Heath Hardin
AIE Teaching Artist; Literary Arts; Performing Arts: Music, Spoken Word; Visual Arts: Functional and/or Decorative, Performers and Writers; Furniture
Utilizing my 20-plus years as an educator and writer, I taught a Creative Writing class at Windy Hill Senior Center during the summer of 2023. This is my second year there , and this year I had help with funding from the York Cultural Alliance. For the seniors in the class, I created a class syllabus centered on memoir and poetry, and focusing on the positive experiences of a diverse group of participants.
As part of the teaching project, I recorded the author’s reading their work and have created a Soundcloud page that features their readings. This way, the participants are able to share their stories with relatives all over the United States and the world.
That site and their stories can be found here: https://soundcloud.com/windy-hill-senior-writing
THis experience has led me to pursue creating a poetry podcast, which will debut this fall . It is called “Tone and Mood” and features artists reading and interpeting poetry with their own created background.
I was also fortunate enough to present at York Pecha Kucha this past year; the title of my presentation was “Catching Night Before Dawn” and my talk focused on my progression as an artist. It was illuminating to participate in this event, and I felt the experience further connected me to the York arts community.
I am also a blues and Americana musician and perform under the name Olds Sleeper. This year I released two albums of original music. “City Like a Broken Song” was released in January 2023 and features a mix of originals that draw from Delta blues, old country, folk and Americana.
Also this year, I released an album I have been thinking about doing for a long time. The album is entitled “FOR CLYDE” and it a collection of banjo tunes dedicated to my grandfather, Clyde Fallin. He was an immense supporter of my musical interests and I inherited his banjo when he passed away in 2015.
That album can be found here:
https://oldssleeper.bandcamp.com/album/for-clyde-a-banjo-compilation
I have been performing live for over 12 years and this year played more than 20 live dates around York county, with regular appearances at Wyndridge Farms, The King George Speakeasy, Archetype Pizza and Balla Cloiche winery. These live gigs have given me the opportunity to interact with the community and share my art in a personal setting. I have also spent several mornings busking outside of Central Market, and enjoy the interaction I get there as well. I get to meet all sorts of York residents, and many of them feel compelled to talk to me because I am playing music on the street.
I have released over 20 albums of music that reflects my experiences in this region.
All of my music can be found @ www.oldssleeper.bandcamp.com
I am also an avid photographer and have produced hundreds of photos of the York County region, primarily focusing on rural themes and animals.
I also design, build and sell primitive, one-of-a-kind furniture pieces inspired by German woodworking and Shaker styles. I use upcycled barn wood and reclaimed lumber to produce benches, hanging boxes, small cabinets and rustic frames. Each of these pieces are unique and are sold locally.
I love to pour myself into creative endeavors, and I feel an obligation to share and encourage others to pursue their creative passions. I love the “chase” of art and music, and am always waiting for the next idea to drop.
