Help Parkway Studios Document Asheville's Resilience

Hello, friends and family of Parkway Studios. Following Hurricane Helene, Western North Carolina has been left with an immense amount of destruction and devastation. This natural disaster will forever change our landscape and community. In the weeks after the Hurricane, we still see homes without power or running water and roads entirely washed away by the storm. With such tragedy also comes the immense power of communities to unite and heal.

In the wake of such destruction, we are thankful to report that our studio team is safe and sound. Our studio space, located along the French Broad River, became an island in a sea of brown river water as we watched water levels rise. Thankfully, the flood water did not crest high enough to reach our floor, sparing our equipment and recording space.

Although the flooding did not damage our physical studio space, our ability to pay our bills has been severely disrupted. We had contracts with businesses in Asheville that were destroyed by the floods. Musicians cannot afford recording services due to their own loss of income. The artistic and creative community in this area has been significantly impacted.

Even so, we have retained our will and our ability to capture powerful, meaningful stories. We are more driven now than ever to capture and document what matters most — the recovery and resilience of our community in Western North Carolina.

We are leaning into documentary filmmaking, and our new plan includes three key initiatives:

1. Documenting Community Stories:

We are committed to capturing the personal stories of those affected by the Hurricane—stories of perseverance, hope, and unity. By documenting these moments on film, we are shining light on the strength and resilience of the people in Western North Carolina as they rebuild their lives and communities. Here is an example of what we've created already.

2. Continuing the Parkway Sessions:

Our live music video series, Parkway Sessions, has become an essential platform for local artists to showcase their talents. We intend to keep this series going, providing a creative outlet for musicians in our region who have lost opportunities to share their music due to the Hurricane's impact. Parkway Sessions helps sustain the local creative economy while offering support and exposure to artists in need. See our existing Parkway Sessions here . Our most recent session was with Asheville artist Tyler Ramsey.

3. Madison County Traditional Music Documentary

Set in the mountains of Western North Carolina, this documentary film follows Donna Ray Norton, granddaughter of renowned Appalachian fiddler Byard Ray, as she navigates her family's musical legacy in the wake of personal loss.

Through intimate performances, raw field recordings, and stories passed down through generations, Donna's journey becomes a testament to the resilience of Appalachian traditions and the powerful connection between music, memory, and place.

We knew this story was essential in preserving this area's rich culture and musical legacy even before the storm struck, and it now seems more important than ever.

Pre-production filming began just one week before the Hurricane hit. We traveled with Donna to different towns to document important landmarks and heritage locations. One town that is essential to the music of the region is Marshall, North Carolina, which has since been destroyed by Helene. Our job now is to capture the spirit of the music that still lives on through the people of that region.

We aim to raise at least $20,000 to help Parkway Studios recover from the financial losses caused by Hurricane Helene.

With your help, we will be able to document the stories of recovery and resilience in Western North Carolina, preserve our community's cultural legacy and musical heritage, and continue uplifting local artists through our Parkway Sessions.

We are eager to adapt and continue serving the Western North Carolina community.

We sincerely appreciate all of your support!

- The Parkway Studios Team (John DuPre, Aaron Stone, Caroline Aylward, Bridger Dunnagan)