Haley Ramsey
Rhiannon Ramsey
The tradition of mountain music making continues every spring in Madison County, North Carolina, when the area’s finest fiddlers come together for a concert to benefit The Madison County Arts Council.
On March 14, old favorites and new faces join together in jam-packed performances of old-time tunes, bluegrass classics and sweet harmonies during the 14th annual Fiddlers of Madison County show.
“This year we want to shine a light on our Junior Appalachian’s Program,” said Laura Boosinger, executive director of the Madison County Arts Council. JAM teaches traditional music and dance to students in elementary through high school. “Students can begin an instrument in fourth grade when their hands are big enough to handle one. We find that many younger siblings want to participate and they get their feet wet, so to speak, in the clogging class. Each week’s program begins with group singing, the thing that sets our program apart from any other. The staff and I believe that community times is important for the students to understand how the music is passed down from one to another.”
Featured fiddlers include NC Heritage Award winner Arvil Freeman accompanied by The Midnight Plowboys. Don and Marty Lewis, The Sons of Ralph, will return to keep alive the legacy of their father, Ralph Lewis, who performed with Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys. Ten-time Grammy Award winner Bobby Hicks will make an appearance, as well as Roger Howell, who has recorded over 600 tunes for the Southern Appalachian Archives at Mars Hill University.
Also on the show are two young show stopping female fiddlers, Lillian Chase and Rhiannon Ramsey. “Rhiannon has stepped up in the music community. She recently joined the Stoney Creek Boys, taking over for her mentor, Arvil Freeman. The Stoney Creek Boys are the house band for the Shindig on the Green and the Mountain Dance and Folk Festival in Asheville. “Until you look at her, you would think it was Arvil up there playing,” Boosinger said.
The performance will be held at the Madison County Arts Center in downtown Marshall. Showtime is 7 p.m.
Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 the day of the show. Tickets are available by calling (828) 649-1301 or at www.madisoncountyarts.com.