In this episode, you'll take a deep dive into Appalachian Flatfooting, Clogging, and the general dance history of the Carolinas. You'll also hear the origin story of Rodney Clay Sutton, recognized as a Master Folk Artist in North Carolina. With a lifelong career in music and dance, Rodney is both a preserver and an innovator in Appalachian Percussive Styles, and was an early member of the world-renowned Green Grass Cloggers. We spend time talking about  Rodney's influences and early life, the evolution of the dance stylings of the Green Grass Cloggers, walking the line between tradition and innovation, and how some of the steps and dances in the GGC repertoire came about. Other topics include:The importance of LIVE MUSIC for performanceHow dance contests affect the perpetuation and evolution of a styleThe relationships between old-fashioned and contemporary cloggingCultural sensitivity in dance educationDancers and educators like Willard Watson, Robert Dotson, Dudley Culp, Amy Sarli, and moreLinks MentionedRodney's WebsiteRodney's Facebook PageTalking Feet FilmGreen Grass CloggersAppalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyMusic Used:Sugar Hill by Jim Couch (Harlan County, Kentucky)Digital Library of Appalachia Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

Welcome back for season two of What Dreamers Do!I kick this episode off by recapping my summer travels with the band, sharing some fun and memorable moments from the UK, Ireland, Serbia, and Greece, and my takeaways about the insights we can gain from traveling. (Including my suggestion for applying the insights when we're back home!)Links MentionedCowan Creek Mountain Music SchoolAppalachian Frolic Dance Weekend December 9-11, 2022, Berea, KY Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

In this juicy interview, we chat with Singer/Songwriter/Producer Rosie Bans, who writes, performs, ad collaborates with other artists and activists to create change for women and other marginalized groups, AND has an innovative support group and course for songwriters who want to give their creativity and motivation a boost. We also discuss her free songwriting challenge, and how she helps songwriters spur themselves to get out of their own way to write more and more freely. LinksBe Radical Make Music Facebook GroupRosie on InstagramSongwriting WebsiteRosie's PodcastSongwriting Challenge Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

This is part of my meandering summer episode series, which don't necessarily come out each Thursday, but rather when inspiration strikes. I might be in a cool café in London or an East Kentucky Holler when I record, or maybe just in my cozy living room drinking a cup of tea as I was for this episode. I begin with a reflection on tours past and future, and share one of my zaniest tour stories from the road. I then share my monologue from a project we've been sprucing up lately, the Cornbread & Tortillas Folk Opera. It's about all the things my Granny taught me, including how to make cornbread. I finish with a sneak peak from the new CornMaiz Stringband album, and a toast to all my friends!LinksCornMaiz String Band Cornbread & Tortillas Folk OperaAppalachian Flatfooting & Clogging Academy Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

Appalachian Author/Yogi Kelli Hansel Haywood's life and practice is firmly rooted in the soil of her native East Kentucky. In this interview, she speaks about home, art, motherhood, healing, and her artistic processes. Some of the things we talk about include:The way her knowledge of her kin and extended family has informed her identity provided a lifelong sense of groundedness. Her feelings of not quite fitting in outside East Kentucky, but ironically not fitting in fully there, either.How having children changed her artistic process, and allowed her to realize that inspiration is always there for her.The sensation when your kids model your examples and start becoming artists themselves.The seemingly-paradoxical fact that there is a lot of rhetoric in Appalachia about men being the leaders of home and church, but that strong women uphold the communities and families. Her style of feminism and her conflicted feelings about changing her name after marriage.What she wants folks from outside Appalachia to know about the region.Why Appalachian ways of knowing the world are sometimes discriminated against.How a mountain accent does NOT signal a low IQHow she got a book deal from consistently posting on Instagram, and how she used her own healing and transformation to create the content that became the book.The way knowledge has become wisdom over the course of her life.Personal Alchemy and Jungian shadow workThe special gifts that artists have to share with the world, and which should NEVER be taken for granted.Links Mentioned:www.kellihansel.comKelli's book Sacred CatharsisIG: @darkmoon_kelliDownload the How to Live Your Most Creative Life Guide Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

I'm releasing this interview with Kentucky musician/artist/icon Cari Anna Norris, recorded in the summer of 2021. As Kentucky mourns her passing this week, I wanted to honor her memory with this sweet interview I conducted as part of my dance project, the Kentucky Tour de Dance. She tells us about her grandmother, banjo legend Lily May Ledford of the Coon Creek Girls, whose death when Cari was 15 was a pivotal moment in her musical life. She also discusses her other early musical influences, including the legendary Jean Ritchie, Sue Massek, Rich Kirby, and others, and how the ancient music of Appalachia helped her feel connected to her ancestors. And she rounds out the interview with some metaphysical musings on the synergistic relationship between music and dance in Appalachia. Read more about the Kentucky Tour de Dance here.  Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

