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Life In the Carolina’s Podcast

Welcome to the Life in the Carolinas Podcast. Our show features a blending of stories that are primarily based on the syndicated TV show, Carl White’s Life in the Carolinas and newspaper columns written by Carl White.

Like Carl often says, “It’s never a bad time for a good story!”

The podcast is hosted by Carl and features specials guests as they share the stories behind the stories. All too often we simply do not have enough time to share everything we would like during broadcast. This podcast will allow us the opportunity to share more information and allow our viewers and readers a chance to get to know our guests more intimately.

The Carolinas offer some of the finest people, landscapes, and opportunities to explore.

We have traveled to the high elevations for the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games which are considered to be among the best in the nation.

We discovered the beauty of the brackish Waccamaw River and learned about the massive live oaks that predate the founding of America.

In Gold Hill, NC we made a connection with the past and learned about the early days of gold mining in America.

We were more than intrigued with a visit to the historic Wilcox Hotel in Aiken, SC and the stories of the Roosevelt Suite. Are the stories true? It’s fun to think about the possibilities.

Did you know Edgefield, SC was the home of ten South Carolina Governors and that the world-renowned Jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie was from Cheraw, SC?

What about those mysterious Brown Mountain Lights in the North Carolina Mountains? They have kept people guessing for hundreds of years. Do you know what they are?

The stories are abundant and only limited by how many tomorrows we have for their telling.

Join us as we share our stories, traditions, charm, and southern hospitality.

Latest Episodes:

Going Country with Nikki Morgan Apr 08, 2022

Show notes

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with returning guest Nikki Morgan, singer-songwriter, to catch up on developments in her life and career since their last conversation. She speaks on the common threads between gospel and country music and the path that she is currently on in discovering exactly how these two genres influence each other. She focuses on the element of faith present in most country songs, as well as the down-to-Earth everyman nature of the genre as a whole.

Carl asks Nikki whether she intends to foray into country, and she replies that, lately, she has been writing songs that “ride the line between country and gospel very nicely.” She adds that singing these songs has been a joy, saying that “I’ve finally found a voice that I can settle in.”

Finally, Nikki performs a song she wrote in 2019, I’m Going Home, which she demonstrates as being an example of her journey to settling into the intersection between gospel and country.

Wood Turning with Keegan Watson Mar 29, 2022

Show notes

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with North Wilkesboro-based woodworker Keegan Watson, founder of Handcrafted by Keegan. Keegan reflects on being exposed to “the construction side of woodworking” since he was just a kid, having grown up in a house “that was always being renovated.” It was in 2018 when he fell in love with woodturning after making his first cup using a friend’s lathe. “Within a week, I found an old machine on Craigslist, went and bought it, and I was off to the races.”

Keegan goes on to show Carl a set of nesting bowls he created and explains the process that goes into making these bowls known as “coring”. He also talks about how he is able to keep his craft sustainable by sticking to local hardwoods, some of his favorites being cherry burl, maple, walnut, poplar, and ash.

In creating long-lasting, heirloom pieces, Keegan refers to his works “functional art”. He says that his goal is the “preservation of the tree and giving it another chance in this world, because once it goes up in smoke, it’s gone.”

In the latter half of the conversation, Keegan talks about fellow woodworkers he looks up to, what it is like to have collectors of his work, mentoring young aspiring woodworkers, and why he believes that he will continue to pursue his current path with passion into his old age.

North Carolina Daniel Boone Historic Trail Mar 16, 2022

Show notes

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with historian and heritage cook Mary Bohlen. She currently serves as President of the North Carolina Daniel Boone Heritage Trail. Here, members participate in preserving Boone’s story, promoting the history of his era, and sharing both his legacy and heritage. Mary’s passion for the outdoors goes all the way back to her adventures as a child, many of which involved cooking whatever nature offered that evening by the campfire. “Cooking on the fireplace,” Mary contends, “is a common denominator for drawing people.”

She first entered the world of interpretive cooking in the mid-1980s when she enrolled in a day-long class at what was then called the Atlanta Historical Society (today known as the Atlanta History Center.)

Mary often cooks at the Replica Daniel Boone Cabin at Whippoorwill Academy & Village, channeling Daniel’s wife Rebecca whenever she does so. She says that putting herself in Mary’s shoes, so to speak, brings the entire historical experience in that cabin to life like nothing else.

Says Mary: “You can read about something in a book or look at pictures. But when you actually put your hands on it and go through the motions, there’s a connection.” To her, it’s a connection with a way of living that no longer exists, one which brings it back to the present and infuses meaning into the work in much the same way as those in the past found it meaningful.

