WHAT WILL THE AUDIENCE LEARN?

Learn about folk culture and heritage with Evan Hatch, Executive Director of Folkmoot USA. Listen to this episode, as he dedicated this to all folks who carry forward their heritage through music, dance, and song!

EPISODE SUMMARY:

What's the Folkmoot USA all about?

Discover all about the Folkmoot USA with Evan Hatch on our podcast! Tune in as Joseph interviews Mr. Hatch, an expert folklorist with almost two decades of experience as a Grammy Award-winning record producer, event production coordinator, vernacular artist, documentary filmmaker, and recorder of oral history, as well as holding high-level management experience with some of the most prestigious cultural organizations in the Southeast.

Hatch is currently the Executive Director of one of the oldest and most popular educational centers and festivals in the Southeast—Folkmoot – with headquarters in Waynesville, N.C. He holds degrees from both UNC and Ole Miss and resides in Waynesville.

He's going to tell us all about the Folkmoot USA, including what it is and how you can get involved! He will also share what makes this festival so unique, as well as how he got involved in this industry and how he got started.

Don't miss this episode!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhatch22/

Website: https://www.folkmoot.org/

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EPISODE QUOTE: “If you want to get to know your future ancestors I would definitely talk about going to my website, Narrate Project, which is a business I;’m still running and still love to do.”

Tune in for this fun conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

SHOW NOTES

SEGMENT 1

Originally from North Carolina, 1980 to 2000. His father was in the military so they traveled a lot as a family and in his retirement, they settled in North Carolina. He returned to school in 1996 to find his career interest. He recalls his teachers as brilliant and experts with interesting backgrounds. High/ popular culture has caused the folk culture to be looked down upon.

SEGMENT 2

He won a Grammy for Best Album Notes in 2008 and goes into detail behind the inspiration of his work for that award. Bill Monroe was inspired by black artists and he praises musicians who are not racists and truly care about music and collaborations. He gets hired to do extensive interviews with families’ loved ones, so they can hold onto their legacy through his work. Ethan gives a shout-out to Folkstream.net, which has the best documentaries of folks from the 1950s. The festival that he had the most fun organizing is The National Folk Festival in Nashville.

SEGMENT 3

Folkmoot has been around for 38 years as a festival and the organization has been around for 50 years. The meaning of Folkmoot is “meeting of people '' and the creator, Dr. Border was inspired by the European folk festivals. The Folkmoot Friendship Center is taking part in renting out a historic school’s classrooms which date back to 1935 and was founded by WPA. People can use it as galleries and workspace. Soar Academy also provides outdoor school.

SEGMENT 4

Since the Folkmoot Summer Fest will be smaller they are enabled to invest in Fal and Spring programming. Hatch has been able to turn something many views as a hobby into a career.

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TRANSCRIPT

00:00:37.020 –> 00:00:39.900 Joseph McElroy: howdy welcome to the gateway to the smokies.

00:00:39.900 –> 00:00:48.630 Joseph McElroy: podcast this podcast is about America’s most visited National Park, the great smoky mountains National Park in the surrounding towns.

00:00:49.350 –> 00:00:57.780 Joseph McElroy: This area is filled with ancient natural beauty deep storied history and rich mountain cultures that we explore with weekly episodes.

00:00:58.530 –> 00:01:12.720 Joseph McElroy: I am Joseph Franklyn McElroy man of the world, but also with deep roots in these mountains my family is living the great smokies for over 200 years my businesses and travel, but my heart is in culture today we’re going to talk about.

00:01:13.890 –> 00:01:23.550 Joseph McElroy: Folkmoot USA and beaten with the Executive Director Evan Hatch reversed a few sponsor messages and some events coming up.

00:01:25.380 –> 00:01:32.700 Joseph McElroy: I want you to imagine a place evocative of the motor court of the past, yet modern and vibrant with a chic Appalachian feel.

00:01:33.450 –> 00:01:44.910 Joseph McElroy: a place for adventure and for relaxation imagine a place where you can have fish and mountain heritage trout stream grill the catch on fire and eat accompanied by fine wine or craft beers.

00:01:45.420 –> 00:01:57.690 Joseph McElroy: Imagine a place of old-time music and world cultural sounds, there is no other place like the Meadowlark Motel Maggie Valley North Carolina your smoky mountain adventure starts with where you stay.

