Dance Party at the Library

Pictures of fiddle players, dancers, and another musical instrument made of wood.  I think it is a lute or a harp, but smaller.

Come shake it up to live music next Saturday, April 6th at the Ross Pendergraft Library as we host our second Contra Dance in RPL 300B from 7:00-9:00 P.M.  No partner and no experience necessary.  Each dance will be taught before it begins, and no one will be left behind.  The event includes live music from the Valley Jam Session Players and caller Cynthia Callahan.

An old-time contra dance, also referred to as a barn dance, is an informal country dance stemming from such dances in 17th century Western Europe. It has evolved just as the old-time music has. Traditionally this type of dance always uses live musicians playing fiddle tunes.

As part of the Echoes of the River Valley series, the library is bringing to life the folk arts of the past for a new generation.   In addition to dancing, the series has featured events like yarn spinning, hand-quilting, and open jam sessions.  The Jam Sessions occur every Thursday night from 5:30-7:30 PM in Doc Bryan 133.  To learn more about this event, or others in the series, check out our resource guide or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Going Old School

Get your hands on history here at the Ross Pendergraft Library as we host a special series called Echoes of the River Valley, aimed at exploring the culture and the craft of our local past.  Join us for music, dancing, sewing, and spinning all semester long as we partner with community members to connect with the skills and talents that helped shaped the character of the Ozarks.  Here’s a list of the open classes and events hosted this month:

Saturday, Feb. 16th @ 10:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M. in RPL 300B–Spinning Yarns: Literally and Figuratively. 

The Ozarks Fiber Group will be here for a spin-in at the Library.  Live demonstrations of spinning fibers of many kinds will be done. Materials in various stages of the yarn or string making process will be available. This is is the literal portion.  The figurative part of the program will look at Arkansas and Ozark region folklore and stories. Books by Vance Randolph and other story collectors and tellers will be featured. There may even be a story or two to be told.

This is a drop-in/open-house event.  Come when you want–stay as long as you like.  We will be working on projects throughout the day. 

Old school spin class
Every 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th Thursday @ 5:30-7:30 P.M. in Doc Bryan 133– Open Jam Session

We invite student, faculty, staff, and community members to come to a jam session of fiddlers, guitar pickers, and banjo players.  You don’t need to be Doc Watson to play; the chords and notation to the songs are posted on the screen.  We’ll be playing music heard during the 19th century–classic fiddle songs invented long before bluegrass.  Players and listeners are welcome!

Flyer announcing Open Jam Sessions featuring a row of shadow figures playing fiddle.
Saturday, Mar. 9 @ 9:00 A.M.-12:00 P.M. in RPL 300B–Stitches in Time: The Art of Hand Quilting.  

Learn the art of hand quilting as it has been done for centuries. Local quilters will display hand quilted pieces both old and new. There will be a short presentation discussing the background and process of quilting by hand rather that by machine followed by a demonstration.  Learn more about hand piecing by visiting this guide.

pictures of quilt tops with different methods of creating them.
Saturday, Apr. 6 @ 7:00 P.M.-9:00 P.M. in RPL 300B–Contra Dancing with Live Music.

An old-time contra dance,  also referred to as a barn dance or square-dancing, is an informal country dance stemming from such dances in 17th century Western Europe. It has evolved just as the old-time music has. Traditionally this type of dance always uses live musicians playing fiddle tunes. No experience or partner necessary! Each dance will be taught before it begins, and no one will be left behind.

Image of dancers with guitars

More events are scheduled throughout the year.  Be sure to check the calendar for more information and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for upcoming events, photos, and other news from the library.

Echoes of the River Valley kickoff on Sept. 13

Banner featuring Echoes of the River Valley series. Includes pictures of a violin and a quilt

On Thursday, September 13th, at 7:00 P.M. in RPL 300B, the Ross Pendergraft Library kicks off a new series exploring, sharing and preserving the folk arts of the River Valley.  Join us this Thursday as we welcome Dave Smith, old-time fiddler and multi-instrumentalist, who will share his tunes, traditions, and wealth of knowledge about the music of the Ozarks and the greater region.

Photo of Dave Smith, a handsome older gentleman in white shirt, dark vest, dark pants, and brown hat. He has a white beard and mustache of moderate length

Dave Smith is an accomplished folk musician from Mountain View, Arkansas.  He is the host of Ozark Highlands Radio, a popular weekly radio program featuring live music, jam sessions, and interviews from the Ozark Folk Center State Park’s auditorium.  Dave plays the guitar, fiddle, claw-hammer banjo, and the button accordion.

He will discuss the role of music in everyday life before and after the Civil War. From there we can follow the music into the 20th century where we can examine the impact of technology on the on the evolution of the music. Find out how this music is not only surviving, but thriving in today’s fast paced digital age.

If this is your kind of jam, you might like to join a real jam at the Gatherings–a weekly series of musical jams open to all stringed instruments and all level of musicians.  The music will focus on the traditional tunes of the Ozark region.  The University of Arkansas Ozark Folk Songs digital collection will be the primary resource with emphasis on fiddle tunes.

Gatherings will be held on Thursdays, September 27th, October 4th, October 11th, and October 18th from 5:30-7:30 P.M. in Doc Byran 242.  Participants are encouraged to bring a recording device.  All tunes will be played slowly, phrase-by-phrase, working up to greater speeds. Chords will be available for those who wish to play rhythm with their strings.

"Four Thursdays in Autumn at Doc Bryan Room 242 5:30 - 7:30 PM. Thursdays Sept. 27, Oct. 4, Oct.11, Oct.18. The Gatherings"

The final event in the Echoes of the River Valley series will include a two hour session on quilting and piecing using traditional Ozark methods on October 25th.

So rosin up your bow and practice your finger work by clicking Like on our Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instragram pages so you can stay in the circle on what’s happening in the library.   You can also read up on the series at our website: http://libguides.atu.edu/echoes

All events are free and open to the public.  See ya’ll on Thursday!