Climbing the Mountain: Following ‘America’s Got Talent’ appearance, Mountain Faith looks to the future

art frStanding behind the counter of High Country Tire, Summer McMahan is a long way from the bright lights of New York City.

Outside the shop and convenience store, cars zip and zoom by nonstop down U.S. 441, either coming from Dillsboro to the north or Franklin to the south. And though the 22-year-old is busy ringing up purchases or talking up the locals who make a stop to High Country as part of their daily routine, McMahan thoughts keep drifting back to the Big Apple, back to Radio City Music Hall where she recently took the stage to perform on the NBC hit show “America’s Got Talent.”

Proud past, progressive future: Canton Labor Day celebrates 109 years

coverIt is the heartbeat of a town and its people.

While some communities pride themselves on their Christmas, 4th of July or Memorial Day festivities, the town of Canton showcases Labor Day — a time every year when any and all cheer the workingman, the blue-collar nature of a place as special and unique as its inhabitants.

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This must be the place

art theplaceWith the cornfields as high as an elephant’s eye, apples just ripe for the pickin’ and the last of the August sunshine still warming our glorious souls, it’s also time to harvest the innumerable records that have recently hit shelves and eager ears, ready to strike a fire in your heart.

In Search of the Song: The 45th annual Smoky Mountain Folk Festival

art frMountain music, dancing and tradition will be on display once again as the 45th annual Smoky Mountain Folk Festival celebrates the culture and heritage of Western North Carolina Sept. 4-5 on the shores of Lake Junaluska.

The Road to Rock — The Freeway Revival

art frManic, menacing and mesmerizing.

That’s how rock-n-roll is supposed to make you feel. It’s meant to be a bit jarring, a little sinister, with the slightest touch of magic — just enough to pull you in, making you aware that what you’re witnessing is something special, something to behold and share with others not-yet-in-the-know.

This must be the place

art theplaceI stopped going.

For the better part of the last decade, my life during the summer was music festivals. From Maine to California, Michigan to Arkansas, I was there, in an endless crowd, cheering on the greatest musicians of our time. In those innumerable moments, I felt more alive, at home, and at peace, than anywhere else in the world.

Preserving to persevere: Relating to one another through music and dance

folkmoot preservingEach year international groups from all over the world travel abroad to share their traditional folk dances and songs with other cultures. 

They spend hundreds of hours researching, learning and rehearsing these songs and dances. They spend a lot of money on authentic costumes to accurately represent their heritage and they spend even more to go one tour and share their work with others.

Owner of the Sun — “Sharp Tongue”

art ownersunSetting down deep roots in Jackson County over the past couple of years, Owner of the Sun (Sylva-based by way of Atlanta) is an Americana group, but one whose tone and intent goes far below the surface of you’re atypical “kitchen sink and all” band.

Mountain Faith appears on NBC

art mtnfaithAll eyes were on Summer McMahan and company. “We were all so nervous going into the audition,” she said. “But, once we noticed they were liking it, all the nerve went away and we had a blast. We’re so very humbled they liked it and sent us through.”

This must be the place

art theplaceOften times as a journalist, you just simply can’t get to everything.

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