00:01:58.920 –> 00:02:09.690 Joseph McElroy: Another sponsor is smokies adventure.com that smokies plural of interesting either the smoky mountains and surrounding area is a vacation destination for all sees.

00:02:10.290 –> 00:02:17.760 Joseph McElroy: Some of the nation’s best hiking trails waterfalls outdoor adventures and fans of family entertainment can be found, right here.

00:02:18.300 –> 00:02:25.410 Joseph McElroy: start your adventure by using smokies adventure calm to explore all the wonderful features of the great smoky mountain National Park.

00:02:25.920 –> 00:02:37.050 Joseph McElroy: The trails the waterfalls the cage coven the elk and more then check out all the awesome family attractions and entertainment you’re retired family can enjoy.

00:02:37.410 –> 00:02:44.940 Joseph McElroy: Fine lodging find places to stay find places to eat find where you can do outdoor life events like weddings and honeymoons.

00:02:45.600 –> 00:02:53.220 Joseph McElroy: it’s all at the smokies adventure calm, which is the leading information portal for adventure experiences of the great smoky mountains.

00:02:53.910 –> 00:03:17.310 Joseph McElroy: So events coming up at the Meadowlark on this coming Saturday, July 23 at 6pm we’re having smoky Blue Rain it’s a trio of Len Graham Fillmore name is Jackson their brand of Americana music is infectious blend folk light rock blues jazz touch of traditional country.

00:03:18.360 –> 00:03:30.990 Joseph McElroy: They met through a mutual friend and that and that first group know realize that they had something special so come on over to the metal or motel and there’s also a Barbecue and and and another find.

00:03:32.640 –> 00:03:41.490 Joseph McElroy: Things to enjoy starting at 6 pm and the mission is free for hotel guests and imperatives club members and it’s just $10 for everybody else.

00:03:42.060 –> 00:03:56.610 Joseph McElroy: So rsvp is required for the Barbecue dinner so call eight to 89261717 for tickets and come enjoy some food and bbq now some of you might know that there was recently a.

00:03:57.750 –> 00:04:01.320 Joseph McElroy: A viral event on tick tock or.

00:04:02.700 –> 00:04:20.520 Joseph McElroy: cloggers from Western North Carolina especially specifically down on Jonathan creek here in a wood county went viral and got seen by like 100 million people’s names ED and he’s part of the J creek cloggers and so they’re coming to the metal Arc motel on July 30 at 7:30 pm.

00:04:21.960 –> 00:04:22.680 Joseph McElroy: We have.

00:04:23.790 –> 00:04:31.200 Joseph McElroy: two great mountain heritage events put on by the metal Arc smoky mountain heritage Center and also include an evening at dinner and dancing.

00:04:32.460 –> 00:04:50.640 Joseph McElroy: begins with the bbq had six and then the performance of the jquery cloggers at 730 and that’s that includes music, they will perform a bunch of examples of traditional mountain dancing as well as teaching the audience several fun dance steps there’s going to be.

00:04:52.200 –> 00:05:00.420 Joseph McElroy: interactive performance or everybody will get to dance and then there’ll also be a short talk by Kim Ross who was on the show here a few weeks ago.

00:05:00.810 –> 00:05:17.130 Joseph McElroy: On the history, and traditions of mountain dancy so Dr you grab your partner and come on by admission is free for hotel guests and parents come Members as 20 bucks for people that are not a standard hotel just call eight to 89261717 to reserve your spot.

00:05:18.180 –> 00:05:31.200 Joseph McElroy: And then, a big event we got coming up August 12 or 13th is a songwriters can, and this is a, this is a serious one, this is a Grammy award-winning songwriters you got Jim Lauderdale who’s written.

00:05:31.680 –> 00:05:42.240 Joseph McElroy: hits many of George strait’s it he wrote that song king of the broken hearts and then you got Charles Humphrey The third is another grammy award winner, along with the.

00:05:42.900 –> 00:05:49.860 Joseph McElroy: Award-winning artists, such as their Nicholson clay mills and Charles chambers.

00:05:50.460 –> 00:05:58.860 Joseph McElroy: And you know Darren Nicholson one of the main musicians and balsam range as big around these parts so it’s going to be a fantastic event.

00:05:59.220 –> 00:06:08.910 Joseph McElroy: it’s going to be a two-day event of interactive songwriting instruction so there’ll be both candles but they’re also be working individually with all the arts.

