Community
Appalachian Music
Local and regional musicians performed Bluegrass, Traditional Old Time, Native American, Folk, Gospel, Country and Rock music. Also, musicians from around the country who play Appalachian style music came here to play. Many of the bands listed below played on several occasions. Items with an (*) indicate a school and a community performance.
| Roland Dunn and the East Kentucky Boys | Seven Pounds of Bluegrass |
| Jim and Leslie Cable | New Coon Creek Girls |
| Reel World String Band* | Glen Duff's High Falls Jamboree |
| Homer Ledford and Cabin Creek | Gospelway Singers |
| J.P. Fraley | Swift Creek |
| Zoe Speaks* | Carrie Norris |
| Lee Allen Band | Randy Wilson* |
| Blue Dawg Band | Kiya Heartwood* |
| Wishing Chair* | Stealing Horses* |
| Duck Baker and Molly Andrews | Ethel Caffie-Austin* |
| Richard Jett's Town and Country | Sam Peck and Back Porch Pickers |
| Sam Wilson Band | Lennie Center Band |
| Homeplace | Natural High |
| Erica Chambers and James Overbee | Dean Osborne and Eastbound |
| Jim Webb* | John and Jane Harrod* |
| Mitch Barrett* | Midnight Mockingbirds |
| Faded | Clyde Davenport and Bobby Fulcher |
| Bruce Molsky | Dirk Powell |
| Rafe Stephannini | Trough Sloppers |
| James Leva and Carol Elizabeth Jones | Brad Leftwitch |
| Michael Jonathon* | Gospel Crossroads |
| Tom Bledsoe and Joy Deleia* | Rich Kirby |
| Pow Wow Dancer - Jeff Hatmaker* | Sue Massek* |
| Carla Gover |
Music from Outside the Region
Musicians from Spain, Mexico, Russia, Nigeria, Canada, first generation Americans from several Middle Eastern Countries, and musicians from across the country have played in our community.
| Russian
Singers and Dancers* Three groups. Twenty-one artists. |
Ballet
Espanol* On two occasions. |
| Samyira Shabaz | Zambia Nakumba |
| River City
Drum Corps* From Louisville. Nine performances. |
Basin Brothers Cajun Band |
| Ajamu Matima* African Drumming |
Catherine Anderson - Harpist |
| Ben Griffith - Accordian | Christine Balfa - Cajun Music |
| Salaam - Music from the Middle East* | Bruce Lewis - Jazz |
| Omope
Daboiku Nigerian music. |
Bobby
Bridger Music and stories from the Wild West |
Kentucky Humanities Speaker Bureau
and AHA Lecture Series
| Loyal Jones Appalachian History and Values |
Bill Evans History of the Banjo |
| Roberta Bird Shaker Songs |
Diane
Watkins on Janice Holt Giles |
| James C.
Klotter Is Kentucky Southern? |
Lynwood
Montell Kentucky Ghosts |
| Gwen
Henderson Kentucky Indians |
David Dick A Popular Biography |
| Ernie Tucker Appalachian Homespun Humor |
Richard T.
Jennings Growing Orchids |
| Martin
Douthitt Climbing Mt. Vinson in Antartica |
Josh Bils Solar Energy |
Kentucky Humanities "Chautauqua" Series
| Lilly Mae
Ledford portrayed by Sandy Harmon |
Simon Kenton portrayed by Mel Hankla |
| John C. C.
Mayo portrayed by David Hurt |
John
Breckinridge portrayed by Duane Murner |
| Mary
Breckinridge portrayed by Carol Crow |
Jesse
Stewart portrayed by James Lowe |
Other Community Performances
Community Performances primarily related to school events, and there were a lot of them, are listed on the Arts and Education page.
Author James Still: "River of Earth," a reading with Randy Wilson
Poetry Readings - Local and Regional Poets
A Victorian Christmas with Harolyn Sharpe
Festival of the Bluegrass - 150 elementary students from six schools perform traditional Appalachian music on-stage in front of several thousand Bluegrass music fans. All guitars, dulcimers, hammered dulcimers made by artist-in-residence, David Musser, who taught the students to play.
WCAA Float: A Tribute to Local Musicians
Marc Daniels - Juggler
Music Jubilee- Oral Histories from the Region
Works Project Administration / Civilian Conservation Corps: Community Remembrance
First Lillie May Ledford Festival, Gladie, KY (with US Forrest Service)
Elder Arts, Louisville - with Chris Doerflinger. Performance for Nursing Home.
