Dr. Alan Jabbour will present lecture, 'Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier,' March 13

Feb. 17, 2009 -- Dr. Alan Jabbour, founding director of the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, will present a lecture at Arkansas State University on Friday, March 13, at 3:30 p.m., in the ASU Museum, Room 357.

Sponsored by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the Department of English and Philosophy, and the Heritage Studies Ph.D. Program, Dr. Jabbour will speak on “Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier.”

After completing his Ph.D. in English at Duke University, Jabbour taught in the UCLA Folklore and Mythology Program before becoming director of the Archive of Folk Song at the Library of Congress, a position once held by John Lomax. He directed the folk arts program of the National Endowment for the Arts until 1976, when he became director of the newly formed American Folklife Center. He served in that position until 1999.

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Jabbour was a violinist with the Jacksonville Symphony, the Brevard Music Festival Orchestra, the Miami Symphony, and the University of Miami String Quartet.

He became interested in folk music while in North Carolina and made extensive trips into the southern mountains to record traditional music. He also formed the Hollow Rock String Band to perform old-time music. The band recorded one album, which has recently been released on CD by County Records.

Jabbour has edited several documentary albums of traditional music: “The Hammons Family: A Study of a West Virginia Family’s Traditions,” “Fiddle Tunes of the Old Frontier: The Henry Reed Collection,” and “American Fiddle Tunes.”

Since retiring from government service, he has focused on writing, consulting, lecturing, and playing the fiddle.

Dr. Jabbour’s lecture, which he will illustrate with musical selections, is free and open to the public. For further information, contact the Department of English and Philosophy at (870) 972-2226.

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