Appalachia (/ˌæp.əˈlæ.tʃə/ - Appa-lah-tcha not Appa-lay-shah
The dictionaries and Wikipedia both as a pronunciation. Growing up in the Appalachian Mountains we were taught that those that pronounce it with “lay” aren’t to be trusted. ~soft laugh~
These beautiful mountains are made up of 423 counties across 13 states and spans 206,000 square miles, from southern New York to northern Mississippi. The Region’s 26.3 million residents live in parts of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia, and all of West Virginia. The landscape is simply stunning.

But I want to talk about the music. Music has always been an important part of my life. It’s an important part of the culture of Appalachia. Not every piece of music has to be a happy tune and, in fact, Appalachian music often speaks to the darker places in the soul. It is an odd category with a wide variety of influences, a blend of Irish and Scots traditional music, African-American Blues, and gospel. Many of the instruments were homemade or ordered from the Sears & Robuck catalogue. I have a banjo that my great-great grandfather made, though I never learned how to play.

In 1927 and 1928, Ralph Peer, a music engineer/record producer for Okeh Records, out of New York, came to Bristol with remote recording equipment. He pioneered field recording. Bristol sits on the state line of Virginia and Tennessee and those recording sessions are known as the Bristol Boom and is recognized as the “Big Bang” of country music. Musicians traveled from all over the area to record their songs. Peer paid them $50 a recording. These sessions launched the careers of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers and many others.
Mama Maybelle Carter is remembered today as one of the most influential country guitar players of all time. If you haven’t heard of Mama Maybelle, you’ve likely heard of her daughter June Carter Cash. Guitars, banjos and fiddles (not violin) were standard instruments. The lyrics don’t always make sense, but no one can deny the talent and mastery of the instruments. Train On the Island – J.P. Nestor is an example of this. I’m not sure why the train is on the island and why he’s sick and can’t go but he sure as hell can play the banjo. His fingers are moving in two different directions at the same time to play it so fast.

The area’s music is heavily influenced by hymns and gospel. Will The Circle Be Unbroken, I’ll Fly Away, I Saw the Light, and Go Rest High On That Mountain are just a smattering of my favorites.

These early sessions have led to what is known today as country music. Many of today’s artists give credit to these predecessors. The Bristol Sessions influenced modern-day country legends like Eric Church, who stated: “It was the first time it [country music] was recorded, it was documented, and it was the bible of country music. It is still the bible for country music.” “Those were songs that I grew up with and knowing and it influenced the way I write,” noted Dolly Parton. “But they’re really simple songs – ordinary songs about ordinary people. But they’re told in such a sweet, extraordinary way.” “What’s so beautiful is to realize that all those years ago… nothing has changed,” noted Vince Gill. “All of us are still moved by a great singer and a great song.”

During these recording sessions the term Hillbilly (that’s “Hill William” to you!) was coined and now many from the Appalachia area are referred to as Hillbilly. The people have long been maligned as being “backward”, many see us not being as intelligent as others around the country. Speech and idiosyncrasies are slower with slang such as “over yonder” and “fixin’ to”. That’s okay though, underestimate us – we’ll surprise you.

Happy Sunday!

As a Yankee with an eclectic taste in music and Celtic roots, I have been a long-time fan of Appalachian. I finally got the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion off my bucket list nearly 10 years ago. With performances going on many stages throughout the day, you quickly get immersed in all things Appalachia over the course of 3 glorious days. And if you’re a runner, like I used to be, there’s a 5K on Saturday morning where you run all the way from Virginia to Tennessee and back again!

I am enjoying this, thank you.

Beautiful country

i apologize for the broken links...i had typed it in word and copied and pasted...
thank you cait~ for letting me know...

Fantastic. And utterly gorgeous images.

Thanks for a lovely Sunday share.

Some of the links say "Server Error in '/' Application." But if you delete the first run of http it will work.
Great links, love the songs.

It's true if you pronounce it the wrong way, we know.
We have a small town nearby called Chauncey. The saying goes it's Chancy to call it Chauncy cause we know pronounced Chancy and you've never been here before. I live in "the foothills of the Appalachians. "

"beautiful post, pretty girl. Lot of thought and heart in it. I love that music and the region.

Some great music to be had.

That was an excellent summary. Happy Sunday.

Love this

This was supposed to link to the word stunning...