What Dreamers Do
Hi, I’m Carla Gover, an Appalachian musician, flatfoot dancer, mama, and DREAMER from Kentucky. I'm on a mission to share fierce love, good humor, and inspiration to help you live a life of creative freedom. I decided to start the What Dreamers Do Podcast to help answer the question: How can we use our gifts and talents to build a better world, and have fun along the way? You’ll also find musings about Appalachia as well as interesting conversations with songwriters, poets, dancers, educators, world-changers, social justice warriors, and other people like you who are working to make a difference using their art, their skills, or just the way they live their lives. On every episode, you’ll hear ideas, conversations, and actionable items to help you unlock your creativity and live your purpose. Grab a mason jar full of sweet tea (or something a little stronger) and pull up a chair, cause it’s time to get YOUR dream on!
What Dreamers Do
Appalachian Artivism (Part 2): An Interview with Sam Gleaves
This week I'm continuing my chat with musician/songwriter/educator/Appalachian Artivist Sam Gleaves about a bevy of subjects dear to our hearts and our work in Kentucky and beyond.
He talks about how his work with cultural organizations such as the Appalshop, The Highlander Center, and Berea College have deepened his activism in the mountains.
He also shares more about the educational work he does with Berea College in teaching traditional ad bluegrass music to students there from many cultures and places.
We discuss the tightrope that artists living and working in traditional art forms sometimes face in trying to convey our authentic truths while maintaining awareness that sometimes our audiences have vastly different sociopolitical or religious beliefs than we do.
Sam also shares more about navigating the traditional music world as a queer man, how his music has changed as he has embodied his personal truth, and the importance of singers as storytellers who have the power to help shape new narratives of the world. (And how they're MORE than just entertainers!)
And when asked about coping mechanisms for dealing with stress, anxiety, and despair around world events, his biggest exhortation is.....SING!
Artists/Links mentioned in show:
Sam Gleaves Website
Sam Gleaves on Facebook
Appalshop Cultural Organization
Highlander Center
The STAY Project
Cowan Creek Mountain Music School
Reel World String Band
My Singing Bird by Sam Gleaves
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