Feb 19, 2020
On this episode of the Life in the Carolinas podcast, Carl sits down with musician William Ritter on his love for Appalachian music and culture. Having been raised by Yankee parents in the mountains, Will grew up with his “foot in both worlds”.
Will considers music as “a door opener where people with completely
different backgrounds can find a place to meet.” In spite of
growing up on both sides of the fence, he truly feels like he is a
part of mountain culture upon hearing its music.
It was the tune Down in the Willow Garden that inspired him to
become a musician. It led him to seek counsel from local instrument
maker Ray Dellinger. Under his mentorship, Will built his own
fiddle and deepened his appreciation of the history and culture of
Appalachia. His musical career had begun.
Appalachian music is participatory—“more of a reason to get
together than a reason to perform.” It is not meant to be “stage
music”. Will enjoys the candid quality of old-time music. This is
an individuality that the player brings to the instrument which
stresses personality over professionalism. Will considers himself
as a “hospice worker”, keeping alive the spirit of the old times in
today’s America.
Asked why promoting traditional Appalachian music is important
today, Will says that its “intrinsic state” is invaluable. That is,
the fact that it exists is reason enough to keep it alive. In
addition, the fact that the world has become so
individualized—particularly thanks to the smartphone—necessitates
the need for the type of “tactile human interaction” that
Appalachian music can bring about.
Will also speaks about why he believes in the importance of saving
and sharing heirloom seeds, which happens to tie in with his
passion for preserving culture. After all, the simple act of
planting heirloom seeds can evoke memories of the person or family
tied to those seeds. Like music, heirloom seeds are a cultural
gateway, with the added ability to bring people together and
incentivize the sharing of family histories.
CONNECT:
https://www.blueridgeheritage.com/artist/william-ritter/
https://sarahandwilliam.weebly.com/
carl@lifeinthecarolinas.com