Alex Key Dec 24, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with country singer Alex Key. Claiming that he learned to sing before he could talk, the young artist speaks to us about how he developed his distinctive country baritone and found early fame in 2019 doing gigs at Myrtle Beach.

He then discusses his songwriting process, why he decided to lean into classic country after a period of experimenting between the classic and pop varieties, and how he came to form his first band.

Alex dives deep into the process behind his latest song, We Want You Back. Alex refers to its character as “country music being country again”. The song is a celebration of simpler times as well as that “small town” sound that many Americans are aching for today.

He goes farther by saying that he aims to “embody country music in a new way. I can’t go back to being a 90s country artist; but, I can create a sound that is for people over the age of 25. It’s a familiar sound. And for people under the age of 25, it’s a sound they’re not very familiar with. So, it’s both new and old at the same time.”

Alex’s brand as a musician, ultimately, is an embodiment of classic country translated into the 21st century.

Reliable Service With John Nobles Dec 14, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with automotive service business owner John Nobles. Born and raised in Marietta, Georgia, John spent much of his adult life in Tampa, Florida where he raised his daughter and two sons. He tells us that he and his wife Kim were eventually compelled to make the move to Wilkesboro, NC in their search for a community of folks who were more in line with their faith and values.

Now seven years settled in Wilkesboro, John and his family are not only enjoying living in a town awash with Southern hospitality but are quick to show that same hospitality themselves to every newcomer to their church.

Our host met John a few years back when Carl walked into his shop to have his car fixed. The two quickly hit it off and have remained friends since. Today, John’s business is bigger than it’s ever been thanks to being built on, in Carl’s words, “a big trust factor with [his] customers”.

“Trust in the automotive business is something that’s very hard to get,” John contends. A lot of that has to do with too many shops garnering a reputation for trying to squeeze every dollar out of their customers. John, on the other hand, prides himself on speaking to every single one of his customers as if they were members of his own family.

Understanding that a car is often a person’s second-most valuable asset (after their home), John says that he wants every customer to leave believing that he took care of their vehicle, and that money was never his top priority. Instead, John says, “their emergency is my priority.”

Finally, John discusses the future of his business and outlines his vision of having a one-stop shop in in the North Wilkesboro area for all your automotive needs.

Foundation Forward Oct 27, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with Mike Unruh and Ron Lewis of Foundation Forward, a nonprofit educational project that builds Your Charters of Freedom Settings in local communities across the country.

Mike is the Resources and Communications Director of Foundation Forward and handles fundraising, press releases, and raises community awareness after Ron, the organization’s facilitator, has completed the initial meeting with the county commissioners.

Mike and Ron reflect on their journey together with Charters of Freedom founders Vance and Mary Jo. Mike refers to the couple as true patriots who were inspired to bring the Charters of Freedom all over the country after witnessing them for the first time in 2013.

Mike, a business partner of Vance in a separate venture, was invited to be on the board at the organization’s inception. He became a full-time employee for Foundation Forward in 2019. As of this conversation, the nonprofit has dedicated a total of 39 settings, with 26 in the Carolinas, and 57 more settings in the pipeline for the next couple of years.

Ron recalls the initial intent of Foundation Forward as focusing on the Carolinas for the first few years before expanding the venture in other states. However, word quickly spread and the team found themselves called to dedicate settings around the country. They have since settled back into their original plan of completing the 74 counties in North Carolina, who yet to have their own Charters of Freedom, within the next three years.

“Once the setting is built,” says Mike, “we don’t just dedicate it and leave. We will continue to reach out to the community in the future and encourage these patriotic events and field trips.”

Their mission is thoroughly solidified via time capsules containing the names of everyone involved in the establishment of the site. Along with these names are letters written by leaders of the community, describing what the Charters of Freedom mean to them. These time capsules are to be buried at each site six months following their dedication, and every single time capsule is to be opened during a planned national ceremony on September 17, 2087—the 300th anniversary of the signing of the Constitution.

“A big part of our focus is toward the children,” continues Mike. “The children that we educate and give this sense of community and purpose to—they’re the ones who are going to be the mayor and the sheriff and the council members in 2087 when these are opened. Just like these founding documents—they’re everlasting.”

