Longtime friends Raymond McLain and Daniel Boner started new jobs last week, but instead of working down the hall from each other they are some 200 miles apart.
McLain, the former director of East Tennessee State University’s bluegrass, old-time and country music program, began work Jan. 4 as director of the Kentucky Center for Traditional Music at Morehead State University in Morehead, Ky.
Boner – who studied under McLain, joined the ETSU faculty in 2006 and served as assistant director – has taken the reins of the Johnson City program as interim director.
A Kentucky native, McLain said the time was right to move on.
“There were a lot of personal reasons to come home,” McLain said in a phone interview. “My mother has Alzheimer’s and this is a good deal closer to her. And my son and his wife recently told me I was going to be a grandfather.”
The Kentucky college’s traditional music program provided the impetus for his move.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to come to this program. It’s really growing and is similar in many ways to ETSU. And I’m overwhelmed with the support it has,” McLain said.
In Johnson City, Boner will oversee the program McLain leaves behind, but without the guidance of founder Jack Tottle, who formally retired in December.
“Raymond and Jack have done such a good job getting the program where it is – they’ve done all the hard work – so all we have to do is continue in their footsteps,” Boner said Wednesday. “This is a bittersweet time. Raymond and Jack have always been my mentors and I’ll certainly keep them on speed dial in my phone.”
Over the past decade, the ETSU program grew from 123 students to about 450, from across the U.S. and several foreign countries. The faculty has grown from two to almost 20 full-time and adjunct positions in the same period and now offers the world’s only bachelor’s degree in bluegrass, old-time and country music.
While not designed to generate professional musicians, ETSU graduates include country star Kenny Chesney; Grammy Award-winning guitarist Tim Stafford of the bluegrass group Blue Highway; Adam Steffey of the Dan Tyminski Band; Barry Bales, who is part of the same band as well as Allison Kraus’ band, Union Station; and Hunter Berry, who works for bluegrass star Rhonda Vincent.
The university plans to conduct a national search for a permanent replacement.
Boner did not respond when asked if he’s interested in the director’s job.
A native of Bridgeton, N.J., Boner performed extensively with the ETSU Bluegrass Band from 2000-06, including concert tours of Japan, Belgium, England and Scotland. He also was active in the ETSU chorale and men’s ensemble, performing in Italy, Germany and at the White House.
Last year, he produced his first live solo album, “The Gospel Way.”
Boner predicted McLain will be “exactly” what the Kentucky program needs.
Both men said the two programs will work together.
“I think the potential for collaboration is huge. I know we want that,” McLain said. “We’re already doing some things together. I’m bringing some folks from here to Ralph Stanley’s birthday party and I know Dan is too. And we’re also going to play the Leon Kiser Memorial in Bristol in February.”
Boner said such cooperation is needed.
“There is a need for the study of this music in higher education,” Boner said. “There are a few other programs like ours. We should all be able to work together. His students will have different opportunities than our students.”
dmcgee@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2532
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