Is oldtime out of tune?
Whether we admit it or not, almost all of us have had that moment of listening to an oldtime fiddler – it's almost always the fiddler – and cringing. "Oh good Lord Almighty, that...
Get Up in the Cool: Interview with Cameron DeWhitt
How did Get Up in the Cool get started?
I listen to podcasts constantly, and I have for years. I got my first smartphone and then it was all downhill. It started with well-known NPR...
Strum Machine or How to Have Fun Practicing
For most of us, the best part about playing oldtime is playing music with other people. It is a rare joy of human existence to connect with others as we sound together, recall old...
A Reasoned Defense of Notation in Oldtime Music
There is some controversy in oldtime communities around the use of musical notation – both tablature and standard notation – in learning tunes. What role does notation have? Is it ok to learn a...
Banjo Roots and Branches: Exploring the African Roots
This is post 1 of 4 in the series Banjo Roots and Branches.
When I started learning how to play the banjo in 2006, I was unaware of the rich and complex history of the instrument....
Ten Places to Start for Oldtime Fiddle
Oldtime fiddle - The Devil's Box?
Let's be straight – oldtime fiddle is not for the faint of heart. It might be scratchy and "mossy", played all kinds of ways by generations of folk musicians,...