Sometimes words aren’t enough to say what you feel. I find myself at a loss whenever I try to describe my first magical listening moment when I discovered Appalachia’s music, but it is always worth a try. In the fall of 1972, I attended the Galax Fiddler’s Convention, which spans several hot August days. The small town of Galax, in southwest Virginia, swells to over 20,000 people while hundreds of musicians come to compete for prizes in stringed instrument categories, folk songs, and traditional dance. Friday and Saturday nights are reserved for the old-time and bluegrass band competitions. As I roamed the parking and camping areas listening to the bands warming up, I found myself in the middle of an old-time band. It was an all-male group dressed in blue jean overalls and straw hats. The instruments played included a guitar, banjo, mandolin, two violins (called twin fiddles), and washtub bass.
As I stood in the center of this band playing Soldier’s Joy, I felt the hair standing up on my arms and a sense of intoxicating joy and energy. The performers radiated Joy, and the audience beamed energy back to the band. Many who love live music have been in a room infused with the magic of outstanding performance. An event like this is an electric, transcendent experience that takes us to a beautiful and joyous place. At that moment, I thought to myself, “Man, you’ve got to get some more of that stuff!”
