Abingdon, Va. - A pair of young musicians who exemplify the Crooked Road connection will take center stage tonight as the Buttermilk Girls take the stage at Heartwood in Abingdon, Va.
Big Stone Gap's Beth Miller and Kingsport's Maggie Gatley met at Mountain Empire Community College's Mountain Music School and formed the Buttermilk Girls.
Seventeen-year-old Beth is widely known for her songwriting and musical talents, and was recently awarded the top prize in the Virginia-Kentucky District Fair Youth Talent Contest. She was also a finalist in the Gathering in the Gap Songwriting Contest. Maggie, 14, is an award-winning fiddle player and vocalist.
On June 11, the Buttermilk Girls and Tower Street Stringband will perform from 6:30 to 8 p.m., in a concert presented by The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail. Admission to the concert is free. However, donations will be accepted for Crooked Road Traditional Music Education Program (TMEP). The youth music concert is part of The Crooked Road Music Series at Heartwood.
The Tower Street Stringband is a family band from Tazewell, Va., playing traditional old-time mountain music. Phil Bevins is the father on fiddle, mom is Teressa Bevins on the upright bass, 15 year-old Joe Bevins is on the banjo and guitar, and 6 year-old Kathleen Bevins dances and sings. They specialize in high energy old-time music, gospel, and songs about events that happened in our region.
The Crooked Road Music Series takes place each Thursday at Heartwood. The series features youth music performers on the second Thursday of each month and and showcases venues of The Crooked Road region on the fourth Thursday. These events, along with open jams on the first, third (and fifth), Thursday of every month, showcase Southwest Virginia performers.
The Crooked Road Music Series is sponsored by Heartwood, Virginia Commission for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Heartwood: Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Gateway is located off I-81 at Exit 14 in Abingdon, Va., and features food, music and craft of Southwest Virginia.
For more information, visit The Crooked Road website at www.thecrookedroad.org and at www.heartwoodvirginia.org. For additional information, call 276-492-2409 or email info@thecrookedroad.org.