Hi, I’m Carla Gover, an Appalachian musician, flatfoot dancer, mama, and DREAMER from Kentucky. I'm on a mission to share fierce love, good humor, and inspiration to help you live a life of creative freedom. I decided to start the What Dreamers Do Podcast to help answer the question: How can we use our gifts and talents to build a better world, and have fun along the way? You’ll also find musings about Appalachia as well as interesting conversations with songwriters, poets, dancers, educator ...
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Appalachian Art & Identity: An Interview with Matthew Sidney Parsons
55:57
55:57
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In this episode of "What Dreamers Do," host Carla Gover welcomes poet, songwriter, and renaissance man, Matthew Sidney Parsons. Born in Kentucky and raised in West Virginia and Tennessee, Parsons now resides in Eastern Kentucky on a family homestead, where he draws inspiration from the natural surroundings and his ancestral heritage in his creative…
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The Evolution of a Kentucky Clogger: Interview with Dancer Steven Smith
49:36
49:36
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Join host Carla Gover in her conversation with veteran Kentucky clogger (and professional psychologist) Steven Smith in this episode of What Dreamers Do. Carla and Steven also discuss the nuances of different dance styles, the importance of creativity in everyday life, and the challenges of teaching traditional dance styles that are similar yet dif…
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Rhythm & Resistance: An Interview with Matthew Olwell
55:13
55:13
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Welcome back to "What Dreamers Do," the podcast that explores the power of dreams, creativity, and the human spirit. Today we have a special guest joining us on the show. Please welcome Matthew Olwell, a multi-talented artist, musician, and dancer. In this episode, titled "Rhythm and Resistance," we dive deep into the world of dance, and how artist…
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Broadside Balladeer: An Interview with English Singer Jennifer Reid
30:59
30:59
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In this episode of "What Dreamers Do," host Carla Gover sits down with the talented and multipassionate Jennifer Reid, a researcher, presenter, educator, performer and provocateur. In her lovely Northern Accent, we get a glimpse of Jennifer's work, as she takes us on a journey through the various art forms that she uses to highlight working-class i…
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Writing Redemption: An Interview with Bobi Conn
51:08
51:08
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On this episode of What Dreamers Do, host Carla Gover talks with Appalachian Author Bobi Conn about her work, her writing process, overcoming trauma, and offering a counter-narrative to stereotypical, pop-culture representations of the region. The two friends also riff about their personal experiences with healing and success, encouraging listeners…
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Quiet Lovers of Justice: A Conversation with Si Kahn
49:46
49:46
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On this episode of What Dreamers Do, we catch up with Si Kahn, an activist, author, playwright, organizer, and singer-songwriter known for his powerful songs and lifelong engagement in labor issues, human rights, and environmental concerns. The conversation covers his experiences in the labor movement as an organizer, and his engagement as a folk s…
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Carryin' On: An Interview with Appalachian Dancer Rodney Clay Sutton
1:09:27
1:09:27
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In this episode, you'll take a deep dive into Appalachian Flatfooting, Clogging, and the general dance history of the Carolinas. You'll also hear the origin story of Rodney Clay Sutton, recognized as a Master Folk Artist in North Carolina. With a lifelong career in music and dance, Rodney is both a preserver and an innovator in Appalachian Percussi…
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The Posh Tea Tour: On Traveling With the Band in Europe
16:47
16:47
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Welcome back for season two of What Dreamers Do! I kick this episode off by recapping my summer travels with the band, sharing some fun and memorable moments from the UK, Ireland, Serbia, and Greece, and my takeaways about the insights we can gain from traveling. (Including my suggestion for applying the insights when we're back home!) Links Mentio…
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Be Radical, Make Music: An Interview with Feminist Scottish Musician Rosie Bans
45:45
45:45
