Have you ever wondered what the voice of artist Howard Finster sounded like during his sermons? Or what songs Thornton Dial listened to and was inspired by in his studio while he created his iconic artwork? Join us for a listening party hosted by Atlanta-based record company Dust-to-Digital. Founders Lance and April Ledbetter will play recordings issued by their label and discuss the importance of preserving oral histories and music as cultural artifacts.

Founded by Lance Ledbetter in 1999, Dust-to-Digital is currently operated by Lance and his wife April Ledbetter in Atlanta, Georgia. Dust-to-Digital began its mission of creating access to hard-to-find music by producing high-quality books, box sets, CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records. The company continues those efforts and has also evolved to the media delivery standards of today—namely, the computer and smart phone. By combining research with images, audio, and videos, Dust-to-Digital is continuing to entertain and to educate new audiences of adventurous listeners. In 2012, Lance and April Ledbetter started a non-profit organization. Music Memory was formed as a way to take action to ensure the sounds and recordings of our past would be preserved. The goal of this company is to make the music from the past available to researchers, teachers, and the public so that it can educate and enlighten present and future generations. To date, Music Memory has digitized more than 49,000 recordings.

Image: Sister Gertrude Morgan (1900, LaFayette, AL–1980, New Orleans, LA); The Greater New Jerusalem; c. 1970s; acrylic, gouache, and graphite on paper; 16 x 39 3/4 in.; Collection of Audrey B. Heckler. Photography © Visko Hatfield, courtesy of the Foundation to Promote Self Taught Art.