Appalachian Music

This week was quite difficult for me. I am very unfamiliar with Appalachian Music or the Appalachians and had never been there myself.
Through the readings for this week, which featured the Carter family, as well as the songs I listened to I got the sense that the Appalachian music was often about home (family) and religion. The firsts song "Banks of the Ohio" was quite upbeat and easy to listen to. This was of course quite a contrast to the words of the song which had a much darker tone. The second song "will the circle be unbroken." was a bit more familiar to me. The beat and melody reminded me of gospel songs I had heard in church. The words also brought me sadness as I remembered my loved ones that I had lost. the Carter family sang the song quite nicely, it wasn't dreary and depressing and quite pleasant to listen too but it did allow me to understand the ideas of loss they were trying to portray.

All that said I had nothing to go on but these ideas in my head of what Appalachian music was based on my emotions toward these songs and what I got from the readings. I chose for my art piece this week to draw a still life. one which through the display I felt communicated those feeling. A glass Vase with freshly picked flowers and a bottle on a table on my patio where I sat listening to these song which were also probably started on the families front porch. I felt it was a fitting seen to draw to encompass my feelings about the Appalachian music for this week.