth said she likes to share her pies at the old-time jams and when she does that, she notices how the pie baking and music making are ingredients for uniting the crowd.

"So, baking is a way I can be creative but also make a beautiful delicious product that brings people together. Pie and coffee or pie and wine, people are going to stop for a minute and sit down and maybe they’ll talk about if the pie looks pretty or talk about maybe the pie that their grandmother used to make or that their mom used to make and taught them how to make it. Any number of conversations can stem from eating beautiful food with someone,” said Duckworth.

Now Duckworth gives workshops on how to create decorative pies. On this day four students sit at a long white table as Duckworth explains how to shape a unique pie crust.

Using a wooden rolling pin Beverly Futrell flattens a ball of pie crust and flips it into a pan. The 82-year-old said she enjoys honing her pie-baking skills in Stephanie’s workshop. She thinks pie is a great way to bring community and family together. And every October when Bev goes to the beach with a group she makes a pie.

“You talk about family coming together, I know sometimes when family comes together, especially in this election year there can be differences of opinion. How does something like pie diffuse that immediately?” asked Lawson.

“Oh definitely, definitely. There are some differences in my family. But we have no trouble in agreeing on pie," said Futrell.

Cindy Stewart uses her thumbs to press the crust into a decorative shape that resembles a wave. She believes coming together for a pie baking class or just to share a piece of pie can level the playing field especially when people may have differing opinions.

“You know, you’re together with a common purpose and it’s to do something delicious and fun together and bring your memories. And then tell stories while you’re making these things. Tell me about when you were little. Tell me what your family’s favorite pie was. And then you find you’re talking about these things that unite us,”  said Stewart.

The class chuckles at their mistakes and the idea of trying to make pies as beautiful as Duckworth’s.

  Stephanie Duckworth said the art of pie baking can be relaxing and a good focus in times of discord.  Whenever she shares one of her pies, she hopes it will spark meaningful conversation and sings this Bonnie Raitt tune to herself.

 “Let’s give 'em something to talk about, a little mystery to figure out. Let’s give 'em something to talk about…”   sings Duckworth.

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In his 13th poetry collection, Frank X Walker explores the lives of Black Families in Kentucky, before, during, and after the Civil War.

A note that this story includes a reference to violence and sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.

It’s a rainy Tuesday evening at the Boyle County Public Library in Danville. Well-known poet and activist Frank X Walker wears a cap and black-rimmed glasses. The Danville native has the full attention of his audience in the historic Reading Room at the library as he passes around examples of artifacts he used in the research for his latest collection of poetry called Load in Nine Times.

“It’s historical poetry and the focus about this book Load in Nine Times, it centers the Black family in Kentucky before, during, and after the Civil War,” explained Walker.

The former Kentucky Poet Laureate said that while poems in the first section of this book reflect stories before the war, the second section is dominated by the voices of soldiers during the war. Then he said the third section happens during Reconstruction and Post-Reconstruction.

 “And, I want to make sure that the pre-war section really paid tribute to these under-told conversations about enslavement even in Kentucky. These are real people. These are real people’s lives that I’m reading about and from and representing. If you’re a Kentuckian or even a relocated Kentuckian, it’s part of our history," said Walker.

Before every poem Walker reads, he shares the history behind the poem. He begins with the unimaginable story of Margaret Garner, an African-American woman in pre-Civil War America. Walker tells about Garner escaping enslavement in Northern Kentucky, making it to Ohio but getting captured. Walker said before Garner was captured, she cut her two-year-old daughter’s throat. Garner took this drastic action to prevent the child from returning to slavery.

“After she slit her daughter’s throat she was put on trial and they spent three weeks in Cincinnati in the courtroom trying to figure out if she committed murder or if she just destroyed property. So, the national debate was on whether or not we were people or property. Once they figured that out, then they could figure out how to sentence her. Turned out we were just property. And so, she was sent back to her master in Northern Kentucky at the end of the trial," Walker explained.

  The audience gasps at the story and awaits the poem.  Walker explains that Garner’s back story is complex as it speaks to an element of enslavement that people rarely talk about. He said most historical accounts in textbooks center enslavement around physical brutality and how hard the work was. He said the sexual violence perpetrated on women is rarely talked about. But Walker said it was Garner’s back story.

“The fact that she’s a product of miscegenation. That she’s been the victim of sexual violence over and over and over again and that her own father and uncle are part of that victimization,” explained Walker.

“So, anyway you hear her story in here. It’s called Testify and I wrote this poem because she was not allowed to testify. It was illegal for African American people to testify in trials period in the United States,” said Walker.

“Testify, Margaret Garner, Maplewood Plantation.

Look at me and my swollen belly.

Look at my pale, pale, skin.

Look at the scar cross my face.

Don’t call me Murderer.

My slave name is Next.

Look at my children.

You think they look like Master Gaines too?

Step back from all this.

Stop eyeballing me

And the sharp, sharp blade

Take a closer look…” read Walker.

On this night the artist soon segues into the second section of the book and the Civil War. He tells how Camp Nelson in Central Kentucky was the largest Civil War-Era camp and the center of recruitment and training for African American Troops called US Colored Troops. He recalls how in the summer of 1864 over 14 thousand men made their way there to be part of the training. One of the first pictures he passed to the audience earlier this evening was of soldiers at the camp.

“You can imagine all these men, some of them formerly enslaved, not all of them. Some of them already free. But all agreeing to fight for the freedom of this country and people of color, maybe a month ago were enslaved and being beaten and harassed. And then today in uniform and being trained to be soldiers and they owned a gun. And they’ve been trained to defend. And now they’re standing at attention. Imagine how that may have felt. So, this is an example of the second section of the book and it’s based on that particular photo I passed around. This is a poem called Grove. And the epigraph says photo of troops standing at attention outside the Colored Soldiers’ barracks. Camp Nelson, Kentucky," explained Walker.

"This is in the voice of one of the soldiers," explained Walker.

Grove

This was the first time

we really look at each other

and not be able to tell

whose master the cruelest

who sorrow the deepest

who ground been the hardest to hoe.

We was lined up like oaks in the yard

Standing with chins up

chests out, shoulders back.

And already nervous stomachs in.

We was a grove wanting to be a forest,

Ready to see what kind of wood we made from.

The only thing taller or straighter

Than us be the boards

Holding up the barracks at our backs…”  read Walker.

Walker goes on to read nine more poems and concludes with the title poem Walker:

“Load…I wonder…Handle cartridge.. "read Walker.

After the reading, audience members are eager to chat with the poet. Wanda Lay and her sister Wilma Lay Linton said they were moved by this poetry collection.

“All this background that he’s telling us about is just amazing it’s been out there all this time and I didn’t know it,” said Wanda.

“It was enlightening and agonizing. There were some things that I didn’t know so it was enlightening. But there’s the continued saga of racism is the agony. But it needs to be told. The truth needs to be told and I’m glad he told it,” said Wilma.

Danville resident Kevin Maples tells why he felt gutted by some of what he heard tonight.

“His ability to give voice to people that most of us would read right past cause they were a line in a historic document is needed and powerful and a gift most of us do not have,” said Maples.

Lawson asked Walker what he’d like readers to take away from this collection of poetry.

“I want people to be moved in some way, to be reminded of their own humanity. I hope people will reassess what they think about Kentucky and Kentucky’s role during the Civil War and Kentucky’s role as regards enslavement and our recent history. It’s only been 160 years,”  said Walker.

Several of the poems from Load in Nine Times and the research documents are on display in a permanent exhibit at the Frazier Kentucky Museum of History in Louisville.

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Take a trip down Madison Avenue in Covington, Kentucky to the entrance of Tobacco Alley. On both sides of the narrow pathway, visitors are transported into the Wenzel House, a mural painted to look and feel like a Victorian Home. The masterpiece includes 3D elements, plus doors that open. Gabrielle Siekman, one of the lead artists says the 12-foot-tall mural is a hyper-realistic fine art experience that’s immersive and includes scavenger hunts.

“We call this the Wenzel House but in reality, it is a mural inside an alley, on both sides of the alley to make you feel as though you’re inside the interior of the house but you’re not in an actual house,” explained Siekman.

On this sunny fall day, Siekman begins a tour of the realistic-looking hand-painted Victorian Home.

”So this yellow room with the wallpaper pattern, this is the foyer. You have the grand staircase here and on this side, we’ve got this welcome sampler. So, we painted it to look like one of those old stitched samplers. But it says welcome to Immersion Alley’s Wenzel House, make yourself at home. And this is actually where it kind of introduces our scavenger hunts. So, it says Covington’s treasures are open for inspection. To find the key look behind your own reflection,” reported Siekman.

Hundreds of onlookers have shown up on the opening day. Melanie Walden and her eleven-year-old Galina walk down the alley from the living room to the dining room where they open the doors of the China closet and find items like a hand-painted teapot,a large platter and long-stemmed candy dish. Next, they move to the kitchen where Galina is in awe as she opens the refrigerator and sees authentic-looking food and beverages.

“All the food looks real. It’s a different experience for me. I get to actually open the doors and see what’s inside the painting. It’s just like WHOA!” exclaimed Galina.

“Normally paintings are a ‘do not touch’ experience, you know, you kind of just watch and look at it. This is the first time you’re actually encouraged not only to touch but then interact with the painting around you, which is so cool it actually makes you be a part of the experience,” said Melanie.

The kitchen is also a favorite of Devan Horton, one of the mural’s lead artists. Horton said the project is 2400 square feet. She said it took two years to complete with many 10-hour days of painting and 12 muralists besides Horton and Gabrielle Siekman doing the work.

” It’s a combination of all of the artists really. All of the artists had input somewhere. We all sort of fed off of each other. Which I think adds to the cohesiveness of the entire mural,” said Horton.

Horton explained one of the things that intrigued her.

“All of the items hiding inside of the cabinets really make it alive, like somebody actually lives here. So, it’s a really important piece,” said Horton.

Horton walks up to the fireplace where children hover and pretend to warm their hands over the realistic-looking fire. Above the mantel is a portrait of Edgewood resident Amy Milburn and her husband. Horton said the entire project was Milburn’s idea. Milburn said a Quality of Place Grant from the City of Covington and private funding helped make the artwork happen. Everything from the Victorian House theme to the scavenger hunts and 3-D elements were Milburn’s ideas.

“Yes, I wanted things to open. I wanted it to be so you couldn’t quite tell what would open and what wouldn’t open,” said Milburn.

Milburn explained why she came up with the concept.

“Because I like to have fun and it seemed like fun to me and I think other people would like to have fun too. So, let’s make it fun. You don’t need any technology. Everybody can do this,” explained Milburn.

The crowd is definitely having fun, pretending to sit in chairs, opening doors, gazing at the suit of armor, and trying the scavenger hunts.

People like Lynlee Miller, Lewis Connell, and Michael and Lexie Kroth are just a few of the visitors mesmerized by this immersive art project.

“We were doing the scavenger hunt . And we were trying to find like the things. But I think it’s cool that they incorporated a scavenger hunt into it,” said Lynlee.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. This is kind of a next level of a definition of a mural, ya know?’ reported Lewis.

“The detail is exquisite,” said Michael.

”Everything looks so realistic like you want to grab things or sit on things. It’s super realistic. I love it,” explained Lexie.

The muralists in the Immersion Alley Collective agree the interactive art is a great way to connect with the community and beautify part of the city.

As far as they know, the Wenzel House is a permanent installation.

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Since the Berea Black History and Heritage Exhibit opened last month at the Berea Arts Council’s gallery more than 350 people have come through to see the display. That’s according to Arts Council Executive Director, Kiana Mahjub. She said the humanities exhibit showcases the rich history, heritage, and culture of African American families from Berea and nearby communities including Farristown, Bobtown, and Middletown.

"Rather than your typical paintings or photographs we are featuring historic pieces that have been in the families of the Berea Black community for years and years and passed down. So,we're featuring photographs of family members that go back almost a hundred years. We're featuring quilts that have been passed down,tools that have been passed down,a wide range of items," said Mahjub.

The Berea Arts Council partnered with the non-profit Our Land of Promise, an organization with a mission to preserve African American heritage in Berea, Kentucky. Aaron Banther is the founder and executive director of the non-profit. Banther helped collect many of the artifacts displayed in this exhibit.

“It gives us a chance to really showcase the hidden stories of African Americans here in Berea,” said Banther.

Kiana Mahjub and Aaron Banther agree that the project materialized to help Berea diversify what it’s offering and talk more about Berea’s Black communities which are a big part of Berea’s history.

In his opinion, Banther said many of the original African American communities in the area have been forgotten.

“ A lot of people don’t know about the Black settlements we have here in Berea. A lot of that is due to the great migration that happened in the 40s,50s, and 60s when African Americans couldn’t really get jobs here in the community. Only thing we had was farming jobs. So, we had to move to midwestern cities, you know Detroit, Indianapolis, Ohio just to get opportunities. Over time a lot our culture ,our heritage has either passed or moved away. So, I think Berea has lost its original identity," explained Banther.

The 46-year-old Banther stands at the front of the gallery near a multi-colored quilt made years ago by his late grandmother Pauline Banther. While the quilt is one of his favorite items being shown, he said there are numerous sections and themes that tell a story.

“You have the Civil War theme right where we’re standing. I see pictures of Frederick Watts over there,who was a slave and he fought in the Civil War. And then you have the military theme right here and then you have the school, which is the Middletown school over there. You also have the church theme which is as you come through the door,” said Banther.

Retired Professor and Berea Arts Council volunteer, Kathy Williams said she’s especially interested in the old-time photographs in the exhibit. Williams calls the exhibit a nice walk-through time as she stands by a timeline created for the exhibit.

“So the timeline talks about when the first African American communities came to Berea and it goes up to the 2000s. It covers things like settlement, people who were the first in their area. For example here we have the first African American fire fighter. We have different information of that sort on the timeline,” said Williams.

Among those in attendance were people from Lexington, Berea, Richmond, Danville and Cincinnati. As attendees take their seats, Arts Council Director Mahjub introduces a well-known former Kentucky Poet Laureate.

" Let’s give a round of applause for Mr Frank X Walker," said Mahjub.

Walker reads from his latest collection called Load In Nine Times.

"Six months after so-called Emancipation ….”

Walker calls every picture in the Berea Black History and Heritage Exhibit a poem. He talks about the relationship of his new book to the exhibit.

“I love how the family stories do the same thing the book does. It says definitively in images and words that our history is as old as Kentucky. And I think that’s the story that is often undertold,” said Walker.

The Berea Black History and Heritage Exhibit contains nearly 100 artifacts plus numerous photographs. November 1st is the last day to view the exhibit at the Berea Arts Council Gallery.

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  A new photo exhibit has opened in Paris, Kentucky. It showcases images captured at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

It’s Friday afternoon in Paris, Kentucky at the Paris Photo Gallery on Main Street. USA Today photographer Jack Gruber and freelance photojournalist Michael Swenson are hanging images of athletes like gold medalist Simone Biles on a wall in a new exhibit showcasing moments from the 2024 Olympics.

“So we're going to do the whole back wall as Simone. And one giant image of her on the bars and then all these other images around it on the rest of the wall,” said Gruber.

The 58-year-old Gruber said all of these photos were taken at the 2024 Olympic Games by 21 photojournalists from around the world.

  ” These photographs are not going to show up on any other gallery wall in the world.You will not find these photographs printed in any art gallery in  New York City or Washington D.C.. It’s only going to be here. These pictures do not get disseminated out into the general public," explained Gruber.

Gruber said he was in Paris, France during the 2024 Olympics, and taking these pictures was his assignment. He’s worked at USA Today for 24 years, shot his first Olympics in 2000 and this year, he says, was his 13th Olympics.

“I was very lucky this year. I did four or five days of gymnastics which turned out to be pretty historic. I  did a lot of rugby. I did a lot of water polo. I got to cover some things that aren’t always covered, such as table tennis,” said Gruber.

This photo exhibition said Gruber is really the first significant show at the Paris Gallery he opened with two colleagues earlier this year.

“We really wanted to do this gallery for many reasons. It supports the community by bringing people into town. That’s great. That’s our main endeavor. It’s what we want to do, is to be here, do things that just aren’t happening anywhere else in the country but do it here in Paris Kentucky. And that’s what makes this unique,” said Gruber.

The exhibit includes 50 framed prints of iconic pictures from the 2024 Summer Olympics. Gruber says some of the photos he shot are in the exhibition but he asked his friends and colleagues if they’d be willing to be included in the Paris Photo Gallery as well. He said the newspapers and agencies involved are diverse.

“ There’s some local newpapers like the Indianapolis Star, the Arizona Republic, The Nashville Tennessean to USA Today to the Pasadena Star News. And the agencies that are involved, Associated Press, Reuters, Getty Images. I’m sure I’m forgetting a few. That’s kind of it. It’s a bunch of agencies you don’t normally know but you see the pictures in the newspapers and you see the pictures online,” said Gruber.

Co-owner of the Paris Gallery, Michael Swenson uses pieces of blue tape to mark where each exhibit photo belongs. Swenson says Gruber selects which photos to use and Swenson prepares the photos. He said there is an art to creating the display.

“You know a lot of the sequencing that we do happens through color, emotion, orientation of the actual photograph. So that’s some of the things that go into the decision process on how it’s oriented on the wall,”  said Swenson.

Jack Gruber is based in Washington D.C. but spent a lot of time on his grandparent’s farm in Harrison County, Kentucky while he was growing up. His mother still lives in the county. He says he travels the world a lot for work but returns to Kentucky every chance he gets. He helped create the non-profit arts and journalism program known as Boyd’s Station. Proceeds from prints in the From Paris to Paris exhibition will benefit that Harrison County non-profit.

“The thing about this is, that all the money goes to Boyd’s Station. So it’s a donation going back for the Harrison County project. That’s where it brings Bourbon County and Harrison County together,” said Gruber.

The Paris, Kentucky tourism director, Betty Ann Allen stops in as Gruber and Swensen prepare the showcase.

  “I mean you just look at those pictures and there’s pure joy in that one. And those guys right there are so happy they have won a gold medal. So, it’s the emotion that gets you. I mean, we’re excited that they came to Paris and opened the gallery, much less this. I watched the Olympics every night looking to see what was happening. And then to have this exhibit, Paris to Paris, also helps people learn about Paris, Kentucky,” said Allen.

  The exhibit, From Paris to Paris opened earlier this month and runs through November 24th.

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A Kentucky musician has organized a project to share information, help educate folks, and present resources that deepen an understanding of Kentucky musical and folk art traditions.

Award-winning musician Brett Ratliff talks about Catfish Alley Folk School.

It’s a rainy Thursday evening at an Irish Pub in Frankfort. A group of men and women gathers in a circle near the front pub for an open jam session. Andy Duckworth, his wife Stephanie, and Kentucky traditional musician Brett Ratliff sing a tune while they play during the jam.

Ratliff is also the Arts Organization Director for the Kentucky Arts Council. And now he's created a new platform called Catfish Alley Folk School.

“It’s a creative platform through which the community can engage with folk and traditional arts. And that’s a broad thing. We break that down by offering various instrument classes. I teach both classes and private lessons through Catfish Alley focusing on traditional music and largely traditional music and repertoire of Kentucky. We do workshops, we do concerts, we do square dances,” explained Ratliff.

