Bluegrass

Generally considered a variant of country music, bluegrass is a hybrid of old-time country and string-band music; British folk songs; improvisation and syncopation, reflecting the influence of blues and jazz; and a wide variety of popular commercial music. Although frequently considered “mountain music,” bluegrass was created by Bill Monroe in Rosine, Kentucky – far from the hills of Appalachia. Key instruments in the genre include the mandolin and the 5-string banjo.

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Betty McDaniel Photos | Digital Traditions
Betty McDaniel Photos | Digital Traditions

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Betty McDaniel is a life-long educator. She has degrees from the University of North Carolina, Clemson, and the University of South Carolina. She started her teaching career in 1974 and retired in...
Bill Wells Photos | Digital Traditions
Bill Wells Photos | Digital Traditions

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In December of 1985, Bill Wells – a retired Navy man and musician raised in the coal-mining region of southwestern Virginia – opened Bill’s Pickin’ Parlor and Music Shop in West Columbia. He...