Circles of learning: Appalachian mountain music and issues of tradition in the twenty-first century

Early practitioners of mountain music in the Appalachia region of the United States shaped the music and its traditions in relative obscurity, which has largely vanished through commercialization and instant dissemination to any person with an Internet connection. Utilizing a qualitative multiple case study approach, researchers explored these issues with mountain music practitioners in the Appalachia region of Virginia and in online forums associated with the music and its traditions. Specifically, researchers gathered information regarding transmission of traditions and perceptions of authenticity and sought to identify issues of gatekeeping within their various musical communities in the twenty-first century. This article reports preliminary findings of this research.