00:06:09.840 –> 00:06:21.210 Joseph McElroy: world-class musicians and they’ll get a DEMO tape producer one of your songs they’re also a concert on a Friday night by the songs from the road band.

00:06:22.620 –> 00:06:34.290 Joseph McElroy: Which is Charles Humphreys band, and then a Barbecue dinner and all-star concert with all those artists, on Saturday night, this is a unique event like no other and space will be limited, ensure that everybody gets attention.

00:06:35.370 –> 00:06:52.860 Joseph McElroy: So the songwriter campus 678 $75 a person includes all the activities and DEMO tape and everything else, and you also can get yourself a room at the middle like motel if you’re coming from out of town and it also includes dinner and breakfast and things like that.

00:06:54.210 –> 00:07:06.810 Joseph McElroy: If there’s also a limited number of tickets available for just coming to the concerts either on Friday or Saturday night so call eight to 89261717 to get your ticket and reserve your space.

00:07:08.730 –> 00:07:21.360 Joseph McElroy: Somebody knows a lot about events Now is our guest tonight his name is David hatch he’s an expert folklorist with almost two gay two decades of experience as a grammy award-winning.

00:07:21.720 –> 00:07:28.950 Joseph McElroy: record producer event production coordinator vernacular artists documentary filmmaker and recorder of oral history.

00:07:29.370 –> 00:07:37.170 Joseph McElroy: As well as holy high-level management experience with some of the most prestigious cultural organizations in the southeast.

00:07:38.070 –> 00:07:47.790 Joseph McElroy: hatches Evan hatches is currently the executive director, of one of the oldest and most popular educational centers and festivals in the southeast folks.

00:07:48.300 –> 00:08:05.040 Joseph McElroy: With headquarters, right here in haven county in Waynesville North Carolina he holds degrees from both unc and old mess resides and waiting for, where he enjoys cooking camping photography, and reading and is limited spare time I don’t know how he has a spare time how you doing.

00:08:06.360 –> 00:08:09.510 Evan: I’m good Joseph thanks for having me here thanks for making me sound like.

00:08:10.590 –> 00:08:15.480 Joseph McElroy: A listen when you do accomplishments it doesn’t take much does that make you sound good because you are.

00:08:17.460 –> 00:08:20.850 Joseph McElroy: So you said you’re only been here for three and a half weeks and welcome a wood county.

00:08:21.090 –> 00:08:23.490 Evan: Right three and a half months but it.

00:08:24.000 –> 00:08:25.410 Evan: might mean a half yeah.

00:08:27.180 –> 00:08:28.200 Joseph McElroy: it’s all right well.

00:08:28.860 –> 00:08:38.250 Joseph McElroy: Well I’m so excited that you gotta know this new job both books as I used to do some great things, but first I want to talk a little bit about your background.

00:08:38.610 –> 00:08:42.180 Joseph McElroy: sure how you’ve worked, both in North Carolina and Tennessee Where are you originally from.

00:08:43.050 –> 00:08:45.750 Evan: I’m actually from North Carolina I grew up in North Carolina.

00:08:46.830 –> 00:08:55.230 Evan: Graham North Carolina’s my hometown and I was raised there from let’s say 1980 and.

00:08:55.710 –> 00:09:10.290 Evan: to 2000 you know, and so I was born in California actually moved around my dad was in the military for a little while and then he retired and we settled down in a small town North Carolina Graham write down and try.

00:09:11.220 –> 00:09:18.360 Joseph McElroy: it’s right yeah I spent a number of years in the Durham wait for Jerry Raleigh Durham area.

00:09:19.920 –> 00:09:22.950 Joseph McElroy: Though you know a middle stage is also a lovely place.

00:09:24.240 –> 00:09:27.510 Evan: 20 minutes from there, but yes, I spent a lot of time there myself yeah.

00:09:27.720 –> 00:09:28.980 Joseph McElroy: yeah no i’ve.

00:09:29.460 –> 00:09:29.910 Evan: grown it.

00:09:31.860 –> 00:09:36.360 Joseph McElroy: How did your love for folklore cultural history music begin and.

00:09:38.280 –> 00:09:43.710 Evan: Good question man, and you know, sometimes I’ve asked myself that over and over and over again, you know I would say.

00:09:45.210 –> 00:09:53.640 Evan: um I went I started college a little bit too early and I had too good of a time in my first couple of years.

00:09:54.660 –> 00:10:03.090 Evan: After I decided to kind of get serious went back to school and in 1996 and I started taking classes.

