MOTOR
HOMING INTO THE PAST....It can be done!
A
special press release from the Rural Roots of America by Bob Phillips
LeMars, Iowa.....With gas
prices slowly dribbling down, quite a lot slower than they dribbled up, more
motor homes and RVs are hitting the road in search of the new. In this
fast moving world of computerized video games, machines that make music, and
vehicles that travel the universe, it seems little is left to individual
accomplishment.
What has this to do with
the past, much less interest anyone in a musical art form that is out of
vogue? Put more simply, "How you gonna keep them down on the
farm after they've seen TV, especially for those that carry their TV in their
shirt pocket or purse.
Well, in LeMars, Iowa,
that's exactly what folks are up to, keepin' them down on the farm, and singing
about it too! LeMars is not only home to this great 'travel into the past
music adventure,' it's also the ice cream capital of the world. Combining
old-time music with old-time delicious ice-cream seems to have the earmark of
something 'new' but coming from the past.
According to the President
of the Rural Roots Music Commission, Bob Everhart, a Smithsonian Institution
recording artist and performer, "The Rural Roots Music Commission is a
group of intelligent, sophisticated, dedicated, folks concerned about the
direction, not only of keeping some 'roots' of country music in country music
today, but also where the typical American vacationing motor home is
headed. We've been doing a festival of old-time music for 37 years now,
the main purpose being to keep America's 'rural' music alive. The new
challenge is to also keep our pioneer's survival crafts from
disappearing in a modern world where everything is done electronically.
Motorhoming into the past is exactly what we are doing."
The event Everhart is
referring to, is the annual National Old-Time Country, Bluegrass, & Folk
Music Festival and Pioneer Exposition of Arts, Crafts, and Rural
Lifestyle. "This is the 37th continuous gathering of an event that
harkens back to another time," Everhart said. "And it's not just
Iowa's pioneers anymore, it's everyone's pioneers. Way back when America
was a struggling infant, there wasn't so much opportunity to be 'from'
somewhere, so much as there was to be 'going' somewhere. America was just
a youngun in the 1800's and growing fast. It was then, that Iowa teemed
with agriculture, and big city life was merely a glint in some land developer's
eye.
And with those covered
wagons headed west, came the music, not only of a generation, but an entire
country. The music of the pioneers; fiddlers playing for clog and jig
dancers; country singers concerned with entertaining and telling stories in
their songs, guitar pickers and harmonica players known as flat-toppers and
French-harp players - they all set the pace for whatever entertainment was
available, and they were always in demand.
Few Iowa farmers had time
to learn how to play musical instruments or write songs. Moms and dads, and
children too, were milking cows, plowing fields, sowing seeds, and harvesting
crops. With all the other chores that popped up marked 'survival' it's no
wonder the pioneers didn't make room in their covered wagons for symphony
orchestras. Farm folks stayed close to the ground and nature. They
lived in harmony with their environment, and their entertainment demands were
few and simple. Humming became an all-time mother's duty - to her infant
children, at the breakfast table, in the evening firelight, and many times in
between. Many songs handed down from generation to generation can be
credited, at least in some instances, as being saved at mother's breast."
LeMars, Iowa, still retains
many of the characteristics of pioneer farm life. The Plymouth County
Fairgrounds, where the big old-time music festival is held, managed to save a
very rare, and beautifully built round barn. There's even an old log
cabin on the grounds rescued from certain destruction. Add to that huge
air conditioned buildings and you have the 'homestead' location for
a huge music celebration.
According to Everhart,
"The folks who come to this event, aren't just from Iowa. They come
from around the world to relive and re-experience the lifestyle, and especially
the music, of America's pioneers. The whole idea behind the festival is
to make it possible for folks to come with their children, drive their motor
home into the past, camp-out, enjoy the many activities and not have to worry
about drugs or liquor. It goes for an entire seven days (Aug.
27-Sept 2, 2012), and has ten stages of musical entertainment, all going at the
same time. The music is everywhere, and it's acoustic and it's
old-timey. Not only are there celebrities who have made significant
contributions to what we know as country music today, there are singers and
performers from around the world. There are banjo players, mandolin
pickers, Dobro wailers, dulcimer strummers, and autoharp tinklers.
There are even bones players, and entertainment with a direct connect to the
past."
The whole event, especially
the music, has become a valid alternative to 24-hour 352-channels of
television. Yet, the video business has not ignored this festival.
All three national networks have been there in one form or another. Iowa
Public Television, and National Public Radio have taped the proceedings.
A host of local television and radio programs have been broadcast directly from
the grounds, but according to Everhart, "The biggest thrill was to have
the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) with us. They picked us as one
of the top four acoustic music festivals in America, and showed the resulting
program in over 20 foreign countries."
So, back to that motor
homing into the past? "Yes!, said Everhart. "It's easy to
do, we have over 300 electrical hook-ups on the grounds, we're easy to get to,
and off-site activities in a town like LeMars is a wonderful way to experience
a different lifestyle, a different approach to life, and certainly a different
way to remove oneself from the hectic pace of today, and simply move back in
time. There's all kinds of activities at the festival, there's arts and
crafts, there's workshops, there's spontaneous jamming, there's ten stages of
incredible old-time American music. We welcome everyone, with one major
exception. We do not allow liquor or drugs of any kinds on the
grounds."
More information about this
rural and agricultural music event is available at www.ntcma.net or by simply
e-mailing Everhart at bobeverhart_at_yahoo_dot_com
or calling him at 712-762-4363.
PLEASE If you do not want
to receive these press releases about old-time music in Mid-America
....please.... simply write 'remove' in the subject line and return to
us. Don't forget our 37th Annual National Old-Time Music Fest, Aug
27-Sept 2, 2012, LeMars, Iowa, AND the Rural Roots Music Gathering Oct 5-6-7,
2012 in Fremont, Nebraska. Our website is at http://www.ntcma.net THANK YOU!