The musician said Catfish Alley Folk School is a partnership with the non-profit Kentucky Old Time Music, Inc., which was founded in Morehead, KY. He said the platform’s overall mission is carried out through various programs, resource sharing, and advocacy.

“Our efforts support a network among artists and opportunities that broaden the community’s reach and honor the complex histories that shape our living traditions, making sure that we are acknowledging that these are living traditions and we’re not trying to preserve something in the past,” said Ratliff.

During a break in the jam session, Ratliff explained the relationship of Catfish Alley to this evening’s event.

“This is just a casual group of jammers who are getting together to play Kentucky fiddle tunes. The jam is hosted by our resident master fiddler, John Harrod. And the relationship with Catfish Alley is kind of a promotional one. We help amplify that it’s happening. But also, just being here and being a part of the community and being part of this music,” explained Ratliff.

He credits John Harrod with doing the work to start this monthly jam session. Ratliff said Ratliff created the Catfish Alley platform in conversation and partnership with artists like Harrod. Harrod has been playing the fiddle for more than 60 years. He spent decades documenting old-style traditional music in Kentucky. Ratliff is inspired by Harrod’s work.

“John is somebody who holds a lot of that knowledge for those of us who are of a younger generation coming into this and wanting to learn so much of what John has documented over the years. And so, he’s a mentor, he’s a teacher, he’s an actual retired high school teacher from here in Frankfort. He has always had his hand in preserving the fiddle music of Kentucky and really is a statewide treasure for us,” reported Ratliff.

Catfish Alley Folk School’s website lists events and music classes. Ratliff teaches banjo and recently recorded one of his students from Winchester playing after a lesson. Ratliff said he appreciates teaching an instrument like the banjo and its history and traditions.

“Yeah, the influences in this music come from all over and so it’s important to acknowledge that it does mean so much to our cultural identity to play banjo music, to pass down fiddle music, to dance together in community settings, to tell stories and to cook, to pass down recipes. To do all of these things feels incredibly important,” said Ratliff.

A workshop is scheduled with Catfish Alley Folk School on October 10th featuring the music and work of banjo Bill Cornett. Ratliff is excited about the workshop which he said is meant to entertain and educate.

“It’s just important. He was born in the late 1800s, playing banjo when he was younger but then was elected to the Kentucky State legislature in 1956 to represent Knott and Magoffin Counties and would write songs about the issues that he stood for and sing them on the floor of the legislature. It’s just remarkable. I love that.”

Brett Ratliff said even though Catfish Alley Folk School is a new project he hopes it will help shine a light on Kentucky stories, tradition, culture, and community.

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It’s an early Sunday morning in the lower level of the First Christian Church in Berea. In a classroom where the walls are decorated with motivational quotes, eight women gather around a table eager to learn how to design a personal quilt square. Bright, neon-colored name tags identify the women from various Appalachian counties. This is the first activity of the day at the New Opportunity School for Women where program coordinator Jennifer Walden explained to the group how this artwork is beneficial in building self-esteem.

“Appalachian culture is a vivid tapestry of creative traditions from folk arts and crafts to storytelling and music, and these are expressions of our identity that we like to weave into our programming here. No pressure. I want you to take your time and explore the emotions that you’re feeling today, harness the fear, and put it in a design,” explained Walden.

Walden said the New Opportunity School for Women is a support, education, and empowerment program. She said the non-profit is known for its two-week residential sessions where the women engage for up to 12 hours a day in the content on topics such as self-esteem, Appalachian culture, professional skills, and mindfulness.

“Whatever is a potential barrier to someone’s growth is included in this matrix of programming that we offer in our residential session,” said Walden.

Montgomery County resident Barb Harvey graduated from the program in 2018. She’s here to help the women with anything they need during their two-week stay.

“I was raised in Menifee County in a holler. We didn’t have neighbors so it was just us on that one road. We were really isolated, just wasn’t (sic) ever around people. The men had the say. We were just there to cook and clean and have babies,” said Harvey.

Harvey said going through the residential program made a big difference in her life.

“It’s changed my thinking process I guess because women can and do deserve to be just as good and do whatever men do. I’m pretty verbal now. I used to not be. I didn’t think we was allowed to talk. I go to city hall meetings now and I fight for the people in our community,” said Harvey.

The program started by Jane Stephenson a former Berea College first lady has been educating women for nearly 4 decades. There are also outreach programs for women who can’t make it to Berea for the two weeks. There’s a three-hour self-esteem workshop and a three-day non-residential program.

Katie Campbell said she was able to take part in the three-day program. The quilt square design she’s working on has a theme of courage. She said it took a lot of courage for her to get here.

“I have struggled with self-confidence and self-esteem. I can’t really cook things. I feel useless at home. I started journaling after the three-day non-residential program. I started looking at myself in a better point of view. I started talking to my therapist and now I’ve started cooking things here and there. So, I’m trying to become more independent,” said Campbell.

Crystal Burton showed the women the quilt square she designed when she came through the program in November of 2022.

” My quilt square is the woman kneeling by the water because that’s where I find my tranquility ,” explained Burton.

The 33-year-old now works for the school as a programming assistant. She said the support and classes changed her.

“There was a time that I was lost, That I was alone and I didn’t speak up or wouldn’t be heard. I was fine being whatever you needed me to be But, now I am confident. I take ownership in my voice and my space,” said Burton.

After the class designing quilt squares, Nurse Carla Baumann teaches health awareness. She said her job is to help the women identify goals and connect with their intuition.

”Over the years I’ve seen them come out of their shells, be excited about their future,” said Baumann.

It’s been a full day of classes and emotional sharing the women relax as social worker Betsy Kent leads a mindfulness exercise for stress relief called tapping.

Latona Gamble sits in on the session as a graduate and house sister. Gamble is here to support the participants. She said the work done at the New Opportunity School for Women has a ripple effect.

“Anything I learned here, it’s been passed on to my children and it will be passed on to the grandchildren. You are breaking generational curses coming here,” reported Gamble.

More than 1000 women have come through the New Opportunity School for Women. Executive Director Gina Riddell said she hopes to expand the program and help grow the services it provides.

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It’s a warm spring afternoon in Floyd County, Kentucky. Near the top of a steep hill in the head of a holler sits a log cabin. It’s the home of folk artist Terry Ratliff and he built it 40 years ago. This is where sixty-nine-year-old Ratliff spends time crafting chairs.

About 75 yards to the right of his cabin, in the front of his workshop, he splits a log using a sledgehammer and a steel wedge.

“I’ve let other people define what it is I do and artist is a word that sticks pretty good. I like that. And there’s that line craftsperson, artist. And I have, I’ve done some sculpture, some public sculptures and I consider my chairs a sculpture. Every piece is carved by hand. Every piece is assembled by hand. So, I consider them to be a sculpture. But I’ve been making chairs for gosh, 39-40, over 40 years now,” explained Ratliff.

  Ratliff’s grey hair is pulled back in a short ponytail that rests on the collar of his plaid purple and white shirt. He uses an axe to carve a piece of timber. This is how he begins the process of making a chair part.

  “If it were a chair leg or if it were chair rounds I do it exactly like this right here,” said Ratliff.

 The artist tells how he finished a short stint as a mental health worker at a local comprehensive care center. But then he decided to pursue chairmaking. Ratliff said he was inspired by two older chairmakers he spent time with who lived within a short drive from his home.

“One was Buck Justice who was a retired coal miner and he had learned from his grandfather how to make chairs, hickory bottom, wooden chairs from the hills. And the other was Irving Messer. He had done it all of his life. I learned about him by word of mouth. Went up and bought chairs from him. And when he pulled down a spiral-bound notebook off the wall, it had names and addresses. He said I’ve got a chair or basket in every state in the Union. He made fabulous white oak baskets. I thought there might be something to this,” said Ratliff.

And now Ratliff says he has chairs in just about every state and overseas.  Ratliff credits Irving Messer with being the primary influence in Ratliff becoming a chairmaker.

“I feel like I’m carrying on not just a tool collector who may collect old tools but I’m keeping alive the skills and the skill set of using those tools, what they’re made for. Skills of taking native materials and then turning that into functional art. To me, that’s an occupation that is worthwhile,” said Ratliff.

Inside Ratliff’s workshop, several hand tools like draw knives and bench axes are lined up neatly near one wall. He pulls two seasoned chair parts from a bin that hangs from the ceiling above a woodstove. The chairmaker taps the parts together indicating they have dried enough to be used in a chair.

“What I listen to anymore is the ring. You’ve heard of good sound judgment. The ring that has is different than one that’s not seasoned,” reported Ratliff.

 Outside the workshop, Ratliff points to the surrounding woods and said this is one place where he gets wood to make chairs.

” I live in one of the most diverse natural forests in the world. I have a little plot of land here, about 20 acres or so. And, there’s like thirty different kinds of oak. It just came natural in my upbringing and in growing up here in the woods to know what species of tree was good for what, what they were good for,” said Ratliff.

The chairmaker said there are about 24 parts to each one of his chairs. He doesn’t use glue, nails, or screws in the chair-making process. The artist makes chairs for customers who primarily request dining chairs and rocking chairs. Ratliff said his trademark is a bend in one of the rungs of each of his chairs.

“I work with the wood. If the rung’s got a little bend in it, that’s got to be a trademark of mine. I’ll put at least one bent rung in the chair. So, from across the room, you’ll look at that chair and think, gosh, what’s going on with that? It may not have been machine-made. And then you look a little closer and you find out, no, this is a hand-carved chair,” said Ratliff.

  That bend caught the eye of author and furniture maker Andrew Glenn. Glenn’s new book Backwoods Chairmakers was released earlier this year and tells the stories of more than a dozen Appalachian chairmakers including Terry Ratliff. One of Ratliff’s ladderback chairs featuring a bent rung graces the cover of Glenn’s book.

” Yeah, this is what Terry does. I mean he puts these beautiful touches in all his furniture and it’s just very warm, a very inviting piece of furniture and that’s why it was the absolute right choice for the front cover,”  said Glenn.

Glenn said for the most part, Ratliff uses only hand tools when he works.

“And that really shows in his chairs. His chairs show the skill of handwork. And that’s what makes them so unique, and to me, so appealing," said Glenn.  

Terry Ratliff continues to shave a piece of wood to create a chair leg while he tells stories of how chairmaking has been good to him. One of his favorite stories is when he volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and met former President Jimmy Carter. He said they compared chairmaking notes. Ratliff said it’s clear, chairmaking is what he was meant to do.

“This was a calling, and I got to answer this calling. And I feel very fortunate that I got to do this,”  said Ratliff.

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There’s a feeling of peace in the air when Fred Nez Keams plays his Native American flute.

“It’s actually something very spiritual that was given to me from the creator. When I heard it, it just hit my soul deep down and it just stayed with me,” said Keams.

The 51-year-old Keams has short dark hair and wears a colorful beaded necklace. He sits in a chair in the green grass of his 10-acre farm in Mercer County, where he plays an impromptu song on one of the traditional flutes he’s crafted and carved with symbols representing his culture. Keams is from the Navajo Nation Tribe (Diné). He was born on a reservation in Arizona and grew up in New Mexico. Today he lives in Kentucky where he’s been playing and making Native American flutes consistently for nearly 20 years.

“Different tribes have different styles of flute. The ones I make are called the Woodland flute. The sound is actually built inside the block or in the flute. My traditional flute is called an Anasazi flute. It’s like a long tube with four holes in it. It’s actually a mating call instrument. Other tribes use it for ceremonials,” said Keams.

The Native American said he is on a mission to educate people about his heritage. The flute is one way he connects with the world.

On this day he plays a song he wrote called The Feather Song. He said it was inspired by a story told to him by a medicine man.

“One day I was curious about the feather on the tallest pole on the teepee and I asked the medicine man, I said, what’s the meaning of the eagle feather on the tallest poll and he was saying that all the blessings, all the singing, all the medicine, all the smoke that we throw on the fire it goes through the smoke hole on the teepee and the eagle feather catches it and it takes it up as far as it can to the heavens and when it can’t get any further anymore, the eagle, it lets the feather go and that’s how you get blessed with a feather,” explained Keams.

Keams has sold flutes to people from around the world in places like Germany, Australia, and Africa. It takes him about a week to craft a flute. He uses cedar wood and on a recent Thursday placed a piece on a table saw in his outdoor workshop to begin the process.

“I love cedar because cedar is a traditional wood we have back on the reservation that we use. And we use it for everything. We use it for firewood, we use it for cooking. We use it in ceremonials. We use it for instruments. We use it for our Navajo cradleboard for the newborns,” said Keams.

In 2020 Keams was commissioned to make flutes for Kentucky’s Governor’s Arts Awards. He was featured in the Kentucky Arts Council’s Native Reflections Art exhibit. He and his wife Angie who is also Native American give presentations about their culture in libraries and other venues. He refers to the flute music as good medicine.

“When I’m out there playing there’s somebody out there having depression, having a hard time and then they hear it and it just makes them so calm and forget whatever they were thinking or feeling. I say it’s good medicine because it helps a lot of people in certain ways,” reported Keams.

In 2010 Fred and Angie created the Native Dawn Flute Gathering. Angie said the event in Harrodsburg, Kentucky invites everyone to experience the beauty of Native American cultures through authentic song, dance, stories, and melodies of the Native American Flute. She said participants come from Oregon, Wisconsin, and Tennessee.

“So it’s a way to give people that normally don’t have an audience so they can share their music. But it’s also to plant seeds. We want to educate, share, give back, and say we are still here,” said Angie.

The couple will play music together at the gathering, Fred on the flute and Angie on an instrument called the hand pan which has been compared to a Caribbean Drum.

"At the end of the day what we say is that when there’s no words, a way to communicate is through art, and for us our art is music. So even if we didn’t speak the same language, we could still communicate through that,” said Angie.

Knowing that his music touches others means a lot to Fred.

“It just makes me feel good that I’m helping someone and I’m actually educating because you never know what that person is going through. And for them to hear the flute. You’ll see people in tears. Maybe they’re thinking about a loved one or hard times. That’s why I call it good medicine too,” said Fred.

The Native Dawn Flute Gathering is scheduled for May 24-26^th at Old Fort Harrod State Park and is free and open to the public.

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A small set of wind chimes blows in the breeze on the porch of a quaint log cabin on North Jefferson St. in Burlington, Kentucky. Linda Whittenburg and her husband Dan bought the property in 1992 and refurbished it.

Whittenburg said at first, they opened it as a consignment shop and then for years as a quilt shop. And now Linda said, the authentic log cabin is an art gallery called Cabin Arts Gallery.

 “It’s at least 200 years old. The logs are mostly poplar. There’s a few walnut and oak but mostly poplar of course felled from this area," said Linda.

"I have people ask do they go all the way through, the logs. Of course, they do. You can see some of them are at least two foot wide. So, they were huge trees at the time. And they’re put together with what’s called chinking. Of course, at one time it would have been mud and straw and lime. We use pre-packaged five-gallon buckets now of chinking,” reported Linda.

“Are these the original logs but you and your husband had it refurbished? asked Lawson.

“We did all the work. We didn’t have it done. We did it. We bought it in ‘92’. It was completely covered in siding, cedar siding.  We bought it with the intention more or less to tear it down because it was a mess, in horrible shape, everything but the logs. The logs were perfect because they had been covered up for years and years and years. So that preserved them,” said Linda.

After Linda and her husband Dan decided to restore the cabin Linda said they opened it as a consignment shop on weekends. The couple consigned local arts and crafts and collectibles. But she says her goal was for the cabin to become a quilt shop and it did. From 1996 to 2019 the two-room cabin with a loft was a destination for quilters who traveled from Michigan to Florida and everywhere in Kentucky. Linda said she taught quilting in the small cabin she calls a cabinette next door that her husband built. Eventually, the shop held 8000 bolts of fabric.

“I’m a quilter. I made my first quilt when I was five years old. I really enjoy sewing and quilting. It’s just one of my favorite things to do, is sit down with my room full of fabric and have fun," explained Linda.

Besides being a quilter, Linda is also a teacher and multimedia artist. After attending Morehead State University and graduating from Northern Kentucky University she taught for 45 years. The 71-year-old said she had so much fun with the quilt shop and teaching but it was time to retire from those full-time endeavors. So, she decided to reinvent herself by opening an art gallery.

“I opened the gallery with the purpose of giving all my local art friends who I’ve known all these years a place to show and exhibit their work. This was my way of trying to give back,” said Linda.

It was important to her and husband Dan to re-restore the cabin and make it Cabin Arts Gallery.

“We so cherish this building because we have spent so much time and so much effort restoring it because we really value historic structures and our history. It’s our heritage, what we have left from our forefathers,” said Linda.

 The Cabin Arts Gallery is a great example of adaptive reuse of a historic structure. That’s according to Bridget Striker, preservation planner with the Boone County Planning Commission.

“It is within the Burlington Historic National Register District in Boone County. And the town itself dates back to about 1800 and is a great example of Boone County and Northern Kentucky heritage within the community,” said Striker.

 On this night Cabin Arts Gallery is holding its second art show opening called The Nature of Art -Paintings, Photos, and Posies. Dozens of patrons are enjoying the work of three local artists hanging on the cabin walls. The artists, Keith Howard, Norb Steuber, and Jan McKenzie Keene are happy to be part of the exhibit.

“It means so much because, honestly, I was raised about a mile from here and I grew up in Burlington and I have a lot of great memories of the town. I’m glad to be one of the very first of a three-person show. It just means the world,” said Howard.

“It’s great. I mean I think people have been looking for the opportunity to have a gallery local. And especially since I grew up in the area. I’m from Hebron originally. It’s nice to have a lot of familiar faces enjoying my art. It’s really is,” said Steuber.

“Linda is a gem and she’s contributed so much to the arts community and she knows a lot of artists. I’m real happy,” said Keene.

Linda Whittenburg said The Nature of Art exhibit is expected to be on display at Cabin Arts Gallery weekends through April 21^st.

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One way to help improve a person’s mental, emotional, and physical health is art therapy.

Arts reporter Cheri Lawson traveled to Frankfort and observed an art therapy session.

It’s Thursday afternoon in downtown Frankfort at the non-profit organization, Yes Arts. Art therapist Janet Osborn dumps a container of colored pencils on a table next to two large white pieces of drawing paper. 

She guides 27- year-old Leah through her first art therapy session.

“What I thought we would do first is to start off with what we call a scribble drawing and the way this works is you’re going go ahead and choose any color you want," said Osborn.

Osborn who’s been working as an art therapist for 35 years gives Leah a simple direction.

“You’re going to close your eyes and you’re going to just let your arm, your hand go wherever it wants," directs Osborn.

”Leah whose first name only will be used due to the sensitive nature of the topic said she lives with anxiety and is willing to try art therapy. She agreed to be part of this demonstration.

 Osborn checks in with Leah to see how she is feeling.”How did that feel? " asked Osborn.

Leah is hesitant but seems pleased.“That was new. I’m not sure. It was good,” said Leah.

 Osborn is a board-certified art therapist and said the training to be an art therapist is extensive. She said there are a variety of reasons someone might seek out this modality including anxiety, PTSD, or being in recovery.

“We are a mental health profession and people benefit from art therapy the same way that they would benefit from going to any kind of a therapist who does more traditional talk therapy. Art therapy provides a way of exploring our inner world of feelings, thoughts, and experiences through creative expression,” explained Osborn.