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In this juicy interview, we chat with Singer/Songwriter/Producer Rosie Bans, who writes, performs, ad collaborates with other artists and activists to create change for women and other marginalized groups, AND has an innovative support group and course for songwriters who want to give their creativity and motivation a boost. We also discuss her fre…
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What My Granny Taught Me: An Excerpt from the Cornbread & Tortillas Folk Opera
18:17
18:17
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This is part of my meandering summer episode series, which don't necessarily come out each Thursday, but rather when inspiration strikes. I might be in a cool café in London or an East Kentucky Holler when I record, or maybe just in my cozy living room drinking a cup of tea as I was for this episode. I begin with a reflection on tours past and futu…
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Sacred Catharsis: An Interview with Writer/Yogi Kelli Hansel Haywood
1:20:36
1:20:36
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Appalachian Author/Yogi Kelli Hansel Haywood's life and practice is firmly rooted in the soil of her native East Kentucky. In this interview, she speaks about home, art, motherhood, healing, and her artistic processes. Some of the things we talk about include: The way her knowledge of her kin and extended family has informed her identity provided a…
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Her Native Language: A Musical Interview with Cari Norris
16:17
16:17
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I'm releasing this interview with Kentucky musician/artist/icon Cari Anna Norris, recorded in the summer of 2021. As Kentucky mourns her passing this week, I wanted to honor her memory with this sweet interview I conducted as part of my dance project, the Kentucky Tour de Dance. She tells us about her grandmother, banjo legend Lily May Ledford of t…
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Why is it that we don't always make time for doing the things we love? And then when we finally do them (and feel great) we wonder why in the world we waited so long? In this podcast, I muse about why that might be the case, and argue for why we should all be prioritizing those "love-to-do" things in our lives. I also touch on: Why "I Am" are some …
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Your Creativity Playbook: Tips & Inspiration for Your Creative Life
18:51
18:51
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This quick episode is allll about giving you a sneak preview of the amazing creators and tips inside my free e-book, How To Live Your Most Creative Life. I put this together to inspire you, help you break through blocks and stuck places, and get a little motivation to add small creative moments to your everyday life. I quickly tell you a bit about …
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Alchemy & Unbecoming: An Interview with Priestess Deepshikha Sairam
1:07:12
1:07:12
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How moving beyond fear and connecting with your intuition helps every area of your life. Are you someone who is drawn to growth, transformation, and living your most authentic, soulful life? If so, you’re going to LOVE this week’s guest. Her name is Deepshikha Sairam, and she’s a Priestess of the Divine Feminine and spiritual mentor to high-achievi…
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Appalachian Artivism (Part 2): An Interview with Sam Gleaves
33:08
33:08
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This week I'm continuing my chat with musician/songwriter/educator/Appalachian Artivist Sam Gleaves about a bevy of subjects dear to our hearts and our work in Kentucky and beyond. He talks about how his work with cultural organizations such as the Appalshop, The Highlander Center, and Berea College have deepened his activism in the mountains. He a…
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Appalachian Artivism: An Interview with Sam Gleaves Part 1
40:07
40:07
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Our interview guest for this week is multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, singer, and Appalachian Music Professor Sam Gleaves, who was born and raised in Wytheville, Virginia. Rooted in Appalachian sounds, Gleaves’ songwriting sings of contemporary rural life and social issues. In 2015, Gleaves collaborated with Grammy-winning producer Cathy Fink and…
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Let It Be Easy: Change Your Mind to Change the World
30:24
30:24
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Whether or not you believe that our thoughts create our reality, I think we can all acknowledge that our attitudes and habitual thoughts can affect our quality of life. I have had a lifelong fascination with the ways that our everyday thoughts, especially the ones we think over and over again, can affect the outcomes of our relationships, career, a…
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10 Songs I Really Love (And Why I Love Them!)
