For more than a century, the John C. Campbell Folk School has been a place of celebration, creativity, and self-expression, where artists and lifelong learners gather to share community. Each week, the Keith House Community Room comes alive with Morningsong performances, evening contra dances, and concerts that bring together singers, dancers, and friends in joyful fellowship.  

Orchestrating many of the school’s Music and Dance Events is T-Claw Crawford, the Folk School’s music and dance events coordinator. When he isn’t booking new talent and managing the event schedule, he is setting the stage, facilitating sound checks, and maintaining equipment. 

“With Music and Dance, the sound and lights can be everything, and if everything is perfect and people feel welcomed, it can be transformative,” Crawford said. 

This year, the Festival Barn stage blossoms with a diverse lineup of Centennial Sounds performances, showcasing talented Appalachian artists against the backdrop of golden sunsets as guests gather for harmonious evenings together.  

“My favorite thing with all of this is watching people connect and build community and seeing people as one,” Crawford said. 

When Crawford isn’t responding to emails or preparing campuswide gatherings, he works alongside volunteers and youth in the Junior Appalachian Musicians program. Through the after-school program, he helps introduce students to traditional Appalachian instruments and techniques while nurturing the next generation of musicians.  

“The JAM program started as a bunch of super-shy kids who I could not get to point me in any direction. Over the last five years, I’ve seen them come from little 12-year-old squirts to driving, gigging with me, and substituting for me. That community connection and fostering and apprenticing the young folks has been a huge relief and just an exciting notion for the last year,” Crawford said.   

Crawford works alongside Music & Dance Programs Coordinator Wendy Graham, who develops lesson plans for the wide variety of Music and Dance classes offered year-round. From planning Dance Week curricula to tuning instruments before students arrive, the pair collaborate to create memorable lessons and performances that welcome learners of all skill levels. 

For more than a century, the John C. Campbell Folk School has been a place of celebration, creativity, and self-expression, where artists and lifelong learners gather to share community. Each week, the Keith House Community Room comes alive with Morningsong performances, evening contra dances, and concerts that bring together singers, dancers, and friends in joyful fellowship.  

Orchestrating many of the school’s Music and Dance Events is T-Claw Crawford, the Folk School’s music and dance events coordinator. When he isn’t booking new talent and managing the event schedule, he is setting the stage, facilitating sound checks, and maintaining equipment. 

“With Music and Dance, the sound and lights can be everything, and if everything is perfect and people feel welcomed, it can be transformative,” Crawford said. 

This year, the Festival Barn stage blossoms with a diverse lineup of Centennial Sounds performances, showcasing talented Appalachian artists against the backdrop of golden sunsets as guests gather for harmonious evenings together.  

“My favorite thing with all of this is watching people connect and build community and seeing people as one,” Crawford said. 

When Crawford isn’t responding to emails or preparing campus-wide gatherings, he works alongside volunteers and youth in the Junior Appalachian Musicians program. Through the after-school program, he helps introduce students to traditional Appalachian instruments and techniques while nurturing the next generation of musicians.  

“The JAM program started as a bunch of super-shy kids who I could not get to point me in any direction. Over the last five years, I’ve seen them come from little 12-year-old squirts to driving, gigging with me, and substituting for me. That community connection and fostering and apprenticing the young folks has been a huge relief and just an exciting notion for the last year,” Crawford said.  

Crawford works alongside Music & Dance Programs Coordinator Wendy Graham, who develops lesson plans for the wide variety of Music and Dance classes offered year-round. From planning Dance Week curricula to tuning instruments before students arrive, the pair collaborate to create memorable lessons and performances that welcome learners of all skill levels.