The art therapist said clients range from young children to adults of all ages. And clients don’t have to know anything about art.

“You do not have to have any experience in art or any training. It’s not for people who are comfortable with art. I mean, it can be. It’s not just for people who are comfortable with art. People will say well, I’m not really very creative and I don’t really know how to do art so I don’t think that would help me. And nothing could be further from the truth.  One thing I will say is just that it’s not an art class. It’s nothing to do with art instruction. So, it’s not about teaching people how to do art or make something specific. It’s really about helping people get reconnected to that creative source that everybody has. Some people will say, well I don’t know if I have one. We all do. We all have that part of our brain and ourselves," said Osborn.

”Sometimes said Osborn when a person struggles with panic attacks or anxiety it might be hard to put what’s going on into words. So, she said art therapy can be a good place to start. 

“Sometimes people really don’t know what’s causing it, you know, the root of the issue. Or they may be struggling with something they just are uncomfortable talking about. So, what art therapy can do is it kind of bypasses that whole verbal expression in a way by encouraging people to use a different part of their brain to express and explore whatever is going on. So, my job as an art therapist is to do everything I can to create a safe and comfortable environment and then to provide whatever materials that I can come up with to help a person connect to their own inner creative self," said Osborn.

To practice as an art therapist in Kentucky it’s necessary to be licensed. That’s according to Marybeth Orton, President of the Kentucky Art Therapy Association.  She agrees with Janet Osborn and says art therapy is a wonderful way to express ideas or issues words just don’t cover.

“We as people take in 11 million bits of information every second. We can only really consciously grab onto about 60 to 100 of those bits. But everything else is stored within our mind-body system more implicitly. So, when you have a feeling, you can’t pinpoint art therapy is wonderful because we can put it out on paper or in a sculpture. And so, the right brain is able to express that, and then as we look at it the left brain is able to say, oh I know what this is and so we are able to have more dialogue about that," said Orton.

Nadia Paredes is the President of the American Art Therapy Association.  She said several studies are touting the benefits of art therapy. She cites one study where art therapy was used with 200 people who were hospitalized for a medical issue or surgery.

“The researchers found that participating in art therapy for an hour and fifteen minutes significantly improved their moods and also lowered pain and anxiety," explained Paredes.

Frankfort art therapist Janet Osborn will continue to work with individuals and groups. She said each session is about an hour and fifteen minutes and she usually recommends eight sessions to get started. But she said it varies with each client.

 
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Kentucky folk art icon Minnie Adkins turned 90 years old and more than 200 of her family, friends, and fans celebrated with her in Morehead, Kentucky.

Cheri Lawson attended the birthday party and filed this report

“My name is Minnie Adkins and I was born March 13^th, 1934.”

That’s well-known whittler and Appalachian folk artist Minnie Adkins. The Elliot County native said she feels blessed to be 90.

“Well, I feel very very humbled to be 90 years old because my family’s all gone and I’m the only one left in my family, and I just feel that the Lord has truly blessed me, and my mission is not filled yet or I would be gone,” explained Adkins.

Over the weekend in downtown Morehead at the conference center at a celebration and ceremony to honor Minnie a crowd of more than 200 people sang Happy Birthday to her.

Dozens of her friends and fans stood in line near a large birthday sign framed with gold balloons that read ‘Cheers to 90 years.’ They all waited to talk with the folk-art icon and wish her a happy birthday.

People at the celebration traveled from as far away as Pennsylvania and Georgia to celebrate Minnie. Many of her well-wishers including Mike Norris, Carol Butler, Adrian Swain, Brenda Groff, Dennis Voigt, Jim Gary Phillips, and Vanessa Maggard shared how Minnie has inspired them.

“Minnie Adkins is an artist like none other and she’s a friend like none other. She’s kind, considerate, sensitive, the most generous person in the world,” said Mike Norris.

It’s a super blessing to see her and the love that she pours out to everyone,” said Brenda Groff.

“I just love her stories that she tells,” reported Dennis Voigt.

“Creative and inquiring and curious. And, you know, the world is still an open book for her,” said Adrian Swain.

“She was an inspiration for me at one time and then again when I had hard times, she was there to encourage me to keep doing what I do,” explained Jim Gary Phillips.

“ She was so generous with her time with our students,” said Vanessa Maggard.

She is a rock star in Kentucky and a legend in the folk art world. And we love her,” exclaimed Carol Butler.

I first met Minnie three years ago at her home in Elliot County. We sat out on her porch so I could see how she whittled.

The Eastern Kentucky folk artist is humble about the recognition she’s received over the years, including an award of distinction from the Folk Art Society of America and Morehead State University’s Treasure Award.

Minnie tells why she taught herself to whittle when she was just 10 years old.

“Well, out of necessity. As a child, I had to whittle. If I had toys to play with, then I had to make them. And find something to play with. So, I learned that way,” explained Adkins.

Eventually, the art form led to a lifelong career of carving whimsical animals like roosters, possums, tigers, and other colorful creatures.

Her work is featured in permanent collections around the country in places like the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Huntington Museum of Art, the Cincinnati Art Museum, and the Kentucky Folk Art Center.

Administrative Support Specialist at The Kentucky Folk Art Center, Tammy Stone, organized the birthday celebration. She said Minnie has several pieces including her signature fox featured at the folk-art center.

“Minnie started with the Kentucky Folk Art Center back in the late 80s and she has just been instrumental in helping other artists get started and just to know Minnie has been the best. She is someone that if anyone meets her, they will automatically fall in love with her. She’s a sweetheart and she’s always going out of the way to help other people,” said Stone.

During the celebration, Minnie’s son Mike, offered a blessing and spoke about his mom’s strong faith.

He said he and the family enjoy how his mom is always whittling.

“Mom never stops. She whittles. That’s her thing. Yeah, we’re so happy with the folk art and the joy it’s brought so many people. It has and it never ceases to amaze me and especially mom being 90 years old,” said Mike Adkins.

To complete the ceremony folk artist Jim Gary Phillips auctioned off one of Minnie’s carvings. The carved possum with its babies brought 750 dollars Minnie donated to the Kentucky Folk Art Center.

Minnie Adkins said she whittles 5 days a week and the spry folk artist has no plans of retiring.

“Oh , I’m gonna keep on whittling until I can’t whittle no more.”

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Conductors can usually be seen leading an orchestra or choral group. But what is behind the high-profile position that guides musicians or singers as they bring a piece of music to life?

Three Eastern Kentucky University professors who are also conductors talk about the art of conducting.

His arms move through the air with passion and intention as Dr. Richard Waters conducts the Kentucky Bach Choir at the First Presbyterian Church in Lexington.

Waters has been conducting choirs for 30 years. He’s the artistic director of the Kentucky Bach Choir, which he says, is the only choir statewide dedicated to J.S. Bach. Waters is also director of choral activities at Eastern Kentucky University where he conducts two choirs. In addition, he conducts a church choir in Richmond. Conducting, says Waters, is the epitome of multitasking.

“Stripped down to its barest essentials, the right hand is showing time, how fast or slow, how loud or soft, and style in terms of how pointed and precise it is or how smooth and flowing it is. Then my left hand could be doing any one of those things to help augment that and help reinforce that or my left hand may be saying to the sopranos, it’s your turn to sing now, or over to the tenors and now it’s your turn or to reinforce this is a really big moment and my hand is way up in the air just to encourage everyone to be at their strongest dynamic level,” explained Waters.

On this day Waters is front and center at the Kentucky Bach Choir rehearsal. His right arm is stretched out in front of him holding a white stick referred to as a baton. His left arm is lifted and slightly stretched out with his palm up indicating a request of the ensemble. Waters is passionate about his task.

”For me, I feel it’s a lot more than just waving your arms in front of people. A conductor is a conduit between the performers and the audience, between the composer and the performers. A conductor is a leader,” said Waters.

At EKU Waters co-teaches conducting with Dr.Rebekah Daniel. It’s a Wednesday morning at the University where Waters and Daniel guide music majors in the rehearsal room in the Foster Music building. The students are learning the art of conducting.

“Yeah, so basically, we sort of do a master class setting. So, the student goes onto the podium. And they basically take over the ensemble. They start them and they take them through it and then we give them some feedback,” explained Daniel.

Daniel pays attention to the student’s posture, their movement, and the emotion with which they conduct.

Daniel is the director of bands at EKU. She said her role is teaching graduate and undergraduate-level conducting. She tells what it’s like for her backstage before she takes the stage to conduct.

“We’re conductors but we’re also thinking about execution. We’re thinking about production. We’re thinking about energy. We’re thinking about timing. So, the tuning pitch stops and then I wait just a little bit for the audience to kind of settle and almost create this sense of mystery of like what is this silence? What might happen next? And then the door opens," said Daniel.

EKU professor Dr. David Galant also teaches conducting in his role as director of orchestra. Galant explains that students are first taught the basics of the craft. He says gestures are important in conducting and have different emotions or connotations.

“ I puff my chest out in the air confidently, feeling victorious, right? And I look at the brass and I do that. They’re going to give me a sound that’s different than if I were to curl inside and hurt my breath support. But all of these gestures that I’m creating have an impact on the sound that I’m going to get,” said Galant.

Galant said each conductor adds their personality when conducting. He said he likes to think of the conductor as a chef.

“Like if I’m making spaghetti and meatballs, I’m taking the meatball and the sauce and the spaghetti, right? And you can look at that as the different players that you have. And putting it together is the piece. The way I might cook spaghetti and meatballs might be different than the way Rebekah cooks spaghetti and meatballs. It’s the same piece of music, it tastes different with two different people,” said Galant.

Galant, Daniel, and Waters say that the conductor’s movements, posture, and demeanor are all a big part of guiding an ensemble through a piece of music. They all agree with Dr Richard Waters that, preparation is key.

“It’s all of the work that David and Rebekah and I do behind the scenes both before rehearsal and here by ourselves and in rehearsal to get everything ready for that culminating moment where we go out on stage and perform for everyone else. As a conductor or a player, it’s about human connection," said Waters.

It is possible to get a conducting degree. Waters says most conducting degrees are graduate-level degrees.

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Components of Black music like the blues, spirituals, and work songs influenced parts of the mountain music of Kentucky and Appalachia.

Singer and educator, Kathy Bullock and Kentucky fiddler and historian, John Harrod talked about a few aspects of the music.

Dr. Bullock sits at the piano in her Berea, Kentucky home and sings the traditional spiritual There is a Balm in Gilead. Bullock is a Professor Emerita of Berea College and workshop clinician who travels the world teaching about African American music. Since February is Black History Month, Bullock said it's a good time to talk about the impact Black music has had on U.S. culture including the mountain music of Kentucky and Appalachia.

“African-American music emerges out of the African American culture. And I like to talk about it as a culture that evolved from people of African descent who were brought to this country and had a shared experience here for hundreds of years but there are some generalities that remain from this shared experience. One of the ones that we can see most clearly is the music that emerged. The music is really core or foundational to all American popular music. You name it. It can find its way back to coming out of the early spirituals and blues or being strongly influenced by it,” explained Bullock.

The work songs, the blues, and the spirituals are three genres that Bullock believes influenced Appalachian Culture. She said There is a Balm in Gilead is a song of hope and healing that was one of the many thousands of spirituals that came out of the African-American community.

“And these spirituals were sung in the Appalachia communities as well as other communities all throughout the south. I would dare say wherever there were large communities of Black folk, these songs would have been sung,” said Bullock.

Currently, Bullock said she’s working on a project researching Black Music in Appalachia.

“It wasn’t until I came to Berea College from Washington D.C. my home that I said, wait a minute, there’s something similar going on in these fiddles. And I’m thinking Appalachia is one part of the universe and African-American is another and I found out there’s so many connections. Now the musicians knew this all along," said Bullock.

Bullock points to the family of June Carter Cash, the well-known Carter family of Virginia. Bullock says the Carters were heavily influenced by African-American guitarist, Lesley Riddle.

“Lesley Riddle was a Black musician of North Carolina and he toured around with the Carter family and helped them when they were finding tunes and playing tunes himself. And Maybelle Carter, who was known for a special way of playing the guitar. She says she just watched Lesley Riddle and did what he did,” said Bullock.

Owen County musician John Harrod has played the fiddle for over 60 years. The 78-year-old historian spent the 1970s, 80s, and 90s documenting old-style traditional music in Kentucky, particularly fiddle music. Harrod said so much of what we think of as mountain music has a Black origin.

“These different traditions from Europe and Africa, mixed and really created new forms of music. Even Bluegrass today which we think of as white mountain music or white southern music, there are a whole lot of Black elements in Bluegrass music, in the bended notes, the flat notes, the syncopation, the different rhythms going on at the same time. All of that was Black. Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music spent his youth following around an older Black gentleman, Arnold Shultz who played both the guitar and the fiddle. Bill Monroe always said that the Blues was a big part of his music,” explained Harrod.

Harrod has binders full of the names of fiddlers from all around Kentucky.

“We have the names of a number of Black fiddlers from the mountains. Down in Wayne County, there was Shell Coffey, Cuje Bertram. Up in Letcher County, there was Will Christian. I recorded a man named Sammy Bowles up in Lewis County. So just about everywhere there was this background of Black fiddlers and banjo players," said Harrod.

John Harrod and Kathy Bullock have shared a glimpse of the history behind the influence African-American music has had on the mountain music of Kentucky and Appalachia. Dr. Bullock said it’s important to her to have these discussions all year and definitely during Black History Month.

“I think that it gives us the opportunity to stop for a minute, reflect collectively about this component of our heritage because Black American Music is American Music,” said Bullock.

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At Kentucky Children’s Hospital, canine companions aim to bring comfort to kids.

One 12-year-old artist and cancer survivor has an art exhibition showcasing the therapy dogs.

On the ground floor lobby of Kentucky Children’s Hospital, 10 colorful paintings of UK HealthCare’s animal-assisted therapy dogs are lined up on a gallery wall. 12-year-old cancer survivor Katie Carmichael created the Pups of Color exhibit. It’s her first art exhibition. The young artist said painting the pup portraits helped her look on the bright side throughout her treatment for bone cancer.

“Being able to take something that’s positive and being able to feel like I’ve accomplished something and see your progress through a number of things is just such a great way to make the time pass and just to feel like you can do something even though there are so many things you can’t do. Cause at the time, I feel like when I first started this project I couldn’t even walk yet and here I am now and I have a new prosthesis. It’s just amazing to see how much I’ve come from the beginning of this project to the end,” explained Katie.

Katie was diagnosed with cancer in June, 2021 a few weeks before her 10^th birthday. Her Mother, Niki, said Katie had osteosarcoma which is a bone cancer.

“She had it in her lower leg so she eventually had that amputated and just through all of that recovery and chemotherapy treatment she wasn’t really able to do a whole lot of stuff. It was very rough months there. So, art was one of the things that she was still able to do even though she was stuck in the hospital a week at a time,” said Niki.

Niki said her daughter has always been good at art. But she said, seeing Katie host her first art exhibit at age 12 was a big deal.

“I took a few progress pictures. So, it was very cool to see her come up with all of these. They’re so well done. And just to see her progress. It was a cool process to watch,” said Niki.

When Katie was a patient in the hospital, she got to know some of the UK HealthCare therapy dogs. The ones she didn’t meet in person, she saw pictures of. Katie loves animals and was inspired to create the pet portraits of the canine counselors. The pet paintings include different breeds from a toy poodle to a large Bernese Mountain Dog/Goldendoodle Mix. Katie stands next to the exhibit and recalls how much fun she had painting the pups.

“I think that my two favorites as far as painting would be Bella and Jack. Jack was super funny. He has three tennis balls in his mouth. I really kind of went wild with the color pallet here and it was just really fun to do. I like it when animals are just kind of silly, goofing around. It’s always really fun. And then with Bella over here. That Bella was just adorable. I love drawing frizzy hair on dogs. It’s really fun. And then my favorite dog overall is Toby for sure because I have a personal relationship at this point with that dog,” reported Katie.

On this day Toby, a Black Bernese Mountain Dog/Goldendoodle mix surprises Katie by showing up to the exhibit with his owner, Maggie Metcalf. It was a sweet reunion.

Katie pets Toby and they sit close together on a large ottoman. Twice a week for six years, Maggie Metcalf and Toby have been visiting kids like Katie at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Metcalf said Katie used to be her neighbor.

“It was a real privilege and an honor to be able to share Toby with her while she was in the hospital cause it’s the scariest place for kids,” said Metcalf.

And now Metcalf says she likes seeing the portrait of Toby which leads the art exhibit Pups of Color.

“I think she did a really great job. She really captured the different personalities of the different dogs,” said Metcalf.

The Pups of Color display is only the third patient-involved exhibit at the hospital according to Erin McAnallen, expressive arts resource specialist at the hospital. McAnallen said she believes from its beginning to fruition the art exhibit has been healing for Katie, the dog handlers, and for anyone who sees it. She said, the exhibit is a process that has come full circle and Katie is incredible.

“I remember meeting Katie and her intent and focus was spot on. Her creative spirit is incredible and talent. I mean she’s very talented cause it takes a lot of dedication,” said McAnallen.

McAnallen said Pups of Color has been on display since October of 2023. She expects the art exhibit to remain in the Kentucky Children’s Gallery for at least a year and then she said it will have a home in a new location in the hospital.

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When a patient needs to see a doctor, the visit might include an interchange of symptoms, that leads to a diagnosis and recommendation for treatment or testing. But more than 20 years ago, Dr Rita Charon says she recognized the importance of hearing the patient’s story, to effectively treat the whole person. Charon is Professor of Medicine and Professor of Medical Humanities and Ethics at Columbia University and founded the practice known as Narrative Medicine.

“Narrative Medicine is a way of practicing as a clinician who knows how to listen to what patients tell them. So, it’s particular training for doctors, nurses, social workers in skill to understand the words and the gestures and the silences of what patients convey to us about their illness,” explained Charon.

While there are obstacles, like time constraints people in the medical profession face when it comes to practicing Narrative Medicine there are medical facilities like UK HealthCare incorporating the approach.

In the Department of Integrative Medicine, Dr. Rob Slocum who is the Narrative Medicine program coordinator said he works with patients one-on-one and he also holds workshops. He explains how a workshop can be as beneficial as a one-on-one session.

“Well, Narrative Medicine makes use of patient’s or anyone’s story for purposes of healing, growth, encouragement. So, in this context, we have a shared prompt for writing as contrasted with a conversation that I might have with a patient in a room or via telehealth,” reported Slocum.

On this day Dr. Slocum demonstrates how he encourages someone to begin the process of telling their story in a workshop. Sitting around a table with pen and notebook in hand, two women agree to be part of Slocum’s demonstration. Due to the sensitive nature of the subject matter, the women are identified by first names only. Shelly, a massage therapist from Ohio, and Hayden an information specialist from Kentucky listen carefully as Dr. Slocum gives them an idea or a prompt and asks them to write two paragraphs.

“So, the prompt is simple, my best gift, yours. The best gift you’ve ever received or given or hope to receive or give, my best gift,” said Slocum.

After the women finish writing, twenty-five-year-old Hayden tells the group that her best gift is her boyfriend, Trent. Dr. Slocum asks more about why Trent is her best gift and her story goes deeper. Hayden tells an emotional account of how Trent was there for her when her best friend died.

