Appalachian Festival. The Music Of Appalachia

On a lovely mid afternoon day walking through Frostburg State University on Saturday, September 15th,  the sounds of the Appalachian mountain folk can be heard through their cheers, singing, and music. The intricate strumming of a banjo, the wild laughter of children at play, and the ecstatic dancing of the proud men and women of Frostburg resonate throughout the campus as they celebrate the 7th Annual Appalachian Festival. The campus' upper quad was alive with square dances, bluegrass performances, and aromatic food.

This once a year celebration of the mountain culture, though always causing a great turnout, coincided with Frostburg's own Bicentennial celebration, which called for even more of the little towns citizens to join in the celebrations. These two events together provided an atmosphere of excitement that both students and locals alike enjoyed. But more importantly, these celebrations allow the people of Frostburg to share there culture with the students, as well as express themselves through the local flavor of music, bluegrass. For many students, this means opening their minds and ears to something that they aren't accustomed to since most of them listen to pop, hip-hop, r&b, rock, etc.

One of the performers of the day, Mark Delaney, spoke on behalf of the Footworks Dance Company. "It's great. It's a real diverse music scene versus my regular band which is just one genre of music", he said with a grin. "Hopefully it will expose people to different types of music. Reintroduce some people to the culture of this area. I play banjo since my grandfather played. He turned me onto it." This tradition of music is not only one that runs in Mr. Delaney's family, but one that runs throughout much of the Frostburg Community. This tradition is another important component of the Appalachian Festival. Sharing the culture is part of it, but keeping it alive is another key aspect of the celebration. 

Mr. Delaney is an example of this tradition staying alive. He explained that he started playing piano at the age of 4, and began playing banjo at 9. "It takes a lot of work. Lots of time and passion. I also play guitar and mandolin." Being a career musical artist, Mr. Delaney was also more than happy to explain some of his thoughts on playing all of these instruments, and how they begin to seem similar. "There's a language between the instruments that you kind of understand when you play them. A lot of math to playing instruments." He also explained that this language, somewhat translates to all sorts of hobbies. "There's an energy you feel when you're doing things like playing instruments, or playing sports. You have to work hard at it all."

Mark Delaney and Emily Crews of the Footworks Dance Company 

All in all, the tradition of the Appalachian Festival, and the Frostburg community is alive and well. My conversation with Mr. Delaney, as well as the scene in the Upper Quad made that very apparent. From the square dances, to Mr. Delaney's banjo playing in the mid afternoon sun, there was a good feeling in the air as the sun went down, and the fireworks lit up the night sky.