About Us

Mountain Music School is a unique educational program that offers opportunities for students age ten and older to experience traditional Appalachian old-time music in a fun, enriching, and supportive environment. Launched in 2004, the school was created to address a growing concern that traditional mountain music was not being passed down to the youth of Southwest Virginia. Today, the school has grown to include more than 200 students of all ages, many of whom travel from throughout the country to participate.

Each year during the last week in July, students gather on the campus of Mountain Empire Community College to explore the unique music, dance, and culture of our region. Students can choose basic or advanced instruction in an instrument of their choice, including fiddle, claw hammer banjo, folk guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, autoharp or string band. The school provides instruments for loan if needed. Classes are taught by talented, encouraging instructors who are masters at their craft. The week’s learning culminates in a jam session highlighting the musical accomplishments of our students.