'The Mountain Minor' Film Program Coming to Mountain Music Museum

The Mountain Music Museum in Kingsport, Tennessee, will celebrate the new motion picture "The Mountain Minor" with an evening of music and conversation with the filmmakers on Thursday, November 15.

The independent feature film follows five generations of an Appalachian family, beginning in the 1930s, dramatizing how mountain music spread to other parts of the country. It is loosely based on the true story of screenwriter and director Dale Farmer's own family.

"Growing up in Ohio, most of my relatives and neighbors were migrant families from Appalachia," he said. "This film is about people leaving their homes and bringing their music and culture with them. For so long, they were looked down upon because they were thought to have less value in society because of what many people viewed as their backward ways. They deserve so much credit for the music that eventually became country and bluegrass."

"The Mountain Minor" features contemporary musical artists who are known for folk and old-time mountain music.

"When we learned about 'The Mountain Minor,' we immediately thought that it would be a great fit for the museum," said Rick Dollar, executive director. "The film is about the history of Appalachian music, which fits with our mission."

https://youtu.be/eypFQSXGqyo

"The Mountain Minor" is currently being submitted to film festivals, and thus far has won several awards at the Jukebox International Film Festival in Nevada (Best of Festival Jury Award), the Endless Mountains Film Festival in Pennsylvania (Best of Festival, Best Director and Best Actor for Asa Nelson), and the Queen City Film Festival in Cincinnati (Best Film in Category).

The program at the Mountain Music Museum will include a screening of select scenes, followed by a Q&A with writer/director Dale Farmer and producer Susan Pepper, who is a North Carolina-based musician. Several musicians from the movie will then perform on the museum's weekly "The Pickin' Porch Show," including Susan Pepper, Trevor McKenzie, Ma Crow, Lucas Pasley. Hazel Pasley, Asa Nelson, Warren Waldron and Judy Waldron.

The Mountain Music Museum is owned and operated by the nonprofit Appalachian Cultural Music Association, and is devoted to the history of Appalachian music, from the mid-1800s to the present.

"An Evening with The Mountain Minor" will take place at the Mountain Music Museum 316 Broad Street, Kingsport, Tennessee, on Thursday, November 15. The film and Q&A portion of the program will begin at 6:00 p.m. The musical performance will be part of the museum's weekly "Pickin' Porch Show," and will begin at 7:00 p.m. The show will also air live on 100.7 and 96.3 The Possum, in East Tennessee. Admission is $8. Tickets can be reserved at 423-341-0935 or at www.squareup.com/store/pickinporchshow.

More information about "The Mountain Minor" is available at www.themountainminor.com. Information about the Mountain Music Museum is available at www.mountainmusicmuseum.org and www.thepickinporch.com.