This week's broadcast of Mountain Stage is a special episode featuring songs that represent the four seasons of the year. You'll hear live performances by Doc Watson, Bruce Hornsby, Susan Werner, Molly Tuttle, Taj Mahal, Norah Jones and many more.
Music has traditionally played a big role in the culture of Appalachia, and it seems that other countries are taking notice of the region’s rich musical tradition. In this episode of Inside Appalachia, we’ll hear from the tourism music trail in West Virginia called The Mountain Music Trail (MMT) Since we last heard from them, they have grown. The MMT recently was a finalist in the British Guild of Travel Writers 2016 tourism initiative awards in the “wider word” category, and was recognized as one of the top three destinations in the world.
The MMT connects communities along US Route 219, also known as the Seneca Trail. From Monroe County up through Lewisburg in Greenbrier County, it moves through Pocahontas County and Marlinton, up some intense mountains to Elkins, before finally ending in Tucker County and the town of Thomas. You’ll hear from Tim O’Brien, who says that when he plays these venues, a certain magic occurs.
Inside Appalachia Inspires English Principal’s Trip to W.Va.
By the way, you may remember earlier this year when a school principal from England, named Matthew Shirley, crossed the ocean and visited West Virginia. He said he was inspired to visit after listening to Inside Appalachia. He stopped by our studio in Charleston to record his story:
Mountain Music Trail Creates “Virtual Test Drive” of Heritage Tour
Could the Mountain Music Trail affect the tourism market of West Virginia in a positive way?
The West Virginia Division of Tourism and West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Mountain Stage teamed up to promote the MMT and the state’s music heritage. In 2015 they released a series of videos featuring stories from along the trail.
All of this work has paid off with award that the trail has received from British writers. We spoke to Cara Rose, Executive Director of the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau and coordinator of the MMT.
Floyd, Virginia’s Famous Friday Night Jamboree
In this episode, you’ll also hear about the Crooked Road in Virginia, the inspiration for the Mountain Music Trail. Roxy Todd visited the Crooked Road and talked to the people there, as well as to the tourists who come to it about what it means to them. You will also hear from Desire Moses, a reporter who traveled the Crooked Road, about how it affects local business and the local economy.
Traditional Music Inspires a New Generation
“There’s a lot of good words in an old country song,” Carl Hensly of Beckley said. “A lot of times it’s something that they go through.”
Hensly is part of a small group of old time country, folks, bluegrass and gospel lovers that meet once a week at Sophia Fire Department in Raleigh County. The door is open to anyone that wants to join on Tuesday nights.
The jam sessions in Sophia, West Virginia happen every Tuesday 5:00 p.m. at the Sophia bingo hall (the old fire hall).
On this West Virginia Morning, health care services for nearly 30 percent of West Virginia’s population may be difficult to access if lawmakers don’t fully fund the Medicaid program in an expected special session. Emily Rice has more.
On this West Virginia Morning, drinking water in Wyoming County is making people sick but it’s unclear who is responsible. Also, a look at voter concerns ahead of May's primary election.
Across the nation, more than 390,000 children rely on foster care. However, a shortage of licensed foster homes is creating a national crisis. While official foster care cases are carefully tracked, many informal examples of kinship care aren’t part of the data. For this Us & Them episode, we hear the experiences of those who’ve been part of the foster care system.
Stock car racing’s roots run deep in Appalachia. Our twisty roads and dark hollers were home to moonshiners — and moonshine runners, who became known for their driving skills. And they became some of NASCAR’s first stars when it formed in 1948. But NASCAR’s oldest continuous racing team had nothing to do with moonshine.