THE SOUND OF TRADITIONAL APPALACHIA: Don Pedi & Bruce Greene Tell Stories and Play Music. FOA Ep.19

Old time music was heard in cabins across the Appalachian Mountains as family musicians gathered around the hearth in the evening, and at community gatherings and dances. It grew out of traditional folk music from Europe, Africa, and early America, and is the foundation for modern country and bluegrass. Typically, it was played on fiddle, banjo, and guitar.
Don Pedi and Bruce Greene are masters of old-time traditional Appalachian music and have learned tunes from many of the great “old timers.” In this episode they perform a number of their favorite songs while sharing stories about who they learned them from. Don and Bruce have been playing and performing together for decades with Don playing the mountain dulcimer and Bruce the fiddle.
Growing up I heard a lot of country and bluegrass music but mostly listened to rock and roll. It wasn’t until college that I was really exposed to old-time traditional Appalachian music, which included fiddle and banjo tunes and acapella ballad singing. In this episode Bruce will be joined by his partner, Koreloy McWhirter, for a haunting acapella tune.
I became fascinated by traditional music and produced a book, Hands in Harmony: Traditional Crafts and Music in Appalachia, featuring a wide range of musicians, including Don and Bruce. Indeed, they introduced me to a number of the folks that I included in the book, and traveled with me to play with them while I did interviews and made photographs. I’ve included a number of the images I made of Don and Bruce over the years as well as of their musician friends. You’ll love the energy and talent these folks project while playing these wonderful old tunes.
Be sure to check out our other episodes and our books about the area at www.barnwellphoto.com
A viewer sent these time stamps for different songs so thought we'd add that in case it is useful.
3:27 Cotton-eyed Joe
7:42 Old Black Cat Couldn’t Catch a Rat
9:52 The Sheep’s in the Meadow and the Cow’s in the Corn
11:54 Starvation on Hell Creek
14:07 My Mother’s Gone to Glory
18:50 Baby-O
LINKS:
Don Pedi: www.donpedi.com/
www.blueridgeheritage.com/art...
Bruce Greene: www.brucegreene.net/
www.blueridgeheritage.com/art...
Lee Sexton: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Sex....
bluegrasstoday.com/lee-sexton...
Koreloy McWhirter: www.koreloy.net/
Hindman Settlement School: hindman.org/

[@benkiserappalachianmusic]

Here are time stamps of all the music in this video 3:27 Cotton-eyed Joe 7:42 Old Black Cat Couldn’t Catch a Rat 9:52 The Sheep’s in the Meadow and the Cow’s in the Corn 11:54 Starvation on Hell Creek 14:07 My Mother’s Gone to Glory 18:50 The Baby-O Thank you for filming these guys, seriously. they’re some of the greatest old time masters that are still around!

[@thefaceofappalachia]

Thanks! I added those to the video description. Appreciate you taking the time to do that and so glad you enjoyed the video and hearing these great folks. Hope you'll stay tuned for other great videos to come.

[@garyhammond2213]

It's nice to hear traditional music. I learned Scruggs style banjo (still learning) many years ago. It seems the younger generation tries to turn the music into rock and roll. I've never been a fan of this new music. Thank you for keeping the old-time music real.

[@thefaceofappalachia]

I love most types of music, but didn't really gain an appreciation of country and bluegrass till I got older. And then fell in love with the oldtime traditional tunes when I heard them played at festivals.

[@BobandWeave83]

Thank you for this wonderful video of old time music from Appalachia. The whole series on The Face of Appalachia is so good to watch. I was born in Buncombe County N.C. and graduated from Mars Hill College in 1983 only to move to Raleigh where I’ve lived ever since. I miss the mountain culture so much. This series has been like a homecoming.

[@jillgeary1313]

Great video! These two guys are the best of the best if you wanna learn old-timey tunes!

[@scottallen6062]

Jill, they are the best! I love spending time with them and listening to them tell stories and play. I am so happy you stopped by and spent some time with us. Keep on Appalachian!

[@thefaceofappalachia]

They certainly are. I have been to music festivals with them and the folks in the jam sessions are amazed at the versions of the tunes that Don and Bruce have learned from the old timers, as most learn from the same recods, so the same rendition.

[@ellencoomer3345]

I love to hear Don play. He played @ two of my family's funerals(they were his neighbors). He and Bruce are a good team. I love the quilt on the wall. It was one from Peggy Davis Harmon's collection. Tim& Scott, I hope you continue your stories about our region. They are too important to lose.

[@user-pg2jb3ws6r]

With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity.

[@thefaceofappalachia]

Thanks for your comment and hope you enjoyed the video. We appreciate you watching!

[@ellencoomer3345]

I always love to hear Don play. I know Don and Bruce have played together for a long time. I love the quilt on the wall. It came from Peggy Davis Harmon's family collection. Tim & Scott I hope you continue to record the people of our area. It's too valuable to let it be forgotten.

