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April 26-28, 2024

Word of South

Ben Holmes & Patrick Farrell

Ben Holmes & Patrick Farrell are a trumpet and accordion duo whose performances range from klezmer, original concert music and improvisation to interpretations of Romantic-era composers and more. They bring together a unique array of experiences to present a truly original program of music ranging from the 19th-21st century. In the “The Conqueror Worm Suite,” […]

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Circus No.9

Based in East Tennessee, Circus No.9 is a new progressive acoustic group that embraces the influence of Bluegrass, Americana, and Folk. The group has appeared on stage alongside artists including David Grisman, Bryan Sutton, Larry Keel, and more. With awarded musicians Matthew Davis (2016 National Banjo Champion), Thomas Cassell (2016 Rockygrass Mandolin Champion), and Colin […]

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Cedric Burnside

Cedric Burnside is an American electric blues drummer, guitarist, singer and songwriter. He is the son of blues drummer Calvin Jackson and grandson of blues singer, songwriter, and guitarist R. L. Burnside. Amongst many others, Burnside has played drums, either live or on record, with R. L. Burnside, Jessie Mae Hemphill, John Hermann, Kenny Brown, […]

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Allison Clarke

Allison Clarke is a singer-songwriter based out of Nashville, Tennessee, whose soulful vocals and authentic lyrics have carved a distinct niche in the realm of Contemporary Country and Americana. In 2023, Allison won the iconic Bluebird Café’s “Golden Pick Contest” with her song “What Day Would You Go Back To.” She was also a semi-finalist […]

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Susan Cerulean

Susan Cerulean is a writer, naturalist, and activist based in Tallahassee, Florida. Her 2015 nature memoir—Coming to Pass: Florida’s Coastal Islands in a Gulf of Change (University of Georgia Press) just won the Gold Award for Florida Nonfiction by Florida Book Awards. Previous books include Tracking Desire: A Journey after Swallow-tailed Kites, UnspOILed: Writers Speak […]

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The Brother Brothers

The Brother Brothers tour as an acoustic duo: David on cello and guitar, and Adam on the 5-string fiddle. With individual storied folk and bluegrass music careers under their belts, the brothers have finally teamed up to bring their experiences together. They released their EP “Tugboats” in January 2017 and are planning to release their […]

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Eliza Borné

Eliza Borné is the editor of the Oxford American, a national magazine dedicated to featuring the best in Southern writing and art, while documenting the complexity and vitality of the region. Best known for its annual Southern Music issue, the OA has won four National Magazine Awards and other high honors since it began publication […]

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Martha Barnette

Martha Barnette is co-host of the public-radio show “A Way With Words,” heard each week by listeners in 300 cities across North America, and worldwide by podcast. The show is about words and how we use them — word and phrase origins, slang, regional dialects, writing well, books and reading, and that weird thing Grandma […]

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Jared Beck

Jared Beck, AICP is an urban designer and community planner. Stemming from a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree, his breadth of professional skills ranges from large scale town planning to detailed architecture and design guidelines. With more than 15 years in both private and public roles, his focus is now on reinvestment programs and projects […]

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Rick Bragg

Rick Bragg is the Pulitzer Prize winning writer of best-selling and critically acclaimed books such as All Over but the Shoutin’, Ava’s Man, and The Prince of Frogtown. A native of Calhoun County, Alabama, Bragg’s books chronicle the lives of his family cotton pickers, mill workers, whiskey makers, long sufferers, and fist fighters. He has […]

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