Category Archives: Cowan Creek News

The Cowan Creek Mountain Music School (CCMMS) is one of the longest running and most successful programs of the Cowan Community Action Group, Inc. (CCAG).  Who knew thirteen years ago when Beverly May and Carol Ison turned their attention to the Cowan Community Center to introduce the idea of a week-long music school teaching the traditional mountain music of eastern Kentucky  that it would be so successful and would soon be celebrating twelve years of continuation?

It feels appropriate as we prepare for the twelfth annual school, to reflect back to the history of how the school actually came to be where it is; right smack in the middle of Cowan in Letcher County, Kentucky.

In 2000, Beverly May, who can best be described as the real founder of the CCMMS, approached Carol Ison, a partner with Beverly in a grant she was directing through the Appalshop.  Carol was also directing a grant within the Letcher County School System, but she was also deeply engaged in the affairs of the Cowan Community Center.  Having served as President of the CCAG for over 30 years, she was very dedicated to finding and bringing new programs or services to the center.

Upon hearing Beverly’s idea of the music school, a dream Beverly had brought back to the United States from Ireland, Carol knew the perfect spot to make Beverly’s dream come alive.  Together they visited the Cowan Community Center and presented the idea to Nell Fields and Stacy Dollarhide, employees of the center who would later be responsible for making it happen.  Both ladies totally loved and endorsed the idea and felt it was perfect for the center.

The next step was to secure the cooperation of the local school because the school would have to be the classrooms for the music school.  Carol and Beverly together approached the Cowan Elementary School Principal, Bill Stamper, and asked for his support.  It took a couple of visits and some thorough explanations and a visit to the Letcher County Board of Education for their approval, but finally the 1^st Annual Cowan Creek Mountain Music School was set to be held in June of 2001.  The first year of the school was easy because Beverly and Carol could both supply many needs through their respective grants.  It was an instant success, and it was never questioned that it would become an annual event of the center.

Upon expiration of both grants, funding became more of an issue, so alternative funding had to be secured.  Fortunately; the center was able to secure grant funding from the Kentucky Arts Council, the National Foundation for the Arts, Kentucky Folk Life, and the Steele-Reese Foundation.  Also, fees for tuition, individual and group donations, and the contributions of the students and faculty have kept the school going this many years.  Some years have been so lean it looked as if it could not continue, but thanks to someone or something it has survived.

While Nell Fields and Carol Ison, both instrumental in the early development of the school, have taken directions away from the center, Stacy Dollarhide has remained a constant presence in the life of the school.   For many years, Stacy, with the help of Beverly May and many loyal and dedicated members of the music school faculty, and staff of Appalshop have kept the school alive.

The CCAG is very appreciative of Stacy, who represents the Cowan Community, for her dedication and commitment. She has faithfully guarded the community’s position in keeping the school going in the direction it was started, that of preserving and teaching the best of the region’s real ‘traditional’ mountain music and other folk traditions.

On behalf of the Cowan Community Action Group, Inc., and the Cowan Community as well, let us say we are looking forward to having you on Cowan again during June of 2013.  We hope that you are looking forward to your pilgrimage to the music school this year, and we hope it will bring you all of the positive experiences of your former years that many of you have described on our website.   To any new comers, we welcome you whole heartedly and we hope that once you have attended you will share the passion that so many of the returning students describe of their experience.  Those of us who live here and have been a part of the Cowan Community Center since its beginning back in 1964 understand just how special the place is, and we appreciate the fact that you recognize it as well.  Until June, have a Happy Spring and come on down to Cowan!

Carol Ison, Director

Cowan Community Center

Here we are, with a new website!

Lookin’ forward to the 2013 Cowan School!

Excited that Ginny Hawker & Tracy Schwarz, The Clodhoppers & Roger Cooper will be our guest master artists!

On staff: Bruce Greene & Don Pedi, Carla Gover, John Harrod, John Haywood, Karly Dawn Higins & Sarah Wood, Ron Howard, Sarah Howard Montgomery, Rich Kirby, Jimmy McCown,  Don Rogers, Erin Stidham, Betty Vornbrock, Amanda Wells, Jamie Wells & Jesse Wells,  Randy Wilson!

More updates–

Registration will be up by the end of the week!

Hello to all of you from the Cowan Creek,

The 11th annual mountain music school was a wonderful week of friends, family, music, food, and great fellowship.  A total of 118 students, 30 here for the very first time.  We must be doing something right!!!  A great “THANK YOU” to all the faculty, staff, and community volunteers for creating another victory all in the name of old time mountain music!!! 

