Interview with Sara Holroyd, February 2, 2016

Partial Transcript: We have not talked at all about Shaker worship service.

Segment Synopsis: In this opening segment, Holroyd talks about starting a Shaker worship service program for college students at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill. She talks about meeting with Salli Terri and the dean of the music department to start this program. She also talks about the very first Shaker Village music program and describes what it was like.

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Keywords: Choreography; Costumes; Fellowships; Goosebumps; Joe Barnett; Learning; Made; Performances; Salli Terri; Shaker Village; Shakers; Worship services

Subjects: College students; Music; Music audiences; Music festivals; Music rehearsals.; Music--Performance.; Musical performance; Musicians; Religion; Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, Ky., Inc.; Television; Theaters.; University of Kentucky--Faculty; University of Kentucky.

Partial Transcript: They--oh, just were just so happy that we were doing this.

Segment Synopsis: Holroyd talks about recording the Shaker Village service. One summer while the festival was going on, one of the faculty members at the University of Kentucky made a recording of the folk music. Holroyd shows the record and talks about how the record was produced.

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Keywords: Albums; Experiences; John Biggs; Recordings; Records; Reneé Collins; Richard; Smoothly; Sold; Wesley Morgan

Subjects: Art and music.; Folk music.; Music; Music festival programs.; Musical groups.; Musicians; Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, Ky., Inc.; Sound recordings; University of Kentucky--Faculty; Women

Partial Transcript: Uh, Salli Terri's husband, Mr. Biggs was a very--is a well known musician himself.

Segment Synopsis: In this last section on Shaker Village, Holroyd talks about impact that Shaker Village has had on her life and about the students who played some of the main roles at Shaker Village. Shaker Village went on for many years and many students were able to participate in it. She closes by talking about the beauty of Shaker Village and how the people who came to Shaker Village would comment on how beautiful the cast sounded.

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Keywords: Amy Spoonamore; CBS; Dancing and Singing; Food; Gina Skaggs; John Biggs; Mother Anne; Movements; Salli Terri; Services; Sharon Kinison; Singing; Tempos

Subjects: College students; Folk music.; Kentucky Educational Television; Kentucky--History; Music; Music audiences; Music festival programs.; Music festivals.; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, Ky., Inc.; Television

Partial Transcript: Alright, well let's talk about--more different.

Segment Synopsis: The interviewers take a break before moving on to another topic. Holroyd and the interviewers discuss the potential that Holroyd has of being a talk show host and about the things Holroyd would talk about on the show. They also talk about the possibility of a blooper reel.

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Keywords: Ask Sara; Breaks; Chocolates; Eggs; Tenure problems; Water

Subjects: University of Kentucky--Administration; University of Kentucky--Faculty

Partial Transcript: --see how it goes.

Segment Synopsis: In this segment, Holroyd talks about the issue she had getting tenure. When she was teaching at the University of Kentucky, there was an issue where she did not receive tenure despite the fact that she satisfied all of the requirements. She talks about how she ended up getting tenure after a legal fight with the university.

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Keywords: Appeals; Articles; Deans; Doctorates; Dr. John Oswald; Files; Meetings; Men; Notes; Past; Professors; Promoted; Raises; Requirements; Shocked; Supports; Talked; Tenure

Subjects: College students; Gender; Gender issues; Music; Music--Instruction and study.; Musical performance; Student protesters; University of Kentucky--Faculty; University of Kentucky. College of Law; University of Kentucky. Kentucky Kernel.; Women

Partial Transcript: Uh, after, um--now I want you to brag just a little bit, it's okay.

Segment Synopsis: Holroyd talks about the different awards she got shortly after she received tenure, and the Madrigal group that she directed. The students responded positively to her work and nominated her for several awards. She also talks about the Madrigal group who put on performances for the faculty.

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Keywords: Awards; Great Teacher (Award); Madrigal dinners; Madrigal groups; Singers; Student Center

Subjects: Art; Art and music; College students; Courier-journal (Louisville, Ky.); Music; Music--Awards.; Music--Performance.; Musical groups; Musical performance; Musicians; Old-time music.; Songs.; Theaters.

Partial Transcript: Excellent, tell me about those Christmas concert that you wanted to--

Segment Synopsis: Holroyd talks briefly about the Christmas Concert program that she ran. One of the previous faculty members had started the Christmas Concert program before she started teaching. Holroyd talks about how she continued to run the Christmas Concert after that faculty member retired and about how the Christmas Concert was run.

Keywords: Christmas; Christmas concerts; Concerts

Subjects: Art and music.; Bands (Music); Music; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians

Partial Transcript: I'm curious, and you don't have to answer this and I don't mean anything ill by this, but you know the music department is getting a lot of fanfare these days.

Segment Synopsis: Holroyd talks about the tours she went on while she was teaching at the University of Kentucky. Due to the lack of publicity, the music group was not able to raise a lot of money to go on tour. Nevertheless, Holroyd was able to go with the students on two music tours. She talks about one of the tours she went on with a student who had a disability.