“About a year and a half ago my best friend passed away tragically in a car accident, sorry. So he like was able to be there and it’s like almost happy tears. Tragic, sad tears cause she passed away but happy tears that he was there," said Hayden.

Dr. Slocum responded to Hayden, “That’s beautiful, how hard that situation would have been without his support but because he was there for you. It’s almost like knowing that he could be there in the worst of times."

Fifty-seven-year-old Shelly shares that her best gift is her sobriety in AA for more than 30 years.

“I’ve been given a way of living that brings connection and power into my life,” said Shelly.

She also tells the group she is dealing with a chronic health issue. Both women notice how quickly they open up with the simple prompts given by Dr. Slocum.

Shelly spoke for both women, “It took minutes and we were all sharing from deep within. It wasn’t like superficial.”

Shelly said she believes having a chance to expound on her own story with help from a clinician as skilled and present as Dr. Slocum could be beneficial to her healing.

“I think as much information as a patient can have about themselves helps put the puzzle pieces together. If I can’t see it all myself or if I’m looking at it from a distorted lens, having someone else objective hear it helps me figure out what’s accurate and what isn’t and keeps me closer to the facts of the situation versus what I’m imagining,” explained Shelly.

At UK HealthCare, Dr. Slocum said there is a team approach to Narrative Medicine. He said other healthcare providers refer patients to him and in his experience the approach is effective.

“I’m a Ph.D.not an M.D., so, I don’t give medical advice but I will say that working through the story of a patient can certainly help them to find their way by their story to a better sense of balance, a better sense of being able to manage stress, better able to identify strategies. I believe I see many of the patients I talk with improving. But it’s at their pace, it’s work. This is hard work. It’s not possible to do it in many cases all at once,” said Slocum.

The first publication of Narrative Medicine as a discipline was in the Journal of American Medicine in 2001 according to Dr. Rita Charon. She said Narrative Medicine is now being taught nationally and internationally. Charon talks about how she uses a Narrative Medicine routine when she meets a patient for the first time.

“Which is, ’I’ll be your doctor, I need to know a lot about you. Please tell me what you think I should know,'” said Charon.

That approach is appealing to University of Cincinnati graduate Rena Lenchitz. She started the master’s of science in narrative medicine in 2023 at Columbia University. Lenchitz says she wanted to have a framework and a different perspective on medical education before she applies for medical school.

“When we think about Narrative Medicine in the context of my own aspirations for a career as a physician or anyone else’s, it’s the idea of really welcoming somebody in. You know, offering a space where someone can share their story, can share a piece of their life, can share a piece of their health, their well-being which at times is very vulnerable or often threatened by perhaps illness or something else. There should be a space where we have these conversations that really put the patient at the forefront,”said Lenchitz.

As for Dr Rita Charon founder of the field, she says a lot of her work is spent in doing patient advocacy.

“And working with actual patients who are looking for some power to let the rest of us know what needs to be done. I think this is the future,” said Charon.

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The holidays can be a stressful time. But choral singing for some Kentuckians is proving to be a stress reliever.

Some members of Kentucky choirs talk about the mental health benefits of singing together.

Every Wednesday evening at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Lexington 20 people gather to rehearse for church services.

The choir is led by Dr. Mattilda Middleton. Middleton has been involved in church choirs for 25 years and said it’s a huge privilege to be in a choir.

”It’s being a part of a community that cares for you and that is working together for a common goal. It’s thrilling when things go well together. It’s humbling when things don’t go as well as you hoped. What we’re doing matters,” said Middleton.

Middleton believes singing in a choir is beneficial to individuals on many levels. She acknowledges that some research points to the wide-ranging benefits of choral singing.

”I feel like the science is catching up to what musicians have known for hundreds of years. And that is that singing and particularly singing together is helpful in virtually every conceivable way, it’s physically, spiritually, psychologically, emotionally," explained Middleton.

This time of year can be especially challenging for people due to holiday stress. Choir member Richard LeComte said he’s comforted by singing in the choir.

“ Well, I grew up with this kind of music. I grew up in a church where this kind of music was sung. My grandmother was a church singer. My mother sang in a choir, played piano. My dad loved church music. So, it makes me feel connected to them. Particularly in the holidays when you start missing your parents and your grandparents it makes me feel as if I am with them somehow in the music that I’m singing,” said LeComte.

Sometimes said choir member Diane Timmons she can feel depressed and even anti-social but she knows she will feel differently once she gets to choir practice.

“I guess it just starts with the sound I hear when I walk in. It’s just very uplifting to hear people singing as people are starting to warm up and everything. Their voices are, it’s uplifting. Then coming in and joining, I’m breathing deeply, much more deeply than I would normally unless I’m thinking about it. So, I’m fully oxygenating, that lifts me and also I have great friendships and personal relationships with people in this choir,” reported Timmons.

A 2019 study done by Chorus America, an advocacy group for choral leaders and singing groups found that more than 54 million Americans sing in choruses. Liza Beth, Vice President of Communications and Membership of Chorus America said the study found that choruses and choral singers are a force that makes communities stronger and helps the people who participate in them.

“And our study actually found that adults who sing in choruses, one of the significant personal benefits they report is that they feel less lonely and more connected to others. So choral singers are less likely to report indicators of isolation or depression than the general public. They report stronger relationships and better social skills,” said Beth.

At noon on Thursdays in the lobby of UK Healthcare’s Markey Cancer Center, Sue McGee plays the piano and volunteers sing-a-long.

Medical student Drew Jennings started this impromptu choir in 2016 where volunteers could sing at the bedside of patients. Since COVID she said the singing has moved to the lobby.

“So now, really if anybody walks by whether they’re an employee or patient or family member,if they look like they want to sing we hand them a binder and they can join us. It makes it more fun,” explained Jennings.

People who sing in choirs frequently report that choral singing makes them feel happy said Dr. Connie Jennings, Medical Director for the University of Kentucky’s Integrative Medicine and Health Clinic.

She said it doesn’t matter whether people sing in an impromptu small choir around a piano or in a larger organized choir with regular rehearsals.

“The science behind that shows that singers have an increased release of dopamine and serotonin and beta-endorphins in their brains. And we know that dopamine is part of our reward system. It makes us feel good. And, serotonin makes us feel good. And beta-endorphin decreases pain. So, that makes us all feel happier. Singers report a higher level of optimism. You will hear singers say they expect good things to happen rather than bad things to happen,” said Jennings.

In Kentucky, there are hundreds of choirs from children’s choirs to community choirs to professional choirs. Beth Wilson is President of the Kentucky Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association. She said choirs are a wonderful way to build community but in her experience, it’s deeper than that.

“The fulfillment and joy that comes from singing collectively, I really believe that that is something that makes your life more human and whole. And there’s so many ways that are world is messed up right now and fractured. And singing in a choir is a way to feel human and feel connected with others,” said Wilson.

On this night 24 members of the Kentucky Bach Choir come together to prepare for a Christmas Concert.

Artistic director and conductor Dr. Richard Waters said the idea that choral singing has mental health benefits makes sense to him.

“There have been a number of studies both before and after COVID about this but before I even heard of or read any of these studies, I just knew in my heart there was something to that. We are human beings innately wired for connection ,” said Waters.

Standing next to two other women, wearing a tan turtleneck Margaret McGladrey stands tall as she sings during rehearsal. The research assistant joined the Kentucky Bach Choir this fall. The 39-year-old alto said during the pandemic she reflected on the mental health benefits of choral singing.

“ And it’s kind of what we call in the research world this entrainment of our breath, the frequencies that we’re singing and our bodies all in the same time, all in the same place. It creates this this sense of belonging that I can’t really describe in any other context as being as powerful because it’s your body your mind your spirit, everything is all attuned and synchronized together through this beautiful music you get to bring to life,” said McGladrey.

For anyone with the slightest interest in joining a choir Conductor Dr. Mattilda Middleton said she’s an advocate for choral singing. And her message is simple.

“ I would say don’t be afraid to join a community group. I would say if you’d thought about it do it. Be brave. Just go out and sing,” said Middleton.

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A house in the Northern Kentucky river town of Augusta that Rosemary Clooney called home is a museum paying tribute to the singer and actress.

The museum displays the largest collection of costume memorabilia from the 1954 movie White Christmas.

On the banks of the Ohio River sits the Rosemary Clooney house and museum. On this day, docent Dorinda Perkins guides a steady stream of visitors through Clooney’s former dining room where pictures of the late singer’s career fill one wall.

“This was Rosie’s house from 1980 to the present. She was born about 19 miles from here in Maysville. So, this was coming home,” explained Perkins.

The non-profit museum is owned by Former Miss America Heather French who is from Augusta and her husband former Kentucky Lieutenant Governor Dr. Steve Henry. French Henry said she was good friends with Rosemary Clooney.

“When I became Miss America, she was one of the only Clooneys I hadn’t met yet and so she actually called me, she was the second phone call I received after winning. And then she proceeded to call me every week for the entire year and we got a chance to become very good friends. She was a great mentor to me. And people from all over the world have come to the house. Whether it is remembering her through White Christmas or remembering her music career, people love Rosemary Clooney,” said French Henry.

The museum displays memorabilia from every movie Rosemary ever made and even a few pieces from nephew George Clooney’s productions like his film, Oh Brother Where Art Thou.

Andrea Adkins who came from Orlando, Florida is interested in the White Christmas Collection. She said she loves the iconic movie that starred Rosemary Clooney along with Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, and Vera Ellen.

“Well, I heard that the White Christmas exhibit was leaving today and we had to come today or we weren’t going to get to see it this season. So, we got dressed, we got here as quickly as we could and wow, I’m so impressed with the museum and then to come into this room and see all these costumes that I have loved for years after watching White Christmas many, many, times. This is like the mecca of White Christmas the movie and I’m just moved, it’s beautiful,” reported Adkins.

Owner and curator Heather French Henry said the pieces from the White Christmas collection have come from all over the world and she says each piece is authentic.

“We have the largest collection and really, possibly the only collection of White Christmas costume memorabilia. We cataloged around 177 pieces and that varies from everything from costumes to props from the movies to lobby cards and posters which actually, are just as hard to find as the costumes,” said French Henry.

Several visitors stand in awe as docent Dorinda Perkins points to the two blue dresses worn during the popular song, Sisters, sung by Vera Ellen and Rosemary Clooney in the 1954 movie classic.

“Now the two Sisters’ dresses are the originals. Rosemary’s is really sun-faded. So, we keep it dark in here as much as we can. We got Vera Ellen’s directly from the studio and it’s still really pristine,” said Perkins.

Wearing a t-shirt with a picture of the film White Christmas on the front of it, Dayton, Ohio resident Kathy Schaefer said she’s been planning a trip to this museum all year. She and her sister Sally Fridley said their mother taught them the song Sisters when they were very young.

“She’d say, now sing your Sisters song and we would do that. We had no idea until we grew up that that’s what it was from and then it was like, oh, that’s that song mom made us learn,” explained Fridley.

The women are big fans of the iconic movie and have seen it countless times. I asked the duo if they’d sing a few bars from the song. They’re hesitant but say they might get the courage to sing a few lines of the Sisters song before they leave here today because their 92-year-old mother would get a kick out of that.

What did you see today that stood out to you in the White Christmas room, asked Lawson.

“Probably their Sisters’ dresses. It’s such a big part of the movie. It’s also interesting that she said one of them has been preserved and the other hasn’t. And you can really tell that taking care of these things matters,” replied Schaefer.

Schaefer and Fridley: chime in singing: “Lord help the mister that comes between me and my sister and lord help the sister who comes between me and my man….laugh laugh

For now, said curator Heather French Henry memorabilia from Clooney’s other movies including costumes worn by co-stars like Bob Hope, Arlene Dahl, and Anna Maria Alberghetti will remain on display. As a big box truck pulls up to the back of the museum, she said the White Christmas Collection will be transported to an Omaha, Nebraska museum for the Holidays but she said it will return to Northern Kentucky in 2024 in time to celebrate the 70^th anniversary of the iconic film.

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A Kentucky writer has created a collection of animated stories depicting women dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. 

The award-winning series is raising awareness of PTSD and is being featured in Mental Health film festivals around the world. 

   Jessica Mathis is a writer, producer, and director with a background in comedy and journalism. She created the animated project to raise awareness and empathy about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She calls the disorder a psychological injury that impacts brain function. 

“It’s when your consciousness experiences something shocking. And it could be something different for everyone. It could be a car wreck. It could be domestic violence in a relationship. It could be childhood abuse. It could be growing up with a narcissistic parent where it was always about them and you’re taught that you don’t matter. It’s just something that trains your consciousness or shocks it instantly to respond to your environment differently,” said Mathis.

 In the project, Mathis focused on ten women from Kentucky who had been diagnosed with PTSD. She interviewed each woman extensively and then developed short animations telling their stories. She named the collection: Triggered. 

“And the reason it’s called Triggered is because that is the word used to describe when a person with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has experienced something that activates the trauma that’s stored inside them and can completely change your frame of mind in an instant. It could be a smell, it can be a sound, it could be the way somebody is speaking to you. But that is what led to calling the project, Triggered,” explained Mathis.

Mathis said each animated story deals with a different aspect of PTSD. In one episode, Mathis said the woman in the story recalls being belittled, gaslighted, drugged, and taken advantage of by her boyfriend. 

 Mathis said in another scene, the woman described the process her therapist used to help her cope when she’s triggered.

   The 45-year-old Mathis was inspired to produce the collection of short animations because of her journey of healing from PTSD. She said there’s also another reason she felt this series was necessary. 

“Most people think that PTSD is something that only affects war veterans or people who’ve seen combat. That is simply not true. That’s why I wanted to create something that was more about civilians," said Mathis.

 Dr. Christal Badour is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Kentucky.  She said PTSD is a disorder that can affect a wide range of people.

“ It can affect children, adults, all sorts of people. People all over our country are diagnosed every year. Thousands of people each year including judges and police officers, homemakers, teachers. It really runs the gamut of people.” 

The project, said Jessica Mathis started with a grant from the Kentucky Foundation for Women, an organization that promotes positive social change by supporting feminist expression in the arts. Avery Guess, grant program manager at KFW said Jessica Mathis has been a multiple grantee on a variety of projects. Guess is especially inspired by the series Triggered. 

“It has won accolades. It’s been named an official selection at multiple film festivals. It’s still touring. It’s an honor just to see it happening," said Guess. 

The series has been screened in the 2023 Reel Recovery Film Festival in Los Angeles, and film festivals based in Chicago and Australia. It received three Telly Awards which recognize outstanding work in video.

 While Mathis is honored by the awards, she said she’s most proud of the women involved and what it took for them to tell their stories. 

“It took so much courage from everyone involved. Each of us underwent years of hard work on ourselves. Really, the award here for me is when these women get excited alongside me. And when these women talk about how they feel validated or heard. 

Jessica Mathis plans to expand her work with 'Triggered' in hopes of developing a documentary.
Here's a link where you can access
the animations.
https://triggerstories.com/

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Twice a month a Lexington man sits at the corner of the old courthouse on Main Street. He brings joy and hope to local residents through his unusual delivery of poetry.

Curtis Kaiser makes poetry on demand.

It’s a pleasant autumn evening in downtown Lexington where lots of people are out and about.

At the corner of Main Street in front of the Old Court House and across from the 5/3^rd Pavilion sits 31-year-old Curt Kaiser. The mechanical engineer is at a tiny makeshift desk and is writing original poems on his 1961 typewriter for random passers-by, and it’s free. He’s not exactly sure what influenced him.

“It’s just kind of like, I have typewriters, I can think and write. Why don’t I just go out and do it for people? See if it makes anybody happy, “ said Kaiser.

In less than an hour, more than 10 people line up in front of Kaiser’s homemade poster board sign that simply reads ‘Poems 4 free’. They all wait patiently in hopes of getting a personalized piece of poetry. Kaiser feels no pressure.

“There’s zero hate for this. Like nobody is like, poems, I hate poems. It’s been cool,” explained Kaiser.

One of the first people in line is 23-year-old Secret Oliver.

Oliver asks for a poem and stands by, watching Kaiser go to work typing. In just a few minutes, Kaiser creates a poem just for Oliver on a small piece of white paper. He titles it ‘Showing out and going out’. Oliver excitedly reads the poem.

“Showing out and going out, I’m out here feeling good. Nothing jamming me up. The vibes the scene and even the fine food. Out here flying solo and feeling my greatest. Nothing can bring me down. And out here wandering about downtown," reads Oliver.

On this Saturday night, the poems have included topics ranging from serious loss to a request for a blessing.

The line is growing. Frequently the recipients of Kaiser’s poems try to tip him but he declines. Everyone gives a different reason for wanting a poem from this man they don’t even know. Madison Wheatley, Atianna Berryman, Andrew Marcum, and Brianna Brevik are touched by the kindness of the Main Street poet, Curt Kaiser.

“So, I’ve actually seen these before online, other people doing the poems for free in other big cities, so, I was actually really excited to see that we have one here in Lexington," said Wheatley.

“I just think it’s a genuine gesture and he just seems like a really great guy and to do something like this on a nice Saturday evening, it’s lovely,” said Berryman.

” It’s just nice to see people doing stuff like this. You don’t see it very often. It’s out of the ordinary and out of no cost and everything is for profit these days,” said Marcum.

“I think it’s a beautiful expression of art. It can brighten someone’s mood very quickly,” said Brevik.

Photographer Femi Oyeniran said he saw Kaiser writing free poetry and asked for a poem about balance.

Okay, the title is ‘Shifting Balance’. Always a careful act it is to place the hands and feet from shifting sands to steady hands to earth moving underneath. It’s never easy but always needed. And ongoing opponents to whom I have never conceded,” read Oyeniran.

Oyeniran liked the poem. “It’s awesome. It’s awesome. I love it. It kind of really encapsulates exactly what’s in my state of mind right now. Never going to concede, I like that part," said Oyeniran.

Lots of laughter and connection happens in the line of people waiting for poems. Samantha Walsh is from Pittsburgh.

Walsh said there were a few reasons she stopped for a poem.

“Free and there’s not many things that are free in life. And poems. I don’t know. It is kind of cool. I gotta see it,” said Walsh.

Kaiser asks Walsh the questions he asks everyone, So what’s the topic? What are we you feeling?”asked Kaiser.

Walsh asked Kaiser for a poem about her girls Eve and Willow. They are her daughters.

Kaiser asks Walsh a few questions about her 6-year-old twins and thoughtfully types out a poem. Samantha Walsh finishes reading the last few lines and tears up.

“Our love for them is limitless and they’ll know that day to day. They’re my little girls, special in their own little way.” Aw, That’s so cute. I’m going to cry. Thank you,” said Walsh.

Later in the evening, a young couple from South Carolina requests poetry that is a blessing for their 8-month-old son. Carina and Logan Milford said receiving the hand -crafted poetry made this visit to Lexington memorable.

Logan reads the poem written by Kaiser for them. “Father, Bless our little Cooper now that he is with us. Our boy our love, our little ray of sun. Eight months in and your shepherding shows, we know you’ll be with him wherever he goes. We too will be there caring and loving each day. We trust in you because we know the way. In your precious name. Amen,”read Logan.

Logan called the poem awesome and said he would frame it.

