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Fine Tuned Sessions

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This special event is a collaboration with the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area (BRNHA), showcasing talents from the BRNHA Fine Tuned program alongside other regional and national acts deeply rooted in Appalachian and Americana music. Immerse yourself in a full day of musical delight at Rare Bird Farm, with camping options and onsite catering available. Fifty percent of event proceeds will support the BRNHA Fine Tuned Program.

Experience a blend of traditional Old Time music and contemporary Americana, featuring a cross-creative pollination of artists that promises an intimate and distinctive musical journey. Seating is limited to 100 tickets, ensuring an unforgettable experience you won’t want to miss.

CURRENT LINEUP (More artists to be announced)

RARE BIRD BALLAD SWAP – with Donna Ray Norton, Sheila Kay Adams, William Ritter and Melanie Rice. This is a special ballad circle performance not to be missed featuring special performances from some of the world’s top ballad singers and preservationists of these special songs.

FINE TUNED JAM – Multiple sets of music with top old time artists including: Laura Boosinger, Brandon Johnson & Troy Harrison (featured in the documentary below), Bayla Davis (banjo) & Cary Fridley, Benjamin Barker (hammered dulcimer) and more

TYLER RAMSEY. The former lead guitarist of Band of Horses, Ramsey has also released four acclaimed solo albums, including “For The Morning” in 2019. Ramsey’s latest album “New Lost Ages” (out Feb. 9, 2024) was captured at the legendary Avast! Recording Co. in Seattle, Washington, by storied producer Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, Father John Misty, The Shins, Built to Spill). Tyler will be playing the Fine Tuned Sessions after an extensive nationwide spring tour in support of his new album.
“I’m more and more drawn to playing intimate shows for people,” Ramsey said. “Stripping away smoke and mirrors, being in a room with people and trying to create a moment — one person with a guitar and a room full of people that want to listen.”

Shows will take place on both stages.

Get your tickets HERE!

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GATES open at 12 PM

MUSIC starts at 1 PM

MUSIC ends around 7 PM (there will be some later night special sets for campers)

Milepost Music on the Blue Ridge Parkway

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Milepost Music brings the Blue Ridge Music Center to outdoor locations along the Parkway.

Milepost Music is a FREE concert featuring local and regional artists. It’s held on Sundays, 2-4 p.m., at various locations along the Parkway. No tickets are needed. Bring your own chair.

Picnics or box lunches are welcome, but no alcohol is permitted on site.

Sunday, August 27, 2023 – Davis Family Band (Newfound Gap), 2:00PM

At the Blue Ridge Parkway Visitor Center – Milepost 384

The Davis Family plays old-time string band music with banjo, fiddle, and guitar. Bayla, the banjo player, recently worked on a Blue Ridge Fine Tuned project with Cary Fridley. She brings a modern banjo technique and sound to old tunes. The Davis Family are regular participants at fiddler’s conventions throughout the Blue Ridge Region.

In honor of Betsy Mills Levitas in recognition of her life-long love of the mountains and her abiding passion for heritage music.

Presented in partnership with The Blue Ridge National Heritage Area & Blue Ridge Music Trails of NC

Ballad Night at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel

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The Ballad Swap at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel is a great opportunity to experience an important part of our Appalachian Heritage and it is the only recurring Ballad Swap in the area. Hosted by Josh Copus, Donna Ray Norton, and Sheila Kay Adams. A ballad is a story or narrative poem sung to a melody and is a type of folk song passed down through oral tradition. While ballads have been sung throughout Southern Appalachia, Madison County in particular is known for its rich treasure trove of ballads and ballad singers. When English folk song collector Cecil Sharp visited Madison County in 1916, he said he had found a “nest of singing birds.” The ballad tradition in Madison County alone goes back at least 9 generations.

Come on out and join us every second Wednesday of each month at 6:00pm. There will be one exception to the “every second Wednesday” rule, and that is for the month of October 2023, when it will be held the last Wednesday of the month. There will be a round robin style ballad swap that takes place on the patio of Zadie’s restaurant in the Old Marshall Jail. We have several ballad singers that join us each month from different counties. This is a very casual event where we tell stories, sing songs, talk about our history, and have a great time!

Some of our regular Ballad Singers: 

  • Sheila Kay Adams 
  • Donna Ray Norton
  • Branson Raines
  • Leila Weinstein
  • Sarah Songbird Burkey
  • Susan Pepper
  • John Analoe Phillips
  • Judy Rhodes
  • William & Sarah Ritter 
  • and more (you can never tell who might show up!) 

Come early to get a table, order yourself some supper and a few drinks!

Ballad Night at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel

/in , , , , , /by

The Ballad Swap at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel is a great opportunity to experience an important part of our Appalachian Heritage and it is the only recurring Ballad Swap in the area. Hosted by Josh Copus, Donna Ray Norton, and Sheila Kay Adams. A ballad is a story or narrative poem sung to a melody and is a type of folk song passed down through oral tradition. While ballads have been sung throughout Southern Appalachia, Madison County in particular is known for its rich treasure trove of ballads and ballad singers. When English folk song collector Cecil Sharp visited Madison County in 1916, he said he had found a “nest of singing birds.” The ballad tradition in Madison County alone goes back at least 9 generations.

