Old-Time and Bluegrass Music
MerleFest
Before the age of radio, television and the internet, most people made their own music in their homes and communities, learning songs and stories from family and friends and passing them along from generation to generation. Today, that tradition continues through bluegrass, fiddling and old-time music festivals across North Carolina. The gatherings take place in the warmer months of the year and include not only music performances but workshops, jams, lessons and competitions. Many attendees camp out on the festival grounds and play together into the night.
North Carolina is home to many long-running music festivals including Fiddler's Grove, started in Union Grove in 1924; MerleFest, one of the nation's premiere showcases of Americana and roots music, held since 1988 on the Wilkes Community College campus in honor of North Carolina guitar legend Doc Watson's late son, Merle; the Allegheny County Fiddler's Convention in Sparta; and the Festival for the Eno, in Durham. Some annual events, like Blue Ridge Old-Time Week at Mars Hill College and the Swannanoa Gathering at Warren Wilson College near Asheville, place an emphasis on learning. And others, like the Ocrafolk Music and Storytelling Festival, include spoken word performances. The Blue Ridge Music Trails Web site and companion book are comprehensive guides to bluegrass and string band music, ballad singing, fiddling, shape-note singing, gospel music, clogging and other traditional forms of music and dance in our state, along with profiles of prominent musicians and a brief history of Blue Ridge music.
Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM) afterschool programs, a North Carolina Arts Council initiative, provide a growing number of North Carolina students with the opportunity to learn the traditional music of their region from skilled local players, giving them an understanding of their musical roots and a sense of pride in their heritage. Master musicians offer upper elementary and middle school students instruction on the fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin and other instruments. Students learn to play traditional tunes by ear and to perform together in small groups. There are currently seven JAM programs operating in seven counties in Western North Carolina.
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