February 24, 2015
Hello to all 2015 CCMMS Students and Faculty,
I hope our former and future students of the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School are warm and safe wherever they are. Here on Cowan we are still snowed in. You can hardly believe that what the Center looks like now is what you see during your time here in June. This year the date of the music school is June 22-June 26.
I wrote this letter earlier in the month, in fact the day after Ground Hog Day. I even kind of complained because we hadn’t had enough snow at that time to cover everything up and hide some of our unsightly sites that are so depressing in the winter. Please God forgive me for that, because we have now been covered for almost two solid weeks. It’s been beautiful for those of us fortunate enough to stay inside, but bless those people who had to go out and face the elements every day.
So, while we await the arrival of spring, we also are gearing up to present another year of the Cowan Creek Mountain Music School. Whether you are considering coming to Cowan for the first year, or whether this makes your (14th) year, we are looking forward to seeing you again or meeting you for the first time. We think each year that it will be the best school we have ever had, and that’s our attitude again this year. As we do our planning, we are thinking, what can we do to top last year’s offerings?
Well, this year we will be bringing back many of our regular faculty plus some newcomers. One of those newcomers is Robert (Bob) Martin who will be doing “Story-Telling”. Cowan Community Center is leading an effort in Letcher County to establish a Community Theater, and story-telling is going to be a major part of the performances we hope to offer. Story-telling classes will also be one of the offerings we will be having during the entire week of our music school. You will learn more about Bob and the other newcomers in the brochure that will be available within the coming weeks.
In 2014, Bob directed a production for the Cowan Community Center entitled the “Homecoming” which we hope to revise and present one evening during the week of this year’s music school. We think this will add a new element of interest to the week, which we think has always held some very special moments. Remember our great opera performance last summer?
Our Artisitic Director, Anna Roberts- Gevault is working to find the most talented and gifted artists possible to serve as the Visiting Masters, faculty members, and special guests for the week. Our CCMMS Program Coordinator is busy getting ready to assist you with your registrations, getting the brochures ready to go out, and making sure that all the necessary ground work is done to make this week run smoothly.
So, we hope you are having a great winter where ever you are, getting some rest hopefully, making plans for your summer travels, and we certainly hope you will include a trip back to Cowan for the Annual CCMMS as part of your agenda. If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments, please feel free to leave us a message on our website, or give us a call. We would love to hear from you.
Until I see you in June, stay warm, stay safe, and stay engaged in good traditional mountain music and come to Cowan and share it with us.
My very best to all of you,
Carol A. Ison
Carol Ison, Director
Cowan Community Center
81 Sturgill Branch
Whitesburg, KY 41858
Telephone: 606-633-9831 or 606-634-3683