I have never been to a festival or convention for bluegrass before this visit to Appalachian State. The most that I had seen of live bluegrass was at the bluegrass nights when I would go to my volunteer fire station. We bring in once a month, local bands and they would play all night in … Continue reading 2015 Appalachian State Fiddler’s Convention
Month: March 2015
Music and Place
Relationships between place and music can be drawn on various levels, as each influences the other. While the physical and cultural geographies of a place often provide inspiration for music, and may even dictate style, music also influences the character of a place. Creation: Place can simply be a space to gather and create music or celebrate … Continue reading Music and Place
Whose Bluegrass Is It Anyway?
The readings by Goldsmith and Rosenberg that were assigned for this week sparked an interesting conversation among my classmates on “authenticity” and if Bluegrass is a product of Appalachia. If you consider Bluegrass starting with Bill Monroe, it should be noted that he was born in Rosine, Kentucky. Rosine is located within Ohio County and … Continue reading Whose Bluegrass Is It Anyway?
Which is better? The Home-place or the Destination?
What would bluegrass be without the home-place? Most of the basis for bluegrass music comes from Old Time Music which originated mainly away from the metropolitan areas and in large part Appalachia. Most bluegrass artists were born and raised within a … Continue reading →
Relations between place and music
What type of music you listen to or the type you are exposed to often depends most on where you are. Different physical and cultural regions all have varying musical preferences, and can heavily influence those who grow up in these areas. Even within genres we have sub-genres, that can often have distinct differences and … Continue reading Relations between place and music
Audible-ogrophy
Music has always been a quintessential aspect of culture and human expression. Long before music became the billion dollar industry that it is today, songs could be heard at family gatherings, celebrations, and other social events. Instruments have been throughout history, tools that create a language that has the ability to transcend any kind of … Continue reading Audible-ogrophy
Are Bluegrass and Appalachia Synonymous?
Bluegrass and the Appalachian region have always had a strong connection to one another, however the question raised when discussing the two is this: Are bluegrass music and Appalachia synonymous? It is widely concluded that bluegrass music began with Bill Monroe who was born in Rosine, Kentucky. But wait! Rosine, Kentucky isn’t Appalachia! This might … Continue reading Are Bluegrass and Appalachia Synonymous?
Music, Place, Identity: What’s the Question?
Music unlike many other forms of entertainment has a unique characteristic to take people to a specific time or place. Strangely it seems that this quality of music remains dormant until someone leaves a certain place. For me, as typical as it may seem, I never realized a connection to the song “Country Roads” by … Continue reading Music, Place, Identity: What’s the Question? →
Bluegrass and Appalachia
My initial reaction to the question, “Does Bluegrass music represent Appalachia?” was “Of course!” I grew up in Southwest Virginia, hearing Bluegrass and Gospel Bluegrass everywhere from churches to county fairs. Many of the themes in Bluegrass remind me of … Continue reading →
Place and Location… It Matters
The Big Question is…. Is Appalachia the only region associated with Bluegrass music? I am no expert, by any means. I am from the Appalachian region and I grew up listening to the banjos, fiddles, mandolins, and guitars, but I am more cautious when answering this question. From listening to the songs and being around … Continue reading Place and Location… It Matters