Karen G. Helms Composer "Funding from a NC Arts Council Fellowship is allowing me to devote time to research into the folk cultures and growing hispanic population toward the creation of new musical works. Currently, I am composing a cycle of songs along the theme of 'Lullabies and Laments,' a summary of the past few years of my life and a commentary on the diverse elements of daily life, beginnings and endings, joys and sorrows. Completed so far are the following: Cross Cultural Lament, a comic combination of Spanish, French and English slang mourning the loss of my "daggone raison d'etre"; and Bluegrass Blues, an obvious result of the collaboration of a jazzy lady and a local bluegrass band. In progress are: a lullaby for an elderly mother, a tango for one, a latino lullaby, and a Christmas lullaby in Gullah." Karen Helms holds an M.A. from East Carolina University in Ethnomusicology and a Bachelor of Music from Queens College, Charlotte, NC. She is most recently employed in the Office of Public Relations at Wingate University, and lives in Wingate, NC. Return to the NC Artist Grant Award Recipients for 1997-98
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