"The Role of the John Jacob Niles Center for American Music at the Intersection of Written and Oral Traditions in Appalachia"

I think that my work at the Niles Center--and even before there was a Niles Center--was informed by the inclusivity of both oral tradition and written tradition. I collect books and manuscripts, but I also collect field work. My work with John Jacob Niles made me address issues of transcription, composition, arrangement, and publications that are related to recordings, interviews, and fieldwork. My archives at the University of Kentucky contain both forms of documentation.