Heritage Alive! Mountain Youth Talent
Contests Produced by Catch the Spirit
of Appalachia
Emceed by Amanda Dills Stewart of the "Fiddling Dills
Sisters"
Many of today's great mountain musicans and storytellers
grew up sitting on the front porch with their family members, listening and
learning to pick a guitar or a banjo...or fiddle...or listen to stories told as
fireflies flashed intermediently in the night air. Today's youth will honor what
their parents honor, what the schools honor, what the community honors. With
this in mind, for the past seven years Catch the Spirit of Appalachia has
produced a Heritage Alive! Mountain
Youth Talent Contest two times a year with hopes of providing a continuing
"sense of place" for this local musical heritage, and to instill within our
young people the honor of carrying on our local traditions. It began with the
Founder's Stage at Greening Up the Mountains Festivals in downtown Sylva, was
added 5 years ago to the Mountain Craft Fair section of the Great Smoky Mountain
Railroad Railfest in Bryson City. The contests include: Vocals, Instrumental,
Dance, Poetry/Prose/Storytelling. The largest benefactors for these contests
have been Bear Lake Reserve from Tuckasegee; the Downtown Sylva Association; and
the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad of Bryson City.
New for 2007
This year, the site for the Heritage
Alive! Mountain Youth Talent Contest has been changed. CSA will be partnering
with the Jackson County Parks Department to hold the contest during SUPER KID’S
SATURDAY on May 19, 2007 at the Jackson County Recreation Center. After the
contest, there will be an Open Mike Jamboree where any child may sign up to
play, sing, or tell a story. Amanda Dills Stewart of the "Fiddling Dills
Sisters" will once again coordinate the contest and the Jamboree. Along with
cash prizes offered through CSA, the Jackson County Recreation Center will also
provide the following prizes: Winners of all individual talents will receive day
passes to the Sylva Pool. Best of Show
Prizes will be: First Place: Individual Season Pass to the Sylva
Pool (worth $80). Second Place: $25 Gift Certificate to Walmart.
The second contest will once again be held at the 2007 GSMR
Railfest from 10:45am until noon on Saturday, September 15th. Trophies sponsored
by the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad will be presented to the winners
“With the cash prizes earned
through winnings at these contests over the past few years,” says Amy,
“One of our dedicated young participants, Jesse Stephens, has been able to
purchase a new Gibson guitar! We are so grateful for all those who have
supported our talented youth though funding these contests.”
CSA encourages entries in vocal, instrumental, dance, poetry, prose and
storytelling for any youth up to the age of eighteen. Entry forms will be
available at the Jackson County Recreation Center, and the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce, and online here at
www.spiritofappalachia.org. See below for the application.
Last year we
were proud that Western Carolina University's Mountain Heritage Day chose to
honor our "Best of Show" winners with a dedicated spot on their Heritage Stage.
This year they will once again provide that for our winners! Thank you Mountain
Heritage
Center!
Alive! Mountain
Youth Talent Contest two times a year with hopes of providing a continuing
"sense of place" for this local musical heritage, and to instill within our
young people the honor of carrying on our local traditions. It began with the
Founder's Stage at Greening Up the Mountains Festivals in downtown Sylva, was
added 5 years ago to the Mountain Craft Fair section of the Great Smoky Mountain
Railroad Railfest in Bryson City. The contests include: Vocals, Instrumental,
Dance, Poetry/Prose/Storytelling. The largest benefactors for these contests
have been Bear Lake Reserve from Tuckasegee; the Downtown Sylva Association; and
the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad of Bryson City.
