Blog

I have been a self-employed artist my entire life. That means I’ve been making a living from various aspects of my creative interests since I was 22 years old, and I’ve done things like dancing professionally in a touring ensemble, doing thousands of residencies in music, dance, and Appalachian culture, hitting the road with several […]

Do you want to have a conversation about Appalachia? If so, I’m going to ask that we make sure to include acknowledgement of the centuries of systemic economic exploitation that have shaped our region. While my art often touches on the wondrous and wonderful parts of being from here, there are other things we need […]

I’m not ready, but it’s happening. I’m starting to get emails hawking sweaters and fall outfits. I’m seeing back-to-school items for sale. Any day now, the pumpkin spice onslaught will begin. And I’m not ready! In the world of marketing, everything is always several weeks ahead of where we actually are in real life. But […]

We’re so happy to present our new song and video, “Home“! We are Kentucky artists sharing music, dance, food, and a big party! Some folks don’t realize that Kentucky is a place with much cultural diversity to share, and we’re working to change that. Our group, Cornbread & Tortillas, is a collective of Appalachian and […]

I have a question: Do you like road trips, music, and dancing?  If so, you’re going to love coming with me on my upcoming virtual “Kentucky Tour de Dance”, meeting Kentucky musicians in their homes, hearing them play and talk about an old-time KY tune, and getting a dance class to go with each visit […]

WATCH HERE! I’m super-excited to release my new video on the first day of the year. It’s a feminist Appalachian ballad that I performed with my daughter, and the subject is very dear to my heart. This song is a re-working of the Peggy Seeger song “B Side” as a warning ballad. Warnings ballads are […]

I grew up making sorghum each fall on Kingdom Come Creek in Letcher County, at an event called a stir-off. I honestly loved the stir-off time more than Christmas! We kids would get to ride the sled out to the field (pulled by the big Belgian mare) and watch the men cut the cane with […]

I teach traditional dance of the Appalachian Mountains, and one of the of the first questions I often get asked in my classes is, “What’s the difference between clogging and flatfooting?” Buck dance is another name that you often hear for this group of related forms. So what’s the difference? The answer is both simple […]

Anybody who knows me knows that I practically worshiped my grandmother. She was born in 1898 in a tiny holler outside Oneida, Kentucky, and she was pretty much a walking encyclopedia of How To Do Stuff. I followed her around like a baby chick, constantly begged her for stories about her life, and eagerly copied […]

After spending the past nineteen years teaching each and every summer at Cowan Creek Mountain Music School in Letcher County, Kentucky where I’m from, I’m beyond proud to announce that I’m stepping into a new role as artistic director of the school. I’ll be helping to facilitate the awesome adult and youth programming offered there, […]