The fiddle is an instrument so versatile it takes on a different name when it’s used to play classical music. But when it’s played as a fiddle, when it’s used as a fiddle, when it’s used to create the upbeat rhythms of a jig or reel, or the slow, sad measures of a country waltz, its sound is the sound of the South. Read the story of our most famous fiddler, see how a craftsman imagines a different kind of fiddle, and visit a few of our string towns. This is an instrument that carries it infinite possibilities and personalities, and when the fiddler pulls bow across strings, it’s an instrument that sings.
Before he learned to play fiddle, the South’s most famous fiddler learned to play guitar. Charlie Daniels has never forgotten that moment, or the friend who taught him.
Some people have bluegrass and old-time music in their blood; luckily for music-loving North Carolinians, our state is rich in fiddlers’ conventions and other festivals that champion traditional music.
The fiddle is an instrument so versatile it takes on a different name when it’s used to play classical music. Meet Jamie Laval and Cesar Sant, and get to know the difference between the violin and fiddle.
There’s great music in every corner of our state. Here are just a few places to hear and play traditional tunes.
Across the globe from Vietnam, effects of the war reverberate through the state, where social and political perspectives are shifting quickly and dramatically.
These places are the stewards of some very special items: Doc Watson’s first recording, the desk Virginia Woolf used to redefine the novel, and Elisha Mitchell’s pocket watch are just some of the cherished pieces that teach us about our state’s history and the people who preserve it.
From burgers to comfort food to elegant entrées, the range of plant-based dining in North Carolina is growing. Restaurants on this list are exclusively vegetarian and/or vegan.
