Poets and Pioneers returns in Fall 2022. School booking has begun. Contact us so you can participate!

Poets and Pioneers, created by Sunny Mitchell in 2018, is a music in education program developed for 5th grade, that also includes public concerts for the full community. The educational program includes a pre-performance visit, teacher guide, concert, talk back, and guitar workshops. A true melting pot of sounds merged to create country music. Poets and Pioneers helps dispel the myth that country music is only of pure white Southern and rural origins, thus making it relevant and provocative for diverse audiences.

Diverse populations can relate to and reflect on the sounds that built country music, from the plantation songs and Dixieland melodies, to the religious music of the poor Southern white population and the Black congregations. A true melting pot of sounds merged to create country music.Showcasing the Carter Family with a special appearance by third generation member Lorrie Carter Bennett, P&P highlights other legendary musicians who forged careers in the new music form, including Jimmie Rodgers, Leslie Riddle, DeFord Bailey, Hank Williams, and Kitty Wells.Roots music: rediscovered for a new generation

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