Why is it that we don't always make time for doing the things we love? And then when we finally do them (and feel great) we wonder why in the world we waited so long?In this podcast, I muse about why that might be the case, and argue for why we should all be prioritizing those "love-to-do" things in our lives.  I also touch on:Why "I Am" are some of the most powerful words in our language and why they should be used with care.Why so many of us are multi-talented or multi-passionate, and yet we struggle to own our full awesomenessWhy being a "Jack-of-All-Trades" is actually a great thingWhy using tools like affirmations, journaling, and visual aids can be helpful in reprogramming our subconscious minds to help us live our best lives. And I've also created a free resource for you, a Permission Certificate that you can fill out and display somewhere prominent, so that you have permission to do more of what you love the most. And in case you didn't get it yet, be sure to sign up for the FREE e-book How to Live Your Most Creative Life. Books for Creative Inspiration (I am not an affiliate for any of these. I just dig them!)You Are a Badass by Jen SinceroYou Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen SinceroBig Magic by Elizabeth GilbertAnything by SARKThe Artist's Way by Julia Cameron Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

This quick episode is allll about giving you a sneak preview of the amazing creators and tips inside my free e-book, How To Live Your Most Creative Life. I put this together to inspire you, help you break through blocks and stuck places, and get a little motivation to add small creative moments to your everyday life. I quickly tell you a bit about each of our contributors (who are all past or future podcast guests here!) and the creative strategy they offer in the guide. Listen to the episode, then grab your free copy right away!Episode LinksClick here for your free copy of How To Live Your Most Creative Life Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

How moving beyond fear and connecting with your intuition helps every area of your life.Are you someone who is drawn to growth, transformation, and living your most authentic, soulful life? If so, you’re going to LOVE this week’s guest. Her name is Deepshikha Sairam, and she’s a Priestess of the Divine Feminine and spiritual mentor to high-achieving women entrepreneurs and leaders. She is also the creator of The Path to Self Mastery, a revolutionary self discovery framework rooted in ancient wisdom, science backed methodologies and spiritual tools & rituals, designed to close the gap between where you are and where you want to be, so that you can live a more creative, joyful and meaningful life. Deepshikha has helped me expand my own thinking about what I’m capable of achieving, and the meditations and exercises I’ve done with her have helped me not only understand myself better, but connect more deeply with my own inner spiritual guidance system. And if that weren’t enough, I have had some powerful energy clearing sessions where we worked together to clear my body and subconscious mind of some of the past traumas, failures, and frustrations that I didn’t even know were buried there, but which were holding me back. We had such a deep and meaningful conversation that I know you’ll want to listen to the whole interview, but here is a sneak peek of some of the topics we address:>>Why she changed her career focus when she was at the top of her game and earning multiple six figures each year.>>How she has been pushed by spirit her whole life to step into the role she is finding now. >>How each stage of our development and awareness has a shadow and a gift. >>How creativity is our birthright.>>The paradigm shifts that have helped her become more intuitive in her life. I hope you love this interview as much as I did, and take away some strategies for living more creatively, intuitively, and from your soul. Episode LinksDeepshikha on InstagramInfinite Possibilities Meditation Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

This week I'm continuing my chat with musician/songwriter/educator/Appalachian Artivist Sam Gleaves about a bevy of subjects dear to our hearts and our work in Kentucky and beyond. He talks about how his work with cultural organizations such as the Appalshop, The Highlander Center, and Berea College have deepened his activism in the mountains. He also shares more about the educational work he does with Berea College in teaching traditional ad bluegrass music to students there from many cultures and places. We discuss the tightrope that artists living and working in traditional art forms sometimes face in trying to convey our authentic truths while maintaining awareness that sometimes our audiences have vastly different sociopolitical or religious beliefs than we do.  Sam also shares more about navigating the traditional music world as a queer man, how his music has changed as he has embodied his personal truth, and the importance of singers as storytellers who have the power to help shape new narratives of the world. (And how they're MORE than just entertainers!)And when asked about coping mechanisms for dealing with stress, anxiety, and despair around world events, his biggest exhortation is.....SING!Artists/Links mentioned in show:Sam Gleaves WebsiteSam Gleaves on FacebookAppalshop Cultural OrganizationHighlander CenterThe STAY ProjectCowan Creek Mountain Music SchoolReel World String BandMy Singing Bird by Sam Gleaves Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

