Musical encounters

On Sunday afternoon we pulled into the Blue Ridge Music Center (operated by the National Park Service, and heard a live jam session by the group pictured above. They demonstrated "Old Time" music from about 200 years ago, before bluegrass or country music had developed.

Before the trip, Steve and I mentioned that we would be traveling near the heartland and birthplace of country music. We had no idea what great examples we would encounter.

Dining at the lodge at Big Meadows Saturday night, we enjoyed live music by a talented trio. A young woman sang beautifully and played a cajon box drum (like the one I have). A man who may have been her father also sang and played a guitar, and a woman (the drummer's mother?) Sang and played the fiddle. They did bluegrass, blues, country, and folk music. It was a great show.

At dinner Monday night at the Park Vista Restaurant, a small group of locals were sitting on a patio dinging and playing a banjo, mandolin, guitar and fiddle. We enjoyed watching the sun set over the mountains and listening to them sing and play.

Later that evening, at a motel along the Parkway in West Jefferson, the family in the next room included a preteen girl who serinaded her grandmother with songs accompanied by a ukulele. We were all sitting out in front of our rooms, enjoying the beautiful mountain views. Her "Over the Rainbow" was quite good.

We are delving deep into Appalachian culture. Down here they pronounce it "Appa-latch-an," and we are definitely soaking in some Southern Appalachian style music.