Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina

Episode 4: Birth of the Banjo

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 16:58:30 +0000

Bob Carlin is a banjoist, producer, and author. Bob has done extensive research on the “birth of the banjo” in the American South. His book, The Birth of the Banjo: Joel Walker Sweeney and Early Minstrelsy, covers the banjo's history.

The Podcast

Down the Road highlights bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina. These traditions and stories are the soul and spirit of the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina.

The podcast is hosted and scripted by Laura Boosinger, musician, folklorist, and storyteller; and produced by Jaclyn Anthony of WNCW-FM.

Episodes air every other week on WNCW-FM (88.7) at about 8:50 am on Tuesday mornings (at the end of NPR’s Morning Edition). New episodes will be published below as they are completed.

Episode 3: Music From the Land of Sky: The 1925 Asheville Sessions (Part Three)

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 22 May 2026 19:49:55 +0000

Dr. Ted Olson and Laura Boosinger continue to discuss the 1925 Asheville Sessions. Olson explains the influence the sessions had on artists and musical styles. Boosinger discusses the city's growth during 1924 and 1925.

Heard in this episode:

American and Spanish Fandango. Smith & Allgood
Hard Times Come Again No More. Appalachian Roadshow

To learn more about the music of North Carolina, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

The Podcast
This podcast highlights bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina. These traditions and stories are the soul and spirit of the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina.

The podcast is hosted and scripted by Laura Boosinger, musician, folklorist, and storyteller, and produced by Jaclyn Anthony and Joe Kendrick of WNCW-FM.

Episodes air every other week on WNCW-FM (88.7) at about 8:50 am on Tuesday mornings (at the end of NPR’s Morning Edition). New episodes will be published below as they are completed.

More episodes.

Episode 2: Music From the Land of Sky: The 1925 Asheville Sessions (Part Two)

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 16:59:39 +0000

In this episode, we dive into the backgrounds of some participants from the original sessions. It was reported that out of 300 applications, only 25 musicians were chosen for the original Asheville Sessions. Listen to learn about two of those musicians: James Dedrick Harris (fiddle) and Ernest Helton (banjo).

Heard in this episode:

The Cacklin' Hen. James Dedrick Harris
Royal Clog. Ernest Helton
John Hardy. Ernest "Pop" Stoneman

To learn more about the musical families of North Carolina, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

The Podcast

This podcast highlights bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina. These traditions and stories are the soul and spirit of the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina.

The podcast is hosted and scripted by Laura Boosinger, musician, folklorist, and storyteller; and produced by Jaclyn Anthony and Joe Kendrick of WNCW-FM.

Episodes air every other week on WNCW-FM (88.7) at about 8:50 am on Tuesday mornings (at the end of NPR’s Morning Edition). New episodes will be published below as they are completed.

More episodes.

Episode 1: Music From the Land of the Sky: The 1925 Asheville Sessions (Part One)

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 23:13:08 +0000

Something big happened in Asheville music in 1925.

A two-week recording session was held at the Vanderbilt Hotel. Musicians and groups performed traditional Southern Appalachian music. Afterwards, OKeh Records pressed and released a catalogue of records documenting a sound that many folks outside the region had never heard. The Asheville Sessions were revived in 2025 through a remastering and concert project.

We sat down with Dr. Ted Olson, professor of Appalachian Studies at East Tennessee State University, to discuss the significance of the historic sessions.

To learn more about the musical families of North Carolina, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

Episode 22: The Helene Guitar

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 08 Oct 2025 22:10:58 +0000

Three luthiers have collaborated to create a guitar, which will be raffled off through LEAF Global Arts at the annual LEAF Festival, taking place from October 16 to 19, 2025. The guitar was crafted from wood harvested from trees that fell during Hurricane Helene.

The luthiers:

Jayne Henderson
Kyle Landers
Judson Riviere

All proceeds will support the Local Artist ReLEAF Fund, aiding Western North Carolina artists impacted by Hurricane Helene. Learn more at LEAF.org.

Episode 21: 100 Years of John C Campbell Folk School, part 2

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 15:13:21 +0000

Part two of this special podcast delves into the evolution of the Folk School's programming with Bethany Chaney, the school's executive director. She explains the significance of its gradual shift in focus, encompassing music, dance, and craft.

Songs Included:
The Little Devil, Jean Ritchie
Dance Calling
Morningsong with Riley Baugus

Image credit: By Harrison Keely - Own work, CC BY 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=148059238

Episode 20: 100 Years of John C Campbell Folk School, part one

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 21:32:45 +0000

John C Campbell Folk School is celebrating its 100th anniversary of music, dance, craft, agriculture, and foodways. Located in Brasstown, North Carolina, in Clay County in the Far West region of the state. Known for its exemplary selection of courses in handicraft skills, music, agriculture, and more, it is one of the most established folk schools in the United States. Dive into the history of the founder, Olive Dame Campbell, and JCCFS.

Song featured:
"Barbara Allen", founding lady, Olive Dame Campbell

Episode 19: Memories of a Fiddler: Jim Shumate

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 24 Jul 2025 22:40:43 +0000

Jim Shumate was a fiddler who gained his notoriety in the 1940s when he played with some of the great musicians of bluegrass, including Bill Monroe & the Bluegrass Boys, Lester Flatt, and Earl Scruggs. He added his flair to the songs of the time, emphasizing 'long-bow' fiddling, a style which he discovered listening to Arthur Smith from the Grand Ole Opry.

John Miller (Shumate's grandson) and Natalyla Weinstein sit down with Laura Boosinger to share some of Jim Shumate's life and musical background.

Songs Included in the Episode:
"Mean Old Ramblin' Blues", Jim Shumate
"Rocky Road Blues", Bill Monroe
"We'll Meet Again, Sweetheart", Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs & The Foggy Mountain Boys
"Little Red Shoes", Jim & Don and Sons of the Carolinas
"Old Country Baptizing", Zoe & Cloyd

Learn more about Jim Shumate through the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area's Traditional Artist Directory.

Episode 18: Storytelling in the Blue Ridge with Connie Regan-Blake - Part Two

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 08 Jul 2025 19:27:03 +0000

In 1975, Connie Regan-Blake teamed up with Barbara Freeman to travel and tell stories across the country. The women made a marvelous duo, strategically and creatively sharing stories from the past and present. Many Appalachian tales have roots in Irish, Scottish, and English history, dating back hundreds of years, while others were developed and shared in more recent times.

Learn more about Connie Reagan-Black by visiting her profile page in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area’s Traditional Artist Directory.

Recordings in this episode:

"The Bet." The American Folklife Center Presents: Stepping Back in Time: Storytelling with Connie Regan-Blake and Barbara Freeman. Recorded by the Library of Congress, September 6, 2018.