Carina told Kaiser he had a gift The couple was visibly moved by the poem.

Curt Kaiser hopes to continue lifting spirits and helping people smile. His goal is to show up at the corner of the Old Court House in Lexington twice a month. The way to find him, he said, is to listen for the distinctive sound of the typewriter.

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A Lexington non-profit is bringing two musical acts to the Commonwealth this fall for free performances open to the public . Here's a preview of the organ and trumpet duo, and the African drum and dance troupe.

  Musicians Chuck Seipp and Randall Sheets are a trumpet and organ duo coming to perform in Lexington this weekend.  Begin nat of music Seipp played trumpet for the United States Army for 32 years and Sheets was the ceremonial organist at Arlington National Cemetery.  Nat of their music Seipp says the Washington D.C.-based pair will be featured in concert Sunday afternoon, entertaining an audience at Faith Lutheran Church with patriotic and inspirational music. 

“What’s really unique about this duo is a couple of things. Is because of our background, it’s important for us to honor veterans in our concerts. So, with at least one piece, we will do a tribute to veterans,”  said Seipp.

The retired Sergeant Major said the other unique aspect of their concerts is that they perform everything to video.

  “It can be very humorous. It highlights the music that we’re playing. Like with the patriotic pieces, they’re very moving pieces that we do. The one that we’ll be doing in Lexington will be an actual ceremony of a funeral ceremony for Arlington National Cemetery from start to end.  We will play the song America and you will be taken on a tour of what it’s like to witness a military funeral in Arlington National Cemetery. So, it’s quite moving," reported Seipp.

 The accomplished musicians call their hour-and-a-half performance The King of Instruments and the Instrument of Kings. The duo has performed at venues in 25 states. Chuck Seipp said this is their first show in Lexington.

  “We have uplifting things that we do and entertaining things that we do. We have a silent movie that we’ll be doing. It is so funny. It’s called a trip to the moon. One of our arrangers did an amazing job of putting music to each scene that highlights that particular silent movie. It’s a 1902 silent movie,” said Seipp. 

 The concert is one of the free events presented by the Harstad Fine Arts Series. Kerstin Wendroth is president of the non-profit organization. She said the intention of the series is to build community through free and public offerings of the arts. 

  “We make every effort to reach people of different ages and different backgrounds just to come together and enjoy the arts,” explained Wendroth.

 On a recent Saturday morning children and adults with Bi-Okoto’s drum and dance theater prepared for the show they will bring to Lexington in November. The Cincinnati-based School of African Cultures performs and teaches internationally. Nigerian-born Funmilayo Ajamufua is Bi-Okoto’s programs coordinator. She said the non-profit’s mission is to preserve and share African heritage. She teaches drumming, dancing, and cooking.  

  “Bi-Okoto envisions a society where every individual is proud of their culture while appreciating the culture of other people. So our mission is to preserve, share African culture using authentic African music, drumming, you know, all of it,” said Ajamufua.

 On this day children from ages five to twelve drum and dance with teacher and performer Olushola Benjamin. Benjamin was born in Nigeria. 

“Right here in Bi-Okoto we teach dances and drumming from different parts of Africa. We do Guinea, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, you name it. We teach different dances and drum patterns from different parts of Africa. So, this helps them have historical knowledge about all the countries not just United States,” explained Benjamin. 

Benjamin said the performers dress in colorful African garb. They usually dance, drum, and sing. And a teaching component is incorporated into the performance. 

 “Lexington, we’re coming, get ready to dance with us,” said Benjamin.

 Along with performances like that of the Seipp/Sheets Duo and Bi-Okoto, the Harstad Fine Arts Series also presents occasional art exhibits. 

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Mandee McKelvey is a Kentucky comedian and storyteller whose one-woman show touches on sensitive topics and body autonomy. Her stand-up act has received critical acclaim and has been described as ‘vulnerable stories that matter.

It’s a Friday night at a Dayton, Kentucky comedy club where the audience is excited to hear comedian Mandee McKelvey's stand-up routine.

The Louisville-based McKelvey has been doing stand-up comedy for 17 years. She was recently named one of the 50 best-undiscovered comics in the country by the online entertainment media site Thrillist. On this night the petite McKelvey dazzles in a reddish/orange sleeveless midriff top with matching pants. The 44-year-old with waist-length silver hair gets a lot of laughs with her self-deprecating act. She stretches out her arm, chest high, and jiggles it while she describes that part of her aging body.

McKelvey said that even though this industry is primarily dominated by men, she’s right where she wants to be. She’s had the opportunity to open for well-known artists like Tig Notaro and Michell Wolf.

“Michell Wolf was a delight. She’s the one that did the White House correspondents’ dinner, and she roasted them so hard that they don’t even have comedians at the White House correspondents’ dinner anymore,” reported McKelvey.

Two women watching McKelvey’s stand-up routine are enthused by what they hear. Friends Cheyeanne Salyards and Jennifer Kemper are in town on vacation and said this is their first McKelvey experience.

“She was hilarious, and I felt like she spoke our language. We have literally talked about half the things that she joked about today on stage in just the last couple of days,” said Salyards.

“I love that she is kind of an activist for women. I think all women should be activists for women,” said Kemper.

Salyards and Kemper both wish they could see McKelvey again, but they live overseas. The women might just get their wish. While Mandee McKelvey does regular stand-up routines, she’s getting ready to record her one-woman show with plans to stream it. McKelvey said the 90 minutes of storytelling focuses on body autonomy and touches on three topics.

”Each one of the three stories that I’m going to tell for this show were all separate pieces that were very confessional,” explained McKelvey.

The award-winning comic said the show begins with an infertility story where McKelvey’s friend offers McKelvey a frozen embryo. It ends with a story about abortion. And she said the middle story is about breast reconstruction.

“ It’s a beautiful dip back into adolescence where I only grew one breast and the other one didn’t grow, and they told me it would and then it didn’t. So, I went through high school, and basically, my mother and I spent all of high school trying to dress me to hide this enormous gourd that was hanging off the left side of my chest. And on the right side, I was completely flat," said McKelvey.

McKelvey knows how to find the humor in pain and grief, especially her own.

“Oh, I’m having a field day making fun of it. Cause there is nothing funnier than two different-sized breasts and all the comedy that ensues when you’re trying to hide that and the weird things men say to you and the weird things medical people say to you,” explained McKelvey.

When she performs her one-woman show McKelvey said frequently people come up to her afterward, thank her, and share their own stories.

I thought I was telling the story like it was a novelty. Like people would be like, ’Oh, that’s so weird’. And what happened was because I told all the emotions of you know, growing up as a teenage girl, trying to get through high school, trying to date, trying to have your first sexual experiences, trying to be okay when you look in the mirror, it turned out it was a completely universal thing. And now I’ve had a lot of women come up to me who have had mastectomies because they do know what it’s like to be missing a breast now,” said McKelvey.

Mandee McKelvey’s ability to tell her stories is what inspired Jessica Mathis to work with her. Mathis, also a comedian and producer, is partnering with McKelvey to create the comedy special for streaming. She can relate to McKelvey's stories.

”I had a breast reduction last year, so it resonated with me the kind of opinions that people have about that, especially men. For example, my neurologist when I told him I had planned to do that asked me if I had asked my husband. I don’t even have a husband. And so, her show really spoke to me," reported Mathis.

Mathis said The Kentucky Foundation for Women, a non-profit that supports female artists making a difference awarded McKelvey and Mathis a sizable grant to produce this show. Mathis said the grant makes sense because she said this comedy special is an important part of art.

“The important thing is, is that it reaches out, and lets others know they’re not alone and then you become aware and realize this is a thing people are dealing with and maybe we should look at it a little closer,” said Mathis.

Mathis said Mandee McKelvey’s comedy special is scheduled to be recorded in early November with plans to eventually be distributed for streaming.

https://onemandeeshow.com/

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Studies have shown spending time in nature has many benefits including relieving stress and improving mood.

Lexington author and educator Doris Settles shares her ideas on connecting with the outdoors in her talk which is titled ‘My Dirty Life’

On a Monday evening in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky, Lisa Williams walks through her garden of well over 200 plants. Williams has been gardening for 30 years and said she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“You know, it just helps me center myself and I find peace in my garden. No matter what time of year, I can come out here and find peace. That’s the main thing. Anytime I have a struggle going on in my life it just helps me to clear my head,” said Williams.

The grandmother of two enjoys being in nature so much, she even works part-time at a greenhouse. Her other part-time job is at a law firm. Whether it’s a hike in the woods with her grandchildren, planting flowers, or harvesting vegetables from her garden Williams has to be outside.

“I’m a grandmother of two young grandchildren and we work hard to get them out in nature. We feel like that’s important and to get them away from the screens, you know the time we spend with them. And we just like to get them outside and we hike trails and we do outdoor scavenger hunts to get them outside,” said Williams.

On this night Williams is at the Erlanger Branch of the Kenton County Public Library. That’s where Lexington author and educator Doris Settles is giving a talk she calls ‘My Dirty Life’. It focuses on her passion for gardening and spending time in nature.

"Hi everybody, I am Doris Settles and I live in Lexington, Kentucky. I’m a master gardener and I’ve gardened since I was little and I mean really little," said Settles.

Settles said,"I think you need to as an individual living in this world. I think you need to understand and embrace the entire world and that includes the plant world as well."

Settles is passionate about connecting with nature and shares with the audience at the library tips on what she’s learned as a master gardener and why being outdoors is helpful on so many levels.

“There are mental health benefits to it. There are obviously emotional benefits to it. Aside from the food you can grow and the beauty that you create. Research has shown definitive connections to maybe it’s the microbes in the soil when you’re digging in it. It’s such a tactile thing to do. And then being able to go from bare dirt to something that’s usable in your life is truly empowering for the person that planted that seed,” explained Settles.

The 73-year-old said her talk ‘My Dirty Life’ was inspired by the work of Richard Louv author of the 2005 international best-seller, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature -Deficit Disorder. Louv said children and adults suffer from not having enough contact with the natural world.

“Study after study has shown that connection to nature reduces the symptoms of attention deficit disorder for instance, reduces stress, reduces the chances of myopia, it’s a long list. When I wrote Last Child which was published in 2005 I could only find about 60 studies in the world, that focused on the benefits to health of connection to the natural world, only 60, something that large. Today, there’s around 1300 studies,” reported Louv.

Louv is co-founder and Chairman Emeritus of the Children & Nature Network, an organization helping build an international movement to connect children, families, and communities to nature. The award-winning journalist coined the term Nature-Deficit Disorder.

“It’s the impact on humans of our alienation from the natural world. And that impact comes in many forms. As I mentioned, when you look at the studies and the impact on human physical, psychological, cognitive health and then you take nature away you have in a sense people who are less alive and that’s my definition of nature-deficit disorder," reported Louv.

Master gardener and author Doris Settles takes the work of Louv very seriously. In addition to giving talks on the how-to of gardening, she has written a children’s book titled Leira Clara’s Flowers.

“I really was seeing the disconnect more and I was doing talks in the education and social sciences and juvenile justice area on the nature-deficit disorder. So I started feeling a pull to write a children’s book, to do something to get them outside and digging in the dirt. So, that’s how Leira Clara’s Flowers came about. I learned to garden from my grandmothers, so Leira Clara learns to garden from her grandmothers," said Settles.

Settles is also president of Celebrate Lexington. She said the non-profit focuses on expanding the understanding of beauty and beauty in nature in the Lexington area. The organization spearheads several activities including planting flowers

“We have now planted 6000 daffodils in two locations in Fayette County and we start a third this fall,” said Settles.

Whether it’s planting a garden or watching the clouds, Doris Settles and Richard Louv report that there are numerous health benefits for kids and adults when connecting with nature.

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For a few more days at the Lex Arts Gallery in Lexington the exhibit called ‘The 606’ is on display. Pam Oldfield Meade is one of the five artists featured in the show which includes more than 30 pieces of art. She explained how the show got its title.

“Somebody kept referring to it as ‘The 606’ just because we were all rooted in eastern Kentucky and that’s the area code for telephones here. The 606, it sort of seemed to tell where we were from and so we stuck with that title for the exhibition,” explained Meade.

Meade said she and the other artists are deeply rooted in eastern Kentucky. Rebecca Miller Campbell, Sam McKinney, Ron Gevedon, and Meade currently live in the region. The fifth artist, Kopana Terry was raised there and now lives in Lexington. Pam Oldfield Meade who has six paintings featured in the show said while the themes of the exhibit focus on Appalachia and eastern Kentucky, they’re also universal.

“ It is representative of eastern Kentucky but also it’s just representative of life in general. Specifically, the pieces I have in ‘The 606’ exhibition, a couple of them are about the flood last year in eastern Kentucky. I have a couple of pieces that are political in nature. I have a piece about anti-racism," said Meade.

Two of Meade’s paintings that are focused on eastern Kentucky are reminders of the horrific flooding in the region in July of last year. Meade and her husband are still heavily involved in helping people rebuild and recover from the disaster. One of her pieces reminiscent of the flood is called ‘Tragic Beauty’. She recalled what inspired the other piece about the flood she calls ‘Tell Me Your Story.’

"One of the ladies I was working with who was right there in the flood. Her neighbor died. She found her neighbor out in the yard. And she just described how it was like Niagara Falls. And so many people when they tell their stories, it’s like they can’t even believe what they saw. That’s how I got that title," said Meade.

Another one of Meade’s paintings shows an actual pan of biscuits her sister made sitting on her mother’s blue and white tea towel. She titled it,’ It was nothing a pan of biscuits couldn’t fix’.

“Food in general has a way of bringing people together. That whole piece is about a big political fight. We ended up patching the argument with that pan of biscuits.," reported Meade.

Photographer Kopana Terry has 8 photos included in the exhibit. She says she tries to capture images, scenes, and people in real-life situations.

“And in this particular case, it is a direct reflection of Appalachia. So I’ve got a photograph of a young man sitting on a mountaintop looking out over fog.

There’s another photograph of my dad when he was dying. And he is surrounded by his church family laying hands on him to pray him over to the other side.,“ said Terry.

Terry also talked about another artist featured in The 606, named Sam McKinney. She said his work is prominently displayed upon entering the Lex Arts Gallery.

“He did this beautiful series of nudes and they’re really large nudes. Yet he cut them up into strips and weaved them between tobacco sticks. It’s almost a literal example of how we weave our culture into the work,” said Terry.

Terry also mentioned the work of Rebecca Miller Campbell and how Campbell has a wall full of dolls she created for The 606.

"A lot of times those dolls reflect perhaps foxes or wolves or wildlife that one would see in Appalachia, raccoons, groundhogs, things like that,” explained Terry.

And finally, Ron Gevedon. In The 606 exhibit Gevedon has 5 acrylic paintings that are the beginning of a much larger series he’s working on called Halcyon Daze.

In this exhibit, there’s a painting of his grandmother holding a shotgun. Gevedon says it’s based on a true story.

“One of my paintings is called ‘Grannie’s got a gun’. And it’s based on my grandmother, after my grandfather died in the 60’s. There was a lot of people pranking around. And she shot the screen door off the house with a shotgun, in real life. And they split the corn patch in two. She never did get pranked again. The painting itself has an old granny woman sitting on the porch with her shotgun. The title is basically a pun on the Aerosmith song, Janie’s Got Her Gun.

This is just a glimpse of the 'The 606' exhibition featured at The Lex Arts Gallery in Lexington. It is on display through September 2^nd.

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It's a Saturday evening in Lexington, 20 people rest on yoga mats or in reclining chairs at a large dance studio. They’ve come to explore a technique known as sound healing where specific instruments are played to help relax the body.

As the evening begins yoga instructor Jaime Brown guides the group into a deep meditation combined with the sounds of harp music by Sally Kelton.

Once everyone seems to be resting comfortably, certified sound healing practitioner and Jaime Brown’s husband, Ronnie Brown uses various musical instruments that create soothing sounds, sounds of nature, and what he calls healing vibrations.

“Sound healing is used to guide the body into relaxing and being able to use its natural healing abilities by relaxing to the sounds of the music with deep listening,” said Brown.

Brown has been a musician for 33 years playing guitar and bass but said in these sound sessions or so-called sound baths he uses special instruments like crystal/Tibetan Singing Bowls, gongs, flutes, chimes, the sound of rain, and the instrument he’s especially drawn to called the handpan. He said it’s the vibration of the instruments that participants need to experience.

The handpan is kind of like the steel drum, the Caribbean steel drum, they’re hollow kind of like a cereal bowl. They dip down. The vibration of the handpan is what they really need to feel,” explained Brown.

Brown has been a certified sound healer since 2019. And now he has worked with more than 800 people. Most of his sessions are group sessions but sometimes he works with people one on one. Tonight, he said is the first group sound bath in which he’s invited two other practitioners to join. Versailles resident Sally Kelton plays the harp during the beginning of this evening’s session. She said she can feel the vibrations of the different instruments being played.

" I think that it relaxes you. There’s just something to it. It might bring up some feelings you haven’t really revealed. It’s just interesting to me," said Kelton.

Brown also invited Amy Hudson who plays crystal healing bowls and a rain drum. The 38-year-old said she’s been practicing sound healing for 5 years.

“Oftentimes we don’t allow ourselves to just be present with who we are and when you’re in a sound healing session you don’t have anything to distract you from what it is that you have avoided," reported Hudson.

This isn’t Sara Newbury’s first session in Lexington. She enjoys the sessions.

“I recognize just the value of this in creating peace and clearing out negative energy. For me, I experienced interesting colors when the lady was doing the sound bowls and I was seeing almost like metallic colors of blue and yellow and pink with different sounds. There’s really something powerful that happens and we don’t have to understand it fully, you know but to experience it is where it’s at,” said Newbury.

Dr. Tamara Goldsby is a University of California, San Diego clinical research psychologist in integrative medicine with a focus on, sound healing research. In the Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine, Goldsby and her colleagues published a study that examined the effects of sound meditation, specifically Tibetan singing bowl meditation, on mood, anxiety, pain, and spiritual well-being. Sixty-two women and men participated by using self-report surveys.

“What we found was that they had significant reductions in tension and anxiety and reduced depression and even reduced fatigue and anger which was really amazing and then they showed increases in spiritual well-being. People who had pain before invariably had a strong reduction in pain afterward, physical pain," said Goldsby.

Lexington resident Zach Scanlon said he sought out sound healing to help him heal from a traumatic brain injury.

“I am watching energy shift through my body, through the seven energy centers we have through our body. I am watching pain move and then go away over the course of two hours here tonight.”

Like Scanlon, a couple of other participants reported a shift in their physical pain during this evening’s session. Many people reported deep relaxation.

After walking through the room with various instruments and playing them close to each participant sound healing practitioner Ronnie Brown ended the session with the sound and vibration of the gong.

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Just about one year ago, historic floods decimated parts of eastern Kentucky. Many people in the region continue to rebuild and recover from the physical and emotional devastation of a major flood.

Camp Noah is a special day camp focused on resiliency and preparedness for children who survived the floods.

Outside, it’s a hot summer day in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. But inside the air-conditioned Floyd County Community Center, it’s comfortable. This is where a group of kids between the ages of 5 and 12 attend Camp Noah. It’s a week-long day camp designed for survivors of disasters like last July’s floods that hit eastern Kentucky. Camp music coordinator Melanie Turner leads some of the children in a song about hope and the future.

