Original Folkloristic Radio Programming

Rachel Hopkin with banjo player and maker Arthur Hatfield at his workshop. Photo by Amanda Hardeman.

 

Current graduate student Rachel Hopkin makes folkloristic radio programs for the Folk Studies program. Many of her programs are tie-ins with local events or visitors. The programs range from four minutes in length to an hour. The programs are at different stages of production and not all have been aired, but below are descriptions of the different programs Rachel has made for the Folk Studies program.  

 

Check it out!

An American Educator in Liberia: The Collection of Dr. Daniel Hays. 

Local relatives of the family looking at the exhibit with student Katie Wynn.  

In the fall of 2011, Coppelia Hays donated a collection of the memorabilia from her family's time in Liberia.  Dr. Williams's Museum Procedures and Preservation Techniques class spent the spring 2012 semester documenting, researching, and creating an exhibit about the collection which premiered at the Kentucky Museum on May 11, 2012.  Listen to the radio piece about the collection and exhibit here and read more about the exhibit here!

 

Clarence "Frogman" Henry

Picture from Frogman's website.  

Louisiana Blues Musician Clarence "Frogman" Henry talks about the origins of his nickname, his life in Bowling Green post-Katrina, and his varied career, which includes his hits for Chess Records and opening for The Beatles in the early 1960s.  Listen to it here!

 

Monroe County Bar-B-Que

Premiering Friday February 3rd, 2012 at 5:30 central time on WKU’s public radio

Rachel interviewing the owner of R&S Barbecue.   

This interesting piece is a focus on Monroe style bar-b-que, a unique tradition in Kentucky. Most of Kentucky uses a tomato based bar-b-que sauce, but Monroe County has a vinegar based sauce. The program focuses on what makes this practice special and those who carry on the tradition today.

The four restaurants Rachel visited and features on the program:

Smokey Pig Barbecue - 2520 Louisville Road Bowling Green, KY 42101, (270) 781-1712

Backyard Barbecue - 293 Old Edmonton Road, Tompkinsville KY 42167, 270-407-5435

 

Frances' Barbecue - 4201 Celina Road, Tompkinsville 42167, 270-487-8550

R&S Barbecue - 217 South Jackson Street Tompkinsville, KY 42167, 270-487-1008

 All photographs by Amanda Hardeman. 

 

Dr. Lynwood Montell

Click here  to listen to the program on WKU's public radio website.

 

 A celebration of the life and work of Dr. William Lynwood Montell. He is one of the foremost folklorists in Kentucky. He has published 26 books, mostly focused on the upper Cumberland area. Dr. Lynwood Montell also taught at WKU for 30 years and turned 80 this year.  

 

Freeman Kitchens

A report on the founder of the Carter Family Fan Club and international record dealer who has operated out of a country store in the village of Drake. This was broadcast prior to an exhibition devoted to his work at the Kentucky Museum curated by Jennifer Jameson.  Click here to listen on WKU's public radio website.  

Jennifer Jameson with Freeman Kitchens.

South Central Kentucky Basket Traditions

Click here to listen to the documentary on WKU's public radio website.  Read the transcript here.

      

Basket makers Paul Rich and Leona Waddell.  Photos by Amanda Hardeman.  

 

South Central Kentucky has a rich and unique basket making tradition including white-oak egg baskets and honeysuckle and willow baskets. The program features some of the finest basket making traditions in the US. Some of the basket makers are new to the tradition, some are eighth generation, and a couple are even children.

Here are some links if you are interested in learning more about KY basket making:

http://mammothcavebasketmakers.com 

http://www.basketmakerscatalog.com/

http://www.hartcountyfairky.com/

 

The Gardner House
Built in the early 19th Century, the Gardner House is located on the WKU Biological Preserve in Hart County and it's become a restoration project for WKU's Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology. This report was broadcast prior to an open day at the house in April 2011 organized by the Folk Studies graduate students. Listen to the report here on WKU's public radio website.

Charles Neblett

Russellville's Charles Neblett who was a founding member of the Freedom Singers. The show coincided with Bernice Johnson Reagon’s visit to WKU. Click here to listen to the show on WKU's public radio website.

 

John Edmonds

Music arranger, singer, composer, recorded artist, ensemble player, and music director, John Edmonds wears many hats. Edmonds is a big part of the local black gospel tradition in Bowling Green. He, with our very own Dr. Brady, is also behind a new non-profit organization supporting local artists called “Sky Inspired.” To learn more about Edmonds check out his Southern Artistry artist portfolio.  Listen to the program here on WKU's public radio website.  

 

Quonset Auditorium

To tie-in with the premiere of former student Amber Ridington’s documentary video at WKU in October 2010 this is a short program on the Quonset Auditorium. The Quonset Auditorium has been torn down, but in its heyday it hosted local and national musicians and wrestlers.

 

Arthur Hatfield

Arthur Hatfield is a Bluegrass banjo player and maker from Rocky Hill, KY. Hatfield started off in a traveling Bluegrass band, but decided he preferred to stay home and became a cabinet maker while playing in local bands. When he retired from cabinet making he decided to start professionally making banjos. Listen to the show here on WKU's public radio website.  Learn more about Hatfield at his website.