To learn more about Western North Carolina's music and storytelling, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

Episode 17: Storytelling in the Blue Ridge with Connie Regan-Blake

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 02:31:02 +0000

Storytelling can be found across cultures. It's been used to teach morals, share news, and entertain. In this latest episode of the Down the Road podcast, Laura Boosinger sits down with professional storyteller Connie Regan-Blake to share how storytelling jumped from personal circles (campfires, living rooms, and porches) to stages.

Connie Regan-Blake is an award-winning storyteller, coach, and workshop facilitator. Among her many awards and accolades, she has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Storytelling Network. Connie has also been honored by the NC Arts Council and the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival. She served on the board of directors for the National Storytelling Association at varying intervals between 1974 and 1984.

Learn more about Connie Reagan-Black by visiting her profile page in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area's Traditional Artist Directory.

Recordings in this episode:

Ray Hicks “Hunting with Jack”

The Podcast

The “Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina” podcast highlights bluegrass and old-time music stories, performers, and traditions across the mountain and foothills counties of Western North Carolina. Hosted and scripted by Laura Boosinger and produced by Jaclyn Anthony and Joe Kendrick of WNCW-FM, the podcast is a joint effort of the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area and WNCW-FM.

Episode 16: The Bluff Mountain Festival

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 10 Jun 2025 00:08:43 +0000

In this Down the Road episode, host Laura Boosinger interviews Brandon Johnson, the Executive Director of the Madison County Arts Council and the director of The Bluff Mountain Festival. Johnson explains how the annual festival began, when he became involved, and the importance of the music and community.

To learn more about the Bluff Mountain Festival, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com and MadisonCountyArts.com.

Songs featured in this episode:

Brandon Johnson, "Nancy Rowland"
Roger Howell, "Chinky Pin"
Green Grass Cloggers
Sheila Kay Adams, "Fair and Tender Ladies"
White Rock Revival, "Room at the Top of the Stairs"

The Podcast

Episode 15: Jeff Little: The Blue Ridge Piano Man

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 22 May 2025 16:20:59 +0000

Most folks don’t think of the piano as an instrument in traditional music, but that never stopped Jeff Little from playing throughout his musical career. His introduction to piano came at a very young age in his father's music store in Boone. Jerrell Little, Doc Watson, Wayne Henderson, and others gave Jeff the lessons he would use to carry him throughout his musical career. Listen to this episode of Down the Road to learn more about Jeff Little's story.

Little is a notable player who travels with his band, the Jeff Little Trio. He was inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame in 2014. Discover more about him through the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area's Traditional Artist Directory.

Jack Williams and Doc Watson, "Slippin' Away"
Doc Watson and Jeff Little, "I Am Pilgrim"
Jeff Little Trio, "Shady Grove"
Jeff Little Trio at Stecoah Valley Center

The Podcast

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Episode 14: Jayne Henderson: Luthier and Environmentalist

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 14 May 2025 14:24:26 +0000

Jayne Henderson had no intention of working in the world of music. She went to school to study environmental law. However, the heart knows what it wants. After growing up with creativity in her blood and a family of luthiers before her, Jayne found herself crafting guitars side-by-side with her father, with a twist... she chooses the materials mindfully, using wood right in her backyard.

Music featured:

Doc Watson, "Tellin' My Troubles to My Old Guitar"
Dream Guitars, Demo of Jayne Henderson's guitar
Wayne Henderson, "Wheels"

The Podcast

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Episode 13: The Legacy of Doc Watson

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 11:49:57 +0000

Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) is revered as one of the most influential and respected guitar players in the history of traditional music. Originally hailing from Deep Gap, NC, Doc was a self-taught harmonica, banjo, and guitar player. He is known for his work in multiple music genres, including bluegrass, folk, gospel, country, and old-time.

In 1988, Doc Watson held the first MerleFest in honor of his late son, Merle Watson. Doc described the festival as 'traditional, plus', as it highlights the traditional music of Western North Carolina and anything else. The now four-day festival is still held every April in Wilkesboro, NC, on the campus of Wilkes Community College.

Listen to more about Merle Fest in Season One, Episode Two of the Down the Road podcast.

And learn more about Doc Watson through the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area's Traditional Artist Directory.

The Podcast

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Episode 12: Music in the Mills

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 23 Apr 2025 19:59:51 +0000

Some of the most prominent musicians in North Carolina were co-workers. Furniture, paper, and textiles were products that originated from mills across the state in the early 20th century. However, music was also a byproduct of the mills, as individuals like Charlie Poole, Roy Hall, Tommy Magnus, and the Martin family met at work and played together after business hours.

Episode 11: Wayne Erbsen: Telling the Stories of "Southern Mountain Music"

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 19:28:56 +0000

Wayne Erbsen has studied, played, taught, and written about traditional music for over 50 years. We talked to him about his new book, Southern Mountain Music: The Collected Writings of Wayne Erbsen, a collection of articles he wrote about legendary musicians from across the bluegrass and old-time music scenes. He started playing guitar and banjo in his native Southern California as a teen and arrived in Southern Appalachia in the 1970s.

Go back into the Down the Road archives to Season 3, Episode 10, to learn more about Erbsen!

Episode 10: Remember Me: The Story of Lulu Belle and Scotty Wiseman

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 24 Mar 2025 22:04:49 +0000

Dive into the golden age of country music as Down the Road remembers two North Carolinian entertainers who fell in love- Lulu Belle (Myrtle Eleanor Cooper) and Scotty Wiseman. They met when they were both working on the program National Barn Dance at WLS radio station in Chicago and married in 1934. Lulu Belle and Scotty went on to share songs and their lives, continuing to partner in music until 1958, when they retired to Avery County, NC. One of their most-known tunes is 'Remember Me.'

Episode 9: The Shuffler Family of Valdese

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 18:44:01 +0000

Traditional North Carolina music and Appalachia has deep roots that belong to many family trees. In this episode, we uncover the musical history of the Shuffler Family.

Music featured in this episode includes:

Doc and Merle Watson, "Going Down This Road Feeling Bad"
Earl Scruggs and Flatt and Scruggs, "Nine Pound Hammer"
Valdese Quartet, "Just Over The Glory Land"
The Stanley Brothers, "The Flood"
Jim Shumate and John Shuffler, "Katie Hill"

To learn more about the musical families of North Carolina, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

Episode 8: Citizen Vinyl: Asheville's Recording History

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 18:16:02 +0000

Citizen Vinyl is Asheville's own vinyl record-producing facility. It lives in the former Citizen-Times newspaper building. The historic building was designed and built in 1938-1939, and it became the home for two newspapers and a radio station. In 2019, Citizen Vinyl moved into the first floor, mezzanine, and third floor to create spaces for recording and manufacturing space, as well as an event area with a small bar/cafe and shop.

Listen to this full episode for the full history of the recording space and radio station.