Come on out and join us every second Wednesday of each month at 6:00pm. There will be one exception to the “every second Wednesday” rule, and that is for the month of October 2023, when it will be held the last Wednesday of the month. There will be a round robin style ballad swap that takes place on the patio of Zadie’s restaurant in the Old Marshall Jail. We have several ballad singers that join us each month from different counties. This is a very casual event where we tell stories, sing songs, talk about our history, and have a great time!

Some of our regular Ballad Singers: 

  • Sheila Kay Adams 
  • Donna Ray Norton
  • Branson Raines
  • Leila Weinstein
  • Sarah Songbird Burkey
  • Susan Pepper
  • John Analoe Phillips
  • Judy Rhodes
  • William & Sarah Ritter 
  • and more (you can never tell who might show up!) 

Come early to get a table, order yourself some supper and a few drinks!

Ballad Night at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel

/in , , , , , /by

The Ballad Swap at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel is a great opportunity to experience an important part of our Appalachian Heritage and it is the only recurring Ballad Swap in the area. Hosted by Josh Copus, Donna Ray Norton, and Sheila Kay Adams. A ballad is a story or narrative poem sung to a melody and is a type of folk song passed down through oral tradition. While ballads have been sung throughout Southern Appalachia, Madison County in particular is known for its rich treasure trove of ballads and ballad singers. When English folk song collector Cecil Sharp visited Madison County in 1916, he said he had found a “nest of singing birds.” The ballad tradition in Madison County alone goes back at least 9 generations.

Come on out and join us every second Wednesday of each month at 6:00pm. There will be one exception to the “every second Wednesday” rule, and that is for the month of October 2023, when it will be held the last Wednesday of the month. There will be a round robin style ballad swap that takes place on the patio of Zadie’s restaurant in the Old Marshall Jail. We have several ballad singers that join us each month from different counties. This is a very casual event where we tell stories, sing songs, talk about our history, and have a great time!

Some of our regular Ballad Singers: 

  • Sheila Kay Adams 
  • Donna Ray Norton
  • Branson Raines
  • Leila Weinstein
  • Sarah Songbird Burkey
  • Susan Pepper
  • John Analoe Phillips
  • Judy Rhodes
  • William & Sarah Ritter 
  • and more (you can never tell who might show up!) 

Come early to get a table, order yourself some supper and a few drinks!

Ballad Night at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel

/in , , , , , /by

The Ballad Swap at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel is a great opportunity to experience an important part of our Appalachian Heritage and it is the only recurring Ballad Swap in the area. Hosted by Josh Copus, Donna Ray Norton, and Sheila Kay Adams. A ballad is a story or narrative poem sung to a melody and is a type of folk song passed down through oral tradition. While ballads have been sung throughout Southern Appalachia, Madison County in particular is known for its rich treasure trove of ballads and ballad singers. When English folk song collector Cecil Sharp visited Madison County in 1916, he said he had found a “nest of singing birds.” The ballad tradition in Madison County alone goes back at least 9 generations.

Come on out and join us every second Wednesday of each month at 6:00pm. There will be one exception to the “every second Wednesday” rule, and that is for the month of October 2023, when it will be held the last Wednesday of the month. There will be a round robin style ballad swap that takes place on the patio of Zadie’s restaurant in the Old Marshall Jail. We have several ballad singers that join us each month from different counties. This is a very casual event where we tell stories, sing songs, talk about our history, and have a great time!

Some of our regular Ballad Singers: 

  • Sheila Kay Adams 
  • Donna Ray Norton
  • Branson Raines
  • Leila Weinstein
  • Sarah Songbird Burkey
  • Susan Pepper
  • John Analoe Phillips
  • Judy Rhodes
  • William & Sarah Ritter 
  • and more (you can never tell who might show up!) 

Come early to get a table, order yourself some supper and a few drinks!

Ballad Night at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel

/in , , , , , /by

The Ballad Swap at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel is a great opportunity to experience an important part of our Appalachian Heritage and it is the only recurring Ballad Swap in the area. Hosted by Josh Copus, Donna Ray Norton, and Sheila Kay Adams. A ballad is a story or narrative poem sung to a melody and is a type of folk song passed down through oral tradition. While ballads have been sung throughout Southern Appalachia, Madison County in particular is known for its rich treasure trove of ballads and ballad singers. When English folk song collector Cecil Sharp visited Madison County in 1916, he said he had found a “nest of singing birds.” The ballad tradition in Madison County alone goes back at least 9 generations.

Come on out and join us every second Wednesday of each month at 6:00pm. There will be one exception to the “every second Wednesday” rule, and that is for the month of October 2023, when it will be held the last Wednesday of the month. There will be a round robin style ballad swap that takes place on the patio of Zadie’s restaurant in the Old Marshall Jail. We have several ballad singers that join us each month from different counties. This is a very casual event where we tell stories, sing songs, talk about our history, and have a great time!

