What is the Crooked Road? The Crooked Road is a music heritage trail that runs along the southwest region of Virginia in and around the Appalachian Mountains. It is home to many bluegrass/old time musicians, music venues, and other musically historical sites. This trail follows US route 58, starting in Franklin County, Virginia and ending … Continue reading Bluegrass Presentation
Author: lividv
Listen Closely
In class this week, we were given a worksheet that consisted of boxes to fill in. We were asked to go outside of the classroom and walk around our large campus filled with many different environments. The sheet suggested we go to a quiet and woodsy area, a busy, pedestrian filled area, and other areas … Continue reading Listen Closely
Gender Roles in Bluegrass Music
When I think of bluegrass music I do not automatically think of a certain gender or a certain race, I focus my attention more on the music itself and how the instruments are strummed and the melodies are sung. I have noticed recently that this genre does have a strong connotation with men, specifically middle … Continue reading Gender Roles in Bluegrass Music
Bluegrass Festivals: All Kinds of Kinds
After reading Robert Owen Gardner’s The Portable Community: Mobility and Modernization in Bluegrass Festival Life I have learned a lot about how Bluegrass festivals display a sense of community formed of an unlikely mix. In his article, Gardner discussed the meaning of community and how that is reflected in the Bluegrass festival scene. Community is … Continue reading Bluegrass Festivals: All Kinds of Kinds
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?
The Importance of Business in Bluegrass
When discussing bluegrass music, many of us immediately hear the twangy pickin’ of the banjo, the beautiful siren like sounds of a mandolin, strummin’ and pickin’ of the guitar, a fiddle, and the high lonesome sound of the musicians. However, we don’t often take into consideration all of the hard work that goes into the … Continue reading The Importance of Business in Bluegrass
Accepting A New Generation
In recent years there has been an immense amount of controversy among the bluegrass music fan-base debating one thing: What is bluegrass? With an increasingly large number of bluegrass and “newgrass” bands and artists rising up, the sound of this genre has been changing. Many bluegrass fans from an earlier generation are dismissing the music … Continue reading Accepting A New Generation
Doyle Lawson Biography
Tennessee native, Doyle Lawson, was born on April 20th in 1944 to parents: Leonard and Minnie Lawson. He grew up in a place called Ford Town with his two brothers and sister listening to the Grand Ole Opry radio. This radio show allowed him to become exposed to a major influence in his life: Bill … Continue reading Doyle Lawson Biography
Doyle Lawson: Gospel and Bluegrass
Tennessee native, Doyle Lawson, was born on April 20th in 1944 to parents: Leonard and Minnie Lawson. He grew up in a place called Ford Town with his two brothers and sister listening to the Grand Ole Opry radio. This…
Radio Influence and Hillbilly Music
In Robert Cantwell’s article, Hillbilly Music, I learned many things about how the music industry played a big role in bringing “hillbilly music” to life in the early 20th century. Cantwell begins by introducing Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass, and reviewing his start as a boy in rural Kentucky who travelled to Whiting in order to … Continue reading Radio Influence and Hillbilly Music