Music featured in this episode includes:

Jimmie Rodgers, "Away Out on the Mountain"
Bill Munroe and the Bluegrass Boys, "Mule Skinner Blues"
Mainer's Mountaineers, "Concord Rag"
Jim Lauderdale, "My Carolina Sunshine Girl"

To learn more about music along the Blue Ridge Music Trails, visit BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

Episode 7: 25 Years of JAM: The History of the Junior Appalachian Musicians

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 19 Feb 2025 17:40:14 +0000

The Junior Appalachian Musicians program, more commonly known as JAM, is an after-school program for primarily grades 4-8, with some students carrying on afterward as mentors. The program began in Sparta, NC, with the Alleghany JAM in 2005 to bring music into the school systems and continue to educate students in traditional Appalachian music and instruments. Supported by the NC Arts Council and others, the program is now a successful non-profit program across seven states with 65 affiliates and 205 teachers: West Virginia, Virginia, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky.

Music featured in this episode includes:

Steve Kilby, "Forked Deer"
Appalachian Heartstrings, "Lonesome John"
Strictly Strings, "Cindy"
The Burnett Sisters Band, "Cumberland Gap"
Cary Fridley and Travis Stuart, "A Rovin' on a Winter's Night"
Carley Arrowood, "Dear Juliana"

To learn more about JAM, visit JAMKids.org and BlueRidgeMusicNC.com.

Episode 6: Marc Pruett's Bluegrass Journey: PART TWO

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 02:55:05 +0000

We had such a great time talking with Marc Pruett about his musical career that we found ourselves with a longer story. In this second episode, we look back at some of his early influences, the well-loved Bill Stanley’s BBQ, and the birth of Balsam Range.

Episode 5: Marc Pruett's Bluegrass Journey

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 21:09:07 +0000

Marc Pruett is known for his spectacular three-fingered style of banjo playing and his winning smile! He's also one of the founding members of the bluegrass band, Balsam Range. Marc sat down to share some stories, discussing his life in Haywood County and his musical career that has led to different areas of the world.

Episode 4: Andy Griffith from Mayberry

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 12 Nov 2024 21:58:24 +0000

Most people know Andy Griffith as the loveable sheriff of Mayberry, the town based in Mount Airy, NC. Beyond the role, Griffith was a musician and entertainer who shared his knowledge and love of traditional music with his audiences.

Episode 2: The Ballad Swap at the Old Marshall Jail

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 20:30:45 +0000

Donna Ray Norton and Melanie Rice are eight-generation ballad singers. Along with noted musician Sheila Kay Adams and other local singers, they host a monthly ballad swap at the Old Marshall Jail in downtown Marshall, NC. The event has gained notoriety as the only recurring ballad swap in the area, bringing awareness of the traditional music genre to a broader audience.

Episode 3: The Great Flood of 2024: Tropical Storm Helene

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 04:16:56 +0000

Tropical storm Helene devastated communities across Western North Carolina including Chimney Rock in Rutherford County, Swannanoa and Barnardsville in Buncombe, Crossnore in Avery, Old Fort in McDowell, Spruce Pine in Mitchell, and Hot Springs and Marshall in Madison to name a very few.
This is not the first time that mighty waves of water have rolled through the region, causing devastation beyond comprehension. Singers and songwriters marked past events with songs, and it's likely the same will happen now.

Episode 1: Otto Wood the Bandit

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 12:22:25 +0000

America has seen its fair share of outlaws throughout history. Musicians have sung their tales, immortalizing them in song from coast to coast and contributing to this country's folklore. North Carolina has a page in outlaw history with the bootlegger Otto Wood. Listen to learn more about Wood and others and the songs they inspired.

Episode 20: The Creative Community of Rare Bird Farm

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 14:44:29 +0000

Rare Bird Farm in the mountains of Madison County is an agricultural arts center that hosts performing arts, classes, workshops, and community events, all centered around the ideas of creativity, connection, and collaboration. While not a commercial farm, Rare Bird also raises animals, medicinal plants, and food. We spent some time with Mitchell Davis and Farrah Hoffmire or Rare Bird to learn more.

Episode 19: The Ridgetop Riches of Red Spruce

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 17:01:50 +0000

An intersection of the natural and musical heritage of WNC can be found in the high mountains. Red Spruce (picea rubens) is prominent at altitudes above 5,000 feet in the Southern Appalachians. It’s also one of the primary tonewoods used in traditional construction of mandolins and guitars. For this episode, we spent time with conservationist Marquette Crockett and luthier James Condino to learn more.

Episode 18: Claire Armbruster and Planning Stages

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 11 Mar 2024 15:31:25 +0000

Traditional music in WNC is a cultural practice that expands into many ways to make a living. We most often think of performers, but for every live music event that takes place, there are folks behind the scenes crossing “I’s” and dotting “T’s” to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. One of the leaders in the event promotion industry is Claire Armbruster who owns and operates Planning Stages. We sat down recently with Claire to learn more about her, her experience, and the particulars of producing live music events.

Episode 17: Rhonda Gouge and the Joy of Musical Connection

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 21:40:17 +0000

Rhonda Gouge has done a lot. She’s been a fixture in the Mitchell County music scene since the 1970s, she can play at least a dozen instruments, she’s recorded multiple albums under her own name as well as with others, she’s performed with legendary musicians such as Red Wilson, she’s taught traditional music to more than 1,000 students, and in 2023 she was awarded the North Carolina Heritage Award. We sat down recently with Rhonda in her home teaching studio in the Ledger Community to talk about her musical journey and to do a little bit of pickin’!

Episode 16: A Reading of Louise Wright Price's Charlie & His Banjo: The Story of Charlie Pool

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 19:41:05 +0000

In Season One of Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of NC, we introduced you to banjo stylist Charlie Poole. In Season 5, we're excited to bring you a reading of Louise Wright Price's children's book, Charlie & His Banjo: The Story of Charlie Pool.

Episode 15: William Allsbrook Jr.’s Making Music: The Banjo in a Southern Appalachian County

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 29 Jan 2024 15:52:33 +0000

What do you get when an MD and Professor Emeritus of Pathology and Surgery takes up the banjo? An expertly conducted survey of 32 WNC banjo players! Dr. William Allsbrook, Jr. turned his skills and attention to such a project when he noticed just how many great banjo players lived in Haywood County. His study resulted in a book, Making Music: The Banjo in a Southern Appalachian County. In this episode, we dig into some of what Allbrook's book has to offer.

Episode 14: Remembering Betty Smith

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 20:46:20 +0000

Western North Carolina musical icon Betty Smith passed away on December 1, 2023. Betty was a performer of ballads and traditional songs for decades, but to say only this would be falling short of her large and living legacy. Throughout the course of her life, Betty also took on roles as an educator, an activist, an author, a playwright, and honorary doctorate recipient, and more. This episode looks back on a life of impact on and dedication to the people and life and WNC.

