Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina

Dec 12 2024 100 ep. 8 mins 77
Down the Road on the Blue Ridge Music Trails of North Carolina Podcast artwork

Music legends and traditions of the North Carolina mountains and foothills.

  Music
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Episode 6: Marc Pruett's Bluegrass Journey: PART TWO

Dec 12 2024 8 mins  
We had such a great time talking with Marc Pruett about his musical career that we found ourselves with a longer story. In this second episode, we look back at some of his early influences, the well-loved Bill Stanley’s BBQ, and the birth of Balsam Range. 

Episode 5: Marc Pruett's Bluegrass Journey

Dec 05 2024 9 mins  
Marc Pruett is known for his spectacular three-fingered style of banjo playing and his winning smile! He's also one of the founding members of the bluegrass band, Balsam Range. Marc sat down to share some stories, discussing his life in Haywood County and his musical career that has led to different areas of the world. 

Episode 4: Andy Griffith from Mayberry

Nov 12 2024 9 mins  
Most people know Andy Griffith as the loveable sheriff of Mayberry, the town based in Mount Airy, NC. Beyond the role, Griffith was a musician and entertainer who shared his knowledge and love of traditional music with his audiences. 

Episode 2: The Ballad Swap at the Old Marshall Jail

Nov 11 2024 8 mins  
Donna Ray Norton and Melanie Rice are eight-generation ballad singers. Along with noted musician Sheila Kay Adams and other local singers, they host a monthly ballad swap at the Old Marshall Jail in downtown Marshall, NC. The event has gained notoriety as the only recurring ballad swap in the area, bringing awareness of the traditional music genre to a broader audience.

Episode 3: The Great Flood of 2024: Tropical Storm Helene

Nov 05 2024 8 mins  
Tropical storm Helene devastated communities across Western North Carolina including Chimney Rock in Rutherford County, Swannanoa and Barnardsville in Buncombe, Crossnore in Avery, Old Fort in McDowell, Spruce Pine in Mitchell, and Hot Springs and Marshall in Madison to name a very few.This is not the first time that mighty waves of water have rolled through the region, causing dev

Episode 1: Otto Wood the Bandit

Nov 05 2024 8 mins  
America has seen its fair share of outlaws throughout history. Musicians have sung their tales, immortalizing them in song from coast to coast and contributing to this country's folklore. North Carolina has a page in outlaw history with the bootlegger Otto Wood. Listen to learn more about Wood and others and the songs they inspired. 

Episode 20: The Creative Community of Rare Bird Farm

Apr 16 2024 10 mins  
Rare Bird Farm in the mountains of Madison County is an agricultural arts center that hosts performing arts, classes, workshops, and community events, all centered around the ideas of creativity, connection, and collaboration. While not a commercial farm, Rare Bird also raises animals, medicinal plants, and food. We spent some time with Mitchell Davis and Farrah Hoffmire or Rare Bi

Episode 19: The Ridgetop Riches of Red Spruce

Mar 26 2024 12 mins  
An intersection of the natural and musical heritage of WNC can be found in the high mountains. Red Spruce (picea rubens) is prominent at altitudes above 5,000 feet in the Southern Appalachians. It’s also one of the primary tonewoods used in traditional construction of mandolins and guitars. For this episode, we spent time with conservationist Marquette Crockett and luthier James

Episode 18: Claire Armbruster and Planning Stages

Mar 11 2024 10 mins  
Traditional music in WNC is a cultural practice that expands into many ways to make a living. We most often think of performers, but for every live music event that takes place, there are folks behind the scenes crossing “I’s” and dotting “T’s” to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. One of the leaders in the event promotion industry is Claire Armbruster who o

Episode 17: Rhonda Gouge and the Joy of Musical Connection

Feb 13 2024 16 mins  
Rhonda Gouge has done a lot. She’s been a fixture in the Mitchell County music scene since the 1970s, she can play at least a dozen instruments, she’s recorded multiple albums under her own name as well as with others, she’s performed with legendary musicians such as Red Wilson, she’s taught traditional music to more than 1,000 students, and in 2023 she was awarded the Nort