Category Archives: old time

Highlights of the McConnell Library Appalachian Music Collection- Conversations With North American Banjo Builders

This month’s highlight selection is very different from all of the others. This week I am featuring volume 1 of a 9 DVD series in three parts. This series is composed of interviews of banjo builders. AND HISTORIANS!! (I have … Continue reading

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Rest in Peace Pete Seeger

While driving to work this morning I heard the news that Pete Seeger died yesterday at the ripe old age of 94.  Pete Seeger was called a lot of things in life – among them musician, author, peace advocate, teacher, … Continue reading

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Highlights of the McConnell Library Appalachian Music Collection- Carolina Chocolate Drops

I just heard that Dena Epstein died last week (11/14/13) at the age of 96.  I am going to assume that her name was not necessarily recognizeable to most people but I am pretty sure that the fruits of her life’s … Continue reading

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Roger Sprung is Here

When I think back the many years to the time when I went to the Galax Fiddlers Convention for the first time, one memory stands out.  People were everywhere, walking, talking, playing music; venders were selling vintage instruments, food, t-shirts … Continue reading

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Highlights of the McConnell Library Appalachian Music Collection- Adam Hurt

I was sitting here minding my own business listening to some music.  A patron of mine walked into my office to take care of some library business and then stayed a while to chat.  I noticed her looking at my … Continue reading

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Highlights of McConnell Library’s Appalachian Music Collection- John Hartford

(Used with permission from C.L. Garvin, photographer.) When I was younger, I had a very good friend, Billy.  Billy was a lot older than me and he loved bluegrass music.  He would play and loan his bluegrass records to me, … Continue reading

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Highlights of McConnel Library’s Appalachian Music Collection- John Balch

Earworm.  The definition of that word from dictionary.com is “a tune or part of a song that repeats in one’s mind”.  I did not need to look that word up actually but I did anyway just to see if there … Continue reading

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Bascom Lamar Lunsford- the man who wrote Good Old Mountain Dew

Last semester I found myself talking to an Appalachian Studies class about Appalachian Music and used the song Good Old Mountain Dew as an example of a traditional song.  After the class, as I walked back to my office I … Continue reading

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"Give Me the Banjo" on PBS Nov 4

There has been a documentary in the works for quite a while now and it is apparently finished and will air Nov 4 at 9:00-pm on PBS. The Banjo Project has a very nice website talking about this documentary and … Continue reading

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Billy Jim's Fiddle

There is a poem by Stephen Vincent Benet that I have loved since the very first time I heard it.  In fact, it made such an impression on me I tried to memorize it.  I got pretty far with that, … Continue reading

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