Episode 13: Thomm Jutz and Nothing But Green Willow: The Songs of Mary Sands and Jane Gentry

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 07 Nov 2023 16:29:47 +0000

Madison County is home to a centuries old ballad singing tradition which has attracted interest for over a century. In 1916, Englishman, Cecil Sharp traveled to Western North Carolina to hear the old ballads that were no longer being freely sung in England. A new album revives this Transatlantic connection. We sat down with Thomm Jutz, singer-songwriter and co-producer of Nothing But Green Willow: The Songs of Mary Sands and Jane Gentry, to learn more about the album and the ballad singing tradition.

Episode 12: Terry Roberts Talks Writing, Music, and Storytelling in the Mountains

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 14:44:01 +0000

Terry Roberts was born and raised in Asheville, NC. An award-winning author of five novels, much of Terry’s writing takes place in and around the mountains of WNC. Music finds its way into much of Terry’s work, including novels entitled A Short Time to Stay Here and That Bright Land. In our conversation with Terry, he shared his thoughts on particularities and the intersection of writing, music, and storytelling in the mountains.

Episode 11: Fine Tuned: Volume One, The Album

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 11 Oct 2023 18:47:15 +0000

In Seasons 4 and 5, we’ve had the honor and privilege to bring you stories of the Blue Ridge Music Trails’ Fine Tuned project. This mentorship and collaboration-based professional development project has sought to foster development in WNC’s traditional music ecosystem. This episode explores the musical partnerships and the music they created with insight into the groups and selections from the tracks on the album. It’s time to talk about the actual music of Fine Tuned: Volume One!

Episode 10: Plott-Tober Fest Celebrates the Plott Hound and German Heritage

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 25 Sep 2023 20:46:36 +0000

Plott-Tober fest is a new festival set to take place in Canton in 2023. This festival celebrates North Carolina's State Dog, the Plott Hound, as well as the German heritage of Haywood County. We spoke with festival organizer Bob Plott to learn more about the Plott Hound, German influence in Haywood County, and the festival itself, which will feature plenty of WNC traditional music.

Episode 9: The Blowing Rock Fiddlers' Convention of 1928

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 16:56:23 +0000

Music inhabits its purest form when people get together to make music with one another. In this spirit, the fiddlers’ convention is an essential element of the traditional music ecosystem in Western North Carolina. This episode is adapted from an article by music writer Derek Halsey revisiting a newspaper article from the Watauga Democrat published on June 14, 1928 covering a fiddlers convention in the town of Blowing Rock.

Episode 8: Cherokee Language Repertory Choir

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 07 Aug 2023 19:25:51 +0000

The Cherokee Language Repertory Choir started in the spring of 2023. This choir uses the Christian Harmony shaped note tradition, but instead of singing it traditionally, in English, this choir sings in the Cherokee language. This effort revives a documented tradition of shaped note singing in the Cherokee community while helping to keep the Cherokee language a part of cultural practice in Western North Carolina. We spoke with organizers and a member of the choir to learn more.

Episode 7: Songwriters Showcase at Peacock Performing Arts Center

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 01 Aug 2023 18:40:40 +0000

The Peacock Performing Arts Center in Hayesville presents a wide range of programming. It's Songwriters Series is a highlight of the lineup. Hosted by local songwriter Rob Tiger, the series brings some of the top songwriters in the field to Clay County. The Showcase functions as a songwriters round, giving some audience members a new way to experience uniquely crafted songs.

Episode 6: Kelley Breiding and “The Place Where the Stories Come From”

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 10 Jul 2023 15:45:21 +0000

Kelley Breiding is a musician who wears a lot of hats, at least one of which is often a cowboy hat and complements a vibrant, handcrafted outfit. Kelley is part of multiple bands and projects including her Blue Ridge Opry and the Blue Ridge Music Trails’ Fine Tuned project. This episode features a conversation with Kelley in which you can learn more about her journey and the music she makes and loves.

Episode 5: Roseland Gardens: Black Moutain Juke Joint

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 16:22:33 +0000

Did you know that Black Mountain had an integrated juke joint and that Bessie Smith performed there? On this episode we feature an oral history with Katherine Debrow, courtesy of the Swannanoa Valley Museum & History Center, that discusses her grandfather, Horace Chambers Rutherford; his juke joint, Roseland Gardens; and the culture and history of Black Mountain.

Episode 3: Blue Ridge Music Trails Stops Along the Blue Ridge Parkway Part 2

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 31 May 2023 20:19:19 +0000

The Blue Ridge Music Trails covers 29 counties throughout the mountains and foothills of Western North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Parkways runs directly through this territory and is never far from authentic traditional music. In this episode, we outline more of the stops you can take on the Blue Ridge Music Trails while you travel the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Episode 2: Blue Ridge Music Trails Stops Along the Blue Ridge Parkway Part 1

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 31 May 2023 20:08:49 +0000

The Blue Ridge Music Trails covers 29 counties throughout the mountains and foothills of Western North Carolina. The Blue Ridge Parkways runs directly through this territory and is never far from authentic traditional music. In this episode, we outline some of the stops you can take on the Blue Ridge Music Trails while you travel the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Episode 4: Darren Nicholson Remembers a Mentor and Charts a New Path

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 30 May 2023 15:46:16 +0000

Darren Nicholson has been a fixture in the WNC and national music scenes for almost two decades. The year 2023 marks a series of new endeavors for Darren. In this episode he talks about learning from Steve Sutton, the inaugural Steve Sutton Festival, WNC's unique style of bluegrass, and his own path as a solo musician.

Episode 1: Fine Tuned: Josh Jones and Sav Sankaran

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 17:30:08 +0000

The Blue Ridge Music Trails’ Fine Tuned project is a mentorship and collaboration-based project aimed at professional development for emerging artists playing traditional music in Western North Carolina. This episode focuses on the Josh Jones' work with his mentor Sav Sankaran. Josh studies classical voice at the UNC School for the Arts. Sav also studied classical voice and today sings and plays bass for the nationally touring bluegrass band Unspoken Tradition. Josh and Sav share details about their mentorship experience, their thoughts on music in Western North Carolina, and the tracks they chose to record for the Fine Tuned album.

Episode 20: Fine Tuned: Bayla Davis and Cary Fridley

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 13 Mar 2023 20:49:27 +0000

The Blue Ridge Music Trails’ Fine Tuned project is a mentorship and collaboration-based project aimed at professional development for emerging artists playing traditional music in Western North Carolina. For this episode, we spent time with Bayla Davis and her mentor, Cary Fridley, to learn more about their work together. These two women have worked together to blend their voices, to explore strategies to enhance their personal expression, and to refine their musical goals for the future.

