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Donna Ray Norton — Ballads, Memory & the Spring Creek Book (Appalachian Memory Project)
Pre-order the book: Madison County, NC - Vol 01: Spring Creek https://www.millionmemoryproject.org/spring-creek
8th-generation Madison County ballad singer Donna Ray Norton joins WNC HeartBEAT to explore how music preserves family history and why the Appalachian Memory Project (AMP) is gathering oral histories across Western North Carolina. Donna Ray traces her lineage in Sodom Laurel, reflects on Cecil Sharp’s 1916 song collecting, and explains how AMP’s Spring Creek Book and digital archive capture authentic local voices—stories of school days, pine-tree “zip lines,” the bookmobile, and the work songs that stitched community together. We discuss the craft of ballad singing, the neuroscience-friendly link between music and memory, honoring elders, and how communities can host Memory Days or support future volumes. If you care about Appalachian culture, mountain music, oral history, or place-based storytelling, this conversation shows how remembering can build a stronger future.
Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wNCKPtwuMAw
Learn more: https://wncheartbeat.substack.com
Follow us on our socials @wncheartbeat
Follow AMP on their socials @appalachianmemoryproject
Follow the show for more expert interviews, community stories, and deep dives into Western North Carolina’s culture and creativity!
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By Ali Tisdall and Anna RobasPre-order the book: Madison County, NC - Vol 01: Spring Creek https://www.millionmemoryproject.org/spring-creek
8th-generation Madison County ballad singer Donna Ray Norton joins WNC HeartBEAT to explore how music preserves family history and why the Appalachian Memory Project (AMP) is gathering oral histories across Western North Carolina. Donna Ray traces her lineage in Sodom Laurel, reflects on Cecil Sharp’s 1916 song collecting, and explains how AMP’s Spring Creek Book and digital archive capture authentic local voices—stories of school days, pine-tree “zip lines,” the bookmobile, and the work songs that stitched community together. We discuss the craft of ballad singing, the neuroscience-friendly link between music and memory, honoring elders, and how communities can host Memory Days or support future volumes. If you care about Appalachian culture, mountain music, oral history, or place-based storytelling, this conversation shows how remembering can build a stronger future.
Watch the full video episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/wNCKPtwuMAw
Learn more: https://wncheartbeat.substack.com
Follow us on our socials @wncheartbeat
Follow AMP on their socials @appalachianmemoryproject
Follow the show for more expert interviews, community stories, and deep dives into Western North Carolina’s culture and creativity!