We’ve all driven by the green and orange signs with the iconic banjo. Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, designated as such by the Virginia General Assembly, is a 330-mile driving route that winds across 19 counties in the southwest region of the Commonwealth. It connects nine major venues and more than 60 affiliate locations. If you’ve seen the signs, then welcome(!), you’re on the right crooked road. Todd Christensen, a career community developer and the late Joe Wilson, a renowned folklorist …
Arts
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ArtsFeaturedLatest
A Colonial Era Man … Plying A Bronze Age Skill … in a Digital Age
by Aaron WilsonHe’s not under a spreading chestnut tree, but Joshua Langfitt IS making a living these days as a blacksmith. He is the lead blacksmith at Smithfield Plantation, which means he has trained …
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More often than not, a monumental moment in time isn’t marked with bells, whistles or a hallelujah chorus. When a destined life path is discovered, sometimes it’s something more subtle or simple …
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Pop-culturally, harp music tends to cue up an upcoming dream sequence. The lights soften, the visuals swirl, and we’re transported to fantasyland. When Kirsti Kaldro of Bridge Kaldro Music in Christiansburg first …
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Powell’s exact words may not have rung loudly in Carol Ann Lawrence’s ears, but she knew them in her heart. And, it was Walt Disney who quipped: If you can dream it, …
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ArtsFeaturedLatest
Handmade Gateways to Magic . . . Little Free Library’s story sharing mission
by Aaron WilsonText by Nancy S. Moseley Chances are you’ve probably seen one, because … they’re everywhere: a random neighborhood street corner, a shelf at your local coffee shop, a box at your …
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The first year of the Great Depression, 1930, was a tough year in America for many people, though there were a few whimsical kinds of events and inventions. A.A. Milne signed the …
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ArtsFeaturedLatest
Making Music that Doesn’t Exist versatile musician composes as well
by Aaron WilsonJohn Crawford started playing music as soon as he was old enough to plunk on piano keys. Of course, a lot of toddlers plunk frenetically on piano keys, but few grow up …
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So imagine as a college student at the Pennsylvania Academy of Art, you drop into a bar for a beer one afternoon after painting away part of the day with friends at …
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Text by Emily Kathleen Alberts | Photos by Kristie Lea Photography Just shy of a couple years ago, a Christiansburg couple who did not consider themselves artists started crafting one-of-a-kind glass …