Episode 20: Fine Tuned: Benjamin Barker and David LaMotte

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 28 Feb 2023 19:00:42 +0000

Fine Tuned is a mentorship and collaboration-based project aimed at professional development for emerging artists playing traditional music in Western North Carolina. In this episode, David LaMotte and Benjamin Barker talk about why they play music, music in North Carolina, what they have gained from working on the Fine Tuned project, and more.

Episode 19: Fine Tuned: The Allen Boys with DaShawn Hickman and Kelley Breiding

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 21:02:34 +0000

The Blue Ridge Music Trails’ Fine Tuned project is a mentorship and collaboration-based project aimed at professional development for emerging artists playing traditional music in Western North Carolina. For this episode, we sat down with the Allen Boys, DaSahwn Hickman, and Kelley Breiding to discuss their collaboration and the inspiring collision of their musical traditions.

Episode 17: Fine Tuned: Jarrett Wildcat & Keaw'e Bone

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 16:10:33 +0000

Fine Tuned is a mentorship and collaboration-based project aimed at professional development for emerging artists playing traditional music in Western North Carolina. Jarrett Wildcat and Keaw'e Bone are are both deeply connected with traditional music in Cherokee, NC, but for their work on the Fine Tuned project, Jarrett and Keaw’e decided to do something a little different, create their own original music.

Episode 16: Introducing the Fine Tuned Project

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 13 Jan 2023 20:32:37 +0000

Fine Tuned is a mentorship and collaboration-based project aimed at professional development for emerging artists playing traditional music in Western North Carolina. Fine Tuned has brought together five groups of musicians to work together on personal goals and professional recording.

Episode 15: Is it a Fiddle or a Violin?

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Sat, 10 Dec 2022 19:01:33 +0000

We’re coming to you this week to answer an age-old question: is it a fiddle or a violin?
Few folks in Western North Carolina are better equipped to answer that question than master fiddler Roger Howell. At his shop on Banjo Branch just outside of Mars Hill, he has not only recorded more than 600 fiddle tunes for his memory collection, but he also repaired and restored hundreds if not thousands of old violins.

Episode 14: Bobby Hicks: A Fiddling Icon

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Sat, 10 Dec 2022 19:00:21 +0000

Bobby Hicks is a fiddling icon. His career as a recording artist and performer has spanned more than 7 decades. During this time, Bobby’s style, session work, and touring have helped to define the bluegrass fiddle. We sat down with Bobby to chat about Western North Carolina, his time with Bill Monroe, and much more.

Episode 13: Forevermore Donna Ray Norton Will Sing

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 12:15:35 +0000

Donna Ray Norton is no stranger to the musical community of Western North Carolina. She’s an 8th generation ballad singer who grew up in the legendary Sodom community of Madison County, a county which folklorist Cecil Sharp likened to “a nest of singing birds.” Her grandfather was Byard Ray, a fiddler and singer who took his style of mountain music across the globe. Her mother, Lena Jean Ray, carried on the Ray musical legacy. We sat down with Donna Ray to learn more about her new album, her background, and what the music means to her.

Episode 12: A Deep Dive into the Earl Scruggs Music Festival

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 11:34:33 +0000

Earl Scruggs hailed from Flint Hill in rural Cleveland County. In his decades-long career he helped define bluegrass music as we know it today. The Earl Scruggs Center, in partnership with WNCW, the Tryon International Equestrian Center, and Come Hear North Carolina, will present the inaugural Earl Scruggs Music Festival in September 2022. The Blue Ridge Music Trails paid a visit to the Scruggs Center in Shelby, where we spent some time with Executive Director, Mary Beth Martin, and JT Scruggs, nephew of Earl, to learn a little more about the festival. JT shared a little about the musical Scruggs family.

Episode 11: The 51st Smoky Mountain Folk Festival

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 26 Aug 2022 17:11:35 +0000

The 51st Smoky Mountain Folk Festival. returns to the shores of Lake Junaluska in Haywood County this August. Now in its 6th decade, the festival coincides with a time when communities would gather at harvest time to share music and dance. The festival welcomes an outstanding array of the region’s finest tradition performers including fiddlers, banjo players, string bands, ballad singers, buck dancers, and fabulous square teams as well as the unique sounds of dulcimer, harmonica, mouth harp, bagpipes, and even spoons.

Episode 10: Listen to Legendary WNC Instruments

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 04 Aug 2022 15:40:55 +0000

If well-constructed and properly cared for, an instrument will outlive generations of musicians that play it. Many of the instruments that have influenced our music still sing long after their owners have gone on. The Southern Appalachian Archives in the Ramsey Center for Appalachian Studies at Mars Hill University hold some of the most well-known instruments from our musical past. Take a listen.

Episode 9: Carl Sandburg and the American Songbag

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 18:56:29 +0000

Carl Sandburg dedicated the American Songbag, “To those unknown singers–who made songs–out of love, fun, grief–and to those many other singers–who kept those songs as living things of the heart and mind–out of love, fun, grief.” It is fitting that so many carried on this important work begun by the old troubadour and poet of the people.

Episode 8: Western North Carolina Music’s Impact in Popular Culture

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 30 Jun 2022 19:40:36 +0000

The imprint of Western North Carolina’s vibrant musical tradition can be seen and heard time and again as our music has worked its way into the arena of popular culture. From the moment Jed Clampett spotted that bubbling-crude through the current decade, the soundtrack of the mountains and foothills has been the soundtrack for countless television, movie, and radio programs.

Episode 7: The Jagged Path Works to Tell a Fuller Story

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 08 Jun 2022 12:13:31 +0000

The history of Western North Carolina has long been a subject of study for local and international scholars. Many of those efforts have been focused on only a portion of the culture and experience of the region. With its exhibit Jagged Path: The African Diaspora in Western North Carolina in Craft, Music, and Dance, the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, or BRAHM, is working to provide a fuller picture of creativity throughout the history of Appalachia.

Episode 6: Derek Piotr Explores NC Mountain Singing

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 25 May 2022 10:34:05 +0000

Originally from Connecticut, Derek moved to Elk Park, NC in the spring of 2022 to continue exploring the singing traditions of the Bare family and the communities throughout Western North Carolina. With his work collecting and sharing these recordings, Derek is helping to shine a light on the stories and songs of a noteworthy community in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina

Episode 5: Billy Edd Wheeler, Songwriter

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 03 May 2022 19:45:32 +0000

Billy Edd Wheeler came to North Carolina from the coal camp of Highcoal in West Virginia. As a boy, he began playing guitar and penned his first song “Paper Boy Blues,” about delivering newspapers at 5:30am, at the age of eleven. His archtop Kay guitar was purchased for fourteen dollars out of the Sears and Roebuck catalog. He learned three chords from a coal miner and as they say, the rest is history.

