Students present, perform at String Band Summit

The String Band Summit has been held every spring since 2022, and organizers issue a call for participation in the form of a research presentation, workshop or other piece of programming. This year, Savas and Sandefur wrote a proposal for a workshop to be presented by the UNG String Band.

"Cooper and Erol planned, proposed and presented a workshop titled 'Fusing Bluegrass/Old-Time with Other Genres of Music,'" Dr. Esther Morgan-Ellis, professor of music history, said. "I was really proud of them - they came up with the idea, wrote the proposal, made arrangements for the string band, scheduled extra rehearsals, planned the workshop, and then gave a great presentation."

Morgan-Ellis can be seen in fiddle during one of the group's performances of Savas' arrangements, and she was quick to add that she "followed Erol's instructions, and didn't contribute anything," giving all the credit to her student.

"I never pressure students to commit to trips like this, but I always encourage them," Morgan-Ellis said. "Every student who has ever gone to the summit has had a great - even transformative - time, and there is always someone in the class who has been before and can tell the other students how amazing it was."

Sandefur, a senior from Dallas, Georgia, pursuing a degree in music with a concentration in musical arts, was one of those returning attendees. At last year's event he was provided the unique opportunity to experience a wax cylinder, something he said "might have been the coolest thing" he's ever done.

"I enjoyed being able to present something special with my peers and feel the audience's interest in it," Sandefur said of this year's experience. "I had a particularly fun time in downtown Johnson City preparing for our performance and performing in one of the coolest venues I've ever played."

Sandefur said he was particularly impressed with the performance of a group sponsored by East Tennessee University that played Carnatic (South Indian) classical music.

This is the third group of UNG students that has presented a workshop at the String Band Summit. The first group went in 2023, and another group went last year.

"I plan to take another group in 2027," Morgan-Ellis said. "UNG student participation has become a regular feature of the summit, and our students have developed a reputation for being highly professional and compelling presenters."