Scott Ainslie

Considered a master of America roots music, Scott Ainslie brings a wealth of personal and musical history to the stage. With expertise in Ragtime & Delta Blues – and the banjo and fiddle traditions of the Southern Appalachians – in Ainslie’s hands the African and American roots of the music

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A musician all his life, Ainslie took up guitar at age 15 about five weeks after hearing Virginia Bluesman John Jackson play a couple of songs in the middle of one of Mike Seeger’s concerts in Alexandria, VA in 1967. A Phi Beta Kappa and honors graduate of Washington & Lee University, Ainslie also studied with elder musicians on both sides of the color line – in the Old-Time Southern Appalachian fiddle and banjo traditions, as well as with black Gospel and Blues musicians.

He transcribed the original recordings and published a book on Delta Blues legend Robert Johnson, Robert Johnson/At The Crossroads (Hal Leonard, 1992), and has an instructional DVD on Johnson’s guitar work, Robert Johnson’s Guitar Techniques (Hal Leonard, 1997). Ainslie has six solo CDs to his name and maintains an active recording, performing and teaching schedule that carries him around the country, to Canada, and to Europe. He has received numerous awards and grants for his work documenting and presenting traditional music. These include grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (a federal agency in Washington DC) and from the Folklife Section of the North Carolina Arts Council. Ainslie was presented with the annual Independent Weekly Triangle Arts Award; the National Slide Guitar Festivals’ Living Heritage Award; and the 20th Annual Sam Ragan Fine Arts Award from St. Andrew’s Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, NC.

As a traditional musician with expertise in both the Southern Appalachian fiddle and banjo tradition, and Piedmont and Delta Blues, Ainslie has specialized in performing and presenting programs on the African roots of American music and culture in community and educational settings. He joined the prestigious North Carolina Visiting Artist Program and took the first of his many Artist-in-Residence positions in a dramatically racially segregated community in eastern North Carolina in 1986.

Peppered with humor and stories, Ainslie’s teaching concerts help students and teachers learn to listen for the musical building blocks that continue to influence the music they hear all around them today – contemporary Rock, Bluegrass, Country, Gospel, Metal, R & B, and Hip-Hop. Question and answer periods are welcome at the end of each performance.

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Before Rock 'n' Roll with Blues Musician and Historian Scott Ainslie

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Program Description

Where did our music of today come from? In this program for younger listeners, Ainslie helps K-4th grade students explore the music that came before today’s Rock ‘n’ Roll. With interactive call & response singing and syncopated hand-clapping, Scott presents a fast-moving tour of many of the songs students encounter in their music classes: early spirituals, work songs, Ragtime and Delta Blues.

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Booking / scheduling contact

Susan Lounsbury, Loyd Artists

518-647-5916

susan@loydartists.com

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Program Detail

Program type: Assembly/Performance

Artistic Discipline: Music

Cultural Origin: European

Subject: Music, Social Studies / History

Population Served Grade 1, Grade 2, Grade 3, Grade 4, Grade 5, Kindergarten

Bilingual: No

Available dates:

Available year-round

Available times:

Available for day time student performances and evening family concerts

Max number of students: 350

Length of :Program 50 minutes

Space / technical requirements:

8′ x 8′ performance space with access to electrical outlet; Artist will provide sound in most instances.

Location(s):

In schools, libraries, theaters, centers

Fees / Ticketing:

$650 for one performance and $1,200 for two in the same day.

EDUCATION STANDARDS

NC Standard Course of Study:

SL2 = Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

SL4 = Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

R7 = Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

NC Essential Standards:

From the Social Studies 3-5 Standards:

4.C.1 = Understand the impact of various cultural groups on North Carolina.

8.C.1 = Understand how different cultures influenced North Carolina and the United States.

From the Arts Education, Music Standards:

CR.1 = Understand global, interdisciplinary, and 21st century connections with music.

Qualifications

Conducts educational programming for 2 or more years: Yes

Performs criminal background checks on staff with youth contact: Yes

Maintains general liability insurance (Individuals and organizations listed in this Directory can provide proof of insurance upon request. ASC does not hold copies of current documentation for providers): Yes

Three letters of recommendation / references available: Yes

Provides study guides for teachers and or students: Yes

Connects to State and or Common Core Curriculum Standards: Yes

Provides tools to assess student learning (workshops and residencies): Yes

Provides scholarship and reduced fees: Yes

Conducts ongoing assessments of program quality: Yes

PHOTOS

References

North Ridge Elementary School Preston Peek 1401 Ravenhurst Drive Raleigh, NC 27615 919-870-4100 Ashe County Arts Council Jane Lonon PO Box 353 Jefferson, NC 28640 336-846-2787 Magellan Charter School Alice Lynch 9324 Baileywick Road Raleigh, NC 27615 919-844-0277