Episode 4: Asheville Music Walking Tour

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 03 May 2022 19:43:57 +0000

The Asheville music scene is known for its depth of talent, wealth of offerings, and sense of exploration. You might think this music scene has sprung up over the last 20 years during the city’s own renaissance, but Alli Marshall of the Asheville History Walking Tour is here to disabuse you of that notion. The tour winds for a mile and half through downtown Asheville and the musical history covers a wide range of sounds and styles, and as part of the experience.

Episode 3: The Musical Happy Valley

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 23 Mar 2022 19:01:14 +0000

The Happy Valley community lies between Lenoir and Blowing Rock along the Yadkin River. This fertile valley is so scenic and peaceful that early settlers gave it the name “Happy Valley.” The valley was home to General William Lenoir, for whom the Caldwell County seat of Lenoir was named. His home, Fort Defiance, is on the National Register of Historic Places, open regularly to visitors, and also hosts several public events a year.

Episode 2: Train Songs and Marshall’s Historic Depot

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 09 Mar 2022 19:43:55 +0000

You can hardly hear a set of bluegrass music without hearing a train song. Some are poetic like the Wabash Cannonball. “Listen to the jingle the rumble and the roar, as she glides along the woodland, through the hills and by the shore.” Some tell tragic tells of trains running out of control.

Episode 1: Remembering Bobby McMillion

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 23 Feb 2022 19:47:00 +0000

Bobby McMillon passed away on November 28, 2021. His passing leaves a great void in the traditional music and Appalachian cultural landscape. Throughout the course of his life, Bobby took this awareness he gained from his grandfather’s passing and turned it into a legacy of collecting, performing, and friendships.

Episode 20: Traditional Artist Directory Spotlight David Holt

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 18 Nov 2021 16:37:17 +0000

David Holt grew up in Garland, Texas. He says “I grew up in a family of informal storytellers, and there was plenty to tell about our wild and wooly Texas forefathers. Storytelling was just a natural part of family life for me. I never thought about telling stories in public until I began to collect mountain music and came across interesting and unusual anecdotes from mountain folks. I began to use these stories in concerts and realized the power storytelling holds.

Episode 19: Remembering Arvil Freeman

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 03 Nov 2021 15:12:28 +0000

Of all the fiddlers in the fiddler-rich region of Western North Carolina, Arvil Freeman was a veritable North Star of Western North Carolina fiddling and traditional music as a whole. Arvil is likely the most heard “in-person” fiddler and likely the most influential. On October 21, 2021, Western North Carolina lost fiddling legend Arvil Freeman.

Episode 18: Lots of Great Ways to Learn Music in WNC

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 29 Oct 2021 18:00:27 +0000

Across Western North Carolina, people looking to learn to play an instrument or musicians looking to step up their game can enjoy many opportunities to learn in immersive settings. Many camps offer week-long packages of music instruction, food, and lodging. The whole package provides a chance for the musician to spend a week completely focused on the music. How great is that?

Episode 17: The Cuckoo: A chart topper since the 1200’s

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 06 Oct 2021 15:16:47 +0000

The English folksong “The Cuckoo,” often sung as a round or canon, celebrated the arrival of summer recalling the sights and sounds of English barnyards and meadows. Some scholars consider the song a parody and possibly too coarse for polite society. The manuscript in which it is preserved was copied between 1261 and 1264. The song evolved into a more poetic form and became part of the English folksong lexicon. Give a listen to this transitional version where “she never sings cuckoo ’til summer is near.” Now that’s old-time music!

Episode 16: The Bascom Lamar Lunsford Mountain Music Festival Carries on a Legacy

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 14:12:01 +0000

The Bascom Lamar Lunsford Mountain Music Festival is the only one that Lunsford allowed to carry his name. In 1928, Lunsford started the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in Asheville as part of the annual Rhododendron Festival. The festival was such a hit that the local newspaper declared it should be an annual event. The Mountain Dance and Folk Festival is the oldest continuing festival in the nation and became a model for the National Folk Festival and other festivals that followed.

Episode 15: The Tom Dula Legends Lives On

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 07 Sep 2021 16:33:27 +0000

Do you know the legend of Tom Dooley? Do you know he was a real person and lived in Western North Carolina? Do you know he was convicted of murder and sentenced to hang? The ballad “Tom Dooley”, originally recorded by Frank Proffitt in the 1930’s or 1940’s became a nationwide success in 1958 when The Kingston Trio released their recording of the song.

Episode 14: Storytelling on the Blue Ridge Music Trails

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 24 Aug 2021 18:05:41 +0000

Everybody and everything has a story. What is her story, what is his story? Did you ever wonder about the cautionary messages in the fairy tales? Folklorists will tell you that story plays a very important role in human culture. Stories were used to preserve history, to teach the young important cultural lessons, and to provide entertainment.

Episode 13: What is a D.O.G.

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 13 Aug 2021 14:53:16 +0000

As soon as the crops are canned, frozen and laid by for the fall, communities in Western North Carolina gather to sing shaped-notes from the Christian Harmony songbook. Now, over 129 years since the first shaped-notes were sung in the Dutch Cove, singers still gather to heist a tune and enjoy the riches of a D.O.G.

Episode 12: Step it Up and Go is David Menconi’s Love Letter to North Carolina Music

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 27 Jul 2021 18:18:47 +0000

Step It Up & Go: The Story of North Carolina Popular Music was released by David Menconi in 2020. Taking its title from one of the signature songs of Durham blues artist Blind Boy Fuller, the book explores the musical history of the state and examines the impact North Carolina music has had on the rest of the world. Menconi writes that North Carolina “has only rarely been home to the biggest stars on the charts, and yet the contributions of North Carolina artists are deeply embedded in the DNA of some of the most important strands in American popular music. That is the story at the center of this book.”

Episode 11: The Green Grass Cloggers

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 13 Jul 2021 19:23:57 +0000

Dance is an essential part of the musical traditions of Western North Carolina. Dancing and music go hand-in-hand, and for many years, dances with live music were a central meeting point for communities. One dance team that has been a fixture in Western North Carolina for almost 50 years is the Green Grass Cloggers. Clogging is a distinct form of dancing that borrows from the step dancing of the British Isles, the dance traditions of West Africa, and Native American dance, clogging is a dynamic form, a dance that is alive, well, and evolving.

