BIOGRAPHY OF AUTHOR
Donald Allen DePoy was born in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia in the town of Harrisonburg. He received his high school diploma in 1968 from Buffalo Gap High School in Buffalo Gap, Virginia. Don moved from Virginia in 1979 to the Philadelphia area and left Philadelphia for Newburgh, Maine in 1989. He currently resides in Belfast, Maine where he operates a sailboat charter business during the summer (Gafia~ Get Away From It All).
COLLEGE EDUCATION
Don graduated from Blue Ridge Community College in Weyers Cave, Virginia with an A.S. degree in Education in 1970. He received a B.A. in Mass Communications in 1975 from the Newport News Institute in Newport News, Virginia. In 1992 he was awarded a B.U.S. degree in Liberal Studies and in 1994 he received a M.Ed., both from the University of Maine at Orono. In 1996 Don received a Ph.D. in Popular Culture from the University of Maine at Orono.
EMPLOYMENT
Between 1970 and 1979, Don worked for the Virginia Community College System as a Media Specialist and Lecturer. Don also taught courses as Lecturer in first and second year Biology Laboratory, Introduction to AV Media, Introduction to Photography, Beginning Banjo, Beginning Guitar, Advanced Banjo, and Advanced Guitar.
Moving to Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 1979, Don started commuting New York to work as a design engineer for the international design and consulting firm, Hubert Wilke, Inc.
In 1981 Don had the opportunity to start-up and operate Teleimage, Inc. in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania. As President and CEO he was responsible for start-up and operation of Philadelphia's second largest independent television/audio production company.
Between 1984 and 1986 Don was the Project Coordinator/Executive Producer for Goodway Marketing, Inc. in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. In this position he was responsible for all television, radio, and audio productions, national/regional/local spot and block media buys and syndication for a national marketing holding company with twenty-three separate businesses. In addition, he worked as the producer/director for numerous national cable programs and commercials.
Before moving to Maine, Don was the owner of two Laserset Publishing Centers from 1986 to 1989. As the owner he was responsible for start-up and all phases of operation of a company with two retail stores, located in Doylestown, Pennsylvania and Norristown, Pennsylvania, and six satellite centers.
Don was the President of D&D Marketing, Inc. in Orono, Maine from 1989 to 1995. As president he was responsible for all phases of physical and financial operations of Orono's only privately owned full service computerized desktop publishing, off-set printing, audio/visual/multi-media production and photocopying business. He was also the publisher of Auntie M's Guide for Bargain Hunters, a bi-monthly publication, with a circulation of 10,000 copies per issue distributed throughout the greater Bangor area to over 450 locations.
Since 1995, Don has been on faculty at the New England School of Communication in Bangor, Maine as an Assistant Professor where he teaches courses in music appreciation, electronic and web page production, desktop publishing, multi-media production, multiculturalism, advertising, and public relations.
He is also currently the Executive Director for F.O.L.K., Inc. (Focus On Local Knowledge) a 501-C-3 not-for-profit corporation chartered to support preservation, dissemination and education of folk practices, specifically relating to performance and visual arts. F.O.L.K. publishes MuseNews, a monthly arts/literature guide.
Don has been a professional musician since 1959, specializing in the white Southern mountain music style of Appalachia. Don is a fifth generation musician from a musical family dating back to the mid-1700’s. His instruments include the 5-string banjo, guitar, mandolin, dobro, mountain dulcimer, autoharp and voice.
Don received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Popular Culture and American Music from the University of Maine in December 1996.
E-mail Don <HERE>
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