Alumnus Tom Draughon to Donate Portion of Music Sales to Music Department

Tom Draughon ‘79 , instructor of music, has offered to donate one dollar to the music department for every product sold through his website. This donation will also be matched by an anonymous donor.

 
Tom, who double majored in environmental studies and outdoor education, was an integral part of the Northland community in the mid-70s to the early 80s. He participated in the Northland College Choir, Northland College Voyageurs, was a manager of the Alvord Theatre, and was a co-founder of the acoustic bands Wild Oats, Marengo River Ramblers, and Second Wind. He was highly involved with music on campus; he played and taught the guitar, sang, and played the lute. Tom brought his passion for music with him when he left Northland College and founded a local music label.

 Heartistry Music specializes in traditional and contemporary original acoustic music by local artists, most of whom are also Northland alumni. Tom says that the current name of his label was not his first choice, “I wanted to be Second Wind Music, but when I affiliated with BMI, somebody else already had that name. I had whipped out five second choice names, and Heartistry Music was next on the list.”

Tom's first album, Second Wind, was produced while he was living in Asheville, North Carolina in the mid-80s. However, after returning to Ashland, Tom wanted to start a new project-one that would appeal to adults and their children. “I wanted the CD to be something parents wouldn't get sick of listening to repeatedly on long car rides with kids. I also didn¹t want to 'dumb down' the music; I think kids can appreciate well-done music when they hear it.” The resulting CD is entitled Kids on the Mountain and contains some of Draughon’s favorite Old Time and Bluegrass styles.