Groundhog Dance w/Richard Jett (annually for three years)
Lunch Concert at the Courthouse w/Randy Wilson
Storytelling at the Projects w/Angie DeBord
Gurney Norman reading from his book "Kinfolks"
Appalshop Roadside Theater
Wolfe County Master Musicians Award
RFK in EKY: Reenactment of Robert Kennedy's historic visit to Eastern Kentucky. Photo from church in Vortex, Wolfe County. (w/Appalshop)
"Coffee, Tea, and Poetry," with Becky Bailey
World Servants Carnival - community service
Appalachian Day at Lexington Public Library: Local artists perform (for two years)
Retreats
Community Retreats include Arts, Mission, and Organizational retreats. Most were held at Hazel Green Academy during our time operating the Life Long Learning.
Gurney Norman Writer's Retreat: twelve years of retreats. Multi-state participation.
George Ella Lyon and Anne Shelby Writers Retreat.
Kentucky Writer's Day with Rebecca Bailey
Writer's Retreat with Kentucky Poet Laureate Richard Taylor
Anne Shelby Writer's Retreat
Crystal Wilkinson Writer's Retreat
Writer's Retreat with Leatha Kendrick
Appalachian Circuit Writers Retreats: Five retreats with five prominent KY authors. Please see the Appalachian Circuit Writers web page for more information.
Spiritual Retreat with Father Ralph Beiting
Impact Missions Religious Retreats. Numerous week-long retreats. Participants helped low-income people with house repairs. (8)
Jeff Chapman-Crane Oil Painting Retreat
Stained Glass retreat with Maria Lainhart
Traditional Dance Weekend with Gene Boyer
Contra Dance Weekend
Appalachian Women's Alliance
Alternate Roots Retreat
World Servants. Week long Spiritual retreats for students for community service. (15)
Berea College Education Major's Retreat
Berea College Upward Bound- Appalachian Arts (for two years)
Women's Wellness Weekends
Camp Create. Week-long summer art's camp for children. (three years)
Hazel Green Academy Alumni Homecoming - annual event
Michigan Methodists Volunteers- Spiritual retreat with community service (two weeks)
Ballet
We are particularly proud of our ballet class. Our Instructor, Adahli Aranda, was the Director of the Kentucky Ballet Theater in Lexington, KY. We were extremely fortunate to get an instructor of this high caliber. If you took your child to ballet lessons in Lexington, your child would receive instruction from one of Adahli’s assistants rather than Adahli herself. Our Ballet Classes were among the best ballet instructions available in the entire state.
We had three age divisions and the classes lasted for two years.
Workshops and Classes - the Arts
| Fiddle and Mandolin with Don Rigsby | Sam McKinney - Clay Sculpting |
| Quilting
Workshops - weekly |
Stained
Glass Workshops I,II,III with Maria Lainhart |
| Christmas
Wreath Making with Tom and Jeannette Jennings |
Karate |
| Drawing with Debbie Horton | Children's Art with Tom Dant |
| Knitting with Rene Powell | Egg Painting with Rene Powell |
| Drawing with Chris Nolin | Pottery with Sandra McGuire |
| Watercolors with Catherine Wells | Theater
Games for Children with Brannin Musser |
| Quilting with Alice and Betty |
Song Writing with Kiya Heartwood |
| Creative Writing with Becky Bailey | Drawing with Ava Risner |
| Basket
Making - Round Bottom with Janine Musser |
Basket
Making - Egg Basket with Janine Musser |
| Dream Makers with Pearl Morris | Hazel Green Writers Workshop |
| Candle Making with Pam Meade | Fiddle with Jamie Wells |
| Fiddle with Greg Moore | Children's Music with David Musser |
| Dulcimer with David Musser | Children's Art with Kaye Birchfield |
| Watercolors with Marlene Strong | Photography with Joe Boone |
| Stone Carving with Fred Ostrem | Jewelry Making with Susan Tipton |
| Paper
Marbling and Bookmaking with Clara Keyes |
Old Time Banjo with David Musser |
| Basket Making Saturday Sessions | "Mommy and
Me Pottery" with Sandra McGuire |
| Pottery with Janell Osbourne | Christmas Ornament Making |
| Pickin'
Place music jam |
Jewelry Making Saturday Sessions |
| Storytelling
Workshop with Tamara Coffey and Kaye Birchfield |
Painting with Al Cornett |
Workshops and Classes - Other
| Preventing
Domestic Violence Appalshop and others |
Safety
Workshop Adult Ed/Family Literacy Program |
| Living
History Gathering at the Jot 'em Down |
Early
Childhood Workshop CAP employees |
| Wise Village Workshop | CAP Safety Class |
| Table Tennis with Byron Risner | Organic Gardners |
Health Projects
Healthy H' Art: series of arts and movement workshops
Coping with Change through Creativity: addressing women's health issues through arts.
Aerobics Class
Movement with Dale Gutman
Creative Movement with Dale Gutman
Yoga with Rene Powell
Exercise with Kathi May
Helped bring the Eastern Kentucky Mobile Health Clinic to Hazel Green