Our interview guest for this week is multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, and Appalachian Music Professor Sam Gleaves, who was born and raised in Wytheville, Virginia. Rooted in Appalachian sounds, Gleaves’ songwriting sings of contemporary rural life and social issues. In 2015, Gleaves collaborated with Grammy-winning producer Cathy Fink and released a debut record of original songs, titled “Ain’t We Brothers,” which has been featured by The Guardian, National Public Radio, and No Depression. A passionate teaching artist, Gleaves has shared Appalachian traditions at numerous music camps, colleges, universities, and public schools. He currently serves as a traditional music instructor and director of the Bluegrass Ensemble at Berea College. In our chat this week, we discuss how Sam got started as a young musician growing up in the hills of Appalachia, the mentors who encouraged him, and his various influences from pop icons to local legends. Sam also opens up about how impostor syndrome shows up for him, how he started adding original songs to his repertoire of traditional music, the mentors who made a difference in his life, and why he considers himself an "artivist" rather than an "activist."We get to hear his original tune "Ain't We Brothers", accompanied by West Virginia legend Tim O'Brien, chronicling the story of a gay coal miner and his plea for simple dignity and acceptance. Artists/Links mentioned in show:Sam Gleaves WebsiteSam Gleaves on FacebookForked Deer as fiddled by Roger CooperKentucky Author Silas HouseKentucky Author Jason Kyle Howard Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

Whether or not you believe that our thoughts create our reality, I think we can all acknowledge that our attitudes and habitual thoughts can affect our quality of life. I have had a lifelong fascination with the ways that our everyday thoughts, especially the ones we think over and over again, can affect the outcomes of our relationships, career, and creativity. In this episode, I share some ideas about small ways that we can shift our thinking to enjoy more peace, self-acceptance, and even prosperity. I also discuss how I currently have goals for what I'd like to FEEL in my life, and not just what I'd like to achieve--and how this actually positively affects my achievements. And I finish up with why I believe it is ESPECIALLY important to hold ourselves in a loving vibration with loving thoughts during times of conflict and turmoil, even though it can be hard to do. Join me if you'd like to focus your mind on something positive, and be more intentional about the thoughts you are entertaining today. Episode Links:Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive as sung by Paul McCartneyBlowin' In The Wind as sung by Zoe Speaks Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

This was a hard episode to record, because there are SO MANY songs I love. And, full disclosure, this list might vary on any given day--just as yours likely would!Some of these you will likely have heard, and I hope that others will be a delightful discovery. I tried not to include too many by the huge pop stars and bands that everyone has heard, although I couldn't resist a couple of my British Invasion faves. And a few others I had to leave off since I made an accompanying playlist, and the songs I was thinking of were not on Spotify. Give it a listen, and let me know a few of your favorite songs! Bonus points if it's one I've never heard before!Spotify Playlist: 10 Songs I Really Love Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

I love a good love story, so I decided to share the improbable story of how I met my true companion a bit later in life. (Even though we'd met as kids when my search for baklava in a town we'd both just moved to landed me in his dad's bakery!)I get candid about my own struggles to find harmony in the realm of romance, in spite of most things in my life going pretty well. I also talk about the dance of how  how I made what I thought was an impossible list of characteristics I was looking for in a companion and vowed not to date anyone who didn't meet them ALL, how my partner and I got to know each other when we were both a bit "gun-shy", and  a mystical moment when I first started to believe we could have something truly special together!I also share three of the qualities that I believe comprise a great relationship, and what makes this one so different (and fulfilling) for me. Thanks for listening to my stories, and please feel free to share yours with me---I'd love to hear what you're dreaming of in love or a tale of how you met YOUR sweetie! Contact me at carla@carlagover.com or over on the 'gram @kentuckycarlaLinks MentionedJitterbug Perfume by Tom Robbins Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

So many dances in my childhood began with the caller shouting, "All join hands and circle to the left...!" The community of loving hearts and lively music that I grew up in anchored my love of the art forms, and I enjoyed sharing with you some of the elements of how I became an improvisatory flatfooter and clogger who makes music with my feet!A few things I talk about include: how most of our "square dances" in Eastern Kentucky are done in circles, how I learned old-timey and more contemporary styles, and how I went from learning steps and choreography from other people to learning how to put the steps together to "dance the fiddle tune." You'll also hear a little tune from Marion Sumner, who along with banjoist Lee Sexton, provided an important part of the soundtrack to my early dancing life. And finally, I'll talk a bit more about what inspired me to create the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging Academy!LinksMarion Sumner plays Sally GoodinAppalachian Flatfooting & Clogging Academy Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