22:11
22:11
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This was a hard episode to record, because there are SO MANY songs I love. And, full disclosure, this list might vary on any given day--just as yours likely would! Some of these you will likely have heard, and I hope that others will be a delightful discovery. I tried not to include too many by the huge pop stars and bands that everyone has heard, …
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Love Is a Living Thing: How I Gave Up and Found Love
29:54
29:54
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I love a good love story, so I decided to share the improbable story of how I met my true companion a bit later in life. (Even though we'd met as kids when my search for baklava in a town we'd both just moved to landed me in his dad's bakery!) I get candid about my own struggles to find harmony in the realm of romance, in spite of most things in my…
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All Join Hands: Growing Up Dancing in Appalachia
18:47
18:47
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So many dances in my childhood began with the caller shouting, "All join hands and circle to the left...!" The community of loving hearts and lively music that I grew up in anchored my love of the art forms, and I enjoyed sharing with you some of the elements of how I became an improvisatory flatfooter and clogger who makes music with my feet! A fe…
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Mountain Medicine & Magic: Appalachian Herbalist Andrew Bentley (Part 2)
32:04
32:04
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32:04
In this episode, I interview longtime friend and accomplished Appalachian Clinical Herbalist Andrew Bentley of Lee County, Kentucky. This is part two of two, where he shares more about what it's like to visit his clinic or have a tele-health appointment, opens up about projects on the horizon, and tells us more about his new online school of herbal…
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Mountain Medicine & Magic: Appalachian Herbalist Andrew Bentley (Part 1)
34:09
34:09
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34:09
In this episode, I interview longtime friend an accomplished Appalachian Clinical Herbalist Andrew Bentley of Lee County, Kentucky. This is part one of two, where he shares his earliest experiences learning about herbs from his Irish-American family, and talks about his childhood in Appalachia. You'll learn about all the components of his education…
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Blurred Lines: Flatfooting & Clogging & Bluegrass & Old-Time
34:25
34:25
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34:25
As an artist who performs traditional Appalachian music and dance, I get lots of questions about the styles of music and dance that I play. "You play banjo--does that mean you play bluegrass?" "What's the difference between flatfooting and clogging?" And, quite often, "Will you play Dueling Banjos?" In this episode, I sketch out the major differenc…
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Signs & Wonders: A Visit With Granny Ollie
28:42
28:42
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28:42
In this episode, I take you on a little trip through time and the backroads of Kentucky, across swinging bridges and up dirt roads to the tiny dwelling of my mother's mother, Ollie Gilbert Hudson. I wanted folks to feel what a visit there was like for me as a child, and I also share a special story about a moment I shared with her as a child, and h…
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My Culture Is Not Your Costume: Appalachia Edition
36:30
36:30
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36:30
In this episode, I take on a potentially sensitive subject: cultural insensitivity toward Appalachian people, as manifested in the musical community. This episode deals with what I see as respectful vs. insensitive ways to approach performing and participating in cultures of groups and places that are different from your culture of origin. To lay t…
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The Least of These: A tale about my Granny and Generosity
14:05
14:05
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14:05
I was blessed with a mother and grandmother who were both incredibly generous. The older I get, the more I appreciate the sweet spirits they had and the way they lived their values via their actions---they TOTALLY walked their talk! In this episode, I tell a quick story about the way their generosity affected the children in their communities. And …
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In this episode, I share some of my thoughts on songwriting and why I have a bit of impostor syndrome when it comes to calling myself a songwriter. I also share tons of information that I normally give in my songwriting workshops, including information about: song forms and structures, rhyme schemes, formats, story songs, and ballads. I also share …
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In this episode, I explore the ways in which patriarchal and colonial thought systems affect the parts of ourselves we get to experience and express, and how we can begin to think of ways to be more complete, free human beings. I touch on how our dominant thought systems shape the reality we experience, how qualities associated with the "feminine" …
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You're Kind of a Big Deal: Becoming More of Who You Are with Yani Vozos
31:12
31:12
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Sometimes, when you're meant to hear a message, the universe will send it to you over and over again in a variety of ways. That's what happened to me this week with the message about how we all need to become more of who we are, so that's what we're talking about on the podcast! I'm happy to be joined this week by my sweetheart and partner in all t…
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Gratitude is something we often talk about in November in the US, but I truly believe it's important to cultivate all through the year. In this episode, I tell some stories about how growing up in Appalachia and also my experiences interacting with people from other cultures have shaped my ideas about abundance, lack, and the importance of apprecia…
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Creative Habits: Your Brain Needs a Wrangler
32:29
32:29
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Today we're talking about....CREATIVE HABITS! You know, those things that you do to cultivate your creativity and keep your ideas flowing, no matter what your interests and skills are. In this episode, I cover: The paradox inherent in a regular creative practice, the idea of discipline vs. playfulness and spontaneity, how to deal with the frustrati…
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Origin Story of an Artist/Activist: Seeking inspiration, living an authentic life, and learning self-belief along the way.
18:04
18:04
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“What’s this podcast all about? Who’s it for?” I’m sure those are some of the questions you have. In this debut episode, I talk about my origin story a bit: the family and community members that influenced my growing-up years in Appalachian Kentucky, the artistic journey that brought me where I am today, the ups and downs of being a self-employed p…
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Hi, I’m Carla Gover, an Appalachian musician, flatfoot dancer, mama, and DREAMER from Kentucky. I'm on a mission to share fierce love, good humor, and inspiration to help you live a life of creative freedom. I decided to start the What Dreamers Do Podcast to help answer the question: How can we use our gifts and talents to build a better world, and…
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continue reading