The Appalachian String Band Music Festival (often referred to simply as "Clifftop") is a weeklong gathering of thousands of string band musicians and their friends from across the country and around the world, who each year since 1990 have assembled near the New River Gorge in West Virginia in late July/early August to celebrate the evolving tradition of
old-time music and the community of people who keep it thriving by preserving and contributing to that tradition.
Sounds from Clifftop (National Public Radio, 2005)
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History
Though the Festival offers contests (traditional band, neo-traditional band, fiddle, old-time banjo, and flatfoot dancing), square dancing, several concerts and workshops, and other organized activities such as yoga, basket making, and hymn singing, the heart and soul of the Festival is found in the campsites, where old time music provides a foundation for all kinds of straight-off-the-strings acoustic music (including Americana, cajun, Celtic, swing, bluegrass, Dawg, and even reggae), which in turn often spontaneously generate impromptu dancing and other festivities by the people gathered within earshot.
Though the Festival officially starts the Wednesday before the first full weekend in August, the grounds start filling up the weekend before with well-adorned campsites, many of which have music being played through the night. One of the Festival's unique features is the Neo-Traditional Band Contest on Friday, in which highest scores are given to bands that creatively extend the old time music tradition into other musical voices, instrumentation, and styles.
Over the years, the Festival has been frequented by accomplished Nashville musicians like John Hartford and Tim O'Brien and Leftover Salmon jam band leader Vince Hermann, legendary old time Appalachian musicians like Melvin Wine
Melvin Wine (April 20, 1909 – March 16, 2003) was an American Appalachian fiddler from the state of West Virginia. He was a lifelong resident of Copen, in Braxton County, West Virginia.
Early life
Wine was born in Burnsville, West Virgin ...
and Lester McCumbers, leading "second generation" old time musicians like Mike Seeger, Bruce Molsky, Rafe Stefanini, Brad Leftwich
Brad Leftwich (born June 30, 1953) is a prominent American old-time fiddler, banjo player, singer and teacher of traditional old-time style. He is originally from Oklahoma but has resided in Bloomington, Indiana for most of his life. He perform ...
, and Ira Bernstein, and the youngest generation of old time musicians like Jake Krack.
The Festival takes place each summer at Camp Washington-Carver, in Clifftop, Fayette County, West Virginia, United States and is sponsored by the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.
Past winners
See also
* List of bluegrass music festivals
References
3
Notes from a first timer, 2011
4. https://oldtime-central.com/clifftop-a-beginners-guide/
External links
Official siteSounds from Clifftop (National Public Radio, 2005)Ukrainian exchange student's prize-winning visit to Clifftop Podcast featuring classical musicians Robin Kearton and Tom Faux talking about their transcendent experiences at Clifftop and funding threats in 2017
* https://www.register-herald.com/news/a-day-at-the-appalachian-string-band-festival-starts-with/article_523cf1b3-9cda-5bd4-874b-72075bc896b1.html
Video
Interviews and music during Clifftop, 20152008 feature about Clifftop by WV Public BroadcastingImpromptu Neo-trad campsite jam
Miscellaneous campsite jams, 2015 2015 Traditional Band Contest winners2015 Neo Traditional Band Contest winners
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Music festivals in West Virginia
Old-time music festivals
Tourist attractions in Fayette County, West Virginia
Recurring events established in 1990
Folk festivals in the United States
Appalachian music