A fertile meeting ground for European and African music traditions, the North Carolina mountains and foothills still ring with the sounds of the fiddle, banjo, string bands, and cloggers, which can be heard everywhere from front porches to festival stages and town squares.  The music includes lively strains of old-time, bluegrass, ballad singing, blues, and sacred music.

Music is a living tradition in the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area.   While families and relatives continue to hand down the music from generation to generation, the tradition is also being fostered in after school efforts such as the Junior Appalachian Musicians program.

Some of the region's master musicians have been awarded the National Heritage Fellowship, our nation's highest honor for traditional artists.  Among them is Doc Watson, a guitar player and singer who has become a national father figure for southern Appalachian roots music.  Other recipients include:

• Etta Baker, African-American guitarist
• Tommy Jarrell, old-time fiddler
• Mary Jane Queen, Appalachian singer
• Doug Wallin, Appalachian ballad singer

Western North Carolina has nurtured a variety of music traditions: ballad singing, blues, bluegrass, old-time, and sacred music.  These evolved from traditions brought over from Europe and Africa, and some represent a powerful blend of musical elements from the two continents.  Some are thriving and are quite popular while others are carried on by a dedicated few.