MORE FROM LIFE IN THE CAROLINAS:

Award Winning Segments — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Brown Mountain Lights — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Car Culture in the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Carolina Theater Trail — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Christmas in the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Taste of the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Honoring Veterans — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

On Route 74 — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

The Outdoors — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

The Outer Banks — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Video Podcasts — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Carl's Syndicated Columns — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

The Banjo Librarian Sep 27, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with librarian Suzanne Moore. The two met at a local farmer's market when Suzanne was playing the banjo (she refers to herself as an "amateur plucker") to promote the new Seed Library over at Wilkes County Public Library. Carl quickly realized that Suzanne was no "ordinary" librarian.

Since childhood, Suzanne has had a deep passion for books, recalling having loaned her favorite reads to her friends regularly. She has always, by extension, had a love for people and community service, as well as an insatiable curiosity and openness to new ideas. So, it was no wonder that she chose the path that she did as an adult.

Suzanne refers to the library as "the people's university." Not only is there no tuition, but there is also a level of freedom in navigating a library that is not found in adhering to a strict curriculum and paying for assigned textbooks.

At the pandemic outbreak in early 2020, Suzanne touches on the pain she felt at temporarily shutting the library's doors. She remembers telling borrowers to "forget about the due dates" and the gradual steps they took to make their services available to the public once again, starting with curbside pickup to extending the library's Wi-Fi outdoors to offering virtual programs via Zoom.

In many ways, the crisis paved the way for many opportunities and ideas that would not have emerged otherwise. For example, the local students, digital natives, have now been given access to the library through the gadgets they are intimately familiar with.

What's more, the library has found more visitors since its doors were first closed. As Suzanne says, "We've seen an increase in library usage during the pandemic because folks that didn't have the opportunity to visit, maybe due to transportation barriers, were able to connect virtually."

Carl and Suzanne go on to give their thoughts on the power of the written word—of the ability of an excellent book to develop a person's mental and emotional maturity, deepen one's appreciation of the humanities, and allow the past to come alive as a book serves as a window into the minds of great men and women.

MORE FROM LIFE IN THE CAROLINAS:

Award Winning Segments — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Brown Mountain Lights — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Car Culture in the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Carolina Theater Trail — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Christmas in the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Taste of the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Honoring Veterans — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

On Route 74 — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

The Outdoors — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

The Outer Banks — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Video Podcasts — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Carl's Syndicated Columns — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

The Humanities Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with Jeffrey Elmore who has, since 2013, served in the North Carolina House of Representatives from the 94th district which is made up of the population centers of Wilkes County and Alexander County. Outside of serving in Raleigh, Jeffrey is a public school teacher who has had the opportunity to teach visual arts, with a focus on painting and sculpture, to every grade level since 2001.

“I like interactions with people,” says Jeffrey, speaking on why he chose education as a career path and, eventually, public service. His journey as a teacher began when he underwent the South Carolina Teaching Fellows Program which granted him a scholarship at Appalachian State University, where he graduated with a BS in Art Teacher Education.

In this first year as a teacher, Jeffrey taught at Atkins, a low-performing, high-minority middle school, where he says he may just as well have gotten five years of teaching experience in one year.

In his own words: “What that experience made me realize was how different other people’s circumstances are to your own. For many of those kids, it wasn’t an issue of academic performance. It was almost an issue of life survival. It was quite sad to see a 12-year-old who was concerned for their own safety—some of them concerned about their next meal, some concerned about making it to school that day.”

Carl and Jeffrey touch on the vital importance of developing critical thinking skills in today’s globalized digital economy. It is a topic that never leaves Jeffrey’s mind, with his passion of education, service, and the arts. He believes that if the arts, including both fine and performing arts, were elevated in importance more than they currently are, critical thinking would skyrocket across the board. “Exposure to the arts,” he contends, “helps us not only understand ourselves; it helps us understand other people.”

To further illustrate the point, Carl and Jeffrey point to a variety of successful figures, including U.S. presidents, who have some exposure to the arts. Continuing along this thread, they remark on the idea that, without the humanities, it would be impossible to thoroughly understand the meanings behind the founding documents.

Jeffrey hopes that, in an age awash with technology, art, especially at the tactile level, continues to be embraced. “We are connected more than ever; but we’re also more disconnected more than ever.” On the other hand, “The arts are a reflection of the human experience.”

MORE FROM LIFE IN THE CAROLINAS:

Award Winning Segments — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Brown Mountain Lights — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Car Culture in the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Carolina Theater Trail — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Christmas in the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Taste of the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Honoring Veterans — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

On Route 74 — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

The Outdoors — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

The Outer Banks — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Video Podcasts — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Carl's Syndicated Columns — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Wilkes Heritage Museum Mar 03, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with Jennifer Furr, Director of the Wilkes Heritage Museum, which features exhibits about local history in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. The museum tells a story of how the community has evolved through the wonderful artifacts that it displays within its historic buildings.

