Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
You’ve never “herd” anything like them. Grassroots music at its finest, Pretty Little Goat formed in 2013 through their common grounding in the deep well of tradition found in the mountains of Western North Carolina. As young lovers of old-time music, Pretty Little Goat began winning string band competitions right away with their hard driving style. Since then, they have been drawing inspiration from a diverse array of sources, coupled with a lifestyle close to the land, to create a unique collection of timeless original music. Pretty Little Goat sees traditional music is a living art form – vibrant and evolving – and their energy and creativity on stage reflect that. They will get you dancing with a diverse array of old-time fiddle tunes, swingy country two-step numbers, and rollicking mountain hoedowns, while in turn offering heartfelt ballads and sweet harmonies. Pushing out a sound unidentifiable by time, their music is “as close as we will ever be to our past while being as current as we need it to be” (Mike Ashworth, Steep Canyon Rangers). Don’t miss the Goats!
The Wilder Flower hails from Pickens SC & Brevard NC. We grew up in the thick of Appalachian bluegrass and old time music, fiddling and picking in the Y/JAM programs and with friends. As young musicians, we worked our ways onto stages at IBMA, MerleFest, and America’s Got Talent, and won blue ribbons at the South Carolina Old Time Fiddler’s Convention and beyond. We finally met in 2020 at Hagood Mill, where Madeline won the South Carolina State Fiddler’s Championship. Grounded in the language of our instrumental training, our collaboration flexes between folk, Americana, bluegrass, and Old-time tunes. Vocally, we thrive on three-part harmonies, whether a two-chord old-time ballad, or a modern, minor-filled melody, and instrumentally, we feature bluegrass banjo tunes, fiddle and clawhammer string-band songs, flat-picking guitar tunes, and everything in between. The Wilder Flower continues to write and tour throughout Appalachia and around the south eastern United States.
We have three opportunities for you to help Connect Beyond AND see some music! We need volunteers to assist with wristbands for three shows this summer at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Downtown Asheville, N.C. Shifts are roughly (3) hours and all participating volunteers will also receive (1) free ticket to stay after and watch the show. The following dates and shows are available:
- February 16-18: Billy Strings
- May 16: Amon Amarth
- May 20 & 22: Noah Kahan
- August 30: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
What is LEAF Global Arts Retreat? Imagine all the adventure, traditions, art, and music of LEAF festivals, still at beautiful Lake Eden, but in a more intimate gathering of just 1,500 attendees. “Old School Magic and Happiness” is how people have described LEAF Retreat since its inception in 2021, with space to kick back, relax, play, camp and connect with arts, music, and nature – it’s super sweet.
Retreat was created during COVID as a way to heal and experience joy in unusual times. We loved the experience so much that we decided to keep this format for our signature May event. Retreats are for renewal, reconnecting, and learning at Lake Eden’s 300+ acres. Come enjoy with family, friends, or solo!
DATES: May 9-12, 2024
TICKETS: $50-$250 for adults. Limited day passes available; Weekend Passes must be purchased by LEAF Members; Youth tickets are available; Kids younger than 10 are free! WeX Volunteering Options are available. Weekend passes include access to camping at Lake Eden. Passes for car camping, RVs, and private rustic camp cabins are limited and available through the website.
Save the dates for LEAF Global Arts Festival, October 17-20, 2024.
Sigal Music Museum’s current special exhibition, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred, highlights items from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, which hails from all over the world. Showing November 2023 – May 2024, Worlds Apart uses a diverse range of historical instruments, objects, and visuals to bring together musical narratives from seemingly disparate parts of the globe.
Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred aims to increase public access to historical instruments from around the world and improve visitors’ understanding of musical traditions at the global level. Expanding beyond the typical parameters of the Western musical canon, Worlds Apart seeks to expose audiences to musical instruments and customs that are often overlooked or exotified. The instruments and other exhibit materials will offer visitors new perspectives on global music and a chance to consider how music is used for prayer and leisure in cultures around the world. By celebrating these stories, the museum intends to further its mission to collect and preserve historical musical instruments, objects, and information, which engage and enrich people of all ages through exhibits, performances, and experiential programs.
