Next Stop Athens, Ohio
Let's Celebrate! I was accepted into the Public Media Masters program at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and will be moving there to settle in and get started August 13, 2016. This is a 12-month program jointly administered by the School of Media Arts and Studies and the WOUB Public Media (AM/FM/TV stations).
The Public Media program has been ongoing since 1981 and has trained over one hundred thirty public media professionals to return to a career with specialized skills through course work in the School and professional work at WOUB. Students in the public media program normally select an area of specialization related to media leadership & management.
As well, alternative areas of specialization, relevant to changes in technology and organizational structure within public media can be developed in consultation with the student's Program of Study committee.
Over the year, students receive a work stipend plus tuition waivers for two semesters and summer session. We will have 15 hour weekly jobs with the WOUB Public Media stations during the 12 month period.
Four of us were chosen including Abbie Doyle, Blake Drummond, Lydia Williams and myself.
The program is run by Dr. Arthur Cromwell, Director of Studies, Public Media Masters Program and Associate Professor in the School of Media Arts and Studies.
Dr. Cromwell's areas of expertise include History of Broadcasting, Television Genre History, African-American Broadcast History and Documentary History.
The four of us will work on specific work and study projects keyed to our interests, including mine which include Appalachian culture, old time music and coal mine history.
I want to move from my radio production and management skills to Digital Video Production, Nonfiction Storytelling and Documentary Production, Historical Media Research and Communications Theory.
Of course Athens, located in southeastern, Appalachian Ohio, is a hotbed of old-time music and dance. The city is home to the Hotpoint Stringband which features Hilarie Burhans, Mark Burhans, Mark Hellenberg, Marlene Shostak, and Nick Weiland.
Hotpoint is a touring contradance band who recently played the June 2016 June Moon dance weekend, near Morgantown, West Virginia. Coming up they have the July 15-17, 2016 River Rendezvous, in Coshocton, Ohio.
Their 2001 CD is The Road to Burhania.
Mark and Hillarie Burhans are also proprietors of Salaam Restaurant in Athens, Ohio. Salaam’s eclectic menu includes traditional and traditionally-inspired dishes from the Middle East, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, North Africa, Thailand, India and Pakistan, with a focus on fresh local foods.
Hotpoint member Mark Hellenberg has also toured with Wild Asparagus. The band is regarded as the most influential contra dance band in the country. He is also Music Director at WOUB-FM and hosts a Friday night folk and Americana program called Crossing Boundries.
I am counting the days until my move and hope to see my many Pittsburgh friends at parties and Devilish Merry gigs over the summer before I leave. I will still be coming back to play with Devilish Merry at different times over the coming year!
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