The History and Evolution of Bluegrass Music

Come with us to experience the beginnings of Bluegrass music and follow its evolution as it traveled across the ocean and settled in the Appalachian Mountains. This program will track the origin of this style of music back to its roots and the influence the Scottish, Irish, and English pioneers who settled along the Appalachian Mountains had on it. We will experience the ways in which Bluegrass music tells a story about everyday life, whether about a good harvest, a love gone bad (or good), moonshining, or even a rogue bear will be explained. The program will tell how songs were handed down from generation to generation and modified to fit a particular area. The appearance of Bluegrass on radio at the Grand Old Opry by Bill Monroe in 1939 will also be discussed and why he is known as the "Father of Bluegrass." A special side-note about the origin of the banjo, one of the premier instruments of Bluegrass, will also be included. The Bluegrass band, the "Kitchen Pickers", will play representative songs applicable to our area. The audience will be encouraged to hear the words in addition to listening to the music to gain an understanding of the everyday life stories the music style represented.

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