Turner is a professional musician. She’s taught children for more than 25 years and said music can be therapeutic.

“Through participating in the arts, especially music, I feel that students can express themselves, can find a way to talk about their feelings and I think music can be very uplifting and healing,” said Turner.

The camp is sponsored by the nonprofit Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation for Healthier Communities. The elementary school-age children spend each day in small groups where they participate in various activities.

On this day, a dozen children line up on chairs in front of a small stage for a puppet show about safety. The puppets are animals from Noah's Ark. Cassie Hites, the camp coordinator, gets the campers excited about the puppet show by asking them to make the sound of their favorite animal.

Hites said all of these children are survivors of last July’s horrific flooding in eastern Kentucky.

“And we are building some resiliency skills as well as providing some healing from all the traumas that they had faced from that flooding,” explained Hites.

Eight-year-old Chase Prater lists a few of the activities he likes to do at Camp Noah.

“Paint, play basketball, play frisbee,” said Prater.

He and Ethan Smith use long brushes to dab blue paint on a mural designed by artist Lacy Hale. The 5 feet tall by 10 feet wide piece of art includes images of cardinals, the state flower, and helping hands. Campers, Prater and Smith tell why they like painting the mural.

“Really cool and it’s fun,” said Prater.

What I like is, I like how it’s very artistic,” exclaimed Smith.

Lacy Hale said the themes of the mural are resiliency and sense of place. She supports each child as they take turns painting the piece of art that will be displayed next month at the Celebrate Resilience Event in Wayland.

Hale, who lives in Whitesburg, is also a flood survivor. She understands why painting this mural is helpful to the healing process.

‘I think it’s really meaningful that they can see something come together that they’ve worked on as a team. And just to have some sort of creative, expressive outlet to make this imagery that they know will last and other people will see. They can be proud of it,” said Hale.

In another room, camp counselor Shay Slone talked to children about life after the flood.

Slone encouraged each child to draw a picture of something positive.

As the day goes on two children begin to get a little tired. They wrap up in blankets provided as part of a resiliency care package. Camp counselors stay close by to comfort the children.

Ten of the camp counselors are students from the Carl D. Perkins Job Corp Center in Prestonsburg. Annie Collins the work-based learning coordinator there said having her students working at the camp is valuable.

”Everybody in Eastern Kentucky has a flood story. I’ve got chills now just speaking about it. Some of our students and staff lost everything they had. Places flooded that never flooded before. And so this area has seen a lot of hurt and heartache. So, in order to give back and bring some joy and smiles to these kids that’s why it’s important,” said Collins.

Collins directs all the children to gather in one room where Macy the crisis response dog arrives with her owner Bear Berman.

‘We’re going to hang out with you guys and you can spend as much time as you want loving on Macy. We’ll be here today and tomorrow,” announced Berman.

Berman said the golden retriever is a certified therapy dog with the New Jersey-based non-profit Crisis Response Canines.

“We were welcomed with open arms and immediately the children want to tell you about their dog and their family and we just let them open up,” reported Berman.

As the camp day comes to a close Camp Counselor Kincaid Richards sits near 8-year-old camper Loki Stephens. Loki said, "camp is good".

Loki and the other campers continue petting Macy the therapy dog. They all hope to be back at Camp Noah tomorrow.

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One year after historic flooding ravaged parts of eastern Kentucky, many people continue to look for ways to rebuild and recover. A local nonprofit sponsored a day camp for elementary students who survived the flood. It included singing, healing, playing, puppet shows, and art projects.

Children at Camp Noah painted a mural with eastern Kentucky artist Lacy Hale.

On a summer day at the Floyd County Community Center in the mountains of eastern Kentucky artist Lacy Hale gently guides a group of 5 to 12-year-old kids as they paint a mural with images of cardinals, the state flower, and helping hands. The mural is one of resilience and hope.

Hale designed the 5-feet-tall by 10-feet wide piece of art for the elementary children attending Camp Noah, a weeklong day camp for kids who survived last July’s floods in eastern Kentucky. The camp is sponsored by the nonprofit Appalachian Regional Healthcare for Healthier Communities. Hale believes a mural makes sense in this setting because she says working on an art project like this can be therapeutic.

”And I think they get to see something that they’re making together. I think that’s really an important part of it too because they’re not just working on something alone. I think it’s really meaningful in those ways that they can see something come together that they worked on just to have some sort of creative outlet to make this imagery they know will last and they can be proud of it," said Hale.

The 42-year-old said she does a lot of this type of mural work, and public art with communities and with kids. She and the camp coordinator discussed resiliency and a sense of place as themes for the piece of art. Hale says she wanted to incorporate something that would be uplifting and beautiful. She said she also wanted to honor those lost in the flood.

“So, I used the cardinal to symbolize that, those people we had lost and then the goldenrod is the state flower just because I thought it would add a nice pop of the yellow color. And then the lady slipper which is a wild orchid found in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, just because it’s so rare and it’s kind of fragile but it’s also beautiful and it grows against all odds. Then there’s hands on the top and the bottom touching each other, that symbolizes the community helping each other and the people who came in and helped us here and there’s a heart in the center as well," explained Hale.

The artist lives in Whitesburg and drives an hour to get to the camp in Floyd County. She’s emotional as she recalls how she and her husband lost their record store and her art studio in last year’s horrific flooding. Hale said the boots she wore while cleaning up one year ago from the flood remain on her hearth, and are full of mud.

“ You know our place had been there, the store had been there eight years that June of last year. And so there were customers we had that were coming in and helping, bringing cleaning supplies. So, most of the days I started out in tears because I was so overwhelmed by the generosity that people were showing us and the kindness. You know, just total strangers coming in off the street that we didn’t know and getting covered in this noxious smelling mud just to help us clean out our business, it was pretty you know I hadn’t cried about this in like a while but…it really made an impression on me,” reported Hale.

And now Hale’s work is making an impression on the children at Camp Noah.

Eight-year-old Ethan Smith holds a long paintbrush and carefully dabs blue paint on a section of the mural.
“We did the sky and the mountains so far,” said Smith.

Smith takes pride in the part he’s painted.

“ I like how we’re very precise with the colors," said Smith.

Hale assures each child that it’s fine to make mistakes because as she says, it’s just paint.

While Lacy Hale has produced other art related to July’s historic flooding, she says working with the children on this mural touches her heart.

”Yesterday evening one of the little girls just came up and just held onto my leg and hugged me. It was just so sweet. It made me feel like she obviously enjoyed what we had done and she felt like she trusted me and that really touched me. Because sometimes it’s so chaotic (laugh) these murals are messy and there’s kids running back and forth and dipping paint and paint gets everywhere and so that really meant a lot to me. And today a couple of them came back in to paint, they were like WE’RE BACK and they were just so excited. I do these projects for the community but also just as much for myself probably. This one because of the flood and because of what I went through as well, I thought it would be as beneficial for me as for the kids. So, yeah this has been a really good project. I was excited to come to this project,” said Hale.

For now, the mural hangs in Hale’s art studio in Whitesburg but next month it will be on display at the Celebrate Resilience event in Wayland.

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For the third year in a row, the Eastern Kentucky mountain town of Pikeville was home to the Mountain Grrl Experience. It's a unique art and music event designed to promote the creativity and artistry of Appalachian women in a supportive environment.

The all-female bluegrass band, Coaltown Dixie was one of the live music groups performing on a large outdoor stage in downtown Pikeville. On a warm June evening, hundreds of people soaked in the music at tables topped with large blue umbrellas.

Kris Preston plays mandolin with Coaltown Dixie and is the co-organizer of the three-day event. She said the Mountain Grrl Experience is a weekend of music, art, workshops, and culture right here in eastern Kentucky to celebrate the creativity and strength of Appalachian women.

“ We’re doing that by trying to instill upon the next generation the importance of what we have here in this area. To be proud of where they’re from. To be really proud of the strong Appalachian women that are raising them or have raised them,” explained Preston.

The weekend included live music performances on two different outdoor stages. Preston said there are opportunities to create art for all ages and a juried art exhibit at the Appalachian Center for the Arts.

“ And you know, with that event, we’ve heard so many women say 'I never had the opportunity to show my art in an art gallery before.' That’s really what a lot of this is about is giving opportunity to others that might not have had it before.”

While the festival celebrates women, Preston says all genders are welcome. And she said proceeds benefit Turning Point Domestic Violence Services in Martin, Kentucky, a residential facility that provides emergency shelter and advocacy services.

Enjoying festival food and music at the main outdoor stage, 20- year- old Kaylin Bryant said, it was her Mamaw who told her about the Mountain Girl Experience.

“This is where I was born and raised and where all of my family is from and I have had generations of wonderful women that could have really benefitted from this so I’m glad that our generation is kind of allowed this empowerment,” said Bryant.

In addition to evening performances, the Mountain Grrl Experience had daytime events in the town. At Pikeville City Park, several families gathered under a tent where a large banner read, Music is Healing.

Colorful drums, xylophones, tambourines, and chimes were available for anyone to pick up and explore. Pike County resident Linda Wright joined her grandson Tyler in beating the drums.

“I think it’s good like if you’re lonely and you need something to bring peace into your life, music just puts a smile on your face,” said Wright.

Music therapist Cecilia Wright encouraged members of the audience to pick up an instrument. She traveled to the event from Knoxville to lead a Community Music Therapy Workshop. She said the goal of the Music is Healing tent is to create an inviting space for kids to experience music and try different instruments.

“It’s really just creating that safe space for kids to experience music. In a way, there’s no right or wrong. It’s just about experiencing music and having that support,” said Wright.

She also led a workshop for adults on the porch of Pikeville’s Chamber of Commerce. That’s where Zoe Howard shared a song she wrote.

“I think that song tells a lot about how I’m gonna pursue music therapy and how I want that song to heal others and make everybody happy,” reported Howard.

The 19-year-old from Salyersville said she considers herself a mountain girl.

“A mountain girl is a woman who lives, born, raised, or traveled to Appalachia who lives in Appalachia. And who loves the arts of Appalachia,” said Howard.

Two-time Grammy winner and singer/songwriter Rebecca Lynn Howard said she is proud to call herself a mountain girl. Howard whose songs have been recorded by artists such as Trisha Yearwood and Reba McEntire, leads an afternoon music writing workshop. The room was full of men and women taking notes as she talked about co-writing the song, Lipstick.

“Any time I get a chance to come back home and contribute in any way to the arts here in the mountains, it’s always so important to me cause I’m so appreciative of the talent here. The musical heritage is so rich and anytime I can contribute to helping that grow, I will do it,” explained Howard.

Howard was raised in Magoffin County and now lives in Nashville, Tennessee. She sang to a full audience from the main stage at the Mountain Grrl Experience.

Co-organizer of Mountain Grrrl Experience, Kris Preston said dozens of people helped with the event. She said even though it was stressful at times if the Mountain Grrl Experience helped other women and young people in any way, it was worth it.

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Thirteen-year-old singer Phoebe White has been yodeling for audiences for nearly half her life. The London, Kentucky yodeling cowgirl is gaining national attention for her music.

When Phoebe White was eight years old, she taught herself to yodel. It was the song Blue by country singer LeAnn Rimes that inspired Phoebe to learn how to yodel. She heard it on the way home from vacation. She said the sound was so different she wanted to try it.

Phoebe said she’s also inspired by old-time yodelers like Jimmie Rodgers and Patsy Montana.

Now she’s thirteen, and in September of last year released her 10-track album called UnXpected.

In the music room at her southeastern Kentucky home where several stringed musical instruments hang on a wall, Phoebe plays an acoustic guitar and sings one of the songs from her album. It’s easy to smile when you hear Phoebe White.

The giggling teen wears a pair of denim overalls. She said she likes everything cowgirl. She also likes cheesecake and cookies, and the family dog they call Kenny Rogers. But most of all she likes to perform in front of people.

“I just love yodeling. I love making the audience smile cause it’s something different. And when I see people smile, or just see them happy, it just makes me so happy,” said Phoebe.

Phoebe’s mom and manager, Tiffany White sits close by as her daughter demonstrates a few different types of yodeling patterns.

Tiffany said it was a complete surprise when they learned recently that Phoebe’s album, UnXpected, made the Western Music Charts. Tiffany found out when she received the International Western Music Association’s spring edition of The Western Way.

” I was stunned because she just released the album. And, I was flipping through the magazine. I didn’t know that she would be on the charts at all much less number seven. So that was, exciting, very exciting,” said Tiffany.

When she was seven years old Phoebe told her mom she wanted to sing for an audience and be entered in competitions. She’s won 24 talent contests. The bubbly teenager can sing different genres but prefers what she calls Cowboy or Western music. Phoebe said she plays several instruments by ear.

“I play piano, I play 12-string guitar, I play guitar, I play banjo, ukelele, and mandolin and I’m learning fiddle right now,” explained Phoebe.

At age 10 Phoebe appeared on the 1000th broadcast of WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour with Grammy Award-winning Riders in the Sky. Creator and host of WoodSongs, Michael Johnathon produced Phoebe’s album and suggested she call it, UnXpected.

“I thought what a nice title for Phoebe’s album because nobody’s going to expect a 13 -year- old kid to not only be this good but to be recording her album with Riders in the Sky and The McClain Family Band," said Johnathon.

Phoebe said she’s become friends with the Grammy-winning western music and comedy group Riders in the Sky. The Grand Ole Opry members sing three tracks with Phoebe on her new album.

They even change the title of their big hit, Jessie the Yodeling Cowgirl to Phoebe the Yodeling Cowgirl, when they sing with Phoebe.

The song was written by Riders in the Sky’s Doug Green, otherwise known as Ranger Doug. Green who is known for his yodeling and has given Phoebe a few yodeling tips said she has a lot of talent.

“Well, I think she’s just really just beginning. She laid the groundwork starting at age 8 to 13 and she has plenty of developing yet to do. She’s going to be a major talent,” said Green.

With one album under her belt, Phoebe White is planning her next album and she’s hoping to write all of the songs. For now, the yodeling cowgirl is scheduled to perform at various concerts in states like Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio.

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The nonprofit Kentucky Foundation for Women has recognized one particular artist in the commonwealth with multiple grant awards.

Kentucky writer Savannah Sipple talked about being a three-time grantee and the themes of her work.

In the backyard of her Lexington home, writer Savannah Sipple breaks up clumps of rich dark soil with a gardening hoe in preparation for planting tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, and perhaps some corn. She learned this skill from her grandmother growing up in eastern Kentucky.

Gardening is one thing this Kentucky writer does to relax. She said, lately, there hasn’t been much time for relaxing. Sipple is primarily a poet. She also writes fiction and non-fiction. Her work has been published in places like Salon and Go Magazine and now she’s working on a revision of her first novel.

“I think one of the things that comes through in my work is just writing about an experience that is often overlooked. And so, I’m not just writing from a feminist perspective, I’m also writing from an Appalachian perspective but then also being a queer, Appalachian woman. And so, the work that I do all sort of speaks to that experience,” explained Sipple.

The 39-year-old Sipple has received three artist enrichment grants from the Kentucky Foundation for Women. The organization awards the grants to feminist artists working toward positive social change. In 2012, Sipple used the grant money to help publish her book of poetry, WWJD and Other Poems. In 2015, she received support from the foundation to write her memoir, and her recent award is going toward work on her novel.

“One of the things that I hope happens when people read my work is that it creates some sort of understanding. And so that even if my experience is not their exact experience, then they at least have some sort of understanding of what it might be like. I think it’s very validating for other folks, whether they’re artists or not to see their own experience reflected in literature that they read. And that’s not an experience I had very often growing up. Maybe you’re not from a rural place but maybe you grew up queer or closeted or whatever else. For me, it’s just a matter of trying to build understanding and I think that’s where change really starts to happen,” said Sipple.

Sipple said her writing style is influenced by several different places.

“ I read voraciously first of all, and always have, for as long as I can remember. My mom tells a story of me packing around a stack of books as tall as I was around the house, wanting to be read to. That’s a huge part of it but also I think that in my writing practice, one of the things I try to do is just tune out this thought of what is this person going to think or how are people going to react to this and try to tell the truest story that I can,” reported Sipple.

Her first collection, WWJD and Other Poems was published in 2019 and was included on the American Library Association's Over the Rainbow Recommended LGBTQ Reading List. Sipple and I walk to a park that’s close to her home. Sitting on a green picnic bench she reads a poem from her collection called Pork Belly.

The KFW grant she received in 2012 supported this collection.

”This KFW grant was to support that collection of poetry and that collection of poetry was published in 2019, which is seven years but it took on a lot of iterations and went through several revisions at that time,” said Sipple.

Avery Guess is the grant programs manager for the Kentucky Foundation for Women. She said artists from all over the state apply for grants to do work that they hope will transform society. Guess calls Sipple a triple threat because she’s used the grants to write poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.

“She writes about a variety of themes often centered around LGBTQ plus issues as well as intersectional issues such as Christian fundamentalism, body shaming, fatphobia, and also homophobia and what it means to be queer, rural, and feminist,” said Guess.

Savannah Sipple said she plans to work on a revision of her novel this summer. The working title is Three Strikes. It’s about a summer league softball team with two narrators who are best friends. One of them is closeted and coming to terms with being gay.

She said the support provided by the Kentucky Foundation for Women has been pivotal in helping her career as a writer.

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There’s a special award given out to Kentuckians who design and create certain musical instruments. It’s the Homer Ledford Award and it recognizes talented luthiers – or stringed instrument makers - for their contributions to the craft and service to Kentucky music communities.

Arts reporter Cheri Lawson traveled to Georgetown and Lexington to meet the recipients of the 2023 Homer Ledford Award.

In the music room, at his Georgetown, Ky. home, where fiddles line the shelves of a large cabinet, Tommy Case points out a certain plaque hanging on the wall. It’s the Homer Ledford Award. Case is proud but appears shy about receiving the award named for a man he knew, master luthier and musician Homer Ledford.

“It’s very humbling because I mean there’s no way that I would ever accomplish even if I had two lifetimes what he did,” said Case.

The 76- year-old Case received the award because of his craftsmanship as a luthier for two decades. The award also honors Case for mentoring apprentices in the art of lutherie through the Kentucky Arts Council. Five of the violins he crafted are lined up on his dining room table. He holds up one of the musical instruments and says maple is the preferred wood used for the sides and back of a violin.

“There’s a mechanism, a recipe for the cuts that you make. And then again you use small chisels to carve out the wood. These pieces, the fingerboard is made out of ebony and that’s either from India or Africa. It’s really nice looking. It’s hard and as you use the instrument it wears less with your fingers and the strings,” explained Case.

Playing an Irish waltz on one of his violins Case said he’s especially proud of these last two he crafted.

“ Every time you make one, you know, you try to make changes, you know, in the amount of carving that you do, the thicknesses of the top and the back to make them have a better tone,” reported Case.

The Homer Ledford Award is sponsored by the Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology at Western Kentucky University, the Kentucky Folklife Program, and the Kentucky Arts Council. It honors excellent Kentucky luthiers for their contributions to instrument making and service to area music communities. Brent Bjorkman, director of the Kentucky Folklife Program says the award is typically handed out every two years to one Kentucky luthier. He said because of COVID there was a hiatus. So, in March he presented awards to two recipients, Tommy Case of Georgetown and George Wakim of Lexington.

