appalachian music

APPALACHIAN MUSICTIANS ANDSINGERSAND THE SONGS THEY
WRITE Growing up in Appalachia and around its music hasmade a
great impact on my life. I can remember, as ifit were yesterday sitting on
grandpa's front porch withmy family singing along with Hillbilly songs on
theradio. Along with entertaining the music eased thetensions of living a
meager existence in Appalachia. By relating with these song writers and
the stories inthere songs we somehow find our life less tedious andmore
bearable. Most country and gospel Appalachiansong writers find the
words to there songs in the dayto day experiences of there lives. One
of the most prominent and popular types ofmusic to come out of the
Appalachian region is gospelmusic. Writing about the religious
experiences onefelt at the alter or the hope of seeing a lost familymember
in the here after has been the subject of manyAppalachian gospel song.
Singers and song writers likeTennessee Ernie Ford and Ernest Tub have
left us withjoy in our harts and tears in our eyes. Singing andlistening to
songs like The Old Rugged Cross hascarried over from generation to
generation inAppalachia. Another branch of Appalachian music that
encirclearound religion is bluegrass. One of the best knownBluegrass
artists (Bill Monroe)Known also as the fatherof bluegrass music,
dedicated a portion of everyperformance to a gospel bluegrass harmony
number. Bluegrass became popular in the region for a number ofreasons.
Not the least of which was the inexpensivenessof home made
instruments.(Ergood and Kuhre 189) Therelatively small size made the
instruments easilytransported from home to home. The variance of
topics in Appalachian music cannot be numbered. The subject of a song
can be anythingfrom the pine trees on the highest mountain to the
coolwater in the stream at the bottom of the lowest holleror any thing in
between. Anything seen heard or feltmight have a song written about it.
Another brand ofAppalachian music honky tonk music was made popular
bya man named Hiram (Hank) Williams. Songs aboutcheating harts and
Honky Tonkin might no have beenpopular with the churches, but they

were with theAppalachian workers in the city bars that couldn't bedown
home with there loved ones. Hank Williams,although not mentioned in
our text had a high pitchedpining sound that was common among
Appalachian singers. Blue grass instruments carried over into this style
ofAppalachian music. Hillbilly as it is referred to inslang terms also known
as country and western or justcountry as it is referred to today is one of
the mostpopular styles of music. Many of today's top countryartists got
their start in churches or at familygatherings with the old standard gospel
and bluegrasssongs like In The Pines or The Circle Be Unbroken.
Thetext mentioned Dolly Parton's song Coat Of Many Colorsand Loretta
Lyne's Coal Miners Daughter for includingthere Heritage in the
songs(Ergood and Kuhre 189). There are many Nationally known
Appalachian Songwriters musicians and singers today.
Gospel,bluegrass, country and western or rock whatever thestyle of
music it has some origins in Appalachia. MostAppalachians have been
surrounded in the music sincebirth. In some Appalachian families, like
theStonemans every member of the family has a role in theperformance.
Although these singers and song writersand many more lesser known
and those from times gone byalso. Those not heard of yet have many
differencesthere will always be to common bonds. ThereAppalachian
style of singing about the land that theylove.