Metal strings stretched tight
Calfskin on a wooden rim
Music in the air

Planks, maple and spruce
Nature cut and shaped by hand
So that man can play

-Haiku by Charley
 The Southern String Band sticks to the basics. While other recent folk collectives
bring in trumpets, trash cans, cellos and other instruments, this nine-piece wields
four fiddles. The chorus of four-strings sings out ringing melodies while bass,
guitars, banjos and mandolin round out the sound. The group plays old-time dance
music with joyous abandon. Hypnotic lines repeat. Time melts away, the reverie
breaking only with the end of each song.

-Andrew Ritchey, The Independent Weekly, Dec. 2, 2009

The Southern String Band is a group of nine friends in Raleigh, North Carolina, who play old time string band music for fun in whatever combination shows up for the weekly session, usually on Thursday nights. The group also does an occasional public event, playing background music at informal receptions, picnics, and so forth. We play mostly traditional tunes and songs from the upper south collected from older musicians, old recordings, and our many old time music friends across the state. 

We're not an open jam -- nine is about the limit to be able to hear anything, and at some sessions we're working on something for a gig. But on some occasions we can welcome visitors, so if you're in the area and would like to join us sometime, or would like more information, email us at southernstringband@mindspring.com

Also check out our calendar of public appearances.

In alphabetical order, The Southern String Band is (at present):
Kurt E. -  mandolin, fiddle, and John Deere tractor. Architect. Now starting on tenor banjo -- check out Kurt's pages on Banjo Hangout.
Becky M. - banjo and Java.  Software developer.
Anne M. - fiddle. Historian and Editor. Started this whole thing in 2001 when she emailed Mike looking for a fiddle teacher.
Vicky M. - fiddle. Also plays Irish. Violin teacher.
Charley N. - tenor guitar, tenor banjo, mandolin, bass -- most anything with four strings. Luthier. Check out some of Charley's handiwork.
Bob P. - guitar.  Landscape architect.
Ron R. - bass. Attorney. A founder of Pine Cone in 1984 and the Apple Chill Cloggers in 1975.
Wade S. - fiddle. Attorney. Played banjo with the Lost Dog String Band and Bloomsbury Park.
Mike S. - fiddle. Historian.

The band's name: When we arranged to play the Benefit for Melissa at the Elks Club in Raleigh in January 2005, organizer Chris Moore asked what we wanted to be called. When we didn't get back to him in time for his publicity notices, he named us the Southern String Band. We decided that would do. Coincidentally, one of the band members is named Southern, but the band ain't named for him. On some occasions when when a subset of us perform in public we may go by other names. See alternate names.




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