Charley SandageThe Ozark Folk Center, a state park here in Mountain View, Arkansas is adding a new programming feature. Drawing on its array of offerings in traditional music, lore, and crafts – ranging from quilting and herb culture to blacksmithing, knife making, and dozens of others – the Center has offered weekend and one-day workshops of all kinds for years. Starting during the 2105 season, new emphasis will be placed on workshops designed to meet the continuing education needs of classroom teachers. Watch the Center’s website for announcements about content and scheduling.
Songwriters try to “tell the story” with every lyric, but I love the ones that are more complete tales. “Different Music” isn’t about anyone specific, but it’s no less a real story. “The Seat” is contemporary country in style, taking two people in love through a lifetime. In the traditional “Loch Tay Boat Song,” the characters become real people. “Lila,” from the 2008 “That Time is Here” CD, is a story that woke me up one night, ready to be written down.