A series of perspectives assembled to accompany the subjects collected from published books, recordings & liner notes and other sources. This takes the form of filmed interviews and contemporary performances from the genre along side writings and audio from important historical recordings.
Since the early 1900s, the site of the Floyd Country Store has been a hub for people. Originally called Farmer’s Supply, it was a place where farmers, craftsmen, laborers and travelers all converged to trade wares and …
Crossroads: The Story Behind Music of our Mountains Read More »
By KINNEY RORRER— The term mountain music first appeared on phonograph records in 1933 as recorded by such country singers as Elton Britt, Ken Landon, James Brown, Jr. and the Kelly Brothers. Mountain music came …
A Fertile Crescent — The Blue Ridge Plateau and the Birth of Country Music Read More »
THE WRECK OF THE OLD ’97 was an American rail disaster involving the Southern Railway mail train — officially known as the Fast Mail (train number 97). While en route from Monroe, Virginia to Spencer, …
Music of Our Mountains · Ernest V. Stoneman – “The Titanic” Music of Our Mountains · Ernest V. Stoneman – “The Face That Never Returned” When we think of the machine that is recorded country …
Imagine the world of the late 1920’s and every country store in America houses a series of necessities; feed and farm supplies, milk, cheese and other trade goods, perhaps even the mail and local newspaper. …
Music of Our Mountains · Blind Alfred Reed – “There’ll Be No Distinction There” Blind Alfred Reed: Appalachian Visionary by Various Artists There is a timelessness to the music of Appalachia that is undeniable. For …
Blind Alfred Reed: Roots That Rippled Across Oceans Read More »
BY JOSH BECKWORTH— When considering early country music recordings it is often difficult to discern the impact of the commercial recording industry. After all, most of the songs recorded during the first decade of country …
A Distinction Between Musical Motivations — Entertainment or Heritage in Everyday Life? Read More »
While it’s easy to get lost in the heralding romanticism of Henry Whitter’s journey to spearhead the recording of early country music, it would be a vast disservice to limit our assessment of Southwest Virginia’s …
Beyond the Shellac – Aural Transmission and the Boundless Music of Appalachia Read More »
The history of popular culture has often painted a unidimensional perspective of Southern Appalachia, and with it a statement about the region’s musical heritage. It is without a doubt easiest to compare early country music …
