Spring Music Week

I'm going to do something a little different this week, and endorse a music program. Not just that, but I'm going to endorse an Appalachian music program. The Augusta Heritage Center at Davis and Elkins College has been in existence since the early '70s. I know, because I took a furniture refinishing class the first year. Davis and Elkins College is in Elkins, West Virginia, and is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. Really, it is. 

As a little kid, this was my playground. Not a bad place to grow up.

And now, along with being a college, this is the home for the Augusta Heritage Workshops. Augusta teaches all sorts of things, but primarily is known for Appalachian music. This is not a style that I usually talk about. But, that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate the artistry. 

This video has one of the instructors for the upcoming Spring Music Week on hammered dulcimer. She's on the far left. Hammered dulcimer is a fascinating instrument. It's a very old instrument, dating from before the middle ages. A direct descendant is the modern piano.

So, if Appalachian, folk, blue-grass, or ancient music happens to fascinate you, check out the workshops. Augusta Heritage is worth the air fare. I would go if I could.