HEALING THE HOLLERS
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30TH
PRESENTED BY THE BLUEGRASS SITUATION
AND THE JAZZ FOUNDATION OF AMERICA
HEALING THE HOLLERS:
A MUSICAL ACT OF RECOVERY AND RESILIENCE AT THE EARL SCRUGGS FESTIVAL
The impact of Hurricane Helene on Western North Carolina has been nothing short of extreme. Months after the storm passed, communities across the region continue to grapple with deep financial hardships and ongoing uncertainty around relief funding. Alongside families and neighborhoods, the artistic and music communities have been profoundly affected.
“We’re weary of recounting what happened,” says bluegrass musician and promoter Ty Gilpin.
“We’re putting our energy toward healing.”
With that spirit in mind, Gilpin, his band Unspoken Tradition, and other regional artists are partnering with this year’s Earl Scruggs Music Festival (August 29–31 at Tryon International Equestrian Center) to present a special performance: Healing the Hollers. Curated as a multi-artist set, the event will highlight songs and stories that reflect on the storm’s impact while celebrating the resilience and unity that have defined the mountain communities in its aftermath.
“We’re continuing the work of rebuilding from within,” Gilpin says. “That’s always been the ethic of mountain people. And there’s one word that sums it up—resilience.”
In the eight months since the storm, residents of Western North Carolina have raised funds, advocated for one another, and most importantly, kept telling their story—often through song. The mountain folk tradition has always used music as a vehicle for storytelling, survival, and solidarity. Today, that tradition lives on in the region’s modern Appalachian sound.
“Our band has spent the time since Hurricane Helene reflecting on what we learned about ourselves and our community,” says Gilpin. “From how we talk about where we’re from to the music we play—our sound has always been tied to a strong sense of place. After Helene, that connection has become even more meaningful, and it’s deepened our bond with fans as we share not just our songs, but the healing process behind them. In fact, our new album, a collection of recently released singles and more, is titled Resilience, in tribute to that quality that describes our community!”
Healing the Hollers will bring that process to life onstage with performances from artists who’ve turned their experiences into music. The name itself was coined by Asheville native and filmmaker Bob Peck of Mountain Water Films, a longtime documentarian of Appalachian culture.
“The music of Western North Carolina has always been about gathering, grieving, and celebrating together,” says Peck. “Healing the Hollers builds on that legacy with live music and advocacy—a powerful act of community healing. We hope it becomes the first of many such events, supported by video storytelling and future performances.”
IN ADDITION TO UNSPOKEN TRADITION, FEATURED PERFORMERS INCLUDE:
ZOE & CLOYD
John Cloyd Miller and Natalya Weinstein will join for a live rendition of “Weary Town,” a song penned by Miller and recorded by Unspoken Tradition that became a recent bluegrass radio success. Zoe & Cloyd will also perform their own single, “Linemen,” written during the power restoration efforts following the storm. “We personally lost the bridge to our neighborhood and had a landslide on our driveway that still isn’t fixed,” says Weinstein. “We were without power and water for weeks. Our daughter attended school in Hickory while we lived there. Classes at Warren Wilson College, where we both teach, were canceled. It was a scary, chaotic time. But music brought us together. It gave us comfort, connection, and a way to keep going. We’re honored to be part of Healing the Hollers.”
LAURA BOOSINGER
Esteemed Appalachian ballad singer and cultural voice, Laura will open the event. “I was lucky,” Boosinger reflects. “Helene didn’t bring down the 100-year-old trees in front of my 100-year-old house. But just up the road, others weren’t so fortunate. More than 820,000 acres of forest land were damaged or destroyed. Now, the green of spring hides the devastation—but the loss remains just beneath the surface, like so much of what our communities are carrying. ”
JOSH GOFORTH
Josh grew up in Madison County, North Carolina surrounded by the music and stories of his ancestors. He is a highly accomplished storyteller and oldtime, bluegrass, and swing musician playing close to 20 instruments. His fiddling was featured in the movie Songcatcher, both onscreen and on the soundtrack. He has performed in all 50 states, throughout Europe, Asia, and Australia and gracing such stages as the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and The Grand Ole Opry. He was nominated for a Grammy for his 2009 release with David Holt, entitled Cutting Loose.
NEST OF SINGING BIRDS
The Nest of Singing Birds Ballad Swap, hosted by eighth-generation ballad singer Donna Ray Norton, celebrates Appalachian heritage. This informal gathering offers a glimpse into an age-old practice, bringing together singers from across the region to share stories and songs passed down through generations. Madison County's rich ballad legacy led English folk song collector Cecil Sharp to describe it as a "nest of singing birds" in 1916. This unique custom, spanning more than nine generations, represents one of the oldest unbroken oral traditions in the U.S. Following Hurricane Helene's devastation of their hometown, the Nest of Singing Birds has been traveling their regular ballad swap at the Old Marshall Jail to raise awareness of the practice's fragility and the region it depends on.
LANCE MILLS
A singer-songwriter whose harrowing story of escaping floodwaters with his family—and his Martin guitar—made national headlines, including a feature in Rolling Stone. Mills will share his powerful firsthand perspective through song.
BENEFITING THE BLUE RIDGE NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA
The event is sponsored by the Jazz Foundation of America, which has provided grant funding to pay performers and help stream the event live, expanding its reach and impact. Online donations via the livestream and attention from the concert will support Blue Ridge National Heritage Area/Blue Ridge Music Trails, a nonprofit preserving and promoting regional musical heritage.
Angie Chandler, Executive Director of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area, adds, “We’re excited to return to the Earl Scruggs Festival for a third year. Hurricane Helene hit everyone hard—but our creative communities especially. Partnering with the Jazz Foundation, we’re launching the Blue Ridge Roots Revival concert series. These performances give local musicians a chance to share their voices and heal through song while connecting with new audiences.”
DON'T MISS THIS SPECIAL PERFORMANCE
HEALING THE HOLLERS
AT THE EARL SCRUGGS MUSIC FESTIVAL
SATURDAY, AUGUST 30TH | 3:30 PM
It’s more than music—it’s a movement. Join us in supporting recovery, resilience, and the mountain voices that carry both.
This set will be live streamed, more details coming this fall! sign up for our newsletter to be in the loop!