Episode 10: Wayne Erbsen: Musician, Teacher, Author, and Radio Host

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 30 Jun 2021 17:06:31 +0000

Inspired by his love of traditional Southern music, Wayne Erbsen moved to the mountain South in the early 1970's to learn from the masters of old-time and bluegrass. In the more than forty years since, he has become a leading teacher of traditional music himself, while carrying on a busy career as a performer, radio host, and documenting the history of Appalachian music. A conversation with Wayne Erbsen is liable to uncover any number of interesting experiences in traditional music

Episode 9: Unto These Hills

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 08 Jun 2021 14:29:05 +0000

The historical production portrays the arrival of Spanish explorer Hernando DeSoto in 1540, the participation of the Cherokee in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend, and the removal of the Cherokee from their ancestral lands on the Trail of Tears in 1838. Unto These Hills honors some of the most revered Cherokee heroes, including Sequoyah, creator of the Cherokee alphabet, Junaluska, the wise leader, and Tsali, the brave warrior who gave his life for his people.

Episode 8: Traditional Artist Directory Spotlight: Susan Pepper

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 18 May 2021 17:42:37 +0000

Susan Pepper first came to Western North Carolina in 2003 to attend the Swannanoa Gathering at Warren Wilson College. She moved to Asheville in 2004 and in 2005 moved to Boone to pursue a master's degree in Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University. There she found a community of musicians that helped her connect to the music and traditions in the Boone area, particularly one of her main spots of inspiration, Beech Mountain.

Episode 7: Blue Ridge Craft Trails Spotlight: Richard Beard

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 04 May 2021 13:53:46 +0000

Richard Beard, a luthier on the Blue Ridge Craft Trails, is never away from music for very long. When he’s not building instruments in his Rutherfordton shop, he’s often playing music. And when he’s not playing or building, he can be heard hosting the radio show “Celtic Winds” on WNCW FM. Richard Beard’s family has been in Western North Carolina since the 1700s. His early years were spent in Southern California and New Jersey, but he returned to North Carolina for college at UNC Asheville then Guilford College.

Episode 6: Traditional Artist Directory Spotlight: Michael Reno Harrell

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 20 Apr 2021 15:36:09 +0000

The Traditional Artist Directory, located on the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area website, blueridgeheritage.com serves as a vehicle to promote artists found along the Blue Ridge Music Trails of NC. This week we want to introduce you to Michael Reno Harrell. Just seeing Michael Reno Harrell would be hard to forget. His trademark long, white hair and glasses cut a striking figure. But for those able to enjoy a performance of the “songs he makes up and yarns he spins,” Michael is unforgettable.

Episode 5: Traditional Artist Directory Spotlight: The Burnett Sisters Band

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 30 Mar 2021 15:48:22 +0000

The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area serves as the steward of the living traditions of our region, protecting and promoting the outdoor landscapes, heritage agriculture, Cherokee culture, craft and music in Western North Carolina. The Traditional Artist Directory, located on the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area website, blueridgeheritage.com serves as a vehicle to promote artists found along the Blue Ridge Music Trails of NC. This week we want to introduce you to “The Burnett Sisters Band.”

Episode 4: NC Musician Murals Project

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 16:17:05 +0000

The NC Musician Murals Project began as a casual arrangement between artist Scott Nurkin and the owner of Pepper’s Pizza in Chapel Hill. Nurkin would create portraits of renowned NC musicians to cover a blank wall in the restaurant in exchange for “free pizza for life”. Today, Nurkin’s murals on nine buildings from the mountains to the Piedmont celebrate the transcendent, influential, and groundbreaking musicians of North Carolina.

Episode 3: Banjo Builders in WNC

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 15:01:27 +0000

The roots of the banjo go back to West Africa. Early versions of the instrument came to the Americas with enslaved people. In the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina, the banjo took a strong hold, and along with the fiddle, formed the foundation of our traditional music. Today, the banjo is as present as ever across Western North Carolina. Not only is the banjo played here, but it’s also built here. Two young builders with their own distinct building styles and philosophies work to carry on the tradition.

Episode 2: Music’s Functions in the Farmers Federation

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 19:19:13 +0000

The Farmers Federation Cooperative, an organization focused on sharing progressive farming methods and creating a thriving agricultural market in WNC included music as essential to the endeavor. Farmers Federation annual picnic gatherings held in many counties throughout Western North Carolina featured Appalachian music as a chief draw for attendees. The picnics featured a diverse range of music that drew from many traditions. As a result, the Farmers Federation became a stage for individual musicians and a larger influence on musical styles in the mountains of North Carolina.

Episode 1: Byard Ray's Old Fiddle Makes New Music

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 17:59:20 +0000

Fiddle music is a richly layered tapestry that runs through the core of Western North Carolina. The passing down of the traditions (or styles), and instruments is ever present. In 2020 North Carolina native and traditional musician, Jason Cade recorded his “Byard Ray Dozen Series.” A collection in tribute to the legendary Byard Ray of Madison County. The core of the story is the multigenerational journey of a Western North Carolina fiddle.

Matthew Tooni Carries on Traditions of Cherokee Stories and Music

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 13:46:47 +0000

Cultures around the world face the problem of losing their traditions when younger people don’t take interest in their heritage. But among the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, an exceptionally dedicated generation of young tradition bearers, men and women in their twenties and thirties, are both learning and teaching the culture of their ancestors. One of the most prominent members of this generation is language preservationist, musician, and storyteller Matthew Tooni.

Jack Guy Compiled a Treasure Trove of Mountain Music

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 20:27:40 +0000

For more than a hundred years, folklorists and other scholars have been visiting the community of Beech Mountain, North Carolina. Perhaps the most prolific collector of the community’s music and stories was himself a native of Old Beech.

In the 1960s, Jack Guy began selling mountain handcrafts and folk toys to tourists, helping local artists make a living through their heritage crafts. He operated his business out of a small log cabin, selling classic mountain toys like limberjacks and gee-haw-whimmy-diddles, alongside many other items, including musical instruments made by renowned local luthiers.

And while he was at it, Jack created a venue for Beech Mountain’s musicians to perform, share their music, and be recorded for posterity. He hosted many concerts and informal jams at the shop, featuring great local bands, solo musicians, and storytellers. As they performed, Jack was often at work in the background recording the music on his reel-to-reel tape recorder. He created an enormous archive of Beech Mountain music and folklore.

Soon you’ll be able to visit the North Carolina Folklife Institute’s website, ncfolk.org, to listen to more than 100 audio tapes of mountain music, accompanied by hundreds of old photos of life on Beech Mountain, recordings and stories by the artists who carry on Beech Mountain’s traditions today.

Byard Ray and Obray Ramsey Make Long, Strange Trip into Pop Culture

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 17 Jan 2020 22:23:25 +0000

It’s not unusual for traditional musicians to influence artists in other styles, and that kind of cross-pollination was especially common in the 1960s and ’70s, as pop and rock musicians mined the depths of old-time, blues, and other folk styles. But few traditional musicians of that era had quite such a long, strange trip into the world of pop culture as North Carolina’s Byard Ray and Obray Ramsey.

