I remember growing up to Country music being played on the radio and the so-called “twang” sound that came from it. What I didn’t realize, was while yes, I was listening to Country music, I was also listening to Bluegrass. I don’t know if it was the sound of the banjo, the crisp “bell-like” vocalist, or how the music made you want to grab a partner and dance, but it captivated me. And while looking up Bluegrass music to write about for this blog, I fell, once again, in love that sound that I’d heard so many years ago. Isn’t it fun how just one song can do that? Remind you of your youth? According to the International Bluegrass Music Association , Bluegrass was once called "mountain music” because the songs that were written during that time represented the hardships of life for the people who lived in the rural areas of Tennessee, Kentucky, North and South Carolina, and the Virginias. And it wasn’t until the radio was invented did this “mountain music” reach all of the United States. But before then, it was a Southern secret. Now, I bet you’re wondering who I was listening to for me to make such an opinion. The list included music by Alison Krauss and Union Station, The Monroe Brothers, Dolly Parton, and Earl Scruggs. These four were not the only four that I listened to, but these were the musicians that provoked a large emotional response from me. So my verdict on Bluegrass, definitely a genre I’ll continue to listen to. Now, I can’t say the same for the genre that I do next week, Rap.

Earl Scruggs and Steve Martin - Foggy Mountain Break Down