Join the QQa to learn more about the Rackensack Folklore Society.
Exploring Arkansas Cultural History Through Music Preservation and Performance The Rackensack Folklore Society of Pulaski County was founded by eminent cartoonist George Fisher in 1963, a few months after his friend Jimmy Driftwood had helped to found Rackensack in Mountain View. Both nonprofit organizations share the mission of preserving old-time traditional music through performance on acoustic instruments. The word “traditional” is the key to grasp the meaning of “oldtime” music- songs extending back especially to the British Isles, much of Europe and Africa, and West Indies- and including such genres as early ballads, cowboy songs, and spirituals to name a few. This “roots” music helps us recognize and appreciate the cultural connections between our country’s history and its musical heritage.
Charlotte Copeland grew up in Orlando, Florida where she studied violin and guitar in her teens and became part of the folk music and coffee-house scene of the 1960s and '70s. She took up classical guitar in 1985 and while earning the Masters Degree in Library Science, 1992, at the University of Southern MIssissippi, she was invited to join the USM guitar orchestra. This experience provided a broader understanding of how songs and ballads of oral tradition have influenced composers of classical and other musical genres. Charlotte joined the library faculty at the University of Arkansas-Monticello in 1992 where she was asked to organize the University archives in her capacity as reference/research librarian. From new music-minded colleagues, she learned about Rackensack and began to attend the monthly songfest meetings in Little Rock. After several years as a member, (now retired from UAM) she was invited to join the Board as historian; she is also co-editor of the Rackensack Newsletter.
Questions? Call 501-371-0075 ext. 3 or email [email protected]