Folklife Center to host 2019 Gala Celebration Concert honoring Dave Bing

Join the Frank and Jane Gabor WV Folklife Center at the 2019 Gala Celebration Concert honoring musician and teacher Dave Bing.

On Saturday, September 21st at 3 p.m., the Folklife Center will hold a concert in the Great Room of Cultures on the second floor of the center to honor Traditions Salute Award Recipient Dave Bing. The event will feature music from the Kennedy Barn String Band, an award presentation, and music from Mr. Bing and fellow musicians.

Dave Bing ranks among West Virginia’s finest traditional musicians. For over 30 years, Dave has been an instructor at the Augusta Heritage Center’s old-time music workshops at Davis and Elkins College. He has taught an annual week-long fiddle workshop at Cedar Lakes State Park near Ripley for over 20 years. Having also taught at workshops in such far flung places as England and Spain, Dave has taught thousands of people from all over the world traditional West Virginia fiddle tunes.

Over the years, Dave has played in several notable bands including the Bing Brothers with his brothers Mike and Tim, Gandydancer, and his trio the High Ridge Ramblers. Dave has won numerous fiddle and banjo contests and has played for hundreds of square dances, concerts, and events throughout the state and region, including the annual West Virginia State Folk Festival in Glenville.

Around 15 years ago, Dave began to apply his wood-working experience to making fiddles. To date, he has made over 50 fiddles and has a waiting list of people who are interested in acquiring one of his hand-made instruments. In 2012, along with his brothers Mike and Tim, Dave received the Vandalia Award, the highest folklife honor given by the state of West Virginia.

The Kennedy Barn String Band will provide music before the award ceremony. They are proudly associated with the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center on the campus of Fairmont State University. The group plays traditional Appalachian old-time music and practices weekly at the Folklife Center. The name of the group comes from the fact that the Folklife Center is located in a renovated barn that was originally built by the Kennedy family in the early 1900s. The Kennedy Barn String Band has played for square dances, Folklife Center and community events, and at local traditional music festivals. In May of 2018, the Kennedy Barn String Band received the Traditions Salute Award from the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center. 

The Traditions Salute Award is given by the Folklife Center to a person who has demonstrated a passion and commitment toward the advancement of West Virginia folk culture. Mr. Bing, Ben Townsend, and Josh Wanstreet will perform after the award presentation. A reception will follow the concert.

The Folklife Center is located in the historic Kennedy Barn on the Fairmont State University Campus and is dedicated to the identification, preservation, and perpetuation of our region’s rich cultural heritage. It houses academic minors in folklore and museum studies. This event is free and open to the public but donations are accepted. For questions, please contact Dr. Francene Kirk at 304-367-4403 or Francene.Kirk@fairmontstate.edu.

Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife CenterDave BingTraditions Salute Award