Ray and Ramsey were cousins from Madison County, North Carolina, in the Blue Ridge Mountains west of Asheville. Madison County has been home to renowned traditional ballad singers and instrumentalists for generations, and the two men were part of the network of families whose musical heritage has made the county famous. Obray Ramsey was a banjo player with an old-time three-finger picking style and a smooth, high singing voice. Byard Ray was a skilled fiddler whose musical roots drew from the playing of some of the early fiddlers of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountains, including J. D. Harris, who influenced many other great musicians of the region.

Young Presley Barker Dazzles on the Flatpicked Guitar

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 19:06:31 +0000

The Blue Ridge Mountains of northwestern North Carolina and southwestern Virginia have produced legendary bluegrass and old-time guitarists. Presley Barker is the newest member of the lineage of virtuosic flatpickers inspired by Doc Watson. Presley first started to learn the guitar in 2012, when he was only seven years old. It didn’t take long for the traditional music community in his native North Carolina mountains to take note.

Don Reno Finds Success as a Bluegrass Banjo Innovator and Bandleader

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 17:06:03 +0000

While Earl Scruggs is often credited as the originator of bluegrass banjo, he was actually an innovator within a broader tradition of three-finger banjo playing. Predating bluegrass, it was made famous by banjo players from the hills and mountains of the Carolinas, all of whom had their own personal takes on the style. In addition to Scruggs, these pioneers included Wade Mainer, Smith Hammett, Snuffy Jenkins, and Don Reno.

In 1948, when Don Reno heard that Earl Scruggs had left Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys, he took his banjo to a concert that the band was giving in North Carolina, and without invitation or warning, joined them on stage. Monroe welcomed him, and for the next year Don toured as a Blue Grass Boy.

Though playing banjo for the Blue Grass Boys was in many ways a dream gig for a young musician, leaving that band cleared the way for Reno to form the band in which he would find the greatest success, his partnership with fellow Carolina mountain musician and veteran Red Smiley.

Mary Jane Queen Preserved a Family Tradition of Songs and Stories

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Tue, 10 Dec 2019 14:49:24 +0000

In Jackson County, North Carolina, the Queen family has long played, sung, and shared the music of their native home. The matriarch of the Queen family was Mary Jane Queen. Her father, James Sylvester Prince, born in 1876, was known as a great banjo player. Mary Jane also absorbed many old songs from her singing grandmothers, and one of her brothers was said to be the first person in the Caney Fork section of Jackson County to own a guitar. Though the old music was always in Mary Jane Queen’s memory, it wasn’t until later in life, after she’d raised eight children and become a widow, that she began to focus on singing and sharing the old songs that she’d grown up with.

David Holt Shares Blue Ridge Mountain Music with the World

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 07 Nov 2019 19:37:04 +0000

It all began when David Holt was a college student at UC Santa Barbara. At a campus concert, he heard Ralph Stanley play the clawhammer banjo, the driving style Ralph’s mother played. After the show, David approached Ralph and asked him, “where can I learn to play the banjo like that?” Ralph told him, “You’ll have to go back to the Southern Mountains where I grew up. Go to Virginia go to North Carolina.” That’s just what David Holt did.

Lillian Chase Fiddles a Smooth Mountain Blend of Bluegrass and Old-Time Music

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 17:45:23 +0000

Fiddler Lillian Chase is young–she was born in 2003–but she is the steward of a centuries-old musical tradition of her native Blue Ridge Mountains. Raised in a family that has been living in the mountains for six generations, Lillian had an early ear for Appalachian music. At the age of four she decided that she wanted to play the fiddle, and two years later, began to learn the instrument. Now an accomplished musician in a variety of genres – including old-time, bluegrass, and classical – Lillian exemplifies the stylistic versatility for which musicians around Asheville, North Carolina, are known.

Smoky Mountain Folk Festival Celebrates Fifty Years of Music and Dance

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 30 Aug 2019 17:26:03 +0000

Back in 1969, while still a college student, Joe Sam Queen, grandson of legendary dancer Sam Love Queen, was asked by the town of Waynesville to call a square dance on the streets of downtown. The square dance became the Smoky Mountain Folk Festival and this Labor Day weekend, in 2019, it celebrates 50 years.

Fiddler Carley Arrowood Lends Her Voice to Mountain Music

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 22 Aug 2019 15:22:26 +0000

It’s not unusual for a mountain musician to be a part of several different musical traditions. A Blue Ridge fiddler might play in a mountain swing session on Friday night, sit in with an old-time band playing for a square dance on Saturday night, and sing in the church choir on Sunday morning. In this respect, Carley Arrowood is in good company. But Carley stands out in her youth: few artists as young as she have already mastered so many genres. She plays, sings, and writes bluegrass and gospel music, and was a classical performer as a child.

Rhiannon Ramsey Exemplifies the Next Generation of Fiddlers

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Thu, 27 Jun 2019 18:30:24 +0000

Recent years have seen a blossoming of interest in mountain music among musicians who were born in the 1990s and 2000s. Among the youngest of this cohort, North Carolina fiddler Rhiannon Ramsey epitomizes a blend of great musical chops and continuation of mountain traditions. Her native Madison County is famously musical, a place that the early ballad collector Cecil Sharp referred to as “a nest of singing birds.” She leads her own band, Rhiannon and the Relics, and in 2018 she joined the Stony Creek Boys, a band that has been an anchor of Asheville’s traditional music community for more than fifty years.

Zoe and Cloyd Bring Varied Family Traditions to Mountain Music

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 17:10:16 +0000

The husband-and-wife duo of Natalya Zoe Weinstein and John Cloyd Miller perform under their middle names. Zoe and Cloyd represents not only the partnership between Natalya and John, but a coming-together of two families’ musical traditions. Natalya is the daughter of a jazz pianist, and the granddaughter of a Russian klezmer musician. She herself plays klezmer and classical as well as mountain music. John is the grandson of Jim Shumate, a North Carolina Heritage Award recipient who made pioneering recordings as a member of Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys and Flatt and Scruggs’ Foggy Mountain Boys.

Raymond Fairchild Creates His Own Style of Playing the Banjo

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Mon, 01 Apr 2019 15:38:11 +0000

Bluegrass banjo player Raymond Fairchild of Haywood County, North Carolina, embodies the spirit of originality found in many of the best mountain musicians. He has always done things his own way. His “Fairchild” style has gained countless admirers over the course of a long music career. Raymond has played many times at the Grand Ole Opry, and recorded more than 20 albums—two of which have sold more than a million copies each.

Railroad Tunnel to Asheville Ends in Triumph and Tragedy

Blue Ridge Music Trails — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 15:27:04 +0000

In 1941, the famed folklorist and field recorder Alan Lomax, along with two colleagues, recorded a banjo player from the Blue Ridge Mountains named Bascom Lamar Lunsford. One of the songs he recorded in 1941, “Swannanoa Tunnel,” tells a very local story about a universal theme – the human cost of progress.