voc ep 67: Tom Wisner

Tom Wisner by David Harp

Tom Wisner, a native of the Chesapeake watershed, is a singer, songwriter, and educator devoted to raising awareness of the spirit and beauty of place. He is the recipient of the Maryland Governors Citation as well as excellence awards from the University of Maryland and from the President of the United States for the unique quality of his work to preserve the Chesapeake Bay using song and stories in education programs for all ages.

Tom Wisner is co-founder of the non-profit Chestory (the Center for the Chesapeake Story). Chestory is a concept devoted to lifting the story of the Chesapeake Bay region up through the arts. Tom is convinced that our culture needs more than just a little enabling in effective use of music and other arts in helping us to connect deeply to the great story of the life of this region. Tom's newest CD "Made of Water" is given over to that concept with all profits to Chestory. World Folk Music Association

Tom Wisner (1930-2010), co-founder of Chestory, was a poet, folklorist, artist, singer, and Maryland’s first environmental educator. He spent most of his career helping students and audiences make connections with the Chesapeake Bay. Wisner left behind a lifetime of work including interdisciplinary educational activities, lessons, programs, artwork and music. Through a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Trust and the Chesapeake Conservation Corps program, CMM and CHEARS partnered to hire Concetta Laskey, who organized, catalogued and archived Wisner’s collection. In April 2012, the Chestory Virtual Archive became a reality at the Calvert Marine Museum and is available at
http://www.chesapeake-envliteracy.com/CVA.

This interview was recorded in 2000 on the front porch of Tom’s southern Maryland Amish country farm residence.