Concerts will be plentiful in the month of February at the John C. Campbell Folk School near Murphy, North Carolina. If you enjoy folk and bluegrass music, you may want to make room on your calendar to take in these concerts.

On February 3, 2012, you can listen to the close harmonies and upbeat dance tunes of Bob and Amy Buckingham. Bob began playing guitar and banjo on the 60′s and through the years has expanded is skills to the fiddle and mandolin. He has played with many old-time and bluegrass bands. Amy sings and plays guitar, banjo, and fiddle. Come on out and have a toe tappin’ time!

February 6, 2012 brings a special Monday night concert with Lee Knight. Lee comes from the Adirondack Mountains of New York where he became interested in folk music when he was in high school. Over the years he has studied folk music in the Adirondacks, the Southern Appalachians, Canada, Russia, Central Asia, Scotland, Columbia, and Peru. He will entertain you with his dulcimer, banjo, and guitar.

Norman Kennedy will bring some traditions of Scotland to the school on February 10, 2012. Norman was born in Scotland and learned songs, stories and crafts from his friends and family there. He soon became an excellent handweaver and came to the United States in the 60′s to co-found a shop and organization intended to support traditional crafts. Throughout the years he has used these skills as master weaver in Colonial Williamsburg and also started a school in weaving. He now travels around the country performing songs, telling stories, and instructing people in traditional weaving techniques.

On February 24, 2012, the Berea College Bluegrass Ensemble will perform. This ensemble was created in 1999 to give students who have a background in bluegrass music a chance to hone their skills by performing in a working band. Generally, each student that is picked will stay with the band until they graduate.

All shows will begin at 7 PM in the Community Room at Keith House. Keith House is located in the U-shaped driveway off Brasstown Road directly across from Harshaw Road. The Community Room is to the left of the foyer as you enter the front door.

Admission is free for all concerts but any donations will be appreciated. For more information, call 828-837-2775.

John C. Campbell Folk School near Murphy, North Carolina has dances, concerts, and other events throughout the year. August 2011 brings Les Gustafson-Zook and The Dismembered Tennesseans in concert. The next Contra dance scheduled brings Andrea Nettleton and Free Association to town.

Les Gustafson-Zook will be in concert on August 12, 2011. This auto harp champion plays a variety of traditional folk songs and hymns and along with the auto harp he plays banjo, jawharp, mountain dulcimer, and spoons.

The Dismembered Tennesseans will be in concert on August 19, 2011.  They are a bluegrass band who started out as teenagers having a good time and that good time has lasted more than 65 years. They have performed with many top bluegrass musicians as well as with the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, Chattanooga Boys Choir, and the Chattanooga Ballet. They have performed all over the country in festivals, charity events and much more.

The concerts will be held in the Festival Barn. Shows start at 7 PM. The events are Free but donations are welcome.

The next Contra dance will be on August 20, 2011 from 8 PM to 11 PM at the Community Room in the Keith House and features Andrea Nettleton and Free Association. Andrea Nettleton is a new caller who has performed in Atlanta, Chattanooga and River Falls. Free Association is a band out of Atlanta. Beginners, singles and couples are all welcome. The easier dances start the evening so beginners should try to be there promptly at 8. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for ages 12 – 18, $3 for under 12.

For more information on these events, call 828-837-2775 or 800-365-5724.

The John C. Campbell Folk School is located at:
1 Folk School Rd.
Brasstown, NC

The John C. Campbell Folk School welcomes Betty Smith in concert on May 6, 2011 at 7:30 PM. You can see her at the Community Room at the Keith House in Brasstown, North Carolina.

Betty Smith is a wonderful musical talent in traditional folk music. She is a  teacher and a performer  with a large collection of Appalachian, Southern and British ballads, folk music and hymns. She has been sharing her skills for over 30 years and has won numerous awards. She sings and plays guitar, autoharp, mountain dulcimer and psaltery.

The concert is free but donations are always welcome. For more information, call 1-800-365-5724 or 828-837-2775.

The John C. Campbell Folk School is located at:
One Folk School Rd.
Brasstown, NC

The Community Room is located just to the left of the foyer as you enter the front door of Keith House. Keith House is located in the U-shaped driveway off Brasstown Road, directly across from Harshaw Road.

Free concerts are held most Friday nights at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina. On March 25, 2011 at 7:30 PM , you won’t want to miss Steel String Session. They are a group of acoustic multi-instrumentalists who are often referred to as “Rockabilly-Jazz-Grass” and “Rhythm Section of the River”. They hail from the Ocoee River area of the Blue Ridge Mountains where many musical genres intersect. Their talents merge to create some great sounds.

The concert will be held at the Community Room of the Keith House located in the U-shaped driveway off Brasstown Road directly across from Harshaw Road. Admission is Free however, donations are always welcome.

John C. Campbell Folk School is located at:
One Folk School Rd.
Brasstown, NC
1-800-FOLK-SCH (365-5724)

The John C. Campbell Folk School often has musical events and concerts and on January 14, 2011, you can hear the music of Cooley, Kilmer, and Liden at the Community Room of the Keith House. This musical group offers a wide variety of folk, bluegrass, country, blues, rock, and jazz music. They share the vocals and play many instruments including guitar, bass, banjo, fiddle, mandolin, and harmonica. They have been together for quite some time and have played at many local venues including Brasstown Valley Resort, Crane Creek Vineyards, and Doyles.

The show begins at 7:30 PM and admission is free however, donations are always welcome. For more information and details, call 828-837-2775.

The Keith House is located on the school campus in the U-shaped driveway off Brasstown Rd. directly across from Harshaw Road.