Americas Music featured in Hyden Oct. 7

HCTC is hosting a series of documentary film screenings and discussions on America s Music: A Film History of Our Popular Music from Blues to Bluegrass to Broadway to enlighten audiences about uniquely American musical genres.

The next America s Music program will feature highlights from Broadway and Tin Pan Alley. Tin Pan Alley is the name given to the collection of New York City music publishers and songwriters who dominated the popular music in the late 19th century and early 20th century. The presentation will be held on Monday, Oct. 7 at 6 p.m. in Room 311 at HCTC s Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music in Hyden, Kentucky. Professor Ron Reed is the program scholar for the series.

Reed s own musical career began in the late 1960s when he performed as a member of a folk trio. Later, he sang shaped-note hymns with groups from Lexington and Hazard. As a member of a duet he traveled extensively throughout the state performing many traditional Appalachian ballads. He now plays with a group of musicians who provide live music for English Country Dancing. He currently teaches English and Western Literature at Hazard Community and Technical College. Reed has been actively involved with the Governor s Scholars program since 2002.

We are thrilled to participate in this exciting program that will help introduce different types of music, show how modern music has been influenced by older styles, and bridge gaps among generations, said Cathy Branson, Director of Library Services. Dean Osborne, Director of the Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music, has been instrumental in assuring KSBTM would take an active role in the series.

HCTC Libraries is one of 81 organizations nationwide selected to host this program series. America s Music is a project by the Tribeca Film Institute in collaboration with the American Library Association, Tribeca Flashpoint, and the Society for American Music. America s Music has been made possible by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the Human Endeavor.

For details, contact Cathy Branson at Cathy.Branson@kctcs.edu or phone (800) 246-7521.