Among the reasons people typically visit the museum include experiencing the community’s history of moonshine, how the company known today as NASCAR came to be, and hearing the story of Tom Dooley.

“Those are the things that Wilkes County is more known for,” says Jennifer, “but once we actually get them in through the door, they realize that there is this whole other world here as well.” Out-of-county, out-of-state, and even international visitors, who may only be expecting their time at the “small-town museum” to be short, often end up staying all day.

The Wilkes Heritage Museum was established in 1968, its original intention being to restore the Old Wilkes County Jail to its 1860 appearance. Also restored following the jail were the 1779 home of Captain Robert Cleveland and the late 19th century Finley Law Office. The building housing the museum itself used to be the 1902 Wilkes County Courthouse. It is a historically significant building reflecting North Carolina’s architectural hallmarks of the time.

The museum has exhibits on two floors. The lower-level features artifacts from the county’s early settlers and different aspects of society and culture, from religion to moonshine to racing to agriculture to transportation. The upper level contains additional exhibits on Native Americans, African American history, the Revolutionary War, military history, and the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame. This space doubles as a venue for special events such as concerts, weddings, and fundraiser dinners.

Asked how Jennifer feels about having a career that allows her to, literally, participate with history, she says that there is never a boring day. As the museum’s curator, she wears a lot of hats, but for her, “talking to people who bring their treasures in and learning those stories is probably the best part of my job.”

MORE FROM LIFE IN THE CAROLINAS:

Award Winning Segments — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Brown Mountain Lights — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Car Culture in the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Carolina Theater Trail — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Christmas in the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Taste of the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Honoring Veterans — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

On Route 74 — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

The Outdoors — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

The Outer Banks — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Video Podcasts — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Carl's Syndicated Columns — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Calm it Down with Chad Lawson Jan 27, 2021

Show notes

On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with Charlotte-based pianist and composer Chad Lawson. Ironically, Chad did not grow up in a family that listened to music, much less played instruments. What actually sparked his interest in taking piano lessons was a TV show he grew up on, Sha Na Na, and the rest is history.

Chad recalls having his music used a few years back, without his permission, as a background track for the podcast Lore. He reached out to host Aaron Mahnke for a potential collaboration, and the two quickly became friends. Eventually, Lore got picked up by Amazon for a television series written by Glen Morgan of The X-Files fame. As fate would have it, Chad was their one and only choice to be the composer for the series.

“All of that stemmed,” Chad reflects, “from my being okay with someone using my music.” He goes on to suggest that other artists be more open to giving other parties an opportunity to use their music. “Within limitations, I want to encourage others to do a little bit of homework, check it out, and be okay with it. [...] You never know what doors open.”

Chad’s music, much like his personality, can be characterized as quiet, calm, and soothing. Ever since lockdowns were implemented in the first quarter of 2020, Chad fondly notes the explosion of emails he received from others who told him that his music had been helping them cope with the challenges.

“I get those emails almost daily now,” says Chad. “I can’t travel, but I want to be able to engage. I want to get deeper into the grit of life with my listeners. I want to find a way that if I can’t speak to them from stage, how do I speak to them? [...] Why don’t I create something where I’m helping them, emotionally, walk through this?”

Chad’s solution? His very own podcast, Calm It Down, a passion piece he created to help ease anxieties, COVID-induced or otherwise. He wanted the podcast to be a space for honesty and transparency, and to dissolve shame around vulnerability. As Chad openly shares from the heart on such topics as depression and suicide, he gives his audience permission to be real in a society whose knee-jerk reaction to tragedy and hardship has 3been, overwhelmingly, repression.

“The very first thing we have to do is make people comfortable with awareness. We just have to make the conversation comfortable.” Chad implores us to catch ourselves whenever our self-preservation instincts kick in, when confronted with uncomfortable topics. After all, the hardest step to healing is always the first. “You have to bring the conversation to your audience. That’s how it starts.”

Connect with Chad:

Chad Lawson - Official Store

Calm It Down | Calming & Meditation Podcast (calmitdownpodcast.com)

MORE FROM LIFE IN THE CAROLINAS:

Award Winning Segments — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Brown Mountain Lights — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Car Culture in the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Carolina Theater Trail — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Christmas in the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Taste of the Carolinas — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Honoring Veterans — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

On Route 74 — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

The Outdoors — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

The Outer Banks — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Video Podcasts — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

Carl's Syndicated Columns — Carl White's Life in the Carolinas

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