The Ozarks Studies Institute (OSI), an ongoing initiative of the Missouri State University Libraries, located on the main Springfield campus, has launched a new oral history project called “Songs of the Ozarks.” 

Emily Flatness, a student at Missouri State, conceived and launched the series. Craig Amason is editing the raw files and adding metadata about each recording, including transcriptions. 

Three oral histories have been published to date:

More interviews are in the pipeline to be published soon. Emily, a fine singer, musician, and student of the Ozarks, will continue conducting oral histories that feature Ozarks musicians at least through the end of 2022.