Musical Influences

Music was a vital part of many early rural Americans' lives - often providing the only entertainment available for those isolated in small mountain communities. The songs, tunes, stories and dances were preserved by oral tradition -- parents teaching children who then in turn taught their own children. Anita and Doug developed a deep appreciation for the tradition, the culture, and the history through their frequent trips to Appalachia where they stayed with and learned from older musicians.

Anita has been strongly influenced by two older fiddlers. She made many visits back East to stay and study with Melvin Wine, the now-deceased National Heritage Award winner who lived in Copen, West Virginia. He was a wealth of stories, folklore, and of course music, as well as being a wonderful and generous man.

The other strong influence in her playing is John Morgan Salyer, a fiddler from Salyersville, Kentucky, who is known for his repertoire of unusual and haunting tunes. Sadly, he passed away in 1952, so Anita met him only through his tunes.

Doug grew up in a musical family and has lived and breathed music his entire life. He plays more instruments than you can count on both hands -- and his musical influences and experience are wide-ranging, including folk, Mexican/New Mexican, civil rights and labor songs, and, of course, Appalachian. Appalachian musicians Melvin Wine, Clyde Davenport, Kenny Hall, Wilson Douglas, and Bill Hunter are particular favorites.

Last updated: March 31, 2005