Skip funding acknowledgments and go to event details »

With support from Your Name In Lights Sponsor Bill Gulvin.

Made possible in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, which believes that a great nation deserves great art.

Paul Brown has played old time music since he was a boy. His repertoire, which centers on the highlands of North Carolina and Virginia, comes directly from old-time players of the 1920s and 30s. He studied banjo intensively with the late Tommy Jarrell of North Carolina. Paul has recorded with many outstanding old-time musicians, including a duo album with Mike Seeger (on Rounder), Way Down in North Carolina. Paul has recently released a solo album, Red Clay Country, which is featured on his website. Outside of music, Paul is a newscaster and journalist for National Public Radio.

Matt Brown is an innovative fiddler, an intricate banjo player, a propulsive guitar player, and a moving singer. His music ranges from sprightly square dance tunes to haunting banjo pieces, to songs from the blues to traditional ballads. Many of his influences come from commercial recordings of the 1920's and 1930's. The rest come from field recordings made by collectors such as Alan Lomax, John Cohen and Mike Seeger, or from friendships with older musicians.

Paul and Matt are both involved with the independent label 5-String Productions, which is based in West Chester, PA.

Details below:
Fiddle Workshop
Banjo Workshop
Concert

To Learn More...

• Read article from SFMS's newsletter
• Read about Paul Brown's day job at National Public Radio
• Visit Matt Brown’s website
• Visit Paul Brown’s website

Hear Music Samples at...

• Matt Brown’s website
• Matt Brown’s Myspace page
• CDBaby: Listen to Paul Brown's CD Red Clay Country (also on his website)
• CDBaby: Listen to Matt Brown's CD Lone Prairie