Some of our regular Ballad Singers: 

  • Sheila Kay Adams 
  • Donna Ray Norton
  • Branson Raines
  • Leila Weinstein
  • Sarah Songbird Burkey
  • Susan Pepper
  • John Analoe Phillips
  • Judy Rhodes
  • William & Sarah Ritter 
  • and more (you can never tell who might show up!) 

Come early to get a table, order yourself some supper and a few drinks!

Ballad Night at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel

/in , , , , , /by

The Ballad Swap at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel is a great opportunity to experience an important part of our Appalachian Heritage and it is the only recurring Ballad Swap in the area. Hosted by Josh Copus, Donna Ray Norton, and Sheila Kay Adams. A ballad is a story or narrative poem sung to a melody and is a type of folk song passed down through oral tradition. While ballads have been sung throughout Southern Appalachia, Madison County in particular is known for its rich treasure trove of ballads and ballad singers. When English folk song collector Cecil Sharp visited Madison County in 1916, he said he had found a “nest of singing birds.” The ballad tradition in Madison County alone goes back at least 9 generations.

Come on out and join us every second Wednesday of each month at 6:00pm. There will be one exception to the “every second Wednesday” rule, and that is for the month of October 2023, when it will be held the last Wednesday of the month. There will be a round robin style ballad swap that takes place on the patio of Zadie’s restaurant in the Old Marshall Jail. We have several ballad singers that join us each month from different counties. This is a very casual event where we tell stories, sing songs, talk about our history, and have a great time!

Some of our regular Ballad Singers: 

  • Sheila Kay Adams 
  • Donna Ray Norton
  • Branson Raines
  • Leila Weinstein
  • Sarah Songbird Burkey
  • Susan Pepper
  • John Analoe Phillips
  • Judy Rhodes
  • William & Sarah Ritter 
  • and more (you can never tell who might show up!) 

Come early to get a table, order yourself some supper and a few drinks!

Ballad Night at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel

/in , , , , , /by

The Ballad Swap at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel is a great opportunity to experience an important part of our Appalachian Heritage and it is the only recurring Ballad Swap in the area. Hosted by Josh Copus, Donna Ray Norton, and Sheila Kay Adams. A ballad is a story or narrative poem sung to a melody and is a type of folk song passed down through oral tradition. While ballads have been sung throughout Southern Appalachia, Madison County in particular is known for its rich treasure trove of ballads and ballad singers. When English folk song collector Cecil Sharp visited Madison County in 1916, he said he had found a “nest of singing birds.” The ballad tradition in Madison County alone goes back at least 9 generations.

Come on out and join us every second Wednesday of each month at 6:00pm. There will be one exception to the “every second Wednesday” rule, and that is for the month of October 2023, when it will be held the last Wednesday of the month. There will be a round robin style ballad swap that takes place on the patio of Zadie’s restaurant in the Old Marshall Jail. We have several ballad singers that join us each month from different counties. This is a very casual event where we tell stories, sing songs, talk about our history, and have a great time!

Some of our regular Ballad Singers: 

  • Sheila Kay Adams 
  • Donna Ray Norton
  • Branson Raines
  • Leila Weinstein
  • Sarah Songbird Burkey
  • Susan Pepper
  • John Analoe Phillips
  • Judy Rhodes
  • William & Sarah Ritter 
  • and more (you can never tell who might show up!) 

Come early to get a table, order yourself some supper and a few drinks!

Ballad Night at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel

/in , , , , , /by

The Ballad Swap at the Old Marshall Jail Hotel is a great opportunity to experience an important part of our Appalachian Heritage and it is the only recurring Ballad Swap in the area. Hosted by Josh Copus, Donna Ray Norton, and Sheila Kay Adams. A ballad is a story or narrative poem sung to a melody and is a type of folk song passed down through oral tradition. While ballads have been sung throughout Southern Appalachia, Madison County in particular is known for its rich treasure trove of ballads and ballad singers. When English folk song collector Cecil Sharp visited Madison County in 1916, he said he had found a “nest of singing birds.” The ballad tradition in Madison County alone goes back at least 9 generations.

Come on out and join us every second Wednesday of each month at 6:00pm. There will be one exception to the “every second Wednesday” rule, and that is for the month of October 2023, when it will be held the last Wednesday of the month. There will be a round robin style ballad swap that takes place on the patio of Zadie’s restaurant in the Old Marshall Jail. We have several ballad singers that join us each month from different counties. This is a very casual event where we tell stories, sing songs, talk about our history, and have a great time!

Some of our regular Ballad Singers: 

  • Sheila Kay Adams 
  • Donna Ray Norton
  • Branson Raines
  • Leila Weinstein
  • Sarah Songbird Burkey
  • Susan Pepper
  • John Analoe Phillips
  • Judy Rhodes
  • William & Sarah Ritter 
  • and more (you can never tell who might show up!) 

Come early to get a table, order yourself some supper and a few drinks!

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