Music and musicians have always played a role in building and defining our culture. This is especially true in the Appalachian and Southern regions of the United States, where many rural southern families in the 1800s held gatherings that revolved around music as a regular part of their recreation. These gatherings, full of local food, musical festivity, and folklore, would often involve all generations of multiple nearby families, with people sharing stories from their ancestral roots as well as chronicling their immigrant and farm-based experiences through songs and storytelling. During the Civil War and later, the Great Depression, families used these communal gatherings to interpret (and in some cases, forget) about the harsh times they lived in. Traveling musicians, looking for a way to earn a living from their art, would also perform at these communal events. Read More