Along with “old-time” mountain music, song, and dance comes the food and fellowship of our mountain culture.  Through the Grow Appalachia project, folks dined on locally grown and prepared cuisine for their Wednesday night supper.  Fresh produce and fruit were provided daily during the lunch served to our wonderful participants.  Young and old dined on watermelon, cantalope, peaches along with their meals.  Lunch time is a great time to fellowship with friends, neighbors, especially with the talented musicians we have on staff.

Old and young gather each day to partake in banjo, fiddle, guitar, singing, and string band classes either to learn for themselves or to learn how to play together.  Music drifts down the hallways of the Cowan Elementary School as well as being carried along on the wind during the afternoons and early evening from the Cowan Community Center.  Young children play around and about the music creating fairy houses and using whatever imagination for play.  Hopefully we will see some of you next year, mark your calendars, June 24th thru June 28th, for the 12th annual Cowan Creek Mountain Music School.

 The 11th annual Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, June 25 – 29, 2012 will bring together some of this country’s finest old time musicians along with students of all levels, for a week of learning and fun.  The school will offer courses in banjo (four levels) fiddle (four levels), beginning and lead guitar, harmony singing, old time stringband and Kids on the Creek, an arts and music class for kids ages 5 to 10 led by Erin Stidham and Amanda Wells.

 Faculty will include fiddlers Jamie Wells, Betty Vornbrock, Jimmy McCown, Sarah Howard Montgomery, Anna Roberts-Gevalt and new this year, Nikos Pappas and Erynn Marshall.  Banjo faculty include John Haywood, Jesse Wells, Scott Prouty and Randy Wilson.  Singing duo Karly Dawn Higgins and Sarah Wood will teach string band and Carla Gover will teach harmony singing. Don Rogers and Ron Howard will teach guitar.  Two optional afternoon classes are available:  dulcimer led by Cari Norris and square dance calling led by Julie Shepherd Powell.  

Students will enjoy in-class visits and afternoon performances by masters of traditional music Lee Sexton, Lewis & Donna Lamb and Jackie Helton.  In the afternoon, students can join in jam sessions for all levels or a singers’ circle.  Later in the afternoon there is a choice of workshops including the songs of Addie Graham led by Rich Kirby, Knott County banjo styles led by George Gibson, clogging, storytelling and more.  Each evening faculty and students gather for a square dance or faculty concert.  

         The school is held at the Cowan Elementary School and the Cowan Community Center near Whitesburg in Letcher County, Kentucky.  Instrument classes are open to kids age 11 and older and adults.  Tuition is $175 for Kentucky residents and $225 for out-of-state students. Registrations are due by May 31st.  For a complete schedule and registration information see the website www.cowancreekmusic.org or request a brochure by e-mailing cowancreekmusic@tvscable.com or calling (606) 633-3187.

 The Cowan Creek Mountain Music School is produced by the Cowan Community Action Group, Inc. with support from Appalshop, the Letcher County Board of Education and The Letcher County Tourism Council.  

Christmas used to be the time of the year I looked forward to most–that is until my family and I went to Cowan Mountain Music School 2006. Now I’m always anticipating the final week of June so I can meet up with Appalachia music mentors, teachers, and heroes; jam until daylight; meet old buddies and make new pals; dance the Virginia Reel until the fiddlers are out of steam; and learn a cool modal tuning for the banjo…oh yeah, and eat! It’s the place where I first learned how to play clawhammer banjo, and it’s a home that I come back to every year.

Art Stamper Scholarship: Maggie Collum, 14 year old daugher of Danny and Polly Collum from Waddy, Kentucky.  She was a student in the Advanced Fiddle Class taught by John Harrod.

Burt Hatfield Scholarship: Emily Bryant, 8 year old daugher of Randy and Jill Bryan from Martin, Kentucky.  She was a student in the Early Intermediate Banjo Class taught by Cari Norris.

Rodney Sanders Scholarship:  Lisa Marshall, wife of Craig Marshall and mother of Tyler, Emily, and Hannah . She was a student in the Early Intermediate Fiddle class. Lisa and her family reside in Burdine, Kentucky.  She and her family make up the Marshall-Berry Band.

Ray Slone Scholarship:  Stephanie Long,  daughter of Seth and Cheryl Long of Crafts’ Colley, Ermine, Kentucky. She was a student of the Early Intermediate Fiddle class.

