Next week I’ll be attending the annual Wilderness Wildlife Week held in Pigeon Forge TN. I’m honored to have been invited as a guest for the event which will run May 18 – 22.
Pigeon Forge has hosted Wilderness Wildlife Week for the last 25 years as a tribute to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and its heritage. There are tons of presentations and workshops offered during the week-all FREE to the public. You can see some of the choices here. If you make it to any part of the event-please find me to say hello. I would love to talk to you.
Since Pap’s passing Paul and I have been studying on how to keep his musical legacy alive. We both see clearly that the Blind Pig and The Acorn has already secured that legacy in many ways. But we have other ideas as well.
We want to get Pap’s original songs out there to folks who will hopefully like them enough to sing them. Know someone who might be interested in Pap’s original songs? Please send me an email about them. You can reach me at blindpigandtheacorn@gmail.com.
We want to continue funding the music scholarship in his name at the John C. Campbell Folk School. (In lieu of flowers, the family requested memorials be made in memory of Jerry M. Wilson to the John C. Campbell Folk School Music Scholarship Fund, 1 Folk School Road, Brasstown, NC 28902- a big THANK YOU to all of you who contributed!!)
Paul is planning on producing a Blind Pig and The Acorn cd as soon as possible. He has several songs already recorded by Pap so all we need to do is add a few more songs by the rest of us.
The next item is more of a long term project.
Over the years we’ve had many folks ask us if we sold dvds of the videos we put on youtube, we don’t…at least not yet. Paul’s idea is to produce a dvd of the most watched youtube videos. Each video would have an introduction related directly to the history of the song in Appalachia as well as a connection to Pap. Paul and I would like for the release of the dvd to coincide with the 10th Anniversary of the Blind Pig and The Acorn blog. That gives us 2 years to make the dvd happen. A pretty daunting task, but we’re hopeful we can do it. What we’d really like to do is throw a huge release party and invite all of you and even ask you to bring everybody you know!
Paul and I want to produce the dvd for the simple fact that folks enjoyed Pap’s music, but we also want to complete the project as a historical look at traditional Appalachian music and the role it’s played in the lives of people living in the mountains of Western North Carolina as well as the rest of Appalachia. The history of music in the far western corner of NC can be traced by Pap’s very life. From hearing Jim Eanes’s song Two Baby Blue Eyes when he was a young boy wearing overalls in a mule plowed field on the banks of the Hiwassee River to the songs he penned and performed over the course of his life and the encouragement he unfailingly offered to other musicians-Pap played an important role in the musical history of this area.
If you have tips, advice, or suggestions about our endeavors we’d love to hear them!
Tipper
Pap and Paul sing so many wonderful songs in such heartfelt harmony, a legacy that should live on and on. Please produce the DVD. I know it takes effort, but…
Blind Pig & the Acorn, now at eight years. My hat goes off to you, Tipper. I hope everyone realizes how much dedication and time goes into posting a daily blog, especially one of such compelling interest and enduring value.
Cheerleading from afar may prove to be my main contribution to the project, but I would love to do more!.
Such a project could feature and celebrate the wealth of musical resources close at hand which your family has helped to develop. You’ve no need of musicians from off. That said, if you ever find yourself wondering if a song or tune would benefit from the harmony playing of a scratchy old New Englander, I hope you’ll keep me in mind!
Not if, but *when* you have a “CD-release” or “Project Completion” event, I would love to be there.
David
What a great idea! Sounds like an exciting project and I am confident that you and Paul will pull this off before the BP 10TH Anniversary. Will definitely let you know if I have any ideas to contribute. The wheels are turning for sure. Have a great time in Pigeon Forge!
Tipper,
That is a wonderful idea, keeping Pap’s music alive. I heard him and Ray singing this morning about “helping some Pilgrim along the way.”
It’s about time the Pigeon Forge Wildlife bunch reached out to our Smokey Mountain Girl, I’m glad you’re participating.
I can’t wait till the 29th and see The Pressley Girls. I done told lots of friends about them coming to Valleytown Baptist and that ain’t far from my shop…Ken
Thanks for mentioning the Wilderness Wildlife Association. in Pigeon Forge. I have been one of the presenters at that event for over ten years. I am a Waterfall nut, and have thousands of pictures of waterfalls from all over this hemisphere. The ones I will show this year are “The Waterfalls of the Southern Appalachians”, and “Waterfalls of Tennessee”. I really enjoy the people and topics that the annual l event features. Maybe I will see you there.
Thanks for mentioning the Wilderness Wildlife Association. in Pigeon Forge. I have been one of the presenters at that event for over ten years. I am a Waterfall nut, and have thousands of pictures of waterfalls from all over this hemisphere. The ones I will show this year are “The Waterfalls of the Southern Appalachians”, and “Waterfalls of Tennessee”. I really enjoy the people and topics that the annual l event features. Maybe I will see you there.
Thanks for mentioning the Wilderness Wildlife Association. in Pigeon Forge. I have been one of the presenters at that event for over ten years. I am a Waterfall nut, and have thousands of pictures of waterfalls from all over this hemisphere. The ones I will show this year are “The Waterfalls of the Southern Appalachians”, and “Waterfalls of Tennessee”. I really enjoy the people and topics that the annual l event features. Maybe I will see you there.
Thanks for mentioning the Wilderness Wildlife Association. in Pigeon Forge. I have been one of the presenters at that event for over ten years. I am a Waterfall nut, and have thousands of pictures of waterfalls from all over this hemisphere. The ones I will show this year are “The Waterfalls of the Southern Appalachians”, and “Waterfalls of Tennessee”. I really enjoy the people and topics that the annual l event features. Maybe I will see you there.
What a wonderful project you and Paul have come up with – that dvd will be a real labor of love, and will educate and entertain and inspire people for a long, long time.
Wilderness Wildlife Week sounds like just my cup of tea, and I sure wish I could be there. Looking forward to reading about it here 🙂
These are all great ideas. If you throw a release party, we will be there!
I especially like the idea of a history themed dvd/cd. I’ve mentioned this before, but you should also look to trace the musical legacy of your family. Your family has such a rich musical tradition, it should be documented. I think that musicological historiography (is that even a thing? I think I’ve spent too much time in academia) is an important thing for Appalachians to do. Our history, art, and philosophy is what makes us who we are and other people need to see that.
Your blog is an important part of this. But, that’s a whole other comment.
By the way, my wife had to go to commencement early this morning. We were all up early. Me and the kids listened to Lamp Lighting Time during breakfast. Your family’s music is an important part of their education, too.
Thanks for all you do!
Tipper,
So much to do! How do you get it all done? You wear many hats!
Sounds like you and Paul have some great ideas in consideration. Personally, I like them all. So, I would
have to do some hard thinking to come up with another idea! Now, let me think o it for a sec!
How about a “Pap’s Music Fest”, that would be held yearly. Various activities, monies raised going to the scholarship fund!
I know we sure enjoyed our visit at the get-together that time at Martin’s Creek School! All the singing, clogging, storytelling, meet n’ greet, and the food… good times!
Don’t know if we can make next week, but will give it try!
Thanks Tipper,
Great post and ideas!
Oh Tip, this is wonderful! These are all excellent ideas. The only thought I have at the moment is contacting the folks in Raleigh who gave Pap the Heritage award and see if they could be involved in any way.
If I have any other thoughts you’ll get them!