Women Raise Profile in American Folk Music

MusicBox Project is now in Library of Congress

January 27, 2012

Dyann and Rick Arthur record a performance at the Portland Old-Time Music Gathering.

When people think of musicians in the American roots genre, Allison Krauss is one of the few female stars who comes to mind. For the most part, history remembers the men in old-time country, blues and folk music - like Lead Belly, Muddy Waters or Doc Watson.

Now, a Seattle-area woman who studies American folk music and culture has made it her mission to change that and the Library of Congress has taken notice.

Dyann and Rick Arthur are in their element. They're at the Old-Time Music Gathering in Portland, Oregon. Impromptu jam sessions and multiple concerts are under way on three floors of this performance hall.

As Dyann prowls the halls, she calcuates the ratio of male to female instrumentalists. "This one's pretty well integrated, and then there are some of them that are primarily the guys."

Dyann plays piano and guitar though she made her living from mortgage banking. She retired recently, as did her husband, a pilot.

The couple discussed at length what they would do in retirement. They wanted something meaningful that combined music and travel.

The result was a trek through Oregon, Washington and 28 other states to collect oral histories and tape live performances of women making traditional music.