Many Mountains, Many Musics
2015, March 27-29
East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
The 2015 ASA Conference will be held at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee, a public university of approximately 15,000 students. The conference will take place at two primary locations on the ETSU campus. The D. P. Culp University Center will serve as the central hospitality location, where registration, silent auction, exhibits, breaks, the Many Mountains Plenary, and the Many Musics Concert will take place. The Culp Center also houses dining facilities and a Starbucks. Concurrent sessions will take place in Rogers-Stout Hall, which is fully equipped with smart classrooms. The theme of this year’s conference ― MANY MOUNTAINS, MANY MUSICS ― challenges you to view Appalachia from a fresh perspective and discover its emergence as a creative, dynamic force. In keeping with the theme, the MANY MOUNTAINS PLENARY will bring together a noteworthy panel to discuss “Opportunity & Enterprise in Appalachia.” Also scheduled is a MANY MOUNTAINS ROAN HIGHLANDS HIKE along with group tours that include the new Birthplace of Country Music Museum. The Mary B. Martin School of the Arts at ETSU will sponsor RICKY SKAGGS AND KENTUCKY THUNDER in concert. Deeply rooted in tradition but with an innovative edge, this MANY MUSICS performance will embody the best of Appalachia. The photography of Ricky Skaggs will also be on exhibit at the Reece Museum on the ETSU campus. ETSU’s Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies Program will provide music throughout the conference and will be featured in the MANY MUSICS: BISCUITS, BLUEGRASS, AND GOSPEL HOUR. As in the past, a key component of this year’s conference will be the concurrent sessions. There will be ten concurrent sessions dedicated to the rich diversity of Appalachia’s many mountains, many musics. Your participation is most welcome. PROPOSALS MAY BE SUBMITTED ON THE ASA WEBSITE BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 1 AND OCTOBER 17, 2014. For further information, please see the 2015 Call for Participation.
Keynote Speaker: Margo Miller
We are pleased to announce that Margo Miller, executive director of the Appalachian Community Fund (ACF) is this year’s keynote speaker. Senator Lamar Alexander was unable to deliver the keynote address this year due to legislative commitments. ACF is based out of Knoxville, Tennessee, and provides (as their website explains) “resources and support to grassroots organizations working to overcome the underlying causes of poverty and injustice in Central Appalachia (East Tennessee, Eastern Kentucky, Southwest Virginia and West Virginia).” Showing how central Appalachians engage in social, economic, racial and environmental justice, Miller will tell a story of community empowerment and transformation by lifting up the successful work of ACF grantees and talk about the ACF’s role in helping build the capacity of grassroots organizations in the region for the past 28 years.