Visiting family in Central Virginia always includes a visit to the little town of Floyd. Floyd is known for its annual music festival, FloydFest (July 21st this year). I heard about the Appalachian Culture being preserved in Floyd back in the 80’s when Virginia Tech professors would take students on field trips to see music, dancing and exotic mountain culture. I had a music experience in Floyd that was very different from the “Woodstock” like music festival or mountain safari.
My family and I went for ice cream at the Floyd County Store on a summer evening. The store people cleared out racks of merchandise to reveal a wood floor that made just the best sound when dancers were stomping on it. I enjoyed the musicians on the main stage and watched the radio program being broadcast from the store. The real magic of the evening was found when I wandered around town and found a different flavor of Appalachian music down every side street and alley.
There were alleys for high school kids. There were fiddle side-streets. There were big groups of people singing different versions of songs that someone in the past had taught them. I had a delirious feeling, running from one session to another.
That night, I talked with a hometown fiddle maker. He was raising 3 daughters with his wife in the area. When they walked anywhere, seeing Papa Bear Fiddler followed by the three baby bear fiddlers was a sight. He gave me some advice on how to get kids to play music, “I always leave my best instruments out and forbid my kids to play them!”
I am hoping the world is getting back to normal and I can have another night like that in Floyd.
The Floyd Country Store is a renowned place to experience authentic Appalachian music, and is home to a group of musicians and dancers who are carrying on the tradition of their families who’d pass the time playing music and dancing together.