Floyd musician Earl White has spent his life keeping American string band traditions alive

Join an online conversation with Floyd-based fiddler Earl White. A prominent figure rooted in the practice, teaching, and sustaining of American string band traditions, White shares his music and reflects on a lifetime of deep commitment to keep traditions alive in the free lunchtime talk on Friday, July 16, at noon.

Moderated by Margaret Lawrence, Moss Arts Center director of programming, this 45-minute Zoom discussion with White is the latest installment of the center’s online series, “In the Moment: Artists and Their Work.”

This talk is free, but registration is required. Find registration information on the Moss Arts Center website.

Known as “Fiddlin’ Earl White,” the musician is the leader of the Earl White Stringband and co-founder of Big Indian Farm Artisan Bakery in Floyd, and is often seen at the Blacksburg Farmers Market. A prominent figure in the Old Time music and dance community for more than 40 years, White is one of the few African Americans playing and perpetuating the music that was once an essential part of Black culture and Black communities across the U.S.

An original and founding member of the famed Greengrass Cloggers, White’s energetic, rhythmic, driving playing style is attributed to many years of dancing with the group. He has played with many of the finest Old Time musicians in the country, and under the guise of the Too Wet to Plow Stringband, Early Night and the Daytimers, the Dukes of Earl, Sweet Bama, the Earl White Band, the Earl White Stringband, as well as the dynamic duo known as Adrienne Davis and Earl White, his bands have graced many audiences with superb music through workshops and concerts.

As much a convener, connector, and teacher as an entertainer, White joins the online session live from Big Indian’s annual four-day Fiddle Jam.

“In the Moment: Artists and Their Work” provides an opportunity to meet notable creators of Southwest Virginia — from visual artists to theater-makers to choreographers to musicians — and learn more about their creative processes in this unusual time. This series of 45-minute chats gives an exclusive look inside the homes and studios of the artists—providing a chance to experience their work, ask questions, and discuss how creative luminaries are approaching art in this moment.