Music and Dance

NHOTIC recently received a grant from the Oregon Historic Trails Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation to create a film about traditional frontier dance and music. The purpose of the project is to help preserve this music and some historic dances by teaching them to a new generation. Although some music and dance can be preserved through written records, you never quite get it until you see it and hear it - it is best preserved through film and recording, and by teaching directly to others. The Center will be working with Phil and Vivian Williams of Voyager Records who have already done a tremendous amount of research on American traditional music and dances of the western frontier, and are working on a book for educators. We will film some of our popular musician performers throughout the upcoming year with stories behind some of the songs plus lyrics, and film instructions and examples to learn the dances. Our aim is to have the film and related information available in a downloadable format by end of 2011 for use by teachers, community groups, or anyone who wants to learn traditional music and dance of the American West. If you have any ideas to help us with this project please send them to our e-mail address. OR_NHOTIC_Mail@blm.gov

sl