MUSIC
This is the story of Arkansas. A story told through the sounds of musical instruments
and song. Listen to the melancholy blues born on the Delta 
in eastern
Arkansas. Tap your toe in time with the lively folk music spilling down
from the hills of Northwest Arkansas. Arkansas's history is in those notes.
You'll hear it in the mandolins of the Old School Bluegrass Band, from
the 30-voice collegiate choir of Philander Smith University and from the
dynamic sound of the South Arkansas Symphony. Indeed, Arkansas's heritage
soars on the wings of a musical note.
Choose from the list below to listen to samples of Arkansas's trademark music.
Walkin' In My Sleep
A lively bluegrass tune featuring fiddle and banjo, typical of the music of the Ozarks.
walkin'.ra (75 kb) | walkin'.au (411 kb)
Down Home Bag
A toe-tapping instrumental with fiddle and banjo right up front!
DownHome.ra (88 kb) | DownHome.au (484 kb)
As For Me And My House
A fast-moving jazz number blending vocals and bass.
I_Love_You.ra (77 kb) | I_Love_You.au (421 kb)
Trois Mouvements de Pétrouchk
An energetic classical piano work.
Stravinski.ra (79 kb) | Stravinski.au (432 kb)
Too Close Together
This witty blues song brings together trumpet, bass and broom.
Kingbis.ra (73 kb) | Kingbis.au (397 kb)
Click here to download the RealPlayer free.
Arkansas Arts Council
The
Arkansas
Arts Council brings Arkansas musicians and Arkansas audiences
together through its "Arts on Tour" program. For information about
the program and an "Arts on Tour" roster, call the Arts Council at
(501) 324-9766 or visit
www.arkansasarts.com.
Delta Cultural Center
The music of the Arkansas Delta is as diverse as the Delta itself; but the
Delta is best known for the blues. The
Delta Cultural Center's Delta Sounds
exhibit traces the history of Delta blues and features some of Delta blues'
most influential personalities. The Delta Cultural Center hosts "King
Biscuit Time," the longest running radio show in the United States, in the
Visitors Center every weekday from 12:15-12:45 p.m. This Peabody
Award-winning radio show features the legendary "Sunshine" Sonny Payne. The
Delta Sounds Room features an entire area dedicated to the Delta's rich
musical heritage. For more information on this subject, please contact the
Delta Cultural
Center at (870) 338-4358 or (800) 358-0972.
Old State House Museum
"Our Own Sweet Sounds," the
Old
State House Museum's award-winning exhibit, is now available for
viewing as a beautiful 120-page book. "Our Own Sweet Sounds: A Celebration
of Popular Music in Arkansas," published by the University of Arkansas
Press, is a loving tribute to not only the luminaries of folk, country,
western, blues, jazz, gospel and rock, but also to the common music
that filled local airwaves, and enhanced the enlivened spirit of music
lovers everywhere. With this book, author Robert Cochran, Director
of the Center for Arkansas and Regional Studies and an English professor
at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, has painted a portrait
of rich musical diversity. Cochran traces the music and voices that
have enriched the life of the community that is Arkansas, and brought
further focus to the people and sounds celebrated in the Natural State.
For additional information, please contact the Old State House Museum
at (501) 324-9685, or the University of Arkansas Press in Fayetteville,
Arkansas at (501) 575-7715 or visit
www.oldstatehouse.com.