MURFREESBORO,
Tenn. — “Inspirations from Tennessee,” an arts-inclusive project funded by
an MTSU grant, is releasing a musical CD with the same title in January 2017
featuring seven newly commissioned works inspired by country music superstar
Dolly Parton’s repertoire.
Songwriters,
artists, composers and musicians from Tennessee, including MTSU music faculty,
have been the building blocks toward creating musical works drawing inspiration
from other Tennessee artists. Dubbed “The Dolly Project,” the initiative first
premiered in October 2015.
Spearheaded
by Deanna Little, a professor of flute in the MTSU School of Music, project
composers include MTSU School of Music faculty and/or graduates Cedric Dent,
Bruce Dudley, Paul Osterfield, Jamey Simmons, Andy Smith, and Kristy Sullivan,
plus Recording Industry faculty member Joseph Akins.
Some of
the other performers include Akins and music faculty and/or graduates Todd
Waldecker, Christine Kim and Celine Thackston. Recording Industry faculty
member John Hill recorded the new works this past summer.
Six of
the project’s pieces use Parton’s song, “Coat of Many Colors,” as their
inspiration. The other piece, at Osterfield’s request, uses her children’s book
“I Am a Rainbow.”
Nashville
Public Radio recently featured the project in an online report published after
one of WFCL-FM Classical 91.1’s “Live in Studio C” segments in late September.
The online report includes a podcast featuring an interview and performances by
Little, as well as MTSU faculty members Rebecca Murphy on flute and Windell
Little on piano. You can listen to the podcast at http://bit.ly/2dpPikp.
For
Little, “Inspirations from Tennessee” is an idea she had “for a long time.”
“I
wanted to connect different elements of the arts based on Tennessee culture. I
originally was looking for a poet to start with but didn't find anyone I
connected with,” she said.
“One day
it dawned on me to use lyrics and the work of Dolly Parton as the root of my
project. I admire her because she has contributed much to the people of
Tennessee and the world through her music, movies, Imagination Library
(literacy initiative) and is a role model we can all look up to. She came from
a poor family and worked hard to make her life what it now is. That is an
inspiration to me and a value I strive for … work hard, do good things and be
happy!”
The
project is funded through an MTSU Faculty Research and Creative Project grant.
The idea is to link different forms of art though Tennessee artists — Parton,
composers, performers, recording artists and CD artwork.
Little
believes the joining of the creative and performing arts, as well as the
creation of art inspired from people that are immersed in Tennessee’s culture,
will not only contribute to the enrichment of music-making, but also will show
how art of all kinds are connected to the lives we live and that one is not
separate from the other.
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