Music holds an extraordinary status in the Appalachia culture. No other folk art is quite as pervasive nor serves such important social function as music. Music is a universal activity of daily life. It is indeed true that you do not meet many people in the mountains who cannot saw a fiddle or twang a banjo. (Rosenberg 46) This homemade music can be best characterized as vernacular tradition-a mixture of religious, dance, popular, and folk music. (Rosenberg 19)

The first instrument many people think of when talking about mountain folk music is the banjo. While its usage toda

Attached on the next page is the famous piece. From Harlan County Kentucky and wife of a local union organizer, Florence Reece wrote one of the most famous union songs--"Which Side Are You On? http://athena.english.vt.edu/~appalach/stupages/songs.htm

The singing is often described as lonesome sounding. Many of the folksongs follow hymn styling very closely because they repeat the same sectional content with different lyrics. The poetic nature of folksong lyrics contributes to Appalachia styling by communicating a more specific message about the theme of the song. Coal miners on strike usually had used the poetic form of folksong lyrics. Harland County, Kentucky coal mines on strike used songs of poetic nature aimed at the strikers to fire them up and to help them bond tighter together towards their cause. These kinds of folksongs would not be relevant without the words that make a song as well as a powerful statement.

The Appalachia dulcimer, or mountain dulcimer is the instrument most unique to the Appalachia region. For one, it actually is not a true dulcimer because it is strummed or plucked, not played with hammers. Believed to have evolved from the German "scheitholt," it made its way to Appalachia in the 18th century and gradually evolved to suit the needs of Appalachia players. (Huvard) The instrument is shaped in a double teardrop form with a flat back suited for the playing style. The Appalachia dulcimer is played while placed flat on your lap. There are three string sets, one a double course and two single strings. It is said to be fairly simple to learn and play. The mountain dulcimer does not produce enough volume to compete with the guitar or fiddle so it generally accompanies solo folk songs.

The fiddle, otherwise known as the western violin, has been the most prominent and popular Appalachia instrument since the pioneer era. Everyone had a relative or neighbor who played the fiddle, and many people could play a little. (Rosenberg 21) Early Appalachia Music was accompanied with only a fiddle, often because it was the only available instrument.

Music is used for many different purposes in mountain culture. One might begin the day singing unaccompanied hymns at church, move on to playing folksongs during the quiet afternoon and finish off by square dancing to string-band music during the evening corn-shucking festival. Socials and dances were popular forms of entertainment where participation was a must. Appalachia music was primarily a social music that celebrated local events and provided diversion from hard work, a music that created bonds between neighbors and served as a link from one generation to the next. (Wyatt)

Religious life has always been important to Appalachia people. Hymns were important holy expressions to these people and were always sung without accompaniment of instruments. Instrumentation was not considered appropriate in a church setting.

y is almost entirely by white musicians, the banjo is actually of African origins. The banjo was a favorite instrument of black minstrels that traveled throughout the region. By the middle of the 19th century, whites had become fascinated with the banjo and soon began adopting it themselves. During the 1900s the majority of African-Americans left their banjo tradition behind in favor of inexpensive guitars and the new blues genre. (Conway 285-295)

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Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)