Cybergrass Bluegrass Music News: Music Alliance Presents 'From Wood to Singing Guitar' Documentary

BMNN wrote: on Dec. 03, 2009:

/BCMA/ Bristol VA/TN -- The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance and Appalshop will host a screening of the Appalshop documentary From Wood to Singing Guitar in the J. Henry Kegley meeting room at the Bristol Public Library on Saturday, December 5th at 2 PM. Admission is free. From Wood to Singing Guitar showcases Wayne C. Henderson, master musician and luthier from Rugby, Virginia. Following the presentation, both Henderson and the film’s producer, Shawn Lind, will participate with the audience in a discussion. “We are very pleased to work with Appalshop to show this documentary in the Tri-Cities,” commented Bill Hartley, Executive Director of the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance. From Wood to Singing Guitar allows viewers the opportunity to watch a master practice his craft, hear a musician play the songs of his home, and visit with friends.

Following the film and discussion, Wayne Henderson will be performing at the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia later that evening. "We encourage the community to come out to learn more about Wayne Henderson and our region's musical and cultural heritage in the afternoon, and then go see him perform live later that evening," added Hartley.

A skilled craftsman and respected musician by his teens, Wayne Henderson was taught and encouraged by those around him including the folk hero E.C. Ball and the kind and generous fiddle maker, Albert Hash. Learning much more than just guitar building and playing, Wayne continues to do the same for the younger generations by sharing the craft with others like Gerald Anderson, who is passing it onto Spencer Strickland, and encourages any young musician to play with him and his friends such as Doc Watson, Steve Kilby, Herb Key, Jeff Little, Sammy Shelor, Roni Stoneman, Robin Kessinger, The Kruger Brothers, and the list goes on.

In 1995, Wayne Henderson was awarded the National Endowment for the Art's National Heritage Fellowship for his work as a luthier and musician. Producing over 400 guitars for the likes of Doc Watson and Eric Clapton, the quality of Wayne's instruments have created a famous waiting list of ten years. Equally as famous is Wayne's reputation for being generous, friendly, and very approachable as a musician and an instrument maker. Many travelers along The Crooked Road learn this first hand as visitors to Wayne's shop and music festival every year.

Following the screening of the documentary, the film's producer, Shawn Lind, and Wayne Henderson will participate in an audience discussion. Shawn Lind, a graduate of Ohio University, started working with Appalshop during the summer of 2005. Being involved in many projects at the media arts non-profit, Lind started filming his first documentary in the spring of 2008. After a year of shooting and editing, From Wood to Singing Guitar had its world premier at Appalshop's annual Seedtime on the Cumberland Festival. Based in Whitesburg, Kentucky, Appalshop is a non-profit multi-disciplinary arts and education center in the heart of Appalachia producing original films, video, theater, music and spoken-word recordings, radio, photography, multimedia, and books. In 2009, Appalshop is celebrating its 40th anniversary. For more information, visit www.appalshop.org.

The Mapes String Company will be furnishing a free set of guitar stings to all in attendance at the event. Based in Elizabethton, Mapes is one of the oldest string manufacturers in the United States. They manufacture specialty wire used mostly for the manufacture of guitar strings for many different companies and are used by many traditional artists in our area and across the world.

The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of the living musical heritage of the Appalachian mountains and the cultural traditions that sustain it. The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance is funded in part by grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, the Tennessee Arts Commission, and National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, call (276) 645-0111 or visit online at www.BirthplaceOfCountryMusic.org.

Seed Newsvine

Copyright 1992-2010 by CYBERGRASS® CYBERGRASS® is a Registered Trademark. All use and rights are reserved. No part of this site may be copied or reproduced in whole or in part without express written authorization from CYBERGRASS®. Derivitive works prohibited.