Dust-to-Digital Presents: Terika Dean & Lance Ledbetter

Lance Ledbetter, founder of the Grammy-winning archival label Dust-to-Digital and the preservation-focused Dust-to-Digital Foundation, joins Terika Dean, Chair of the Blues Foundation, great-great niece of Huddie “Lead Belly” Ledbetter, and the director of his estate, for a conversation about the art and importance of music presentation. Lance and his wife, April, have spent decades uncovering and preserving rare and historic recordings, breathing new life into forgotten sounds from around the world. Dean’s work focuses on keeping the blues and folk music traditions alive through the Lead Belly Estate. They will discuss the evolving role of archives in the digital age and why these recordings still resonate today. The Gladson Family Band from Hancock County, Tennessee will perform a Lead Belly song at the beginning and end of the event.

The Gladson family resides in Hancock County Tennessee and plays various styles of traditional music, including old-time, fiddling, gospel, singing and traditional bluegrass. The family keeps the authentic spirit of the music alive. I performing regularly at Heritage events and festivals and revivals and funerals. They also help carry on the tradition by teaching traditional music through the Hancock, JAM (Junior Appalachian Musicians ) program.  The children, Harlen (17), Lindy (15), and Lemuel (13) have grown up playing multiple string instruments and harmony singing with their family.