Mark Campbell is a traditional musician who is dedicated to preserving and passing down old Appalachian region fiddle and banjo styles. Since his childhood in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Mark traveled around the region, collecting and playing the old style of music. He learned bowing and picking styles from some of the giants of last generation of great musicians of North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.
In 2008 Mark was named the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities' Master fiddler. He was also the 2001 Champion Fiddler at the Appalachian String Band Festival at Clifftop, West Virginia, has twice won the State Fair of Virginia fiddle contest, and has won the West Virginia State Folkfestival banjo and fiddle competitions.
Mark travels throughout the region, performs concerts/lectures, teaches classes, plays for dances and produces solo and band recordings.
Mark learned fiddle styles by playing with and studying musicians including, Melvin Wine, Tommy Jarrell, Ernie Carpenter, Pug Allen, Burl Hammons, Wilson Douglas, Lee Triplett, Franklin George, Harvey Sampson, Joe Birchfield, Wilson Douglas, and Harold Hausenfluck.
He learned his banjo styles by watching musicians Herbert Pitzer, Kyle Creed, Fred Cockerham, and Matokie Slaughter.
From blind fiddler Harold Hausenfluck Mark learned to listen for the bow changes in old recordings. He then studied recordings from many of the departed masters of the old style of music, including French Carpenter, Ed Haley, Luther Strong, N. H. Mills, Norm Edmonds, J. B. Grayson, Clayton McMitchen, Marcus Martin, and Osey Helton.
Introduction
Experience
"My goal is to help reveal and perpetuate the genius of Appalachian Mountain Culture."
Mark and Issac Akers play John Lewis'
Rose Division
2009 Schedule:
Photo by John Herzog.
Mark and Barrow play Emmett Lundy's
Ducks on the Millpond.
April 12th and 14th: Upstate New York with John Kirk and Trish Miller. April 12 (Easter night) at Skidmore College.
April 15th: jamming at the Grizzly Pear, NYC, 9:30 to 12:30.
107 MacDougal St., New York, NY 10012
April 17th: Master Workshop at Jalopy 7:00 PM. See "classes" link . Link to Jalopy
April 19th: Master Workshop 1:00 PM to 5:00PM and House Concert 7:30 PM at Susan Sterngold's Residence Suffern NY.
April 23rd: House Concert in Williamsburg with Elizabeth LaPrelle as guest. Dinner at 6:00 PM Seats reserved at Johnny48@AOL.com or by calling 757-208-0419.
Song of the Month:
The Campbell Family band plays Field Ward's
Way Down in North Carolina or Waterbound
December 12th Floyd Contra Dance, Floyd, Virginia. Advanced fiddle workshop Friday Dec 11th, Intermediate fiddle workshop Saturday Dec 12th. Write to sign up:
July 30, 31, Aug 1, 2, Appalachian String Band Festival, Clifftop, West Virginia.
September 19th, Campbell Family Band at the Victory Hall Theatre, Scottsville Virginia.
2010 Schedule:
March 7th Campbell Family Band at Richmond Folk Music (Coffeehouse) Richmond, Virginia. 2:00 PM
Mark Plays Luther Strong's
Last of Sizemore
April 10th, Campbell Family Band at Performing Arts of Luray. http://performingartsluray.org/events.htm
Fiddle tune of the month:
Mark plays: Marcus Martin's
Lady Hamilton
See new fiddle lesson on lessons and videos page. Leather Britches
