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Wayne Erbsen has studied, played, taught, and written about traditional music for over 50 years. We talked to him about his new book, Southern Mountain Music: The Collected Writings of Wayne Erbsen, a collection of articles he wrote about legendary musicians from across the bluegrass and old-time music scenes. He started playing guitar and banjo in his native Southern California as a teen and arrived in Southern Appalachia in the 1970s.

Most folks don’t think of the piano as an instrument in traditional music, but that never stopped Jeff Little from playing throughout his musical career. His introduction to piano came at a very young age in his father’s music store in Boone. Jerrell Little, Doc Watson, Wayne Henderson, and others gave Jeff the lessons he would use to carry him throughout his musical career. Listen to this episode of Down the Road to learn more about Jeff Little’s story.

Jayne Henderson had no intention of working in the world of music. She went to school to study environmental law. However, the heart knows what it wants. After growing up with creativity in her blood and a family of luthiers before her, Jayne found herself crafting guitars side-by-side with her father, with a twist… she chooses the materials mindfully, using wood right in her backyard.

My guest this week is Stephen Davies, a comedy rap artist best known for his work with the cult-favorite group Illbotz and his father-son duo, Knuckleheadz, alongside his son Jackson. Off the stage, Stephen has spent the last 25 years as an activities director and administrator in nursing homes.Drawing from decades of real-life experience, Stephen recently released Granny’s Got a Fart Gun—a collection of hilarious and heartwarming stories from the nursing home. It’s a laugh-out-loud celebration of humanity, aging, and the unexpected moments that make life unforgettable.

Joshua Strachan is an experimental, industrial, atmospheric black metal, dark folk, and ambient songwriter and producer living in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Each collaboration and project Strachan has incited is marked by the presence of the climate and atmosphere of his environment, as evidenced by the song we discuss, Deer Stalking- an ecological comment on the growth of deer populations in residential areas.

Host of the political podcast, Frogmore Stew, Grace Cowan sat down with WNCW to share new House Bill regulations and how one item might discourage voting. She joined More to the Story in late February, 2025.

Madeline Dierauf, a professional fiddler, can be described as a talented musician, an outstanding college student, and someone with a genuine soul. She's also a new and rare recipient of the Oxford University Rhodes Scholarship, that will enable her to continue her studies in England later this year. Madeline, a member of the all- female bluegrass band, The Wilder Flower, is also the daughter of WNCW Music Host, Roland Dierauf. This conversation originally aired in late February 2025.

WUNC K-12 Education Reporter, Liz Schlemmer joined WNCW to discuss the main reasons parents choose to place their children in private schools or select homeschooling over traditional public schooling. Liz also breaks down the effects of COVID and Charter Schools. This conversation originally aired in March 2025.

WNCW believes in how local, community, and public radio serve its listeners. So, when Cory Vaillancourt of Smoky Mountain News wanted to share his story about Senate Bill 315, which mandates that all new passenger motor vehicles manufactured or sold in the United States include AM radio receivers as standard equipment, we wanted to hear about it. This conversation originally aired in March 2025.

Asheville Theatre Alliance (ATA) Co-Founder, Jeff Cantanese was Paul's guest on this feature interview to share what ATA is all about. The non-profit group came together as a way to strengthen the Asheville theatre community as a whole. Jeff also shared details about an ATA podcast that just got off the ground. This conversation originally aired in March 2025.