Essay On Appalachia Music

Appalachia Music Defined
Patricia Casey
Research and Writing ENG-112

When speaking of Appalachia music, it is important not to neglect where the music was first generated from. Did Appalachian music really come from Appalachia?

In order to define the music of Appalachia, one must first define the area in which the Appalachians encompass. This mountainous area extends 1500 miles and covers an area that extends from Maine to Georgia. There are eighteen states which make up the Appalachians. According to most Europeans, they consider the Appalachians to be only the southeastern region of the United Stated. However, the Appalachians are actually a combined combination of states that include all eighteen states. During the 1920’s these areas were considered 1“Back Country” areas.
During the seventeenth century, there was an immigration movement and several settlers from different areas settled in the Appalachians. Many of the settlers were 3Anglo-Celtic, English, Welsh and Irish. They originally settled in the east and slowly moved westward due to larger more powerful landowners forcing them out and into the mountains.
Times were hard for the settlors and resources were limited, so they relied upon their own resources to entertain. They would dance, sing, and worship to music with no accompaniment. The settlors made music and dance a major part of their lives along with worshipping.
It is believed that the Irish brought to the region the fiddle and the pipes. It is believed that the first stringed instrument, the dulcimer was brought by the Germans, Norwegians, Swedish and French. The dulcimer became known as the 1“Hog Fiddle” or “Music Box”.
As time progressed, in the nineteenth century, many new settlors arrived from German...

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...gers of the old folk music are referred to as “authentic”. The author uses the biographies and the personal experiences of true Appalachian folk musicians to portray what life in the Appalachians was like. The strong family values, the music, the legends.
It is known that the Scotch-Irish were early settlers in the Appalachians. However it is the combination of the cultures that is truly what makes the Appalachians. Today however, the Appalachian music remains a diverse group of traditional music made up of European, African, English, Scotch-Irish.
In conclusion, Appalachian music can be defined as old time music, Appalachian folk music, country music, back woods country music and American Folk Music, but this type of music is and has been a staple in our society and has survived decades and with the beauty of the music it will hopefully continue for all time.