Who Are We?

Ozark Traditions is a group of dedicated people who voluntarily came together in order to preserve and perpetuate the traditional music and dance of the Ozarks, both of which are on the verge of being lost forever.

As such a group, we are only loosely organized, with each person able to act on their own behalf, doing as they see fit for their particular purpose. When needed, we work together toward a common goal . . . such as this web-site, among many other ventures.

We are always interested in associating with like-minded people, in whatever capacity and area of interest, who are devoted to the Ozarks, i.e., its culture, its places, and its people. The only criteria is a genuine passion for these things of the Ozarks , and a willing desire to see that they continue. If you are such a person, or organization, please let us know how we may benefit one another, or achieve a common goal, by using the Contact Us page.

Preservation Service

There are hundreds upon hundreds of home-made recordings, sitting around in boxes, and drawers. These are important to the descendants of the subjects, as they are reminders of their loved ones. But, in some cases, also provide a historical record.

As time passes, and the ownership of the media changes, these become less important to those who have them. All recorded media has a life, whether it be audio or video, and film has the shortest life of all. We are rapidly reaching the end of the useful life on many such recordings. It is then imperative that we do something to save them, and it is not enough to simply re-record them onto other tapes, etc. This only provides a short-term solution, but also must be done correctly in order to capture the full quality of the original recording.

We offer — free of charge — the service of digitally preserving audio recordings, whether records, reel-to-reel, 8-track, or cassette, as well as the digital preserving of film, and video tape. The only criteria is that they be of traditional Ozark music and/or dance. Please contact us if we may assist you with this.