In this episode, I interview longtime friend and accomplished Appalachian Clinical Herbalist Andrew Bentley of Lee County, Kentucky. This is part two of two, where he shares more about what it's like to visit his clinic or have a tele-health appointment, opens up about projects on the horizon, and tells us more about his new online school of herbalism, called The Hedge School. He also talks about the ways that he promotes his services, by sharing his sense of wonder about the magic of the healing plants around us. Links From ShowAndrew Bentley's Facebook PageAndrew Bentley's Instagram PageAndrew Bentley's WebsiteAndrew Bentley's YouTube Channel Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

In this episode, I interview longtime friend an accomplished Appalachian Clinical Herbalist Andrew Bentley of Lee County, Kentucky. This is part one of two, where he shares his earliest experiences learning about herbs from his Irish-American family, and talks about his childhood in Appalachia. You'll learn about all the components of his education which went into his eventual decision to pursue herbalism as a full-time career, including his family traditions, his studies of chemistry and molecular biology and his later forays into linguistics and anthropology, his travels throughout Central Asia and his work with indigenous healers there, and the ways he learned to assess the illnesses of his patients to help determine which herbs might best support each person's equilibrium. We also talk about his fascinating family history stretching back to Ireland, with ancestors who were Bards and Travellers, and who have long shared medicine, history, stories, and music with their communities. We finish up this episode discussing how he forages and crafts his medicines, his philosophical approach to the healing arts, and how he blends science and traditional wisdom to provide holistic care for his community. Links From ShowAndrew Bentley's Facebook PageAndrew Bentley's Instagram PageAndrew Bentley's WebsiteAndrew Bentley's YouTube ChannelStarvation on Hell Creek played by Charley Fraley of Lee County, KY Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

As an artist who performs traditional Appalachian music and dance, I get lots of questions about the styles of music and dance that I play. "You play banjo--does that mean you play bluegrass?""What's the difference between flatfooting and clogging?"And, quite often, "Will you play Dueling Banjos?"In this episode, I sketch out the major differences (and similarities) between all those things, and share how I came to understand them in spite of a background where we tended to just call it all "music and dance."And I discuss the fluid nature of folk music, along with the phenomenon of "prescriptive culture" and the tendencies of traditions to evolve over time, even as there are some groups and individuals who would wish for it to be static or to fit neatly into boxes or rules. Links Mentioned:Cowan Creek Mountain Music SchoolAppalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyListening Links:Lee Sexton Paul David Smith John Harrod Marion SumnerArt Stamper Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

In this episode, I take you on a little trip through time and the backroads of Kentucky, across swinging bridges and up dirt roads to the tiny dwelling of my mother's mother, Ollie Gilbert Hudson. I wanted folks to feel what a visit there was like for me as a child, and I also share a special story about a moment I shared with her as a child, and how I had an experience years later that let me know she was still with me and looking out for me. If you enjoy stories of magical realism, you'll like hearing about how my Granny sent me a sign when I needed it the most . Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show

In this episode, I take on a potentially sensitive subject: cultural insensitivity toward Appalachian people, as manifested in the musical community. This episode deals with what I see as respectful vs. insensitive ways to approach performing and participating in cultures of groups and places that are different from your culture of origin.To lay the foundation, I discuss how I believe the music and dance of Appalachia should be performed and celebrated by all who love them, how our heritage and history have been whitewashed historically, and how it's important to acknowledge the privilege I have in being a white, able-bodied, and cis-gendered heterosexual woman.I also discuss some of the problematic examples of "performative culture" I've seen,  including:artists from elsewhere using fake accents onstagestereotypical songwriting tropes with 'southern gothic' and 'poverty porn' themes writers, academics, and performers who attempt to paint Appalachia with too broad a brush or explain our culture and its problems without addressing the bigger picture and the nuances of our lived experiences. I also share some personal experiences about how those behaviors can sometimes feel mocking or belittling to those of us who have had to process stigma and stereotypes and/or been made to feel less than due to where we're from.  Finally, I address the importance of having these conversations with each other, among various cultural, ethnic, and racial categories, as we all work together to dismantle the systemic oppression inherent in our society. Links MentionedMe & The Redbird River Song Post-Roll with information about the Appalachian Flatfooting & Clogging AcademyBuzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show