Displaying various objects from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred focuses on international musical instruments and cultures, celebrating rites and traditions with ancient histories and contemporary legacies. Frank Edwinn, a successful basso in the mid-20th century, studied and toured internationally, eventually settling in North Carolina, where he taught music at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Throughout his life, he purchased various objects from around the world, aiming to expose students, and himself, to the wide and wonderful world of musical instruments. This impressive collection occupies a unique position for educating audiences unfamiliar with the vast scope of global music.
And, UNCA’s Ramsey Library Special Collections is now processing the Edwinn’s papers and a few recordings that will be accessible next semester!
The idea that music plays a part in shaping our moods and emotions stretches back to the Doctrine of Affections of ancient Greece. Contemporary film score composers know they have the power to heighten the senses of the audience through harmonies, rhythms, and timbres. Fantasias of the Renaissance and Baroque period allowed for musical forms more fluid than allowed by structured compositions such as canzonas and sonatas. Composers over the past century have called upon instruments to create sounds previously unimaginable, adding even more magic to the listener’s experience. Oboist Alicia Chapman joins Kelly Brzozowski, Rosalind Buda, Sarah Dietriech, and Jody Miller for this Fantastic Voyage.
$20 suggested general admission; $10 suggested for students, seniors; no one turned away for inability to donate.
Vivian Leva & Riley Calcagno play old-soul roots music, fluidly melding a backbone of Appalachian traditional music with fresh iconic melodies and the tightly wound vocal harmonies of indie folk.
A bittersweet nostalgia lies at the heart of Imaginary People, the new album from Viv & Riley, coming September 15, 2023 on Free Dirt Records. Over ten tracks, the pair applies an indie roots sheen to newly composed pop gems. Rooted originally in the folk tradition, the pair reframe the production into experimental territory, crafting songs that speak to finding a path forward into adulthood in an uncertain world. Gifted songwriters and multi-instrumentalists, Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno’s first album under the name Viv & Riley is a subtle masterpiece of thought and reflection. The album brings a reflectiveness to summertime jams that speak of uninhibited joy and creative camaraderie. Coming on the heels of their acclaimed earlier albums that showed preternaturally talented songwriting from such young artists, now the songs have caught up with their lives. Now in their mid-20s, the two are building a life together, creating a supportive community, and looking back on everything they’ve been through. Based out of Durham, North Carolina, they’ve tapped into the area’s eclectic and collaborative music scene, recruiting Alex Bingham of Hiss Golden Messenger to produce the album. Bingham brings a sunny, lush sound to Viv & Riley’s music, moving beyond their earlier country roots and toward a layered sound and sonic experimentation. The songwriting has evolved as well, from the world-weary, stripped-down country songs they’re known for to indie songwriting at turns sweetly sad and gently sardonic. Ultimately, Imaginary People is about carrying and honoring our pasts, about letting that inform our new steps forward. No matter how much we might cling to where we are, sometimes we need to uproot and take a leap of faith, to open ourselves up to new experiences and ideas in order to grow and blossom.
All Ages – under 12 requires venue approval
What is LEAF Global Arts Retreat? Imagine all the adventure, traditions, art, and music of LEAF festivals, still at beautiful Lake Eden, but in a more intimate gathering of just 1,500 attendees. “Old School Magic and Happiness” is how people have described LEAF Retreat since its inception in 2021, with space to kick back, relax, play, camp and connect with arts, music, and nature – it’s super sweet.
Retreat was created during COVID as a way to heal and experience joy in unusual times. We loved the experience so much that we decided to keep this format for our signature May event. Retreats are for renewal, reconnecting, and learning at Lake Eden’s 300+ acres. Come enjoy with family, friends, or solo!
DATES: May 9-12, 2024
TICKETS: $50-$250 for adults. Limited day passes available; Weekend Passes must be purchased by LEAF Members; Youth tickets are available; Kids younger than 10 are free! WeX Volunteering Options are available. Weekend passes include access to camping at Lake Eden. Passes for car camping, RVs, and private rustic camp cabins are limited and available through the website.
