The Music in the Caverns concert series at Blanchard Springs Caverns kicked off May 20 and will continue until the end of the year.
Performers will include Joni Bishop on Saturday; Lukas and Eden Pool on July 29;
Bow Tanglers on Sept. 16; Ukulele Bill on Oct. 7; and Caroling in the Caverns in November and December.
Tori Epperson, executive director of the Mountain View Chamber of Commerce, said admission to each concert costs $15.
“All concerts are held in the Cathedral Room of Blanchard Springs Caverns — 220 feet below the surface,” Epperson said. “All concerts start at 7 p.m.”
Epperson said the person scheduled to perform in August canceled, but a replacement will be found.
Caroling in the Caverns has been going on for almost 15 years, but this is the first year a monthly concert series has been implemented, she said.
Pam Setser, musician and band leader for Caroling in the Caverns, said she will perform in the caverns June 17 with Joni Bishop.
Setser said the cave is beautiful, and the sounds during performances are breathtaking.
“Even though I have sung in the cave for many years, I am still amazed each year when I do the first show at how beautiful it sounds,” Setser said. “I have had several people say it’s a very emotional experience.”
“Blanchard Springs Caverns is one of few living caves, and how many towns can host a show in a cave?”
Setser said Caroling in the Caverns will start Nov. 24 and run for four weekends, coming to an end Dec. 17.
“You are completely surrounded by the beauty and majesty of the natural formations while listening to enticing music resounding through the caverns. It is an intimate setting where you feel as though you are having a personal concert from the artist,” Epperson said.
“It is truly an experience you cannot find anywhere else. The acoustics will simply give you chills,” she said.
John Two-Hawks, a Grammy-and Emmy-nominated musician best known for playing a Native American flute, performed in the caverns May 20.
“From the time I was very small, I understood the language of music. I’ve been able to pick instruments up and figure them out without direction,” he said.
“From a very early age, I’ve always known that music would be the way forward for me. That’s just sort of how it worked out,” Two-Hawks said.
He said music is a language and a way to communicate.
“Music can take those steps after words, going further and deeper than words can,” he said.
“For me, music is a way to express the deeper things that we can’t really utter, and it’s a way to reach people in those ways that are more subtle and hidden,” he said.
Two-Hawks said the intention of his music is healing.
“That’s really at the core of my music: the story of hurt and the story of healing, the journey we all take as humans,” Two-Hawks said.
He said the concert in Blanchard Springs Caverns was unlike anything he had ever experienced.
“I’ve been doing this for 25 years, and I’ve never done a concert like that. It was completely unique for me as a performing artist,” he said.
“I loved being in the belly of Mother Earth and sharing those ancient sounds in that place. It was incredible — not only the sights and visuals that are behind and around you while playing, but also the incredible acoustics that were present,” Two-Hawks said.
“It felt like I was tapping into something ancient there and touching something old,” he said. “There was a sense of the sacredness of it when I was sharing the music.”
Two-Hawks said the concert was special, and he received a powerful response from the audience.
“Some people told me they needed to be reconnected to the Earth, and the concert and music helped them make that connection,” Two-Hawks said.
“It was made possible by the space we were in. The music in that space is what sort of opened that door for folks, and it was really, really special,” he said.
Epperson said she hopes the new summer concert series will provide people with another reason to visit Mountain View, known for its beautiful natural surroundings and music.
“By combining the two, we offer a one-of-a-kind experience for our visitors. The goal is to build this concert series each year to be a must-see for not only the current visitors, but those who have never been to Mountain View or haven’t visited in a while,” she said.
Staff writer Kayla Baugh can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or kbaugh@arkansasonline.com.