Smoky Mountain Air

About Smoky Mountain Air

Smoky Mountain Air brings you the science, stories, and sounds of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Hosts Valerie Polk and Karen Key interview authors, scientists, and park experts about life in the Smokies past and present. A production by Smokies Life.

Publisher

Smokies Life

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Apr 2020

Latest episode

3 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

14 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   3 Jun 2026

   Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music—E7: From Coal Mining to Country Music with Alice Randall

   Dr. William Turner and Dr. Ted Olson talk to songwriter, author, and scholar Alice Randall, whose pioneering work in country music garnered her video-of-the-year recognition ("Is There Life out There," Reba McEntire) and acknowledgement as the first black woman to be the co-writer of a number one country song ("XXX's and OOO's," Trisha Yearwood). She is also a New York Times bestselling author (The Wind Done Gone) and serves on the faculty of Vanderbilt University, where she has taught c...

2. 

   17 Jan 2025

   Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music—E6: Hip-hop in the Heart of Appalachia

   Geonoah Davis and Kelly Thompson discuss how their hip-hop music builds upon the African American tradition of spoken word in Appalachia in an interview with Dr. William Turner and Dr. Ted Olson.

3. 

   19 Oct 2022

   Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music—E5: Amythyst Kiah with Jack Tottle

   Amythyst Kiah discusses her musical journey and genre-defying work with Jack Tottle, highlighting her unique voice in Appalachian music in this interview.

4. 

   27 Jul 2022

   Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music—E4: Dom Flemons, The American Songster

   Dom Flemons, American Songster, discusses his journey into old-time music and demonstrates the nuances of rural Black musical styles with Dr. William Turner and Dr. Ted Olson in this interview.

5. 

   17 Feb 2022

   Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music—E3: Sacred and Spiritual Music in the Mountains

   Dr. Kathy Bullock and Rev. Dr. Virgil Wood explore African American spiritual music traditions in Appalachia with Dr. William Turner and Dr. Ted Olson, highlighting the role of sacred music in the civil rights movement in this interview.

6. 

   25 Jul 2021

   Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music—E2: Driving (and Fiddling) While Black, Appalachian Music at Home and on the Road

   Earl White, Larry Kirksey, and Kip Lornell discuss Black Appalachian music's history and cultural impact with Dr. William Turner and Dr. Ted Olson, highlighting its role in community and identity in this interview.

7. 

   28 Apr 2021

   Sepia Tones: Exploring Black Appalachian Music—E1: Bagpipes, banjos, ngonis, and gourds

   Loyal Jones, Sparky Rucker, and James Leva discuss the origins of Appalachian music with guest hosts Dr. William Turner and Dr. Ted Olson, highlighting their efforts to maintain Black musical traditions in an interview.

8. 

   11 Mar 2021

   Introducing Sepia Tones: Dr. William Turner and Dr. Ted Olson explore Black Appalachian music

   Dr. William Turner and Dr. Ted Olson introduce their podcast mini-series, Sepia Tones, which explores Black Appalachian music and culture, offering insights into a rich, often overlooked history in this interview.

9. 

   8 Dec 2020

   Singing Creek: Meet author Morgan Simmons and Illustrator Don Wood, talents behind GSMA's newest children's book

   Author Morgan Simmons and illustrator Don Wood discuss their new children's book, "Singing Creek," which explores music and survival within a Smoky Mountain stream in this interview.

10. 

    25 Nov 2020

    Mishaps and Mayhem: David Brill talks about his GSMA title Into the Mist and writing for Smokies Life magazine

    Author David Brill discusses his book *Into the Mist*, which recounts true stories of survival in the Smokies, and his writing for *Smokies Life* magazine in an interview.

11. 

    18 Sept 2020

    Vesna Plakanis of A Walk in the Woods Talks about Wild Foods Foraging

    Vesna Plakanis discusses wild food foraging and edible plants with the hosts of Smoky Mountain Air in this interview episode.

12. 

    20 May 2020

    Janet McCue and Paul Bonesteel Explore Photographer George Masa's Fascinating Life: A Smokies Life ‘Missing Issues’ Feature

    Janet McCue and Paul Bonesteel examine the life and work of photographer George Masa in the Great Smoky Mountains, highlighting his impact on trail mapping and conservation efforts; this is an interview.

13. 

    20 May 2020

    Stephen Lyn Bales Talks Birds: A Smokies Life ‘Missing Issues’ Feature

    Stephen Lyn Bales shares insights on bird species and habitats, drawing from his experience as a naturalist and author, in an interview about Tennessee natural history.

14. 

    21 Apr 2020

    “Life in the Canopy” by Rose Houk: A Smokies Life ‘Missing Issues’ Feature

    Author Rose Houk discusses the diverse wildlife, from microfauna to megafauna, inhabiting the uppermost layers of the Smoky Mountain forest canopy in this interview episode.

Who has been a guest on Smoky Mountain Air

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Geonoah Davis
• Kelly Thompson
• Amythyst Kiah
• Dom Flemons
• Earl White

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

20 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 24 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

28

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

Contact Smoky Mountain Air

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Smoky Mountain Air