Save the dates for LEAF Global Arts Festival, October 17-20, 2024.
A new documentary film shines a light on four behind-
the-scenes L.A. musicians who were responsible for helping make much of the
era’s best music. A special January 8 screening of Immediate Family is the latest
entry in the popular Music Movie Mondays series hosted by author and music
journalist at Grail Moviehouse.
In the early 1970s music scene of Southern California, you couldn’t get a better bunch
of players than the four musicians who wold come to be known collectively as The
Section. Together and on their own, guitarists Danny “Kootch” Kortchmar and Waddy
Wachtel, bassist Leland Sklar and drummer extraordinaire Russ Kunkel played on a
staggering number of recordings made in that era. And an astounding number of those
songs would become hits.
Playing for and with the likes of Carole King, James Taylor, Stevie Nicks, Don
Henley, Keith Richards, Linda Ronstadt, Stevie Nicks and other well-known names,
that tightly-knit group of musicians would be responsible for the sound of an era. And today those four are the core of a popular
recording and performing unit, the Immediate Family.
Filmmaker Denny Tedesco (The Wrecking Crew) has dug into the collective history of these important musicians, and the result
is a new motion picture documentary, Immediate Family. Drawing from archival footage and contemporary interview with the
musicians (and the artists for whom they provided their expertise), Immediate Family fills in the blanks of an important – yet
often overlooked part of American popular music history.
And a post-screening discussion led by author and music journalist Bill Kopp provides an opportunity to share thoughts and
insight on the film.
As part of the Music Movie Mondays series, Grail Movie House in Asheville hosts a special one-night-only showing of the
film. Presented by Asheville-based speaker, author and music journalist Bill Kopp, the evening will include a screening of the
film followed by an interactive discussion.
What is LEAF Global Arts Retreat? Imagine all the adventure, traditions, art, and music of LEAF festivals, still at beautiful Lake Eden, but in a more intimate gathering of just 1,500 attendees. “Old School Magic and Happiness” is how people have described LEAF Retreat since its inception in 2021, with space to kick back, relax, play, camp and connect with arts, music, and nature – it’s super sweet.
Retreat was created during COVID as a way to heal and experience joy in unusual times. We loved the experience so much that we decided to keep this format for our signature May event. Retreats are for renewal, reconnecting, and learning at Lake Eden’s 300+ acres. Come enjoy with family, friends, or solo!
DATES: May 9-12, 2024
TICKETS: $50-$250 for adults. Limited day passes available; Weekend Passes must be purchased by LEAF Members; Youth tickets are available; Kids younger than 10 are free! WeX Volunteering Options are available. Weekend passes include access to camping at Lake Eden. Passes for car camping, RVs, and private rustic camp cabins are limited and available through the website.
Save the dates for LEAF Global Arts Festival, October 17-20, 2024.
Sigal Music Museum’s current special exhibition, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred, highlights items from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, which hails from all over the world. Showing November 2023 – May 2024, Worlds Apart uses a diverse range of historical instruments, objects, and visuals to bring together musical narratives from seemingly disparate parts of the globe.
Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred aims to increase public access to historical instruments from around the world and improve visitors’ understanding of musical traditions at the global level. Expanding beyond the typical parameters of the Western musical canon, Worlds Apart seeks to expose audiences to musical instruments and customs that are often overlooked or exotified. The instruments and other exhibit materials will offer visitors new perspectives on global music and a chance to consider how music is used for prayer and leisure in cultures around the world. By celebrating these stories, the museum intends to further its mission to collect and preserve historical musical instruments, objects, and information, which engage and enrich people of all ages through exhibits, performances, and experiential programs.
Displaying various objects from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred focuses on international musical instruments and cultures, celebrating rites and traditions with ancient histories and contemporary legacies. Frank Edwinn, a successful basso in the mid-20th century, studied and toured internationally, eventually settling in North Carolina, where he taught music at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Throughout his life, he purchased various objects from around the world, aiming to expose students, and himself, to the wide and wonderful world of musical instruments. This impressive collection occupies a unique position for educating audiences unfamiliar with the vast scope of global music.