Congratulations to these scholarship winners!!

As the whispering wind blows through the grounds of the Cowan Community Center, you can hear the faint beckoning of mountain music calling you!!!  Although spring hasn’t sprung, visions and dreams of early summer with mountain music, dance, and storytelling is echoing through the mountains, hills, and valleys around us.  Those of you who enjoy family,  backporch pickin’, ol’ timey stories,  and the smell of country cookin’ should be making plans to come to Cowan Creek during the last full week of June. 

June 20th thru 24th, we will be hosting our 10th annual mountain music school.  Don’t let the word “school” scare you and make you feel sick to your stomach.  Groups of people, all ages, coming together to learn how to play the old time mountain music, as we say, the precursor to the music today, fiddle, banjo, guitar.  Tuition for those living in this great state of Kentucky is $150.00 and $200.00 for out of state participants.  Five very full days at $30 to $40 dollars a day, lunch is included and a potluck on Friday evening.  Can’t beat that price at Krogers’!

Come on over and visit!!! We’ll be looking for ya!!!

Art Stamper Scholarship: Erin Meyer, daugher of Dawn from Warsaw, Kentucky.  She was a student in the Early Intermediate Fiddle Class taught by Michael Garvin.  This was her first year at Cowan Creek.

Burt Hatfield Scholarship: Emily Berry, daugher of Lisa and Craig Marshall, from Burdine, Kentucky.  She was a student in the Beginning Guitar Class taught by Ron Howard. This was her first year at Cowan Creek.

Ray Slone Teaching Assistantship:  Brandon “Farmer” Grigsby, his first year at Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, stepped in and assisted Ron Howard with the Beginning Guitar Class.  He came every day and was a great asset to the music school.

Rodney Sanders Scholarship:  Joseph “Hunter” Holbrook, his first year at Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, was a student in the Early Intermediate Banjo class taught by Ms. Sarah Wood. “Hunter” is the son of Sandy Holbrook and they reside in Jenkins, Kentucky.

Congratulations to these scholarship winners!! Hope to see you next year at Cowan Creek!!!

Dear everyone,

If you were at the 2010 music school this year, you probably know me – I was the college student walking around with a camera pressed up against my eye, the “Official Cowan Creek Photographer.” If you were bothered by my borderline-compulsive need to snap a picture of anything and everything that moved, I offer my sincerest apologies and deepest assurances that I am not a stalker. If you weren’t, then I’m happy to tell you that the pictures have been posted on the website underneath “Photo Gallery” – please look at them; there are an awful lot of photos, and I need them to serve some sort of public-relations purpose to justify how many I took.

To a first-time fiddler and a first-time intern at the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, however, those five days were about so much more than what I could capture through the lens of a camera. All I can really say was that I was absolutely blown away – by the people, the music, the joy, and the pure energy of all of these elements pulsing through the community that is Cowan Creek. I hail from a Midwest city where a tater is only a tot and a square dance is something you see in movies. The sight of a banjo was a novelty to me, let alone the sound of a whole classroom full of them.

Needless to say, then, Cowan Creek was quite the experience. I played a dulcimer for the first time. I learned that an “old-timer” isn’t just another word for “senior-citizen.” And I found out that mountain folk throw darn good potlucks. Most of all, though, I witnessed the sort of community that grows only when good people get together to play good music. I’m sitting in the Cowan Community Center as I write this, staring out the window into the trees that line the walking path. When you were here – you with your banjos and your guitars and your beat-up fiddles – these trees swam in the sounds of “Bile Them Cabbage Down” and “Chicken Reel.” They formed a canopy above six-year-old musicians and sixty-year-old musicians teaching each other exactly what these old tunes mean. And now, staring at the trees, I can almost hear it: the music that grows in this mountain soil just like Autumn Olive and string beans.

So thank you. Thank you to Stacy Dollarhide, who somehow managed to remain not only sane but also saintly as she poured her energy into organizing this year’s school. Thank you to Rich Kirby, the sound-technician extraordinaire.  Thank you to the faculty who taught me that anyone (even a college-aged, classically-trained violinist from the city) can jam, and most of all, thank you to the students, beginners and masters. You showed me that mountain music isn’t really about the notes so much as it is about the place those notes come from:  the human-to-human connection that is larger than this music, larger than this school, larger than these mountains themselves.  

May you break bow-hairs only on the best of licks and may your banjo go out of tune only when you want it to.

Sincerely,

Jocelyn Streid

Cowan Creek Mountain Music School 2010