Name: The joyful tradition of mountain music
Uploaded: 2008-12-07T22:01:00Z
Duration: 24 min 57 s
Description: Folk musician and storyteller David Holt plays the banjo and shares photographs and old wisdom from the Appalachian Mountains. He also demonstrates some unusual instruments like the mouth bow -- and a surprising electric drum kit he calls "thunderwear."

Folk musician and storyteller David Holt plays the banjo and shares photographs and old wisdom from the Appalachian Mountains. He also demonstrates some unusual instruments like the mouth bow -- and a surprising electric drum kit he calls "thunderwear."

The joyful tradition of mountain music

Appalachian folk music carries stories, survival lessons, and humor across generations. An encounter with a field of cotton pickers whose singing made grueling labor easier sparked a lifelong devotion to authentic music. Even in the deepest grief, a single instrument can anchor someone to life’s simple joys. Traditions and homespun inventions—like a homemade drum suit—show that resilience and creativity are inseparable in mountain culture.