Appalachian Music Program

West Virginia University For bluegrass music fans, West Virginia represents the heartland of the deep and rich musical traditions of Appalachia.  The old rural mountain lifestyle that first generation bluegrass singers remember fondly in their songs about the old log cabin and the homeplace have been passed down in the bluegrass music tradition in such a way that even modern players with no other attachment to the Appalachian region hold those images fondly in their hearts and minds. Unfortunately, those who have grown up in the mountains of West Virginia have often been told that the only way that they are going to make it in this world is the leave the state and find gainful employment elsewhere.  This trend has sometimes soured those who are native to the state to the traditions of their ancestors.  The negative connotations that sometimes surround the term “hillbilly” have not helped.  Travis Stimeling is working hard to change that with his Appalachian Mu