And, UNCA’s Ramsey Library Special Collections is now processing the Edwinn’s papers and a few recordings that will be accessible next semester!
Learn about how to grow mushrooms at home, basic fungal biology, and the top wild mushrooms to collect in the forest. Presented by Steve Pettis, Henderson County Commercial and Consumer Horticulture Agent and host of the Gardening in the Mountains Radio Show,
What is LEAF Global Arts Retreat? Imagine all the adventure, traditions, art, and music of LEAF festivals, still at beautiful Lake Eden, but in a more intimate gathering of just 1,500 attendees. “Old School Magic and Happiness” is how people have described LEAF Retreat since its inception in 2021, with space to kick back, relax, play, camp and connect with arts, music, and nature – it’s super sweet.
Retreat was created during COVID as a way to heal and experience joy in unusual times. We loved the experience so much that we decided to keep this format for our signature May event. Retreats are for renewal, reconnecting, and learning at Lake Eden’s 300+ acres. Come enjoy with family, friends, or solo!
DATES: May 9-12, 2024
TICKETS: $50-$250 for adults. Limited day passes available; Weekend Passes must be purchased by LEAF Members; Youth tickets are available; Kids younger than 10 are free! WeX Volunteering Options are available. Weekend passes include access to camping at Lake Eden. Passes for car camping, RVs, and private rustic camp cabins are limited and available through the website.
Save the dates for LEAF Global Arts Festival, October 17-20, 2024.
Sigal Music Museum’s current special exhibition, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred, highlights items from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, which hails from all over the world. Showing November 2023 – May 2024, Worlds Apart uses a diverse range of historical instruments, objects, and visuals to bring together musical narratives from seemingly disparate parts of the globe.
Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred aims to increase public access to historical instruments from around the world and improve visitors’ understanding of musical traditions at the global level. Expanding beyond the typical parameters of the Western musical canon, Worlds Apart seeks to expose audiences to musical instruments and customs that are often overlooked or exotified. The instruments and other exhibit materials will offer visitors new perspectives on global music and a chance to consider how music is used for prayer and leisure in cultures around the world. By celebrating these stories, the museum intends to further its mission to collect and preserve historical musical instruments, objects, and information, which engage and enrich people of all ages through exhibits, performances, and experiential programs.
Displaying various objects from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred focuses on international musical instruments and cultures, celebrating rites and traditions with ancient histories and contemporary legacies. Frank Edwinn, a successful basso in the mid-20th century, studied and toured internationally, eventually settling in North Carolina, where he taught music at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Throughout his life, he purchased various objects from around the world, aiming to expose students, and himself, to the wide and wonderful world of musical instruments. This impressive collection occupies a unique position for educating audiences unfamiliar with the vast scope of global music.
And, UNCA’s Ramsey Library Special Collections is now processing the Edwinn’s papers and a few recordings that will be accessible next semester!
Join a one-hour Getting Started with Libby ONLINE webinar, and learn Libby with the Experts! From downloading the app & signing in, to searching & borrowing titles, placing holds, adjusting reading settings, and more, our Libby experts are here to get you started. The session will close with a mini-quiz and live Q&A. Want to learn Libby, but can’t attend one of our monthly sessions live? Sessions will be recorded and emailed to everyone registered 24 hours after the webinar. Please register to receive the recording. To register go to this link: If you don’t have the Libby app downloaded on your device already, you can download the Libby app on most iOS and Android devices. Visit the Apple App Store or Google Play store and search for Libby. Your result should be Libby, by OverDrive, and the app is FREE! You can also use Libby in your web browser by going to libbyapp.com. Webinar is set in Eastern Time. If you would like to show the time in your zone, click on “Time shows in Eastern Time (US and Canada)” and choose your time zone. |
Sing with our Choir at a progressive church
Come join us! Contact Mark Acker for more information ([email protected]).
Rehearsals on Wednesday’s, 3:30-4:45
Join us for this educational and fun guided drum session. This class is super fun and no drumming experience is needed. In this hour long session we will establish the foundations of rhythm and experiment with various concepts from there.
