ETSU’s chief of bluegrass music heads back to the Bluegrass State

By David McGee Staff Writer / Bristol Herald Courier Published: January 11, 2010

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.
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