Ira McIntosh, November 13, 2024
Item
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Title
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Ira McIntosh, November 13, 2024
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interviewee
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Ira McIntosh
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interviewer
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Jack Beemsterboer
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Date
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2024-11-13
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Subject
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Bobcat Ski Center
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Camp Woodland
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Catskill Mountains
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Catskill Mountain Folk Festivals
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Community
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Cooperstown Graduate Program
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Fieldwork
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Folk Music
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Folklore
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Grant Rodgers
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Hudson River Sloop Singers
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Pete Seeger
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Skiing
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Square Dance
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Stonework
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Description
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Ira McIntosh has been surrounded by folklore since he was a young child. As the son of prominent Catskills folklorist Karyl Eaglefeathers, he often accompanied her while she conducted fieldwork. This introduced McIntosh to some of the most important Catskills musicians of the time, including Grant Rogers and Ernie Sager. These early experiences also sparked a lifelong passion for music. McIntosh has been performing music with audiences for most of his life. Notably, he has performed with the Hudson River Sloop Singers for over ten years.
McIntosh's family owned and operated the Bobcat Ski Center for many decades. He was involved with the daily operations of the ski center as a young boy and continues to teach ski lessons to this day. Some of McIntosh's recollections concern his experiences using skiing as a community-building activity for local schoolchildren.
As U.S. society continues to become more interconnected, local traditions are often left behind. McIntosh is a vocal proponent of keeping folk culture alive. Some of the most interesting portions of the interview concern the role of participation in music, as well as the importance of keeping traditions alive. McIntosh also shares his memories of prominent folk musicians, including Grant Rogers and Pete Seeger.
I interviewed McIntosh at his home just outside Andes, New York. His daughter, although gently reminded to remain quiet during the recording process, can be heard singing from another room on a few occasions. McIntosh has also dealt with memory issues in the past few years.
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Time Summary
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Track 1, 0:00 - Early Life
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Track 1, 1:56 - Memories of Mother
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Track 1, 10:35 - Folk Music Traditions
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Track 1, 29:44 - Performing Music
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Track 2, 18:42 - Ski
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Creator
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Jack Beemsterboer
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Publisher
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Cooperstown Graduate Program, State University of New York at Oneonta
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Rights
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Cooperstown Graduate Association, Cooperstown, NY
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Language
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en-US
