Editorial
Front Page - Friday, December 24, 2010
Folk School offers rich tunes in a variety of different avenues
Erica Tuggle
Matthew Evans, the co-director of the Folk School of Chattanooga, demonstrates his skill on his banjo before one of his afternoon lessons at the North Shore location. The Folk School offers lessons on a multitude of instruments from the hammer dulcimer, mandolin, tin whistle, fiddle, guitar, clawhammer banjo and many more including voice instruction.
- Erica Tuggle
The Folk School of Chatta-nooga is the new kid on the North Shore, but already they are making an impact on the Chattanooga area in a big way.
Directors Christie Burns and Matthew Evans moved to their current location at the beginning of last year after meeting at a Tennessee Folklore Society Meeting, teaching together at the Mountain Music Store alongside John Boulware and discussing the possibility of combining their individual teaching efforts into something bigger. This led to the idea of a folk school, and thus launched the idea before they even had their own establishment.
With the help of a grant from CreateHere, they opted for business consulting and a meeting with the director of the Folk School of St. Louis to learn how their school was run to apply to the new school. The pair of Chattanoogans took these ideas and came up with a business plan that has brought them up to this point.
Now the pair continue their efforts to make the public aware of folk music and the services the school offers in group and private lessons, concerts, free events like documentary movie nights and a weekly Monday night jam session at the Market Street Tavern.
Evans says, “Christie and I will go just about anywhere and play and hand out fliers. I think of most of our performances not really as performances but chances to get out and meet the public, play the music, get in front of them and let them know what we are doing here.”
The Folk School also partners frequently for concerts with Brian Hamilton, the Barking Legs Theatre and Friends of Cumberland Trail to co-sponsor events. The Web site of the Folk School is another way that the school is reaching out to the public by offering videos and resources where people can go to be entertained for a while and expose themselves to folk music, Evans says.
Evans first became involved with folk music with early exposure to artists like Norman Blake who he explored until he found Tim Worman, who taught Clawhammer banjo, in Knoxville. Worman also taught Evans fiddle, guitar, mandolin, minstrel banjo and a percussive instrument called “the bones,” all of which Evans now teaches at the folk school
“The real traditional music, like I play, seems like most people who listen to it also play it and get into it to meet people who play,” Evans says, “There’s not a whole lot of recordings and chances to hear it out there other than the people you meet who do it.”
The pair’s other half, director Christie Burns, is a world class hammer dulcimer player and travels all over the world with her skills. She teaches this instrument as well as fiddle, mandolin, guitar, piano and mountain dulcimer. The folk school has a multitude of other teachers and some from local acts such as Bluetastic Fangrass, Barefoot Nelly, Slim Pickens and Lone Mountain Band.
“If one thing has gone really well for us it has been the contributions of our teachers. I am constantly amazed by how the best musicians in town have gotten excited about what we are doing here and have pitched in to help make it happen and provide great instruction,” Evans says.
These classes also cover all ages and skill levels. Evans says they want as many beginners as possible and offer a slightly smaller selection of intermediate and advanced classes for those who have taken lessons in the past or have experience on their instrument. Students range from four-year-old children to adults in their 80s in group and private lessons, Evans says.
There are lessons available every weekday evening, and on Friday, the free documentary film series is offered from Jan. 10 to March 5. On Saturdays from Jan. 15 through Feb. 5, a four-week instrument building class is offered to build-your-own cookie tin banjo from Feb. 12 to March 5, a build your own cigar box fiddle class will be held.
The Folk School recently launched a new membership program that allows people to support the school and offers discounts on programming.
“Come out and take a chance on hearing and listening to folk music whenever it is coming through town, whether here, or at Barking Legs, or anywhere that you hear about it,” Evans says. “There are lots of opportunities to go out and experience the music then get excited about coming over and learning something at movies or concerts or anything we are doing.”
Gift certificates are also available for lessons and make a unique and useful gift for any age. Contact the Folk School of Chattanooga at 423-827-8906 or visit www.chatannoogafolk.com for a complete list of winter classes and events.
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