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Keywords: Cinderella; Disney; Disney World; Dogs; Jody; Leslie; Publicity; Tours

Subjects: Art and music.; Bands (Music); Kentucky Kernel; Music audiences; Music--Performance.; Music.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; People with disabilities--Education--United States.; People with disabilities--Education.; People with disabilities.

Partial Transcript: My executive director is giving me instructions.

Segment Synopsis: In this section, Holroyd talks about the tributes that have been awarded to her as a result of her work as a choral director. Reneé Collins helped facilitate a number of events to honor Holroyd for her work with the University of Kentucky. Holroyd talks about her experiences with her tributes and the emotions she felt during that time.


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Keywords: Choruses; Conducting; Devil’s Horns; Emotional; Halloween; My Old Kentucky Home; Played; Plays; Programs; Reneé Collins; Shaker Village; Shakers; Shakertown; Sites; Surprises; Teaching; Times; Tributes

Subjects: College students; Louisville (Ky.); Music.; Musical groups.; Musical performance; Musicians; Practicing (Music); Retirement; Songs.; Teachers; Teachers--Kentucky; University of Kentucky--Basketball

Partial Transcript: Let me ask you about retiring from being this iconic choral instructor at University of Kentucky and going back to concerts and seeing other people direct your students or what could have been your students but doing your job.

Segment Synopsis: Holroyd talks about her retirement from instructing at the University of Kentucky and her limited involvement with UK after her retirement. She chose not to become involved with the music department after her retirement to allow the new music director to develop their own style of music program. She concludes by talking about the alumni of her music program and how she has been able to keep in touch with them.


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Keywords: Alumni pages; Choruses; Concerts; Facebook; Gina; Joe; Joe Barnet; Programs; Reneé Collins; Room 17; Special Collections; Talented; Talents; Tim Glascock; Whitaker; Writing

Subjects: African American college graduates--Kentucky; Art and music.; College Students; Libraries and business.; Music; Musical groups.; Songs

Partial Transcript: The what?

Segment Synopsis: At this point in the interview, Collins and Breeding take a few minutes to discuss what they want to talk about for the rest of the interview. Holroyd then proceeds to tell the story of how she and her music group sang in a concert during a tornado.

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Keywords: Finnish folk songs; Judy; Maysville High School; Recordings; Stories; Tornado concerts; Tours

Subjects: Folk music.; Folk songs.; Lexington (Ky.).; Maysville (Ky.); Music; Music audiences; Music--Performance.; Musical groups.; Musical instruments.; Musical performance; Records; Singletary, Otis A.; Weather

Partial Transcript: Tell me what in the world caused you to retire from, uh, University of Kentucky and then pursue another career.

Segment Synopsis: In this segment, Holroyd talks about her career as a nurse. After she retired from working as a music director, Holroyd went back to school to become a nurse. She talks about what led her to make this decision and tells some stories from her experience as a nurse.

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Keywords: Commencement address; Dementia; Fellow students; Groups; Introduces; Jobs; Lexington Community College (LCC); Money; Singing; Sings; Songs; Speeches; Working

Subjects: Hospitals--Kentucky--Lexington; Medicine; Music; Nursing; Nursing--Study and teaching; Retirement; University of Kentucky; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: So looking back now, uh, throughout the past fifty years--(laughs)--what do you--what comes to mind to you as something that would be just good advice for a young choral director coming to UK at the age of twenty-five or just some life lesson for, uh, a young person?

Segment Synopsis: Holroyd begins by sharing some advice she has for young music directors who come to the University of Kentucky. She then goes on to talk about some of the people who influenced her and the advice they gave her. She concludes by reflecting on her life and her career as a choral director.

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Keywords: Chamber Choirs; Conductors; Conducts; Hugh Ross; Lara Hogard (??); Legacy; Mentors; Painting; Rhythm; Robert Shard; Somebody else

Subjects: College students; Music; Musicians; Politics and government; Songs.; Teachers

Partial Transcript: Can you tell me, can you tell me about the L-E-X special?

Segment Synopsis: Holroyd talks about the WLEX music special that she helped conduct one year. One year, she and a group of people put together a Christmas show that was broadcast in Lexington. She concludes by talking about some happy reunions she has had with people since her retirement as music director.

Keywords: Celebrations; Christmas; Funerals; Good; Happy; Humbling; People; Salli Terri; Singing; WLEX Special

Subjects: Art and music.; Broadcasting--Kentucky--History; College students; Music; Music--Instruction and study.; Music--Performance.; Music-halls.; Musical performance; Radio; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky; Radio broadcasting--Kentucky.; Radio stations.; Television; Television broadcasting.

Partial Transcript: Reneé t, Reneé tells me that you had an opportunity to direct some very prestigious, uh, organizations like the Philharmonic.

Segment Synopsis: In this final segment, Holroyd talks about some of the musical pieces she has directed during her career in music. She concludes by talking about the importance of music, particularly in early education.

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Keywords: Choirs; Conducting; Kentucky Music Educators Association (KMEA); Pam Miller; Philharmonic; Sang; Singing

Subjects: Education; Music; Musicians; Sports; Students; Teachers; Theaters.; Transylvania University; University of Kentucky--Faculty