Mount Airy Old-Time Retreat Brings Female Musicians To The Forefront

A new event is kicking off this week that will focus on women and old-time music. The Women! Mount Airy Old-Time Retreat will take place alongside the annual Tommy Jarrell festival, honoring the late, great fiddle and banjo player.

For generations, women typically played a behind-the-scenes role at old-time music gatherings: cooking, dancing, and sometimes playing in the kitchen while the men actually performed. That's gradually changed beginning with legendary female musicians like guitar, banjo, and old-time fiddle player Alice Gerrard who will give the keynote address this weekend.

Surry Arts Council Executive Director Tanya Jones spoke with WFDD's David Ford about the conference from her office in Mount Airy. She was joined by Slate Mountain Ramblers' banjo player and educator Marsha Todd.

Interview Highlights

David Ford: Marsha, as a performer playing old-time music, would you describe the feeling being part of the band and playing for audiences large and small?

Marsha Todd​: It's a feeling of just social togetherness. There are no bounds in music. It's amazing the feeling of people coming together and just to see and play music together. And for us to be able to bring the women to the forefront of that is kind of icing on the cake, especially in a county that has been so richly promoted for the roles played by men like Tommy Jarrell. And now to bring the women in who came to Surry County to learn from those folks: Alice Gerrard, Erynn Marshall... people who have come to the area because of the music is just a treat to be able to focus on them.

DF: Tell me about Alice Gerrard and some of the other women who will be teaching and performing this year.

MT: Alice made the pilgrimage here in Surry County for Tommy Jarrell back in the 70s as well as so many other great musicians. Becky Buller, who will be our highlight for the Tommy Jarrell Festival Concert and her workshop is on Saturday, is someone that I was fortunate enough to know during college. She was kind of my mentor in college; she was a senior and I was a freshman at East Tennessee University through their bluegrass and old-time music program. For Becky to be such an award-winning and humble person, to know clawhammer banjo, to know Tommy Jarrell, to know Surry County, that speaks a lot to our area and our music.

DF: Tanya, as Executive Director of the Surry Arts Council, why have a focus on women as part of this year's old-time music retreat?

Tanya Jones: Because we think that women are important and important to old-time music, and we're not aware that there has been a gathering with that focus before.

DF: What kind of feedback have you been receiving?

TJ: We're very excited about the response. We have folks from Brooklyn, New York, Berkeley, California, Ontario…we have over 60 women so far headed this way. And we know it's a niche market, but we're really excited to have such geographic diversity.

DF: What's been the most satisfying part of all this so far for you personally?

TJ: I think getting the women together from various parts of the U.S. here in Mount Airy. Focusing our role in the old-time music tradition and then watching them leave and have another Tommy Jarrell experience with all these disciples... leaving Mount Airy and going out and sharing our version of old-time music.

The Women! Mount Airy Old-Time Retreat is open to all genders and it begins Thursday, March 1st.