Real-time event on festival day with pre-registration required. You can find the registration link near the top of the program page when the link is ready.
This workshop will be a round robin with participation. Celebrate the Carter Family with this opportunity to sing some of your favorites from their songs.
The Carter Family, comprised of Sara, Maybelle & A.P., were stars of traditional country music of the 20s and 30s. From the hills of Virginia, they gathered many songs of the local mountain people and recast them in a form that was widely popular, and they contributed many of their own originals.
The Carter Family sang with close 2 and 3 part harmonies, augmented by Maybelle’s guitar leads and Sara’s autoharp picking. They influenced many of the men and women who went on to develop bluegrass and country music in the 40s and 50s. Through the national audiences of border radio XERA, the Grand Ole’ Opry, and the folk revival of the 50s and 60s, their songs are known and sung wherever traditional music is played. They recorded over 300 songs; among the best known are Keep on the Sunny Side and Worried Man Blues. And what autoharp (or guitar) picker hasn’t taken a stab at an instrumental Wildwood Flower?
Gary Breitbard plays old time fiddle tunes and songs on banjo and guitar — French country music and dance on accordion and hurdy gurdy. He’s been leading Carter Family sing-alongs at folk club events for many years.