Elizabeth had to take the semester off in order to make this tour.   

Ginny Hawker heard Elizabeth at Mt. Airy Fiddlers Convention, and told Elizabeth bout Augusta Heritage and Vocal Week. A year or two later, Ginny sponsored Elizabeth at Vocal Week. That's when Elizabeth took a week-long class with Sheila Kay Adams.

Elizabeth had just won first place at Mt. Airy singing "Rain and Snow," and she sang it for Sheila Kay after her first day in class. The next day, Sheila Kay asked Elizabeth to sing it for the class, and asked Elizabeth to sing it as our contribution to the class showcase. Three Mudcatters (Lorraine, Karen K and I) were in the class which is how she got invited to our FSGW Getaway and met lots of Mudcatters.

Elizabeth has kept in touch with both Ginny and Sheila Kay. Ginny invited her to sing in the West Virginia Folk Festval in 2004, among other things.

Elizabeth has been square dancing, singing, going to fiddlers conventions, and otherwise involved with old time and traditional Appalachian music for years and years, I think she won her first ribbon for singing when she was 11 although I should go back and read her biography :-). But listening to Sheila Kay Adams gave her a much deeper understanding of the magic of the old ballads and the way they have been preserved in this country for so many years, and also introduced her to a lot of great songs.