May From The Editor

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Memorial Day

Memorial Day is May 25th. It was originally called Decoration Day to honor fallen soldiers of the Civil War, and is always observed on the last Monday in May. It is our nation's foremost annual day to mourn and honor its deceased service men and women. 

 

Flag Pond

The 8th annual Upper East Tennessee Fiddlers Convention took place on April 24-25 at the Old Flag Pond School in Flag Pond. Camping was moved to the main grassy area in front of the school, which was a great improvement over the previous arrangements. Friday was an absolutely perfect day, and we played music until 3 AM! Saturday was a little wet, but that did not stop even more great music from being made. It was great to be part of the large Knoxville contingent, and it was terrific to catch up with lots of old friends - and make some new ones. Congrats to Roy Andrade and ETSU, the Friends of Rocky Fork State Park, and all the competitors on Saturday for another successful Convention. I will post the competition results when available.

 

Mount Airy

Next up will be Mount Airy on June 5-6. The long standing joke is that the festival always takes place on the first rainy weekend in June. I hope to see many of you there. Rain is a fact of life for summer Festivals - plan ahead! 

 

Tune History: Over The Waterfall

"Over the Waterfall" is sourced to fiddler Henry Reed (1884-1968) of Glen Lyn, Virginia, who first heard the melody when he was a child. It was collected as a fiddle tune from Reed in 1967, and also popularized in the Old Time community by folklorist and fiddler Alan Jabbour. The melody comes from a traditional song originating in the British Isles, which was well known on both sides of the Atlantic long before Reed was born. This catchy music has been used with a wide variety of lyrics by many artists, and you can learn lots more in this month's Tune History.

 

Banjo History Lecture

I went to the East TN History Museum downtown on April 15th to hear author  Kristina Gaddy talk about her book, “Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo's Hidden History.” Partnering with the theme of the Women In Old Time Exhibit, which ended on 4/19, she gave an overview of banjo history and women who have played the instrument and influenced it from its origins to present. She was a good speaker and made an informative presentation. The museum staff was excellent, and even opened the main exhibit areas for those who wanted to wander through. 

 

Do Musical Skills Tend To Decline With Age?

Banjo playing neurologist, Dr. Josh Turknett, is back with some scientific  insight on why musical skills may - or more importantly- may not -decline with age. You might be surprised to learn that you have far more say in the matter than you've been led to believe. And why Doc Watson was still in his "prime" at age 70. Click HERE to read what a 1996 study revealed.

 

Mark