Carolina Music Ways: About The Organization

WHO WE ARE

Carolina Music Ways (CMW) is a non profit organization based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, dedicated to educating and inspiring youth living in our state’s northwest Piedmont region about the diverse musical heritage of where they live. The musical heritage of this region, a mix of three musical cultures (Appalachian, African American, and Moravian), is one of the most unique and influential in the nation.

CMW has three programs: our school assembly show adaptable to elementary, middle and high schools; our related curriculum; and our research program. College and gifted high school interns help us with our research, which provides the material for our school show, curriculum, and this extensive web site.

CMW’s goal is to serve students in seven counties: Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Davidson, Davie, Yadkin and Wilkes. Currently our focus is on Forsyth County. In the near future, we plan to expand to other counties as resources allow.

CMW is governed by a board of directors. Current board members are:

Matt Kendrick and Cathy Seaver (Co-Chairs), Joe Robinson (Vice-Chair), Jo Daniels (Secretary), Christine Toole (Treasurer), RG Absher, Sims Bulluck, Elizabeth Carlson, John Garrou, Annie Jenkins, Billy Rich, Shannon Stokes, Frank Thomas, Jr., Diana Tuffin, and Michael Wakeford.

CMW’s work has been made possible thanks to funding from The Winston-Salem Foundation, the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, and the North Carolina Arts Council. CMW works in partnership with the Winston-Salem/ Forsyth County Schools. The Piedmont Triad Regional Council provides invaluable technical and operational support, which includes the management of CMW’s financial resources. Approximately 99% of CMW funds goes directly into our programs.

CMW seeks to have the following impacts:

increase students’ awareness and appreciation of jazz, blues, bluegrass, gospel, old-time stringband, and Moravian music and their historic contexts in our region from 1753 – 1963

enhance classroom instruction and learning

increase the number of students participating in music programs at school or in the community

Our interconnected programs include:

a multi-music-genre school assembly show (CMW Old Timey Radio Show)

interdisciplinary classroom lessons for Music class and for Social Studies/Language Arts

this extensive web site

For information on the school show and related curriculum, contact carolinamusicways@gmail.com or (336) 407-7936.

In addition, our heritage sampler CD is also for sale.

CMW board members and volunteers, as well as the students, teachers, and community members we serve, live in an historic and scenic region in North Carolina’s Northwest Piedmont. Rolling foothills, small towns, farmland, and natural areas stretch east from Wilkesboro near the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains across the Piedmont into the Winston-Salem metro area.

Winston-Salem—settled by the Moravians and known as the “City of Arts and Innovation”—is the region's largest city. It is approximately 100 miles west of Raleigh, 80 miles northeast of Charlotte, and 30 miles south of the Virginia border.

Our region's geographic location is likely the primary reason for its unique musical heritage, which encompasses Appalachian, African American and Moravian musical traditions.

Please contact us with any questions, comments, or feedback at carolinamusicways@gmail.com. You can also reach us at Carolina Music Ways, c/o NWPCOG, 400 W. 4th St., Suite 400, Winston-Salem, NC, 27101, or at (336) 761-2111, ex. 3153.

If you would like to receive our E-MAIL NEWSLETTER, please contact us by clicking here. We provide information and updates about six times a year and we do not share our mail list with anyone.

For contact information about lodgings and non-music attractions, please go to the "Counties" section of this web site.

Carolina Music Ways has worked diligently to provide accurate information and give proper credit on this web site. In the event, however, that we have inadvertently erred, we apologize and request to be contacted so we can make any necessary corrections.