“They’re a very unsung group of people who really help make music get forwarded throughout regions, throughout different genres and bluegrass genres and classical genres. People that pick up a musical instrument owe a lot to these people who have the dedication to create these instruments,” said Bjorkman.

Luthier George Wakim is playing an instrument called the oud. Wakim is known for making Arabic wooden pear-shaped instruments as well as violins and percussive instruments. He moved to Lexington from Lebanon in 1984. As a musician, he performs with a Flamenco-Arabic band in Kentucky. He said receiving the Homer Ledford Award was a humbling experience.

“I almost felt I don’t deserve it. Knowing and having shared a stage with Homer Ledford at the Folklife Festival in Frankfort. Knowing the man and knowing his capacities, knowing his meek and modest spirit. It’s an honor,” said Wakim.

Wakim started making instruments because of his passion for playing and his interest in creating the best possible sound.

“I’m left-handed, right-handed violins didn’t cut it for me. I wanted to experiment and try things. It’s where I keep my heart and eyes and my whole being on the line to be all I can be,” explained Wakim.

In Wakim’s Lexington living room musician and luthier, Art Mize enjoys playing a tune on one of Wakim’s right-handed fiddles.

In 2007 Mize was the first recipient of the Homer Ledford Award and said he was overwhelmed by the honor. Forty years ago, at age 19, Mize played fiddle in a band with Homer Ledford.

“I just have delightful memories of Homer as a performer. He was humorous and a great model for a shy 19 -year-old to see someone just claim the stage and have fun with it. That was sort of the hobby on top of the instrument work. He made over 6000 dulcimers in his lifetime,” said Mize.

Mize has worked with both 2023 Homer Ledford Award Recipients. In 2013 Tommy Case apprenticed with Mize. And now Mize and George Wakim sometimes collaborate as luthiers.

Art Mize imagines that he, George Wakim, and Tommy Case will continue perfecting their skills in the art of lutherie.

“There's this sense that you can always improve. Right? And there’s always more to understand and more to learn. Because the way a violin works is ultimately very mysterious. Lots of parts that come together to create a tremendously magical effect,”

Every two years in March the Homer Ledford Award is presented at the Kentucky Crafted Market at the Kentucky Horsepark in Lexington.

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High on a Hill in Devou Park sits the Behringer- Crawford Museum. Jason French is the museum’s curator of collections. He gives me a tour of the exhibit called Kentucky Craft Luminaries: Sharing the Stories. French points to a quilt made by Owen County textile artist, Rebekka Seigel. The red and white quilt called ‘Lucille Ball Paper Doll Quilt’ is almost as large as the wall where it’s displayed.

“It’s a quilt that has all of these kind of patches, that are dresses and outfits that actually Velcro into the place on the quilt. And it gives it a little more dimension," said French.

More than 30 pieces of art by Kentucky craftspeople are presented in a few rooms at the Behringer-Crawford. French said the museum has been waiting for a chance to display this art which includes a variety of modalities such as quilting, pottery, beadwork, and whittling.

“This is an exhibit that we’ve wanted to have for a number of years. The Kentucky Craft History and Education Association has pulled together oral histories and works from really prominent Kentucky artists in each of their disciplines,” explained French.

Officials with the Kentucky Craft History and Education Association created the exhibit to document Kentucky’s craft history. It’s part of an ongoing oral history project where nearly one hundred artists and other supporters across Kentucky have been interviewed about their work. The displays in the museum feature pictures of the artists, including their biographies which hang on the wall near their art. Fran Redmon is on the KCHEA board.

“Our only requirement is that they be someone who’s had an impact on the craft community in Kentucky. Some are nationally recognized, not all are. So, we try to have a broad representation across the state,” reported Redmon.

This is the fourth time Kentucky Craft Luminaries: Sharing the Stories is being presented in the Commonwealth. Again, Behringer-Crawford’s curator of collections Jason French.

“Anytime you see a Sharing the Stories Kentucky Craft Luminaries exhibit in the state of Kentucky, it’s going to probably have different pieces and maybe different artists displayed there. It just depends on the availability of the artists and what their commitments are for different shows,” said French.

French stands near a glass case where a wooden vessel or vase covered in colorful beadwork is displayed.

The piece, created by Linda Pigman Fifield is from a series called ‘Hills of Home’. Fifield lives in the country about 10 miles outside Berea. She said her beadwork was inspired by a trip in 1974 to the Field Museum in Chicago. That’s when she saw Native American baskets for the first time.

“And I was just spellbound. I was spellbound by how beautiful and intricate they were, how finely twined they were. And I thought that each little stitch looked like a bead. And it was at that point that I got the inspiration to create something of beauty and objects of that skill and detail," said Fifield.

The 68-year-old said she taught herself how to do the beading stitch through trial and error and experimentation. At first, she would stitch over clay pots but changed to wooden vessels she says, because they are more durable.

“I am working with a needle and thread. I’m stitching bead to bead, one bead at a time. So, I’m actually creating a network of beads using glass beads from the Czech Republic, nylon thread, and a needle. So, it’s like a beaded skin that completely encases the vessel,” said Fifield.

Another artist featured in this exhibit is Louisville Potter, Wayne Ferguson. Ferguson’s been working consistently as an exhibiting artist since 1971.

“The theme that I kind of gravitated to in probably the early 90s was more of a sociopolitical kind of a commentary on the environment, strip mining, and a bunch of other things. And I found I can incorporate a lot of that in a teapot for instance,” said Ferguson.

A significant part of this exhibit is the story behind each artist. Wayne Ferguson recalls how a high school teacher helped him find his way through his art when he was in trouble.

” I had an art teacher. Her name was Eva Hinkle. And I was a kid who was in a lot of trouble and when I say trouble, I mean it was non-stop. I’m talking court appearances, probation, incarceration. You name it. She managed how to get me to do work that was positive. She was the person who made the real change,” explained Ferguson.

Museum Curator Jason French said stories like Wayne Ferguson’s are compelling and an interesting part of this exhibit.

“ You don’t always think about your art teacher keeping you out of prison. You know, changing your life. These exhibits I just think are so powerful because they can tell those stories.," said French.

“Kentucky Craft Luminaries: Sharing the Stories,” will be on display at the Behringer- Crawford Museum through May 14th.

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The Lexington Chamber Chorale’s 2022-2023 Season is focusing on Improving Health Through Music

Arts reporter Cheri Lawson attended the Chorale’s February concert and filed this report

It’s an unusually warm Sunday evening in February at the Second Presbyterian Church in Lexington. That’s where the Lexington Chamber Chorale is performing to an audience of more than 200 people. Dr. Gary Anderson is the Chorale's conductor. He said the Chorale concentrates on acapella music and their concerts are almost always theme-based.

“Which is why we’re doing ‘Restorative and Therapeutic Power of Music’ as a theme for this particular concert. So, we have a theme and then I choose music to fit the theme,” said Anderson.

The 80- year- old Anderson said, after COVID, it just made sense for the Chorale’s themes to combine mental and physical health with music. He said that’s why the 2022-2023 season is called ‘Improving Our Health Through Music”. In this evening’s concert called ‘The Restorative and Therapeutic Power of Music’, there are four categories including, music and the heart, music and memories, music connects us, and music is the laughter of the soul.

” We really believe this issue of music is therapeutic and helpful. We believe it, and now we’re trying to do music that emphasizes that, talks about that, sings about that,” explained Anderson.

As the concert comes to an end some audience members are filing down to the undercroft of the church where Baptist Health professionals like Stephanie Turner are welcoming people and providing medical information about issues like cancer and heart disease.

Turner is the practice manager of Baptist Health Lexington’s Heart and Valve Center. She tells concert-goers how they can be heart- healthy.

“How to also do heart health assessments to see if someone is at moderate or high risk for heart disease, how to take blood pressures at home, if they have a machine to do that at home, and how to do that properly. As well, we’re teaching hands-only CPR," said Turner.

Turner said she wasn’t surprised to be invited to perform health assessments at a concert where the focus is the Restorative and Therapeutic Power of Music.

“Because I do believe in music as a healing force with patients,“ explained Turner.

Lexington resident Andrew Moore is a former member of the Chorale and his wife currently performs. Moore thinks the concert and the health information after are a good combination.

“I think that the music ties in with the theme and helps raise awareness, that music can be a very important part of our overall health and how we interact with each other in a musical setting is definitely beneficial,” said Moore.

Enjoying a few snacks at the reception after the concert, Kristine Neese said she’s lived in Lexington for 21 years. Neese said she keeps coming back to see the Chorale because it feels spiritual and the music helps her feel calm and less stressed.

“I liked the sing-a-long part a lot because I think people really like to sing and you don’t get a chance to very often. And the first song, This Land is Your Land, I love that song, it makes you happy to be somebody who knows that this is our land,” explained Neese.

Psychiatrist, Dr. Mark Wright has been singing with the Chorale for 30 years. He says when people sing they tend to feel better.

“ It’s shown that our body releases endorphins, it increases the level of serotonin in our system and when you feel serotonin it’s like eating chocolate, you get the same experience of joy and love,” said Wright.

Conductor Dr. Gary Anderson said he’s sure that being involved with music has been good for his health.

“I am absolutely convinced that I’m healthier in body and mind because I’m making music. I’m convinced of that,” reported Anderson.

Anderson said the next Lexington Chamber Chorale Concert is scheduled for April 16^th and its theme is, Music and Dance: A Healthy Pairing.

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In his home at the southern end of Owen County musician John Harrod is sitting on an upholstered, rolling, desk chair, with his legs crossed at the knees and a fiddle tucked under his chin. He’s demonstrating fiddle playing from various regions in Kentucky.

Harrod has been playing the fiddle for 60 years. He says he spent the 1970s, 80s, and 90s documenting old-style traditional music in Kentucky.

“Particularly fiddle music. I focused on the fiddle probably more than anything else because the fiddle just has a way of grabbing hold of you,” reported Harrod.

Harrod said he was involved in recording hundreds of old-time Kentucky musicians and was inspired by many of them.

“All of it is housed at both the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State University and Berea College. And many people have used those collections for their own research,” explained Harrod.

The 77-year-old pulls out a white binder filled with pages of the names of Kentucky fiddlers and the counties they are from. He has stories about all of them.

“Down in Madison and Jessamine County, those fiddlers were the ones that had grown up with these Black fiddlers, in particular, Jim Booker. So that was a whole little microcosm of unique music in that one little place. There were some great women fiddlers along the way, Emma Lee Dickerson, Lella Todd, Effie Pearson. I recorded them, Lily May Ledford," said Harrod.

Harrod recalled being in Lewis County to record a bunch of fiddlers in the barn of folk artists and musicians Noah and Charley Kinney.

“I was amazed at all these fiddlers that showed up in the barn just from maybe about a five-mile radius. And I was talking to Brooks Menier who was one of the fiddlers and you know, he looked around, he said, ‘yeah, this here’s fiddle country’ that stuck in my mind because he was right,” reported Harrod.

Harrod listed some of his favorite fiddlers.

“I’d have to say four maybe. For central Kentucky, it would be Doc Roberts. For the Ohio River, it would be Buddy Thomas and for southeast Kentucky, it would be Luther Strong," said Harrod.

“And then in a category all by himself would be Darley Fulks who was just back there in the 19th century playing in what seemed to me to be like the original bedrock style of all of Kentucky fiddling which was also very Black. He was White of course. But he recognized that the mountain fiddling as he played it came from Black people and that was very unusual for this old man living in Wolfe County to know that, because of course, that’s true. So much of what we think of as mountain music actually has a Black origin,” added Harrod.

The Kentucky native plays with the band Kentucky Wildhorse. He teaches fiddle in several places across the country from Port Townsend, Washington, to Tennessee. And he’s been a regular at Cowan Creek Mountain Music School in Letcher County, Kentucky for 21 years. He’s currently teaching an intermediate fiddle class with Cowan Creek’s online winter session. He said every fiddle tune has a different feeling to it.

“When you play you connect with that feeling. It makes you feel better. You’re connecting with something that’s living in that tune. Every tune has its own personality,” said Harrod.

The online classes started because of COVID. And Harrod said while he’s adjusted to teaching remotely, he likes the last week in June the best when there’s a full week of in-person classes.

”There’s nothing like the music school just for the food and the sense of community and getting to hang out with people and all the informal music that goes on throughout the day and the evening. It’s just like music immersion for the entire week,” explained Harrod.

Although Harrod is humble about his knowledge and talent, he is considered an expert. He’s a master artist in The Kentucky Arts Council’s Folk Arts Apprenticeship program. Harrod’s passion for music connects him with tradition while mentoring students.

“Sharing good energy with people and doing something that’s fun and allows for self-expression. I think for people who are really deep into it and have done it for a long time it’s also a spiritual thing. And I think it has always been that at the deepest level for people who participate in it,” said Harrod.

As for Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, Harrod called it the ideal place to learn about Kentucky’s music and its culture.

“And share it and take some of it back with you and everybody ends up feeling better when they go home.”
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

People all over the state of Kentucky enjoy clogging. The dance has been called affordable family fun by some dancers. Others call it, great exercise, that helps relieve stress.

It’s Tuesday evening in Williamstown. That’s where 83- year-old Wanda McClurg is dancing with the Hills of Kentucky Cloggers at the American Legion Hall.

Wearing white laced-up clogging shoes and a hot pink t-shirt sporting the dance group’s name, McClurg’s feet move quickly in time to the music along with 15 other dancers. The red-head octogenarian has been clogging for nearly 40 years.

”I don’t let anything interfere with my clogging on Tuesday night. No matter what, I will go to my class on Tuesday night. I have missed if there’s something really special going on at church, I may miss but Tuesday night is my night to clog," said McClurg.

The Hills of Kentucky Cloggers led by Instructor Fonda Hill-Harkleroad, are returning from their 6- week holiday break. Fonda is Wanda McClurg’s niece. She’s been the director of the dance group since 1991. Her classes held in Williamstown and Ludlow include students from ages five to 83. Fonda and her Aunt Wanda agree, the Appalachian folk dance is great exercise and isn’t difficult but it takes consistent practice. Fonda says beginners start with eight basic steps.

“You have to start at the basic level and it doesn’t matter if you have two left feet because most of our dances start on the left foot so maybe you’re ahead of the game there. We’ll take several months to give you the basic steps," reported Fonda.

Over the years Fonda’s classes have competed and been featured on broadcast tv but now they mostly enjoy performing at holiday events in Williamstown and festivals like the Appalachian Festival in Cincinnati. She said one of their all-time favorite places to perform is the Kentucky Wool Festival in Falmouth.

“They come to see us. When we show up there those benches are full. They are there to watch us and we have been doing that our whole thirty-plus years of having the clogging team," explained Fonda.

In 2006 Kentucky designated clogging as its official state dance. On this night, several families are learning in the beginner class. Meggy Cooper is clogging while carrying her baby on a front pack and holding the hand of one of her daughters. She brought five of her six kids to the class. Cooper says clog dancing is affordable, family fun, and great exercise.

“It is Kentucky. It’s our state dance and it’s our heritage. I love it. And it’s a skill set that not a lot of kids have nowadays and I get to do it with them while having a baby attached to myself,” exclaimed Cooper.

The National Clogging Organization based in Georgia serves 23 thousand cloggers worldwide. That’s according to executive director Susan Phillips. She said the dance has been featured recently at the Country Music Awards and on reality shows like America’s Got Talent.

“It has plateaued to a good mix of recreational and competitive clogging in Kentucky and the media exposure has recently increased the popularity of it,” reported Phillips.

A variety of songs can be used as music for clogging and for some instructors the music is prerecorded. But Lexington musician, activist, and clogging instructor, Carla Gover frequently has her cousin Art Mize accompany her on his fiddle while Gover teaches the dance to classes online

“I do a lot of solo and improv dancing and it’s more focused on the sounds that I’m making and the way that I’m accompanied and having a dialogue with the music rather than the way my body looks or the outfit I’m wearing or the super precision steps that I’m doing,” said Gover.

In western Kentucky, Barry Lanham is a clogging instructor with the Footstompin’ Express Dance Troupe. Lanham has been involved in this art form a little over three decades. He first saw the dance at the Grand Old Opry which inspired him to sign up for classes to relieve stress. He said the folk dance has been handed down from generation to generation. Lanham said the dance was influenced by a melting pot of traditions including that of Irish, English Scottish, African, and Native American.

" It's just a combination of blending of the different styles and nationalities. Other dances have taken forms from clogging as well. Like tap dance, for example is refined clogging. So, it's just a very old, rich, historical dance," reported Lanham.

There are dozens of clogging classes in the state of Kentucky and many online.

As for Aunt Wanda McClurg, she'll stick with her Tuesday night group in Williamstown.

" It's good exercise and I want to keep moving, and I've met so many good friends and we're all like family. I want to keep on doing it as long as I can. I'm old and I want to keep on going." exclaimed Wanda.

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Some individuals who are transgender or gender nonconforming seek guidance in aligning the sound of their voice with their gender identity.

Here’s a story of three Kentucky transgender women and their gender-affirming voice care.

Thirty-three-year- old Sarah Hardin is a transgender woman. The curly-haired strawberry blonde Louisville resident said she began her transition about six years ago.
“I was assigned male at birth but I’m legally female now.”

Hardin said one aspect of transitioning that she needed help with is modifying her voice. She wanted her voice to sound more like her sense of self so she started voice therapy sessions at the Louisville Center for Voice Care with UofL Health. Harden demonstrates how she sounded before and then several months after the voice exercises.
“I used to talk like this. And now I’m up here. It’s given me a voice that I’ve tried to find on my own for 28 years and couldn’t,” reported Hardin.

On this day Hardin is taking part in a gender-affirming voice group session led by Speech Language Pathologist Taylor Adams. After Adams leads the women through a few neck stretching exercises she has them make a humming sound, the sound of e, and finally the sound of who.

The speech therapist said roughly a third of the clients she sees at the multidisciplinary voice center are gender-affirming voice care clients. Adams said when someone is transitioning, they might be making numerous adjustments to fit their gender identity including their voice.
“Our goal as the voice therapist is to guide these individuals in developing a voice that is authentic to them and their gender presentation and gender identity, ”explained Adams.

For some people transitioning from one gender identity to another, voice therapy is a top priority. That’s the case for Joanna Marie Metcalf, a slender, transgender woman with waist-length light brown hair. The Louisville waitress is emotional when she talks about her voice as something she’s always been ashamed of.
“It is the thing that causes me the most severe psychological distress,” said Metcalf.

A physician referred Metcalf to the voice center where she participates in weekly one-on-one voice therapy sessions. The 32- year- old said in the first session she learned what kind of feminine voice she wanted to pursue.
“And then they tailor their exercises toward achieving that voice,” said Metcalf.

Metcalf said she appreciates the individual voice therapy even though it’s challenging. But she said the group sessions give her a lot more confidence.
“Because you’re there with other people like you who are struggling with their voice, who don’t really enjoy that part of themselves and you can support each other,” explained Metcalf.

In the one-on-one sessions, speech-language pathologist Karen Crow starts by exploring a few specific aspects of voice, including pitch, resonance, and intonation patterns. Crow is sitting across from her client Lindsey Ricketts. The speech therapist instructs the transgender woman to speak into a microphone.

