2026 Big Ears Preview Podcast

WUOT | By Melony Dodson

Published March 12, 2026 at 11:24 AM EDT

Matthew Motley, Paul Parris, Melony Dodson, and WUTK's Bryson Seabold talk about their top picks for Big Ears 2026. Hear strategies for how to maximize your experience at Big Ears without exhausting yourself, where to grab some quick bites, favorite venues, and "pearls of wisdom" from some Knoxville natives. If you're wondering where to begin with your festival planning, this podcast is the perfect starting point.

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Melony Dodson

Melony calls the beautiful mountains of Boone, N.C., home, although she was born near Greensboro, N.C. There’s just something about those Blue Ridge Mountains that got in her blood and never left after she moved there to attend Appalachian State University (ASU). While at ASU, she majored in piano performance and music therapy and began to cultivate a love for accompanying and for collaborating with other musicians. This soon led her to earn a master’s degree in collaborative piano at the University of Tennessee, which she attended from 2006-2008.

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