00:10:04.380 –> 00:10:16.200 Evan: In what my parents said just try stuff find out what you like see what you enjoy and I started taking classes and folklore and American studies and I found.

00:10:16.680 –> 00:10:26.430 Evan: I really enjoyed these classes, because my teachers were brilliant they were so smart and they were so entertaining and they had just like.

00:10:26.850 –> 00:10:36.270 Evan: They got to study things that I just thought were super cool and one teacher who was an expert on coney island in the 19 you know, in the heyday and.

00:10:39.270 –> 00:10:49.860 Evan: wow yeah another Professor Robert Cantwell wrote a book called ethno mesas and also we’re about a bluegrass break day, so these books, although.

00:10:50.400 –> 00:11:10.320 Evan: Very academic and above my head, it was just cool to be able to study you know stuff that I thought that you know that the common every day the things that surround us all the time and the history of the folk you know I find that to be really, really fascinating I am.

00:11:11.520 –> 00:11:15.990 Evan: You know it’s hard to look at it’s not really a correct way of looking at it, but if you look at.

00:11:17.280 –> 00:11:20.700 Evan: Culture saying you want to look at it through the lenses of.

00:11:21.780 –> 00:11:31.140 Evan: Music you got you to know your high culture, which is very you know very respected and academic and if you look at music, you can say that’s simple.

00:11:32.310 –> 00:11:48.330 Evan: If you’re looking at pop music, you could say well that’s lady gaga or and then you can start looking at folk music and it’s you know it’s traditional fiddles that’s what you know people have been playing for years and years for fun and.

00:11:49.380 –> 00:11:59.490 Evan: And for living and for you know and just to be bearers of culture and I just find that stuff absolutely fascinated often seem that people respected high culture.

00:12:00.810 –> 00:12:02.190 Evan: And that.

00:12:03.300 –> 00:12:11.400 Evan: There is some sort of inherent coolness and outsiders do not have to look at folk culture and I.

00:12:12.300 –> 00:12:12.930 Joseph McElroy: Would you say.

00:12:13.050 –> 00:12:15.060 Joseph McElroy: What do you say hi culture is actually.

00:12:16.110 –> 00:12:23.220 Joseph McElroy: it’s it’s more of a just fashion choices necessarily as a quality choice, I mean I think a lot of folk.

00:12:24.840 –> 00:12:39.870 Joseph McElroy: folk what we consider folk entertainment is actually quite high quality but it’s you know the fashion, is you know Jen driven by you know decisions and not necessarily even in the nature of the music and.

00:12:40.920 –> 00:12:42.810 Joseph McElroy: arts things like that right.

00:12:42.840 –> 00:12:53.190 Evan: The total Joseph that stuff combines right you think Aaron Copeland the great American composer he was writing about American folk subjects you think of Ricard Wagner little ride of the valkyries.

00:12:54.390 –> 00:13:00.930 Evan: he’s a silly wrote a symphony but he wrote it about a German folk tale, so all this stuff online forms one.

00:13:02.070 –> 00:13:06.090 Joseph McElroy: All right, well, we got we were hitting our first break already so um.

00:13:06.570 –> 00:13:07.620 Evan: yeah yeah.

00:13:07.710 –> 00:13:10.590 Joseph McElroy: yeah I I talked to us but.

00:13:12.420 –> 00:13:17.310 Joseph McElroy: So we will come back we’ll talk more about your background and get away with stuff you’re doing today to.

00:13:18.000 –> 00:13:18.630 Evan: That sounds great.

00:13:19.680 –> 00:13:20.190 Evan: Thanks Joseph

00:15:36.450 –> 00:15:52.260 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guest Evan Hutch so Evan so you ended up graduating from Carolina and then a paid your masters at Ole miss.

00:15:52.350 –> 00:15:53.370 Joseph McElroy: And then you had.

00:15:53.880 –> 00:16:05.790 Joseph McElroy: have had a successful two-decade career that’s actually spanned a lot of variety of interesting fields and hopefully, we’ll get into a little bit of that, but the one that jumped out to me, you know, being an artist.

00:16:06.900 –> 00:16:20.700 Joseph McElroy: And performer myself, is that you, you were involved with spring fed records and you want to Grammy Award for producing an album so tell me about the spring federal records and how you became involved and what was the Grammy awards.

