The blues community in our coverage area is small but furiously loyal to its music. They remain underground to some degree and we do not have the opportunity to speak to them thru our magazine as often as we would like. Thus, it is an honor to be able to feature prestigious folks such as the ones that this story ...

As hard as it is to believe, the longer evenings and the grass in my yard tell me that spring is once again here, and summer is right around the corner. For music lovers, this is a most welcome sign. Festival season is almost here. For many this will be a chance to see many of your favorite artists at ...

In past issues, AR writers have told various story themes about house concerts and championed how folks use them to bring live music to their friends and neighbors. Recently, the AR office received a bit of information about a new take on this subject. It is called a SongFarmer Club. It is an outflow of the WoodSongs musical fount. Let ...

Music is life, and life is sweet. A rich tapestry of music and the soul from the pews to Panama. Being a working artist is rarely dull. I am fortunate that I get to do a lot of different things in music, as I’m not the sort who is deeply satisfied with doing one thing repetitively. This last month has ...

A few years ago I encountered a lady in Paint Bank, WVA who crafted string music instruments from the most unusual of found household objects. Her creations were realistic banjo and guitar type instruments, and when amplified and played by a good picker, were surprisingly easy on the ears. I considered her creations unique until someone recently asked me if ...

If you have a strong interest in the roots of bluegrass music, you might consider a trip this summer to Owensboro, Kentucky. It is not only home to the International Bluegrass Music Museum (IBMM), but also plays host to the River Of Music Party (ROMP), sponsored by the IBMM. Originally held on the banks of the Ohio River,  ROMP is ...

Broken Arrow, OK is home for Mark and Shelly, a.k.a., The Dusty Pearls. Their debut, self titled, full-length album, is out and the critics are pleased. Michael D. Smith of Wordkrapht.com says, “Doubtless they will be compared to The Civil Wars if their following continues to grow but unlike other male-female duos The Dusty Pearls deserve that compliment,” Happenings at ...

For many folks along the East coast, summertime means a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, commonly referred to as OBX. It’s a strip of land sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean on one side, and the Currituck Sound on the other. The area is historically noted for many things including the Birthplace of Flight (Kitty Hawk), the Lost ...

In the beginning, there was the dream, and in the dream there was a theatre, and that dream was good. Yes, that is my pitiful attempt to set the tone for a story that has a Genesis and a Revelation; however, this is not a story with a beginning and an end but rather a story about an end that ...

Founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson, son of the legendary Doc Watson, MerleFest has been a major fundraiser for Wilkes Community College, and a tremendous celebration of traditional plus music, as Doc always called it. “When Merle and I started out we called our music traditional plus, meaning the traditional music of the Appalachian region plus whatever ...