Two musicians, one a veteran of traditional music, the other a young musician carrying on the tradition, received honors at the Bascom Lamar Lunsford Festival on OCt. 6 in Moore Auditorium at Mars Hill College.
Boyd Black, who has played bass fiddle for the Stoney Creek Boys since 1969, received the 2012 Bascom Lamar Lunsford Award.
As a bass player, Black plays an essential role in the traditional music community. He has made many contributions to traditional music for over three decades, through his work with the Lunsford Festival, the Folk Heritage Committee, Shindig on the Green and the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival.
In an old-time music or bluegrass band, the bass player doesn’t carry the melody, and he rarely has a solo. But the steady beat and deep tones of the bass make the music more rich and satisfying. “In a band, the bass player is the rhythm, and that’s just as important as any lead instrument,” said Arvil Freeman, Stoney Creek Boys long-time fiddler and recipient of the 1988 Lunsford Award. “It’s what holds the band together as far as rhythm goes.”
2012 Lunsford Youth Award Winner
Chosen by her peers and elders, Kathryn Parham Brickey is the 2012 Lunsford Youth Award Recipient. This award has only been given out a handful of times. It is awarded to a young person in the community who exhibits promise, passion, and dedication to the preservation of mountain music. Roger Howell said, “Kathryn represents what we’re in this for. She is the future. She has the grace, the style, the obvious talent, and she understands where it comes from.”
Contact
- Karen Paar
- (828) 689-1262
- kpaar@mhc.edu
