Traditional Appalachian Music Heritage Association (TAMHA)

Blountville home to Appalachian music
Deep in the Appalachian Mountains in the little town of Blountville, you might hear some soft mountain music on a Friday night. Hmm... But, you might also hear some foot-stomping traditional Appalachian music that takes you back to yesterday, to music traditions nearly forgotten...

The Traditional Appalachian Musical Heritage Association [TAMHA] was formed in 2001 as a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring that the rich heritage of traditional music of southern Appalachia will be understood and celebrated by the people in our region and throughout the world. Their goal is to preserve the musical heritage through performance by musicians and establishing a resource for those interested in this genre of American music. TAMHA encourages and promotes the teaching of traditional music to our younger generations so they too might gain an appreciation of their musical heritage from the Appalachian region. No discussion about TAMHA would be complete without mention of its founding father, Ralph Blizard (1918-2004).  Concerned by the thought of the musical heritage he had known all his life would soon be lost to younger generations, he along with other concerned musicians founded the TAMHA organization. Ralph has been an advocate of teaching our musical heritage in public schools. He served on the Tennessee Arts Commission and is internationally known for his long-bow fiddle style. He was awarded the 2002 National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts. He was given the Governor's Award by the Tennessee Arts Commission in 2003. Learn about plans for the Ralph Blizard Museum in historic Blountville.

Meeting information
TAMHA holds association meeting every other Tuesday at the historic Anderson Townhouse, located across from the Sullivan County Courthouse in downtown Blountville, Tennessee. Open jam sessions are held every Friday beginning at 6:30 p.m. Members and non-members are always welcome to come and sit in with other musicians. The public is welcome to come enjoy the music. Persons wishing more information may write TAMHA at P.O. Box 228 Blountville, TN 37617 or email TAMHA secretary David Rotenberry.

Location and contact information
Location: Anderson Townhouse, Hwy. 126, Blountville/TN
Site: www.tamha.org

Sullivan County Department of Archives and Tourism: 423.323.4660

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