580 WKSK Live Old Time and Bluegrass Show: Jackson Cunningham and Trevor McKenzie

Jackson Cunningham is a luthier and musician steeped in the traditions of his home in Grayson County, Virginia. Cunningham learned his skills as an instrument builder from neighbors, such as the late Audrey Hash Hamm, and continues these traditions through his own Cunningham Handmade Instruments. Jackson’s skills as rhythm guitarist mandolin player and singer are noted both regionally and abroad, with performances and tours at folk festivals and venues across the United States, Europe, and Australia. He is the leader of the string band Nobody’s Business and performs as part of the duo The Whitetop Mountaineers.

Historian and musician Trevor McKenzie is based in western North Carolina. He is the Director of the Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University, where he teaches regional history, folklore, and music, and has performed with regional groups including Nobody’s Business, The Little Stony Nighthawks, and the Elkville String Band. He is a published author and is a SouthArts’ Emergin Traditional Artists cohort and the recipient of a North Carolina Arts Council apprenticeship to study regional fiddle traditions with master fiddler and banjo player Paul Brown.