Songcatchannouncement

Gary Eller will demonstrate historically-based Idaho songs and discuss their historical underpinnings. Songs of this type provide a valuable alternative to written text in preserving, interpreting and communicating fascinating pieces of Idaho's cultural legacy. Through these songs, he will share anecdotes about interesting Idaho individuals, places and events. Eller also will discuss the techniques used to collect, preserve and interpret songs based on Idaho’s heritage. The songs range from somber event ballads to hilarious parodies based on local life at the time the songs were written. Through the presentation and resulting discussion, it is hoped that additional songs of this type will be uncovered. Eller’s programs are tailored to the request and can focus on any of the following:

-     Specific subregion of Idaho (panhandle, southwest, southeast, central, Hell’s canyon/Weiser Valley, Salmon/Clearwater Rivers)
-     A march through Idaho history in song
-     Political songs of Idaho (1806 to 1980)
-     Idaho’s poet prospectors” Clarence E. Eddy and Hannibal “Seven Devils” Johnson

Gary Eller has played American roots music since he grew up in rural West Virginia. Following a thirty year career as a nuclear scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, he retired to Nampa and immediately became deeply involved in Idaho history and music. With funding from the Idaho Humanities Council in 2007 and 2008, he compiled almost 200 historically rooted songs of our region and performs them at many events throughout Idaho. Eller works closely with regional museums and universities to collect, archive and bring to life through performance and interpretation the wonderful windows into Idaho’s heritage that these songs provide.

Additional information on the Speaker's Bureau Program is available at www.idahohumanities.org .