Korn Kutters Tribute, March 7
The Korn Kutters, a old-time Floyd County string band, performed locally about fifty years ago. They may be gone, but they’ve not been forgotten. Floyd’s Handmade Music School, with the assistance of the Old Church Gallery, completed a student project producing a CD of recordings the group made back in the 1970s. Experience the Korn Kutters musical tribute, March 7, 7 PM, Floyd Country Store.
The Korn Kutters CD project kicked off with Homemade Music School students visiting Old Church Gallery. Janet Keith (on right in photo) and Alice Slusher introduced them to the band, which was one of two string bands featured in our music exhibit, By Ear & By Heart. Project directors Heather Krantz and Kyler Stanley are pictured in the back center of the group listening to Janet Keith. Morgan Grim, the third director from the Homemade Music School, is not pictured. The Gallery volunteers shared background information gathered for the 2015 exhibit, including oral history interviews with people such as Freeman Cockram, the founder of the Friday Night Jamboree at the Floyd Country Store. Freemen even shared how the Korn Kutters got their name! Photos and recordings from Maurice Slusher and George Slusher were also included.
The following week, the group headed to George Slusher’s home music studio, below. Learning about cassette and reel-to-reel recorders–early recording technologies unknown to most of the students–proved fascinating. A thank you to George Slusher, who digitized many original cassette and reel-to-reel recordings for us. Now we can all share the wonderful Korn Kutters’ tunes.
Next was a session at the Homemade Music School house, with Old Church Gallery’s Catherine Pauley and Melinda Wagner introducing students to interviewing techniques. This photo was taken during their skits modeling successful and unsuccessful interviews. When Melinda donned her baseball cap (indicating she was a teenager), students were particularly amused.
Premier of the project happens on March 7, 2026, when the Floyd Country Store presents a tribute to the Korn Kutters. The musicians performing the Korn Kutters’ music include George Slusher, Mac Traynham, Andy Buckman, and Phil Wooddail, along with special performances by students at the Handmade Music School. Copies of the CD produced by the Handmade Music School will be available. Admission is $10. and includes a CD. Hope to see you there!
NOTE: If you want to see more photos of the original Korn Kutters, captured during the 1978 Blue Ridge Parkway Folklife Project, you can visit this page at the Library of Congress website.