00:16:22.140 –> 00:16:40.920 Evan: moved to Tennessee in 2002 we started a record label over at the art Center Camden county the idea was to highlight some of the hillbilly music, that was the pro country that led to the beginnings of bluegrass music and old-time music so.

00:16:42.030 –> 00:16:48.690 Evan: We took a lot of historical recordings that were in archive stuff that hadn’t been heard, except by you know.

00:16:49.230 –> 00:16:58.800 Evan: Musicologists are people who recorded them and years and worked closely with the families to reissue those records and clean them up on audio.

00:16:59.100 –> 00:17:08.190 Evan: offered really strong liner notes, so that people could kind of understand their history of the recordings, the first thing we did was uncle Dave making at home, he was the.

00:17:08.850 –> 00:17:16.620 Evan: King of the hillbillies he was the first superstar of the grand Ole opry and one of the greatest entertainers ever country music.

00:17:17.820 –> 00:17:22.470 Evan: We also did a really strong Corey with salmon Kirkwall key who are.

00:17:23.610 –> 00:17:33.840 Evan: Co conspirators are co creators with uncle Dave making and one of the first brother do those on the grand Ole opry and all those guys I understood showmanship you know kind of that still goes through.

00:17:34.650 –> 00:17:43.800 Evan: That still go through country music today that kind of joking, and the costume where and and and you know people really engage with the audience as entertainers.

00:17:44.310 –> 00:17:44.880 Joseph McElroy: You also.

00:17:45.990 –> 00:17:48.480 Joseph McElroy: Get the legendary blues man john heard on there wasn’t.

00:17:48.660 –> 00:17:53.400 Evan: We didn’t that’s correct, yes, and that was actually a recording that was made in 63.

00:17:54.300 –> 00:17:55.830 Evan: long after john hurt.

00:17:56.130 –> 00:18:03.930 Evan: finished his recording career and this crazy dude from Bob Hoskins excuse me, Tom Hoskins.

00:18:04.410 –> 00:18:16.110 Evan: drove all the way down from Washington DC and he was going to go pay his respect john hurts grave site and when he found up wound up in Avalon Mississippi he found Mr hurts still very much alive.

00:18:17.520 –> 00:18:17.970 Evan: and

00:18:18.300 –> 00:18:21.870 Evan: hit record, and that is, those recordings from 63.

00:18:21.990 –> 00:18:28.680 Evan: From that john, hurt says wow you have a chance to a second career went back and started playing folk festivals.

00:18:29.220 –> 00:18:30.060 Joseph McElroy: that’s fabulous.

00:18:31.290 –> 00:18:33.630 Evan: was pretty lucky to do that work with a family.

00:18:34.200 –> 00:18:37.830 Joseph McElroy: And you have other iconic what you had other iconic black artists on there right.

00:18:38.280 –> 00:18:47.940 Evan: yeah so the one that we won the Grammy for is called john work three recordings that culture john work with third was a classically trained composer.

00:18:49.020 –> 00:18:59.280 Evan: But at the same time it’s 1930s and 1940s, he worked at Fisk University, he also really appreciated folk music the brilliant thing about john work is that.

00:19:00.060 –> 00:19:10.440 Evan: He was a like a trust classically trained composer so he can hear music and then write it down a notation so it didn’t have to be recorded, but he could write it down.

00:19:10.890 –> 00:19:19.050 Evan: So he did all these studies of a folk music can eat record and frazier and Patterson is a black string band country string band and nashville.

00:19:19.500 –> 00:19:30.450 Evan: He recorded blues music in Georgia and sacred heart sing in northern Alabama just stuff that people, no one ever heard about he then came to be known, he was picked up.

00:19:31.620 –> 00:19:47.010 Evan: befriended by Alan lomax who some of your viewers are probably know the right folklorist and together they recorded the Co houma county study in Mississippi and the Center of that study was a gentleman named mckinley Morgan field.

00:19:48.090 –> 00:19:49.920 Evan: Who was later, known as muddy waters.

00:19:50.490 –> 00:19:52.830 Evan: wow yeah somebody.

00:19:55.410 –> 00:19:55.830 Joseph McElroy: Was.

00:19:55.860 –> 00:19:59.910 Evan: very flattered to be recorded by these gentlemen, he said, well these guys want to hear me.

00:20:00.690 –> 00:20:16.080 Evan: Maybe i’ll grow up Chicago and become muddy waters and that’s what he did so that was a 1942 record was made some of the end all those recordings were john works, and so we reissued those cleaned up the sound recordings and.