Crow has been working with Ricketts for 6 months. The voice specialist said her work with the transgender female is a collaborative effort with a lot of experimenting.

“I think what’s so valuable about voice therapy is that they have someone to guide them through that process. I am not the know-it-all who is there to sort of impart this great wisdom on them but rather to guide them through this therapeutic process to find the voice that works best for them,” said Crow.

Some people seek gender-affirming voice care for a year. Voice client Lindsey Ricketts said she was satisfied after six months of weekly sessions and lots of practice.

“I’ve definitely gone from a range where I was a lot more self-conscious and that definitely affected my quality of life to where I can go out and I can speak confidently. I can get gendered correctly and that really does trigger that sense of gender euphoria in knowing that people see me and hear me the way that I would like them to,” said Ricketts.

According to a 2021 study by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law about 1.3 million adults identify as transgender in the U.S. That same study estimates that 17 thousand 700 adults identify as transgender in the state of Kentucky.

Two places that provide gender-affirming voice care in Kentucky include the Louisville Center for Voice Care and the University of Kentucky Voice and Swallow Clinic in Lexington.

Kentuckians Sarah Hardin, Joanna Marie Metcalf, and Lindsey Ricketts report that gender-affirming voice care has helped them find a voice that’s reflective of who they are.

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Music is rolling through the hills of Appalachia again after historic flooding decimated parts of eastern Kentucky in late July. A folk singer asked people from around the country to donate musical instruments to the flood survivors.

More than 500 instruments were handed out at a high school in eastern Ky.

Hundreds of people are lining up in front of Knott County Central High School in Hindman,Ky. where Michael Johnathon, the host of WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour is getting ready to hand out free musical instruments like guitars, dulcimers, and mandolins.

The line is moving quickly. Jeff Coots is hoping to get a guitar to replace the one he lost in the flood. With short brown hair, and wearing a red Under Armour sweatshirt Coots looks younger than his 28 years. He said the church where he sings, and plays guitar, was destroyed in the flood.
“We lost every instrument we had in our entire church,” said Coots.

By the time Coots reached the front of the line, there were no guitars left but he was humbled by the generosity of Michael Johnathon and the volunteers. Coots was grateful to get a mandolin for his church.
“Honestly, I’m just thankful that we had that opportunity. We really didn’t deserve it,” explained Coots.

When the deadly floods hit eastern Kentucky at the end of July, folk singer Johnathon didn’t hesitate to ask people from around the world to donate musical instruments for the flood survivors in Appalachia.

“These are generous, kind, extremely hard-working sincere family oriented. This is the capital of America’s front porch community. You know, music is a big part of their culture,” said Johnathon.

It’s the second time this year the singer has organized an instrument relief project. In March, he and a group of volunteers distributed 800 musical instruments to people in western Kentucky after tornadoes swept through their region.

Johnathon gives all the credit to the volunteers who he said donated a lot of time and energy to collecting, cleaning, restringing, and testing instruments.

“Love is what makes the arts work. I believe in the idea of home and community, family, people working together, people caring about each other, that’s the love part of the arts. And this is a way to show that love,” said Johnathon.

People like Sharon Ohler, a retired music educator helped refurbish instruments like trumpets and flutes for the people who survived the tornadoes in western Kentucky. She was back again to get the instruments presentation-ready for flood survivors in eastern Kentucky.

“In so many ways, I think many of us wondered helplessly what could we do to help these folks. And this was a great brainchild by Michael Johnathon to put music back into the hands of folks who lost it,” said Ohler.

Twenty-four-year-old Katie Stiles is the new band director at Knott County High School. It was difficult to find that the band room was flooded and most of the instruments were ruined. Stiles said this instrument relief project replaced several instruments in her band room.
“We really appreciate it. I now got some instruments to start my junior high students on and some of my high school students and rebuild the band program here. We lost quite a few of our instruments. So, their donations are helping immensely,” said Stiles.

One week before the floods Katie’s sister and parents had been helping Katie make an inventory of all the instruments in the band room. Katie’s dad, Randy Stiles said nobody expected the floods that ravaged the region.

“And we come back exactly a week afterwards to survey the damage in her room. We’re in our rubber boots, walking through the mud and there’s just muddy instruments everywhere and everything’s just destroyed. And we’re having to start from the beginning again,” said Randy.

Band director Katie Stiles said the mountain community is still rebuilding but having these instruments helps everyone.

“It gives the students and the kids in this area something to look forward to, an emotional release, playing their instrument. It gives them an opportunity to get out of their house and a distraction from the destruction around them. It’s awesome to see music coming back to eastern Kentucky,” said Katie.

More than 500 musical instruments were given out at Knott County Central High School in just 90 minutes to the flood survivors. People walking away with new instruments felt this was a big step in helping restore music to the mountains of eastern Kentucky.

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-This story originally aired in March, 2022. As we look back on the six month anniversary of the storms that swept through western Kentucky, we're bringing this story up as a look back at efforts to recover from the devastation.-

Deadly tornadoes swept through parts of the Midwest and the South in December. Entire neighborhoods in western Kentucky were wiped out. Hundreds of people are still displaced and grieving the loss of loved ones, personal items, and life as they knew it. One initiative started by a folk singer is helping to replace musical instruments, and it's given away more than 700 so far.

Behind large white garage doors at a warehouse turned music venue in Dawson Springs, Ky., Sterling Wallace and his wife Karen stand in awe. They've just been handed a guitar to replace one of theirs that was damaged in the tornado.

“It's just unbelievable. I'd cry for a little bit, you guys, but I'll wait till I get home, then I'll cry,” said Sterling Wallace.

Karen Wallace said when she heard about the tornado instrument relief project, she signed up immediately. The music minister said even though she and her husband lost a lot in the storms and have to rebuild, replacing their instruments is a big deal. Gently strumming the guitar feels comforting to her. It's a small step on the way back to normal.

“ For people who love music and who have music in their life and who lost instruments, this is as much as food and gas and, you know, the house. So, yeah, it really means a lot,” explained Karen Wallace.

The host of the WoodsSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, Michael Johnathon, along with dozens of volunteers, sent out requests by email and Facebook, asking people around the country to donate instruments for the tornado survivors.

“ I knew that we couldn't replace water lines or power lines or roofs, but we could replace the music and art,” reported Johnathon.

Steffani Burton's teenage daughters are musicians. Their piano was in storage. A few of their guitars in storage were damaged, and their mandolin was crushed in the tornado. Her kids getting violins today gives her hope.

“ It means everything. Music is such a big part of our home and our life, and the tornado took that,” said an emotional Burton.

Instrument donations came from all over North America, and even a few from Australia and England. Music stores from Washington, D.C., to Nashville helped out by collecting from their communities.

Hundreds of instruments, including banjos, guitars, mandolins and flutes, were sent to a music store in Richmond, Ky., where manager Cathy Currier organized volunteers to clean and refurbish them.

Volunteers helped load up a big box truck to haul the instruments nearly 300 miles to western Kentucky where they were distributed.

“ People have just gone above and beyond. It kind of restores your faith in humanity,” said Cathy Currier.

At Graves County Public Library in Mayfield, 73-year-old Ruben Steen was thrilled to be playing the guitar again. He lost his in the tornado in Mayfield.

Pointing to Steen, Michael Johnathon said,” Now, here's a man who deserves a good guitar, right?”

The last person in a line of more than 200 people at the library was Nancy Rambo. She's been playing music for 40 years for quartets and in church. She was overwhelmed with emotion when a brand new keyboard was carried to her car.

“ I never expected it. I mean, you know, I just thought I'd come by and check on a guitar. It's just been so hard on us. We have lost so much,” said Rambo.

Folk singer and organizer Michael Johnathon said he and the volunteers delivered 700 presentation-worthy instruments to western Kentucky.

Since 2012, outdoor enthusiasts from 20 states and six countries have made their way to Kentucky in hopes of hiking a 343- mile trail from one end to the other.

Five women from Cincinnati are in the process of taking on the Sheltowee Trace Hiker Challenge.

It’s a steamy August night, and Monica Kohler has spent most of the day hiking up hills, over streams, and around boulders near Cumberland Falls.

The 65-year-old said, when she and four of her female friends signed up to hike 30 miles one weekend a month for a year, they really weren’t sure what to expect. In January, the women were dropped off 25 miles north of Morehead, Ky., and began the first leg of the Sheltowee Trace Hiker Challenge.

”We hiked in the sun, then it rained, then it sleeted, and by the time we got finished, literally there was six inches of snow on the ground and that was month one. I think we cried in the first two miles because we crossed a creek and went straight up a hill and we were like, oh, this is serious stuff. Like, we’re out here on these mountains,” explained Kohler.

The tall, lean, short-haired blonde said, every month, she and the other four women drive from Cincinnati to the trail in Kentucky. Each month they start the hike where they left off the previous month. Kohler says at the end of the year they will have hiked all 343 miles of the trail, as long as they continue.

“ Something happened after like maybe month three or four, where it was like, oh, we’re going to do this. Some confidence shift happened, where it was like, ok, we can do this. And it’s not like some paved crushed gravel path. I mean we were on some unbelievable terrain,” exclaimed Kohler.

On this day, the women use walking poles to propel them up the hill as they begin this month’s hike. The narrow path at Trailhead 192 is parallel to a road and leads up a steep hill in the woods. Dianna Schweitzer stops to read a wooden sign on the trail to see if it matches what her map says.

Less than 20 minutes into the hike, each hiker is dripping with sweat from the August heat and humidity. Schweitzer says at home she hikes about eight miles a week in the woods. But this...is very different. ”Like,I thought the challenge was that it was long. I didn’t realize that it was arduous, and up big hills, and down hills and you know, that it would be easy to get lost or that you’d want to quit,” reported Schweitzer.

The Sheltowee Trace Hiker Challenge started in 2012 with 14 hikers. Steve Barbour, executive director for the Sheltowee Trace Association, said the man-made trail is modeled after the Appalachian Trail and runs from above Morehead, Ky., to North Central Tennessee.

“ It goes through Cave Run Lake recreational area in the north, it goes through Natural Bridge, it goes through Red River Gorge, Cumberland Falls State Park into the Big South Fork National River and recreation area,” said Barbour.

Barbour said over 900 hikers have participated since 2012, and 450 have completed the challenge. “And it’s a challenge because you have to hike on average,30 miles in a weekend. And that puts you out there on Saturday doing 13 to 14 miles and on Sunday 15 to 16 miles. It’s the second day that’s the difficulty.”

He said sixty percent of hikers in the last three years have been women with no experience.

Thirty -eight -year- old Alison Westrate said in 2019, she hiked Yosemite, so she felt experienced. She’s the one who encouraged her Cincinnati friends to hike the Sheltowee. She said one of the biggest challenges for her on this hike is self-care while being aware of the group's needs.

“And still really retaining that close bond and the friendship that we all have. But also knowing at times because we are physically exhausted and mentally challenged that we don’t always see eye-to-eye when we’re hiking,” said Westrate.

At the beginning of this year, 135 people started out doing the Hiker Challenge and now 91 are left according to the Sheltowee Trace’s Steve Barbour.

Shelly Maurer who is a friend of mine, is hiking with this group of women from Cincinnati. “I didn’t realize that I could do what we’ve done. We walked up a hill for probably 30 minutes, just never went down. I don’t know, just to carry a big backpack and be able to do that. I’m amazed by that kind of thing,” said Maurer.

Sixty-three-year-old Josie Caruso said every month before the hike, she announces that she’s afraid, but she still shows up, and these last eight months have changed her. “It’s really helped me to find my way and get through the discomfort, which is a new thing. I think a lot of times I’m always trying to get away from the discomfort. This has been a huge test. They don’t say 'challenge' for nothing,” said Caruso.

This year in December there’ll be a celebration to honor those who’ve completed the trail. It’ll be held on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond.

Here is an interactive map of Sheltowee Trace

https://www.sheltoweetrace.com/hike/

A special chamber music performance by the Lexington Philharmonic ensemble was held in early October to highlight the work of Julia Perry, a Black, American neo-classical composer born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1924.

She’s known for combining her European classical and neo-classical training with her African-American heritage. But for some time her work was largely forgotten

The concert featured some of Perry’s work and the work of another Black composer, Florence Price.

In an afternoon of storytelling, history, and music at a small Lexington art gallery, a Lexington Philharmonic ensemble presents a concert called Legacy-The Perry Family. The performance combines the work of Black female composers Florence Price and Julia Perry. Guest vocalists Alicia Helm McCorvey and Whit Whitaker take turns performing the songs of Price and Perry.

More than 150 audience members listen closely to the music and to the host of the program, Adrienne Thakur, a self-described musical and artistic enthusiast. Thakur said Price, who preceded Julia Perry by 40 years, was the first Black woman to achieve distinction as a composer nationally and abroad.

Thakur tells how Perry was born in Lexington’s east-end neighborhood in March of 1924 and died at age 55. She said Perry was recognized as one of only a few significant American composers regardless of race and gender whose music was frequently performed in Europe and the U.S.

The native Lexingtonian appreciates the opportunity to host this afternoon showcasing some of the work of Perry and Price.

“Learning about the trials and tribulations that we know affect African-American women and have for decades in the classical music context and to find out that there are at least two who have overcome and have found their place in the canon and one of them is from my hometown, I’m elated,” exclaimed Thakur.

Perry attended Westminster Choir College, The Berkshire Music Center in Tanglewood, Julliard’s extension division, and the Columbia University Opera Workshop. She received two Guggenheim Fellowships and composed several pieces including 12 symphonies and three operas. Alicia Helm McCorvey performs Perry’s, ‘Lord! What Shall I Do.’

The Lexington Philharmonic’s executive director, Allison Kaiser, said her organization is honored to work in partnership with local historian Yvonne Giles, Lexington’s African Cemetery #2, and the Lyric Theater to raise awareness of Perry’s prominent place in Lexington’s history. Kaiser tells the audience how Perry’s work was largely forgotten.
“What we discovered when we started looking into the work of Julia Perry is that her work was not maintained or cataloged after her very young death. And we feel like the work of such a brilliant and recognized composer needs to be preserved, rediscovered and brought back to the attention of orchestras and music lovers, not just here in Lexington, but across the United States," said Kaiser.

Julia Perry was the fourth of five sisters. Her father was a physician and her mother was a teacher.

As a Lexington historian, Yvonne Giles shares details of the Perry family .She said 10 family members are buried in African Cemetery #2, including Julia Perry’s brother who died at 7 weeks old.

On this day, the audience learns about Julia Perry's grandfather, Abraham Perry, who was a well- known respected thoroughbred horse trainer.

“The horse that he conditioned, Joe Cotton, won three Derbies, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Coney Island in 1885. He trained that horse for his entire racing career. His earnings were such that his wife took his money and built a two-story brick home, that is still standing, was home to three generations of the Perry family before they moved to Ohio,” reported Giles.

A painting of Julia Perry done by Ken Burney contemporary artist at the Artists' Studios in Lexington was unveiled during the performance.

Burney said Perry’s music inspired him as he created the 60 by 72- inch canvas painting with a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.
“She was heavily influenced by African-American music which I thought was interesting for a classical composer to be influenced by a whole different genre of music," said Burney.

During the concert vocalist, Whit Whitaker sings Perry’s, Free at Last.

LexPhil is planning another special concert in May with a unique piece by Julia Perry, called Homunculus C.F. This is a work inspired by Perry’s father’s medical practice and his medical instruments.

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In late July historic floods took lives, demolished homes and destroyed bridges in several counties in eastern Kentucky. One organization started a flood instrument relief project in hopes of bringing music and joy back to the region.

Some volunteers have refurbished hundreds of musical instruments that will be handed out for free to people in eastern Kentucky whose instruments were lost or damaged in the floods.

In the basement of a Richmond, Ky music store, Raymond McLain of the McLain Family band is cleaning, restringing, and testing a mandolin.

McLain is one of 20 volunteers at Currier’s Music World on this Thursday evening refurbishing musical instruments for the people in eastern Kentucky who were affected by the floods that decimated the region in July. McLain said it’s an opportunity to help people who are in need of so much right now.

‘It just feels good to be in this room together with all these folks pulling together for such a positive response to something so tragic.”

The initiative to replace musical instruments was launched by folksinger Michael Johnathon and dozens of volunteers. It’s the second time in a year the host of WoodSongs Old Time Radio Hour has asked people from around the world to help Kentuckians in need. After tornadoes swept through western Kentucky earlier this year nearly 800 presentation-worthy instruments were delivered there. And now Johnathon says hundreds of instruments from as far away as Ireland are being cleaned up and will be delivered for free to the people in eastern Kentucky.

“This is the capital of America’s front porch community. And music is a big part of their culture, big part of their personality. America’s folk music springboards out of the Appalachian mountains,” explained Johnathon.

Johnathon calls his friend, Cathy Currier, one of the finest luthiers in Kentucky. Currier set up the basement of her store as a makeshift workshop to get the instruments ready for delivery. She demonstrates how she gets an instrument ready for its new owner.

I’m just doing a basic setup on this. It’s already got new strings on it. So, on this one I did a neck adjustment, I lowered the nut and I lowered the bridge. And now I got to take the back off of it because the neck is a little crooked. So, what it takes is new strings, we clean them, and then we do six to seven different adjustments, whatever it needs to get it playable. The last thing I want to do is hand somebody an instrument and it not play in tune and it not play easy,” reported Currier.

Currier said when her father left her the legacy of this business, she learned about giving back.

“My father made it possible for me to go to school and obtain my education and if we haven’t learned it by now, we’re here to serve people. Yeah, I make money and sell stuff but I’m here to serve people,”said Currier.

After restringing two guitars Larry Albert is playing his banjo. The 71- year-old amateur musician from Morehead said he has the skills to help prepare the donated instruments for the flood survivors. “ It’s a good opportunity to do something that might be meaningful to people who are suffering,” said Albert.

Each volunteer has a different reason for spending hours here to help. As Lexington musician Jo Mackby restrings an acoustic guitar, she tells how her family’s home in California was destroyed in a flood when she was a child. “I was 11 and I watched our piano go under the six feet of flood water and I still have nightmares about it. So I want to be able to help people have instruments that might have lost them in the flooding,” explained Mackby.

It’s also personal for Melinda Barnett who lives in Irvine. Barnett is originally from Perry County, an area hit hard by the floods. She and her husband have been making trips to help family members who lost almost everything. She also thinks helping replace instruments is essential. She said music heals. “Everything about music, it touches your soul. And it comes deep from the mountains. It’s part of our heritage. It’s sacred. It really is.”

During the week Doug Naselroad, director of the Troublesome Creek Instrument Company and creator of the Appalachian School of Luthiery lives in Hindman, Ky. He said more than 40 lives were lost in the floods, hundreds of people lost everything and mountains of instruments were destroyed. He knows this effort means a lot to the people in eastern Kentucky.

“These instruments are just a joyful gift. They’re not something that somebody is doing from some agency. It’s just neighbors telling neighbors, hey, we’re thinking of you. It’s a joyful thing. Music’s joyful thing and the instruments are a joyful thing and when you get them working right, it’s joyful,” said Naselroad.

On October 29th Michael Johnathon and a group of volunteers will load up a big box truck and haul these newly cleaned instruments to Knott County Central High School where they will be personally delivered to those in need.