The lesson explores Appalachian music within Virginia, focusing on simulating the acoustical recording process to convey technical challenges and artistic considerations. Modeled after the Bristol Sessions of 1927, conducted by Ralph Peer for the Victor Talking Machine Company, the session primarily used acoustical recording technology prevalent at the time. Performers sang or played instruments into large recording horns, transmitting sound vibrations to a cutting stylus, which etched onto a master disc. Despite limitations in fidelity and dynamic range, the Bristol Sessions captured the essence of early country, blues, and Appalachian music, significantly influencing American popular music's trajectory.

In this lesson, students will listen to early music used in Appalachia community gatherings and a part of the Bristol Recordings. Students will play various songs, describe the music, and define why the music was used or performed in community gatherings or small groups. Students will also recognize local community events and how music is used to bring people together.

This lesson will cover topics related to the musical traditions of Appalachia, including genres like old-time, bluegrass, and ballad singing. The lesson will emphasize the evolution of recording technology from acoustical to electrical methods in the late 19th to early 20th centuries and the profound impact of recording technology on the preservation and dissemination of Appalachian music, shaping cultural landscapes worldwide.

Students will create original instruments similar to the homespun instruments of Appalachian old-time and bluegrass music. Students will investigate both traditional and Appalachian instruments to understand how instruments make sound, and what is needed to create sound (strings, bridge, tuning capabilities, bow, body, and neck). Students will used recycled or found parts to create their own bluegrass instrument.

Students will explore Virginia’s musical heritage through discovery of the venues and cultural centers promoting traditional Appalachian, old-time, and Bluegrass music. After researching and exploring the resources along the Virginia’s Crooked Road, students will create a multi-media presentation describing one or more of the venues along the 333-mile Heritage Music trail including people that visited the area, musical styles, groups that performed, and the function of music in the cultural area. Students will create QR codes applied to an interactive map of The Crooked Road describing the over 50 venues that promote the milestones of Appalachian, old time, bluegrass, and country music. 

After viewing the video “Anatomy of a Jam Session” from Virginia Roots: A Journey into Appalachian Music, Blue Ridge PBS, students will collaborate to create a performance of a two or three chord old-time song with available classroom instruments in the style of a jam session.

After viewing the video “Anatomy of a Jam Session” from Virginia Roots: A Journey Through Appalachian Music, Blue Ridge Public Media, students will collaborate to create a performance of a two or three chord old-time song with available classroom instruments in the style of a jam session.

After learning basic Appalachian dance movement related to flatfooting, clogging, buckdance, or the Charleston. Students will create a rhythmic cue sheet diagraming the steps of a newly created dance based on original Appalachian dance steps, using traditional or iconic rhythmic notation. Students will choose Appalachian music to demonstrate and/or teach their original dance to others providing the cue sheet as a reference.

After viewing the video “Anatomy of an Appalachian Tune.” Virginia Roots: A Journey into Appalachian Music, from Blue Ridge PBS, students will learn to sing several verses of the melody of an Appalachian old-time song. Students will then “piggyback” on the melody and form of an old-time song to create their own verse. Then, students will combine their verses to create a class version of the chosen old-time song.

Identify and perform the melody and harmony of old-time and Bluegrass music then transfer this knowledge to perform on other old-time or classroom instruments.

Blue Ridge PBS created a video series in collaboration with the staff of the Virginia Department of Education called Virginia Roots: A Journey into Appalachian Music. Instructional resources were created to demonstrate effective classroom application of the media and concepts in standards-aligned sample lessons aligned to the 2020 Music Standards of Learning. The episode guide contains resources to accompany the Appalachian Music media including a description of the video, discussion prompts, and links to both the media and standards aligned instructional resources created by a team of Virginia educators.

Students will gain an understanding of the vital role women have played in shaping the music of Appalachian Virginia. Students will be introduced to the contributions of women in early Appalachian music and their roles as musicians, composers, and cultural icons. They will examine the Carter family's influence on Appalachian music and explore and investigate the roles and contributions of women in bluegrass and old-time music and their influence on the preservation and transmission of traditional songs.