00:20:17.160 –> 00:20:24.450 Evan: get some really extensive liner notes Bruce number of that wrote those that’s what we won that grammy for best liner notes best.

00:20:24.450 –> 00:20:26.340 Joseph McElroy: album what were you did you win the grammy.

00:20:27.150 –> 00:20:29.550 Evan: oh eight I guess you could say.

00:20:30.240 –> 00:20:42.990 Joseph McElroy: All right, so uh I don’t know I don’t have all your career milestones in chronological order, but you had you were an assistant director of an organization called black and global roots, can you tell me about that.

00:20:44.850 –> 00:20:54.060 Evan: Yes, I worked with Dr CC conway CC is she’s a professor at appalachian state and is one of the leading experts on.

00:20:55.110 –> 00:21:05.430 Evan: The banjo and black culture and so she actually is one of the first people to trace those roots of the the banjo as it came from Africa and started to influence American music.

00:21:06.390 –> 00:21:12.180 Evan: Actually, she is, I think, probably the most in most senior we’re putting together the Carolina chocolate drops so she.

00:21:13.440 –> 00:21:14.940 Evan: hosted them at the.

00:21:16.080 –> 00:21:25.920 Evan: Black banjo gathering and appalachian state a few years ago and kind of put them all together and they went off to become the Carolina chocolate drops.

00:21:26.580 –> 00:21:39.420 Evan: So what she wanted to do a data conway wants to do is to give venues and give audiences to underrepresented folk performers so so she would.

00:21:39.900 –> 00:21:50.700 Evan: We be playing concerts and being able to pay, working artists to give them an audience they wouldn’t usually here and that range from blues to cajun zydeco to.

00:21:51.870 –> 00:21:56.550 Evan: Country music but mostly from underrepresented artists yeah and that was.

00:21:57.030 –> 00:22:06.900 Joseph McElroy: It wasn’t the introduction of the banjo really brought up the custom element to say a scratch iris ballad during and really created bluegrass.

00:22:07.950 –> 00:22:15.240 Evan: I would say, so I mean I know the bill Monroe created bluegrass is definitely learned a lot that he learned from black musicians for sure.

00:22:16.530 –> 00:22:31.020 Evan: And I think that’s the coolest thing about musicians right is that they are kind of the first anti racist they don’t care what color you are they don’t care where you’re from as long as you can play music you speak a common language and that gets passed a lot of stuff you know.

00:22:31.740 –> 00:22:42.840 Joseph McElroy: Oh yeah so I was looking at a new, I was looking at your linkedin profile and you’ve been until you know you ever had a company called Mary what is nary.

00:22:43.800 –> 00:22:44.280 well.

00:22:45.420 –> 00:22:50.760 Evan: That was a probably ill conceived business that I started during during the coven.

00:22:52.890 –> 00:22:55.740 Joseph McElroy: What better time to create a business that feel.

00:22:56.280 –> 00:22:56.850 Evan: Like everybody.

00:22:58.260 –> 00:22:58.650 Evan: Every.

00:22:58.980 –> 00:23:04.230 Evan: Every feeble minded person I know started the business now i’m just kidding it’s been a really great.

00:23:04.770 –> 00:23:06.090 Joseph McElroy: run my business went to die.

00:23:08.430 –> 00:23:19.080 Evan: Well yeah so we had lots of time and essentially it’s all history business so families or people hire me to do extensive interviews with their loved.

00:23:19.110 –> 00:23:28.470 Evan: ones, so that those interviews wow there are well researched and you know and deeply conducted then.

00:23:29.010 –> 00:23:38.730 Evan: By doing that interview and recording that and essentially gives the legacy to the family, so that they can hold on to those recordings somebody.

00:23:39.150 –> 00:23:50.220 Evan: yeah loved one before they pass away and the idea came, you know there’s everybody always has a story about I wish i’d listened to my grandmother I wish I had saved.

00:23:50.880 –> 00:24:00.390 Evan: Her last storytelling or I wish i’d say that last phone message, and if you don’t it’s too late and it happens to everybody so try not to wait.

00:24:01.710 –> 00:24:14.580 Joseph McElroy: Now I I felt that you know I I recorded I did video tapes my grandmother and her brother, you know just a year so before she died because I i’ve always felt that need yeah.

00:24:15.060 –> 00:24:22.530 Evan: Yes, it did it i’m glad this everybody’s got a story to tell everybody’s got knowledge to pass on.

