NC In Tune – Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is NC In Tune?
A. NC In Tune is a year long, statewide celebration to honor and promote the vast and gloried tradition of music and its dynamic and influential future in North Carolina.
Q. Who is behind the celebration?
A. The North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources, which includes the North Carolina Symphony, the State Library, the North Carolina Arts Council, the North Carolina Museum of History, the North Carolina Museum of Art, the State Archives, and Historic Sites.
Q. Why NC In Tune?
A. Music touches our lives, from early childhood through our adult years. It unites us as a people, inspires and moves us, and adds joy to every day of living.
Q. What is special about North Carolina music?
A. Our state’s musical reputation really sings – from traditional to contemporary to classical to musical theater. Our greatest music includes jazz, bluegrass, Moravian, gospel, classical and blues.
Q. Who is especially important to North Carolina’s musical life?
A. Many of our state’s musicians, including James Taylor, Shirley Caesar, Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, Doc Watson, Roberta Flack, and Charlie Daniels, have gone from being North Carolina residents to citizens of the world.
Q. What is there to do?
A. Hundreds of events: N.C. Symphony concerts, Music in the Park at the N.C. Museum of Art, special events at seven state History Museums, and three seasons of music at every state Historic Site headline a wealth of music festivals, concerts, and programs.
Q. What about music especially for kids?
A. North Carolina boasts one of the strongest arts in education programs in the country, with over 3,000 K-12 music teachers in our schools. And many organizations funded by the Department of Cultural Resources feature music for kids (of all ages).
Q. What are some places to find out about North Carolina music?
A. Of course, the North Carolina Symphony (www.ncsymphony.org), is a great place to find out about North Carolina music, as is the North Carolina Arts Council (www.ncarts.org), the Museum of Art (www.ncartmuseum.org), and North Carolina Museum of History (www.ncmuseumofhistory.org). There is often music at the 27 State Historic Sites. The State Archive collection include songbooks, photos, and recordings. One of the earliest is the sheet music “Songs in the Masque of Alfred” dated 1755. There is a photo of the 3 rd regiment Virginia Calvary which blew the “charge” at the battle of Bethel, Va., June 10, 1861. A 1937 photo of “Fiddlin’ Bill Hensley” in Asheville is just one of many of bluegrass and country musicians, many performing at WBT, WPTF or WRAL radio. Images of high school bands and choirs as well as stars of yesterday and today—from Cab Calloway to Shirley Caesar are in the collections.
Q. If I am driving in North Carolina, what else can I look for?
A. There are nine state highway markers with music as the subject. Five honor musicians: William Gaston, Lamar Stringfield, Charlie Poole, John Coltrane, and Bascom Lamar Lunsford. Three markers honor types of music: Bull City Blues, Lumina (acknowledging big band music), and Balladry. One marker honors the subject of a song made famous in the folk music craze of the 1960s – Thomas Dula, or “Tom Dooley.”
Q. What on-line resources are available?
A. Cultural travelers can go online to www.blueridgemusic.org to discover more than 200 sites all along the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia where mountain music and dance can be found. A companion guidebook, “Blue Ridge Music: Finding a Place in the Circle,” is available at most bookstores.
Q. How big is North Carolina’s music industry?
A. There are more than 1200 music organizations, including 48 dedicated to music and orchestral performances, are in the state. There are 10 outdoor dramas, one major film studio and more than 70 recording studios. Then, there are also the creative people engaged in the art and business of music – singers, recording engineers, conductors, band and choral directors, songwriters, composers, and musicians, who enrich our cultural life and add to what makes our state an attractive place to live, work and raise a family
Q. How does North Carolina recognize its greatest songwriters and performers?
A. One way is with the North Carolina Folk Heritage Awards. Since 1990, when the first awards were made, 44 musicians have received this prestigious award. See www.ncarts.org for a full list and biographical information. The North Carolina Awards, our state’s highest civilian honor, has been received by 7 musical or dance artists, including Andy Griffith, Doc Watson, Chuck Davis, James Taylor, Billy Taylor, Etta Baker, and Arthur Smith.
Q: What is North Carolina’s State Song? Who wrote it and when?
A: The Old North State. Written by William Gaston and composed by Mrs. E. E. Randolph, it was adopted as the State Song in 1927.
Q: Does North Carolina have official state dance music?
A: The state dances are the Shag and Clogging, both of which have unique music that accompanies them. They were adopted by the General Assembly in 2005.
