The period from July 2002 through July 2003 has been declared by Congress the "Year of Appalachia." The year also marks the 75th anniversary of the historically important Victor recording sessions held in Bristol, Tennessee, in 1927. A small museum in Bristol administered by the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance (BCMA)--a non-profit group run by country music enthusiasts and supporters of Appalachian music that is also an affiliate of the Smithsonian--approached the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage with a proposal to mount a Folklife Festival program in 2003 celebrating Appalachian culture. The year began with a series of regional concerts in Appalachia and now culminates with the Appalachia: Heritage and Harmony program on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Smithsonian staff worked closely with scholars and experts in the Appalachian region to help us tell their story, to discover what qualities in the region have made it such a hotbed of musical creativity and cooperation.