Weekly mountain music JAM with
players in a round, where the session is focused on regional fiddle tunes and songs, You are welcome to come and listen or to
learn and join in. This event supports the Henderson County Junior Appalachian Musician (JAM) Kids Program, Free but
donations are accepted.
⭐ Candlelight concerts bring the magic of a live, multi-sensory musical experience to awe-inspiring locations like never seen before in Asheville. Get your tickets now to discover the music of Queen and more at AyurPrana Listening Room under the gentle glow of candlelight.
General Info📍 Venue: AyurPrana Listening Room📅 Dates and times: select your dates/times directly in the ticket selector⏳ Duration: 60 minutes (doors open 45 mins prior to the start time and late entry is not permitted)👤 Age requirement: 8 years old or older. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult♿ Accessibility: this venue is ADA compliant❓ View the FAQs for this event here🪑 Seating is assigned on a first come first served basis in each zone🕯️ If you would like to book a private concert (min 15+ people), please click here🎻 Check out all the Candlelight concerts in Asheville🎁 To treat your friends and family to a Candlelight gift card, click here
Tentative Program
Queen:
“Don’t Stop Me Now”
“Killer Queen”
“Somebody to Love”
“Love of My Life”
“Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
“Under Pressure” (Queen and David Bowie)
“Bohemian Rhapsody”
“Fat Bottomed Girls”
“We Will Rock You”
“Another One Bites The Dust”
“We Are The Champions”
Other Works:
Gianni Schicchi, “O Mio Babbino Caro” – Giacomo Puccini
La Boheme, SC 67, Act 2: “Quando m’en Vo’ (Musetta’s Waltz)” – Giacomo Puccini
Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute), K. 620, Act 2: “Der Hölle Rache Kocht in Meinem Herzen (Queen of the Night Aria)” – W. A. Mozart
Performers
Listeso String Quartet
Reviews of Candlelight Concerts💬 Brian L. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: “The concert was amazing the band was incredible the setup was breath taking. Truly a phenomenal evening.”💬 Dixie L. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: “Incredible talented and entertaining. The venue was beautiful:) so thankful for a beautiful experience.”💬 Iliana D. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: “Great experience! I loved every single piece played.”
We have three opportunities for you to help Connect Beyond AND see some music! We need volunteers to assist with wristbands for three shows this summer at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville in Downtown Asheville, N.C. Shifts are roughly (3) hours and all participating volunteers will also receive (1) free ticket to stay after and watch the show. The following dates and shows are available:
- February 16-18: Billy Strings
- May 16: Amon Amarth
- May 20 & 22: Noah Kahan
- August 30: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
What is LEAF Global Arts Retreat? Imagine all the adventure, traditions, art, and music of LEAF festivals, still at beautiful Lake Eden, but in a more intimate gathering of just 1,500 attendees. “Old School Magic and Happiness” is how people have described LEAF Retreat since its inception in 2021, with space to kick back, relax, play, camp and connect with arts, music, and nature – it’s super sweet.
Retreat was created during COVID as a way to heal and experience joy in unusual times. We loved the experience so much that we decided to keep this format for our signature May event. Retreats are for renewal, reconnecting, and learning at Lake Eden’s 300+ acres. Come enjoy with family, friends, or solo!
DATES: May 9-12, 2024
TICKETS: $50-$250 for adults. Limited day passes available; Weekend Passes must be purchased by LEAF Members; Youth tickets are available; Kids younger than 10 are free! WeX Volunteering Options are available. Weekend passes include access to camping at Lake Eden. Passes for car camping, RVs, and private rustic camp cabins are limited and available through the website.
Save the dates for LEAF Global Arts Festival, October 17-20, 2024.
Sigal Music Museum’s current special exhibition, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred, highlights items from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, which hails from all over the world. Showing November 2023 – May 2024, Worlds Apart uses a diverse range of historical instruments, objects, and visuals to bring together musical narratives from seemingly disparate parts of the globe.
Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred aims to increase public access to historical instruments from around the world and improve visitors’ understanding of musical traditions at the global level. Expanding beyond the typical parameters of the Western musical canon, Worlds Apart seeks to expose audiences to musical instruments and customs that are often overlooked or exotified. The instruments and other exhibit materials will offer visitors new perspectives on global music and a chance to consider how music is used for prayer and leisure in cultures around the world. By celebrating these stories, the museum intends to further its mission to collect and preserve historical musical instruments, objects, and information, which engage and enrich people of all ages through exhibits, performances, and experiential programs.
Displaying various objects from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred focuses on international musical instruments and cultures, celebrating rites and traditions with ancient histories and contemporary legacies. Frank Edwinn, a successful basso in the mid-20th century, studied and toured internationally, eventually settling in North Carolina, where he taught music at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Throughout his life, he purchased various objects from around the world, aiming to expose students, and himself, to the wide and wonderful world of musical instruments. This impressive collection occupies a unique position for educating audiences unfamiliar with the vast scope of global music.
And, UNCA’s Ramsey Library Special Collections is now processing the Edwinn’s papers and a few recordings that will be accessible next semester!
Join local writing coach, Cornelia Dolian at the Weaverville Library for this three part Memoir Writing Mini Series. Space is limited. Call 828-250-6482 to reserve a spot today! Session One: Memoir Basics & Beginnings Session Two: Memoir Structure and Outline Session Three: Memoir Writing Marathon First Miles Huge thanks to the Friends of the Weaverville Library for sponsoring this series! |
Join local writing coach, Cornelia Dolian at the Weaverville Library for this three part Memoir Writing Mini Series. Space is limited. Call 828-250-6482 to reserve a spot today!
Session One: Memoir Basics & Beginnings
Thursday, January 11th 2:00-3:30
Session Two: Memoir Structure and Outline
Thursday, January 18th 2:00-3:30
Session Three: Memoir Writing Marathon First Miles
Thursday, January 25th 2:00-3:30
Huge thanks to the Friends of the Weaverville Library for sponsoring this series!
Join us for Jazz Jam Thursday every Thursday from 7-10. There is a suggested donation of $10 and local craft beer and wine for sale. Come as you are or bring an instrument! Open jam starts at 8 after a House Band set guaranteed to fill your soul with groove and joy.
Public parking is available at Marjorie Street, across from Packs Tavern.
– ALL AGES
– STANDING ROOM ONLY
HEX WIZARD
Coming out of Asheville, North Carolina, Hex Wizard brings the party with their high energy rock-n-roll, along with the entrancing psychedelic melodies that scream “rock is not dead!” Formed in the late summer of 2022, Hex Wizard is an original power trio comprised of front performer Michael Seng (guitar & vocals), Casey Willis (bass & visual effects), and Lee Rubenstein (percussion). Hex Wizard will always bring more music to your ears, and less dead space between songs in a live setting. “Heady shredders from Asheville with a melodic, funky yet decidedly heavy take on psych rock. Recommended if you like Jimi Hendrix, Black Sabbath, All Them Witches.” – Compass/Blank Newspaper, Knoxville TN
THE BEARD CULT
The Beard Cult based out of Asheville NC deliver a unique blend of stoner rock that pulls the listener in. With Shawn McCoy on lead guitar and vocals, Brett Spivey on bass and backing vocals, Brad Justice on rhythm guitar and Papillon DeBoer (Poppy) on drums. Let them take you on a journey into altered states with their churning and chugging riffs and melodic vocals. Feel the massive thunder clap of sound these 4 emit from the stage. Let them help you find your inner heavy.
Sigal Music Museum’s current special exhibition, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred, highlights items from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, which hails from all over the world. Showing November 2023 – May 2024, Worlds Apart uses a diverse range of historical instruments, objects, and visuals to bring together musical narratives from seemingly disparate parts of the globe.
Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred aims to increase public access to historical instruments from around the world and improve visitors’ understanding of musical traditions at the global level. Expanding beyond the typical parameters of the Western musical canon, Worlds Apart seeks to expose audiences to musical instruments and customs that are often overlooked or exotified. The instruments and other exhibit materials will offer visitors new perspectives on global music and a chance to consider how music is used for prayer and leisure in cultures around the world. By celebrating these stories, the museum intends to further its mission to collect and preserve historical musical instruments, objects, and information, which engage and enrich people of all ages through exhibits, performances, and experiential programs.