00:24:23.340 –> 00:24:33.180 Joseph McElroy: Now I don’t know this term Bob you know plot who works with me, you know put together some information, he said, this is called vernacular art Is that correct.

00:24:34.290 –> 00:24:41.580 Evan: um yeah I think that’s a really good way of looking at it, I think that term to me, you know, because the vernacular as a as a as a way of speaking.

00:24:42.120 –> 00:24:57.390 Evan: And that’s what this artwork does is it a you know it puts it in a Community puts it in a place, but it also it’s how it’s how it’s a common language that people share and that’s communicated so yeah I think vernacular what’s fair and good way this fabulous.

00:24:58.500 –> 00:25:10.710 Joseph McElroy: Now shift yeah The more I look at your your your your history of us just a lot of things, I mean you are also been an event festival director and coordinator.

00:25:11.910 –> 00:25:17.190 Joseph McElroy: Right and then you create a document documentary film on southern music what was that.

00:25:18.240 –> 00:25:24.420 Evan: um well, let me say I did a couple of we did do a couple of documentaries.

00:25:25.500 –> 00:25:28.230 Evan: And just I think your viewers my liking if I could plug.

00:25:29.790 –> 00:25:34.830 Evan: Great website called folk streams.net.

00:25:35.130 –> 00:25:35.580 Joseph McElroy: Oh it’s.

00:25:36.690 –> 00:25:53.730 Evan: The best collection of folk documentaries made from the 1950s forward and they’re all available for free just for streaming on that website, you will find the coolest vernacular art forms on there anything from music to basket tree to.

00:25:54.780 –> 00:26:01.050 Evan: You know pottery to dance, you know so all that stuff guys covered very well.

00:26:02.790 –> 00:26:14.850 Evan: a couple of music documentaries that we made were they were again those three issues, so one my favorite I guess was Raul mash and that was a.

00:26:16.290 –> 00:26:31.410 Evan: Sol Sol Korean and blame Dunlap had produced in the 1970s, a portrait essentially a video portrait of hamper mech be who is Tennessee’s popcorn Sutton.

00:26:32.040 –> 00:26:42.810 Evan: Essentially, he was like the greatest moonshot are the most famous moon shatter in Tennessee history, not to mention a fine balance Center he was a great.

00:26:43.290 –> 00:26:58.080 Evan: roaring baritone acapella ballad singer and that movie raw mash which is available and folks streams, is basically a 30 minute portrait of hamper but also how to make moonshine from start to finish.

00:26:58.650 –> 00:26:59.160 wow.

00:27:01.350 –> 00:27:11.430 Joseph McElroy: That sounds good, thank you for the reference for that i’m gonna go i’m gonna go to that site start doubting my my new passion for vernacular art.

00:27:13.230 –> 00:27:14.610 Evan: Do you like it.

00:27:15.330 –> 00:27:26.730 Joseph McElroy: yeah and you’ve done a lot of festivals, he did the local fast and hillsborough and some others, what is the most notable or fun festival that you helped to originator develop.

00:27:27.330 –> 00:27:36.750 Evan: Tom and it was it was a total failure, but it was the best festival I ever did it was a national boat festival in Nashville Tennessee and.

00:27:38.070 –> 00:27:45.180 Evan: We didn’t have like people we did it on Labor day weekend, not a great idea or nationals of free music town so.

00:27:45.660 –> 00:27:50.310 Evan: Not everybody came out to it, because you can see, you know you can see, free music everywhere in nashville but.

00:27:50.970 –> 00:28:10.740 Evan: content was amazing and we did the history of the music business, so we had tour buses, we had flatt and scruggs tour bus that people could tour, we had a modern tour bus we had hair cutters and hat show France costume makers like man well was out there, it was an amazing show.

00:28:11.040 –> 00:28:11.580 Evan: wow.

00:28:12.060 –> 00:28:24.120 Joseph McElroy: really well i’m i’m i’m impressed and, but I want to do now is take a break and then we’ll come back and talk about your new position and what you’re doing with the folks who ne ne we can.

00:28:24.900 –> 00:28:25.980 Evan: Thanks Joseph sounds good.

00:30:32.220 –> 00:30:39.240 Joseph McElroy: howdy this is Joseph Franklin McElroy back with the gateway to the smokies podcasts and my guest Evan Hatch, So Evan,

00:30:39.780 –> 00:30:44.760 Joseph McElroy: I’ve been we’ve been talking about your career and some of the things we didn’t get into but they’re incredible is that you’re.

