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NETN AWARD WINNER

DISTRICT 7 AWARD WINNER

2024 BFA SENIOR CAPSTONE EXHIBITION,

EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY

In the early 1900s, folk song collector Cecil J. Sharp predicted that Appalachian music would vanish by the 1950s as modern civilization reached rural mountain communities. Sharp identified education and societal shifts as significant threats, noting their failure to promote traditional mountain music to upcoming generations, leading to diminished interest in learning or preserving it. Today, this trend continues as traditional music genres are often overlooked and replaced by modern genres that appeal to younger audiences.  As a result, they have fewer opportunities to hear authentic mountain music and learn why its preservation is paramount.

​In an effort to preserve and promote Appalachian music among younger audiences, I have created Music of the Mountains to introduce, educate, and inspire a greater understanding of its cultural and historical significance. To accomplish this goal, I have designed a simulated mountain cabin environment that welcomes audiences to themes of Appalachian life and the music thereof. Through the project, I hope to inspire young adults to explore the richness of Appalachian Mountain music and share it with their peers for future preservation. 

Growing up in Bristol, Tennessee, in the heart of Appalachia, I was introduced to bluegrass music at a very young age; it has always been a defining part of my identity and the culture of the region I proudly call home. In recent years, however, I have observed a rapid decline in mountain music, and while I initially attributed that to decreasing popularity, research reveals a deeper and more systematic issue.

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- 2025 -

Gold, Website - Northeast Tennessee

Best of Show, Website - Northeast Tennessee

Silver, Website - District 7

Silver, Cross-Platform Campaign - Northeast Tennessee

Silver, Ambient Media Single Execution - Northeast Tennessee

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© 2025 KAITLYN SIEJKA

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