Displaying various objects from the JoAnn and Frank Edwinn Collection, Worlds Apart: Musical Instruments from Secular to Sacred focuses on international musical instruments and cultures, celebrating rites and traditions with ancient histories and contemporary legacies. Frank Edwinn, a successful basso in the mid-20th century, studied and toured internationally, eventually settling in North Carolina, where he taught music at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Throughout his life, he purchased various objects from around the world, aiming to expose students, and himself, to the wide and wonderful world of musical instruments. This impressive collection occupies a unique position for educating audiences unfamiliar with the vast scope of global music.
And, UNCA’s Ramsey Library Special Collections is now processing the Edwinn’s papers and a few recordings that will be accessible next semester!


Orlando Solar Bears

Greenville Swamp Rabbits
– ALL AGES
– SEATED SHOW
– LIMITED NUMBER OF PREMIUM SEATING TICKETS AVAILABLE
JASON CARTER
In Lloyd, Kentucky, on U.S. 23, there’s a sign on the Country Music Highway dedicated to renowned fiddler Jason Carter. It was placed there because of his other accomplishments—the Grammy awards, the worldwide tours, and the many other accolades he’s earned through his music. But for Carter, joining the legendary names honored on that stretch of highway just might mean the most. “There’s a certain sound that’s up there that you just don’t hear anywhere else,” he says. “I think that played a big part in how I sound today.”
True to those Kentucky roots, Carter continues to pour all he has back into bluegrass. For thirty years, he has been the fiddle player for the Del McCoury Band—the most awarded group in bluegrass history. He’s won three Grammy awards, including 2018’s “Best Bluegrass Album” with the Travelin’ McCourys, of which he is a founding member. And he’s taken home five IBMAs for “Fiddle Player of the Year,” a staggering number that isn’t quite so crazy once you realize just how many bluegrass greats have turned to Carter for collaboration.
As a fiddler, Carter has been featured on albums by Steve Earle, Ricky Skaggs, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels, Vince Gill, Asleep at the Wheel, and many more, all in addition to his tireless touring and recording with Del as well as the Travelin’ McCourys. On Carter’s forthcoming solo album, Lowdown Hoedown, listeners may recognize instrumental contributions from such legends as Jerry Douglas or Sam Bush alongside vocals from young trailblazers like Sarah Jarosz or Billy Strings. This time, though, Carter is singing lead.
Scattered across the album, too, are hints of the influences that have shaped Carter’s sound throughout his life. A guitar player since childhood and a fiddler since 15 (the age when he swore that someday he’d play in the Del McCoury Band), Carter inherited his love for bluegrass from his father, a musician himself, and grew up playing at jams, festivals, and campgrounds across Kentucky. After he graduated high school, he took his talent as a fiddler on the road professionally: first with the Goins Brothers, then at 19 with the Del McCoury Band, and later with the Travelin’ McCourys.
In the decades since, he’s seen the bluegrass community evolve and expand. “The bluegrass fans, they’re pretty loyal,” he says, noting that he’s found a similar kinship sharing stages with jam bands like Phish and Leftover Salmon, too. “They stick behind you, they’re there for you.” Carter mirrors that loyalty with his own—loyalty to his craft, loyalty to the road, and loyalty to the career path he’s dreamt of since childhood. With Lowdown Hoedown, Carter shares the fruits of decades’ worth of on-the-road experience, spectacular musical sensibility, and genuine excitement for what bluegrass can be.
Writing songs imbued with the humor, vibrant imagery and drama of the rugged west coast of Ireland, this award-winning artist is fast becoming a household name and a firm fixture on the folk and songwriter scene. With storytelling and wit at the heart of all she does — tied together with an inimitable, dreamy voice — Emma’s music is “frothing with melodic charm and lyrical intrigue.” (Folk Radio UK)