In this week’s show, we look at a national park site that celebrates distinctly American music -- the Blue Ridge Music Center along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Galax, Virginia. Traveler’s Lynn Riddick visits with Richard Emmett, director of the Blue Ridge Music Center, to find out what’s happening in the interpretation, presentation, and promotion of traditional American mountain music. We’ll kick it off with a clip from the Chatham Rabbits, who recently performed at the center.
By NPT Staff - September 27th, 2020
:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek
1:44 Lynn Riddick explores the history and role of the Blue Ridge Music Center along the Blue Ridge Parkway with the center's director, Richard Emmett.
18:19 The Road Scholar - Bill Mize - The Spirit of South Dakota
18:20 National Parks Traveler promotion
18:32 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation promotion
18:56 Washington’s National Park Fund promotion
19:32 Friends of Acadia promotion
19:58 North Cascades Institute promotion
20:17 Grand Teton National Park Foundation promotion
20:53 Exploring the Blue Ridge Music Center with Richard Emmett continues
40:27 Blue Mist - Randy Petersen - The Sounds of Shenandoah
40:30 Episode Closing
41:00 Orange Tree Productions promotion
41:36 Splitbeard Productions
41:48 National Parks Traveler footer
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In honor of NPS Blue Ridge and Grand Tetons Superintendent, and Director, Gary Everhardt:
the former NPS Superintendent and NPS Director died over Christmas. Only a few days after his wife. Both of this Coronavirus.
Gary was instrumental in helping establish this way to highlight Blue Ridge heritage and music. The significance of heritage partnerships and the political wiliness (and muscle) required evade all the bureaucratic obstructors is not properly appreciated by some traditionalist outlets or intrenched officials and congressional staff.
But Gary knew parks and preservation are more than resources, they are Places of meaning and memory.
Local/distinctive music, food, dance, celebration all are part of landscape and place.
As we have seen from non-NPS sites, such as Bears Ears National Monument where Native Americans emphasized the sacred meaning of place and the stories inextricable from landscape, natural areas (just as national heritage corridors) are more than biology and historic sites cannot be circumscribed by their red velvet ropes.
Some day park traditionalists will awake to the skill sets developed by their colleagues. Heritage areas will learn from and share staff with parks, and parks will learn from heritage corridors.
Gary Everhardt - the hero along with George Hartzog of the "Second World Conference on National Parks" held on the Yellowstone centennial at Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks in 1972 - knew all about parks and heritage. While he enticed the hyper-conservative congressional delegation, he called me several times to share ideas in launching heritage partnership.
It was an adventure, and Gary loved it.
Many former Directors withdraw into retirement, perhaps emerging to sign a letter or preside at an event.
Gary Everhardt is the Director who returned to the parks.
With his blocking and tackling, the way was opened and the music center was born.