[@dannywileyinthemountains]

This was really a great video. Seeing you and Bruce playing is such a treat. I enjoy so much all the stories that bring all these tunes together. Thank you for sharing all your music.

[@thefaceofappalachia]

So glad you enjoyed seeing Don and Bruce play. I have been friends with them for decaes and traveled with them to visit musicians all through the mounytains and to music festivals. They enjoy playing together as you can tell.

[@StoryWindow]

Thoroughly enjoyed this! Like a visit with these guys!

[@thefaceofappalachia]

They are lots of fun and very talented. It is always great to catch up with them. We've traveled far and wide to festivals and to meet other old time musicians together over the years and its always a great experience.

[@kimmontgomery54]

I loved it! This music cuts right to the soul! Prayers for everyone!❤❤❤

[@scottallen6062]

Kim, good to hear from you. I don't often put these traditional tunes on in the car. Yet I am amazed how much they speak to me when I hear them. I am convinced they are rooted deep in my DNA. My ancestors seem to awake in me when these tunes fill the air. Thank you for your continued support of our channel. Keep coming back.

[@thefaceofappalachia]

Thanks for your warm wishes. The music is such an important part of Appalachian life that we always want to feature it prominently in our videos.

[@FrankBott]

Tim, very educational and entertaining as always... Have a enjoyable and healthy new year !! .

[@scottallen6062]

Frank, thanks so much! Happy New Year to you.

[@thefaceofappalachia]

Frank, thanks so much for watching. So great to hear from you out in sunny Utah! Hopefully these episodes will bring back fond memories of your time here.

[@elizabethjohnson475]

Remarkable. Remarkable! music. And gorgeous scenery of old home places. So different than here in far north California. Thank you, sir.

[@thefaceofappalachia]

Elizabeth; Hapy to hear you enjoyed the music and homeplaces. We always have a fun time listening to Don and Bruce play and happy to hear you enjoyed it as well. Hope you'll check our our other videos of other great folk.

[@PhilipLederer]

wow

[@thefaceofappalachia]

Philip. Glad you enjoyed the Don Pedi and Bruce Greene music and video. Thanks for tuning in with us!

[@PhilipLederer]

@@thefaceofappalachia sure

[@frankscarborough1428]

Talented musicians and great video thanks

[@SadieAllen]

Awesome video!!!!

[@scottallen6062]

Sis, thanks so much for stopping by for a visit! Enjoyed spending time with you over the holidays.

[@thefaceofappalachia]

Thanks, Sadie. So glad you enjoyed the visdo and we appreciate you staying tuned to our channel. We've got so much more great stuff in the works!

[@randlerichardson5826]

Hey y’all

[@scottallen6062]

Randle, so good to hear from you! Hope you are well. I am so glad you keep stopping by the channel. Keep on Appalachian.

[@thefaceofappalachia]

Hey, Randle. Hope you had great holidays and we certainly appreciate you getting in touch and staying up with what we are doing.

[@geraldteaster3298]

Great video!

[@scottallen6062]

Gerald, thanks so much. We pour our soul into these videos and it means much to know they are appreciated. Always good to hear from you. Keep coming back!

[@geraldteaster3298]

@@scottallen6062 I appreciate what you do to keep our mountain heritage alive!

[@thefaceofappalachia]

We appreciate your commensts. Its great to hear that folks enjoy watching the videos as much as we do making them.

[@terryfinley7760]

Great video! I play old time banjo and I just bought a fiddle. I have a question for Bruce, or anyone else who wants to comment. Why do you rest the fiddle on your chest rather than like violinists? What are the benefits of playing this way? And, what might be the disadvantages? Thank you for helping me get started the “right” way! 😜

[@scottallen6062]

Hey Terry, I am a guitar player so do not know the answer to your question. Folks around my house were asking the same thing. Hopefully Bruce will see and give us an answer. Thanks you for spending some time with us and thanks for your questions.

[@brucegreene5006]

A lot of the older generation traditions fiddlers held the fiddle down on their chest, and that is who I learned from. I was young and new to fiddling and wanted to look like them. It is a very old technique probably dating back hundreds of years. It is a very relaxed way of holding the fiddle as opposed to under the chin. But it does restrict you mostly to what violinists call first position, because you are pretty much holding the instrument up by grabbing the neck of the fiddle. When you hold it under your chin, your hand is free to move up and down the neck. But the old fiddlers mostly never needed to do that.

[@terryfinley7760]

@@brucegreene5006 thank you for that! If you were starting over, and were only interested in playing the old time, would you do it the same way?

[@seirbhiseach]

@@terryfinley7760in reference to your first question, it’s a fiddling method that comes from Scotland and England from a time before fiddles had chin rests in the baroque and transitional period of the instrument. You’ll also see old-timers (both in the musical and demographic sense) hold the bow differently, which many speculate comes from the baroque bow being built differently and using slightly different technique than the modern tourte bow