00:30:45.120 –> 00:30:52.740 Joseph McElroy: A director of programming in a forest folk art Center in Tennessee and then you were the director of programming for procedures organizations like the North Carolina.

00:30:53.130 –> 00:31:09.150 Joseph McElroy: folklife life Institute, but what’s exciting to me and those of us around the game with his focus is that you’re now taking on a new role as the Executive Director of folk I’m sure you’re excited about that.

00:31:11.100 –> 00:31:17.430 Joseph McElroy: And, and for the sake of our audience may not know about it, can you tell us what Folkmoot is?

00:31:18.510 –> 00:31:19.890 Evan: yeah you know.

00:31:21.030 –> 00:31:30.450 Evan: I feel challenged by this task because there are so many people in this in this county and Haywood county you know so much more than I ever will about it.

00:31:30.870 –> 00:31:35.880 Evan: And because I’ve taken this job three months ago it’s become my job to talk about it.

00:31:36.570 –> 00:31:47.580 Evan: My understanding of folkmoot is that it is a festival that has been around for 38 years and the Organization has been around close to 50 gentlemen named.

00:31:48.270 –> 00:32:02.730 Evan: Dr. Borders, who was a surgeon here and Haywood county was a great lover of folk music and took some trips to Europe and experienced some folk festivals at the old English folk festivals.

00:32:03.510 –> 00:32:07.200 Evan: which were also named folkmoot over there and then I felt moved.

00:32:07.710 –> 00:32:22.980 Evan: As an old English term for a meeting of the phone so essentially it means folk meet that’s what people come together they exchange ideas they exchange culture and dance and music probably some beer to I wouldn’t be surprised.

00:32:25.980 –> 00:32:34.230 Evan: So after seeing that he realized Dr border realizes that it’s not that dissimilar from what’s going on here and.

00:32:34.620 –> 00:32:42.510 Evan: You know, in the great smoky mountains, there are people who play music who get together we share this dance through you know.

00:32:43.320 –> 00:32:55.500 Evan: folk code culture, they get together they sing on front Porches they practice religion together they dance together and he thought that this was.

00:32:55.950 –> 00:33:05.760 Evan: The parallels between English culture European culture and other folk cultures around the world was just all the same, and so it was a great opportunity to get all these folks together.

00:33:06.660 –> 00:33:21.240 Evan: To you know to do this to bring the world to Main Street in Waynesville so 1984 was the first festival he had six-seven groups, I think, from around the world, Europe.

00:33:21.900 –> 00:33:36.930 Evan: Asia, Africa, and South America, who came here and stayed with local audience day with local audience members and got together and dance for one another, they all realize.

00:33:37.980 –> 00:33:43.800 Evan: stuff’s all on the phone we all experienced this it’s not that different it doesn’t matter what color your skin is it doesn’t matter.

00:33:44.970 –> 00:33:50.550 Evan: What language do you speak there are things that cross all, yeah and that’s the coolest thing about folk culture than.

00:33:51.180 –> 00:34:08.790 Joseph McElroy: I was you know I got to see that the one I think I think in the first year back then yeah I love food for many years yeah I just I was just graduated from Duke and coming back and got the experience it before I head to head off to my career.

00:34:09.960 –> 00:34:12.870 Evan: More than I do that’s what were the two.

00:34:13.230 –> 00:34:24.480 Joseph McElroy: I grew up with it yeah so I mean now I mean I think back then, it was just in Haywood County right is, I think I think it was at the stamping grounds right the first few.

00:34:26.280 –> 00:34:28.770 Evan: yeah you stamping ground was historic.

00:34:28.800 –> 00:34:31.170 Joseph McElroy: For performances it.

00:34:31.470 –> 00:34:39.690 Joseph McElroy: started out the software now, which is about you know about three quarters, I mean less than half a mile away from the metal Arc where I’m sitting right now.

00:34:40.170 –> 00:34:42.810 Joseph McElroy: So it was easy for me to walk up there and go to.

00:34:45.600 –> 00:34:52.290 Joseph McElroy: But now, what is it it’s in cities, all over the smoky reasons and as far east as hickory is that still the truth, the case.

00:34:52.950 –> 00:34:57.540 Evan: A little bit changed, as you may know, Koba changed everything and.

00:34:58.890 –> 00:35:07.590