Stories and Tunes from the Fiddler of Banjo Branch.
Roger Howell, a cultural treasure recognized throughout Western North Carolina for his skill as a musician, his generosity as a teacher, and his prodigious memory, has immersed himself in the music of this region since his childhood.
A Mighty Fine Memory is a documentary about the life and work of master fiddler, Roger Howell. The film was produced by the Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies, directed by award-winning filmmaker, Hannah Furgiuele, and edited by Rebecca Jones.
The 532 fiddle tunes comprising the “Roger Howell Memory Collection of Fiddle Tunes” were contributed by Howell to Mars Hill University’s Southern Appalachian Archives. This “Memory Collection,” along with all of Mr. Howell’s performances and lessons, are full of stories about the people who taught him this music, the “old people” of his youth.
DVDs can be purchased at the Mars Hill University Bookstore, the Madison County Visitor’s Center, and the Liston B. Ramsey Center for Regional Studies. The proceeds from the film will go to support the Southern Appalachian Archives at Mars Hill University.
