These songs and tunes have lived in the Arkansas Ozarks for generations, handed down through oral tradition. Many of them made the journey from the British Isles and other parts of Europe to "the colonies" and took root in the southern uplands. Others were born on American soil, often blending in African musical traditions.
Charley Sandage has been associated with the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas since its beginning in 1973. Emily Phillips grew up in Mountain View and began learning traditional fiddle and banjo styles in a "roots music" program which supplements standard music studies in the local schools. They are part of an extraordinary traditional music community in that town.
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