Published

Kentucky Summer Camp Empowers Teens Through Rock Music

Listen

On this West Virginia Morning, we visit a music camp in Whitesburg, Kentucky that is empowering young people. We also hear an update about unemployment numbers across the Ohio Valley during this coronavirus pandemic, and we bring you this week’s Mountain Stage Song of the Week.

New unemployment insurance claims in the Ohio Valley began to taper off this week as states make their way through the backlog of applications amid business closures forced by the coronavirus pandemic. But local economies still face a staggering number of unemployed, and many of those who are out of work are still awaiting help. Becca Schimmel has more.

This weekend’s episode of Inside Appalachia features a story about a program that is helping young women and girls find empowerment through rock music. Girls Rock Whitesburg in Whitesburg, Kentucky, is a music camp for female, gender-fluid, non-binary, and trans youth.  Over the course of a week, campers learn an electric instrument, form a band, and write songs.  At the end, they perform in front of a live audience. Last summer, Folkways Corps Reporter Nicole Musgrave followed two campers who reinvented a traditional protest song to respond to events in their community.

When they appeared on Mountain Stage in 2010, Hot Club of Cowtown were touring in support of their Texas swing album What Makes Bob Holler? This tribute to the pioneer of Western Swing Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys found the band covering classics like “Stay a Little Longer” and “Faded Love.” Our Song of the Week, “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby” appears on their 2003 album Continental Stomp.

West Virginia Morning is a production of West Virginia Public Broadcasting which is solely responsible for its content.

Support for our news bureaus comes from West Virginia University, Concord University, and Shepherd University.

Our Appalachia Health News project is made possible with support from CAMC and Marshall Health.

West Virginia Morning is produced with help from Caitlin Tan, Jessica Lilly, Kara Lofton, Liz McCormick, Dave Mistich, Eric Douglas, Corey Knollinger, Emily Allen, and Roxy Todd.

Brittany Patterson produces our show. Our news director is Glynis Board. Our host is Teresa Wills.

Listen to West Virginia Morning weekdays at 7:43 AM on WVPB Radio, or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. #WVMorning