Making Bluegrass Sound Off at EKU

Some musicians at Eastern Kentucky University hope to make it more of a home for Mountain and Bluegrass music.  Biology professor Bob Frederick thinks E-K-U can do a better job of recruiting and retaining students if it did more to embrace Appalachian culture.  “It just struck me that this would be a unique way for a certain group of students to find a niche that might help them cope with the day to day rigors of being a student and maybe being an outlet for them,” said Frederick.

Frederick has worked at E-K-U for three decades.  He came to the university thinking bluegrass music might already be part of the school’s fabric..

“When I came here 30 years ago, I had this idea that Eastern Kentucky University would have lots of bluegrass music and lots of Appalachian music and what I found out was, there’s a lot in the region, but there’s really not much going on here at the University,” added Frederick.

Frederick says about a half dozen people showed up for an initial meeting.  The 30-year E-K-U veteran is also a banjo player.  He says a second meeting is planned for mid October.