A few weeks ago, one of Music Maker’s most important partner artists, Freeman Vines, lost his right eye.  And this is not a story about a sudden emergency that brought on the surgery to remove his eye. It’s a story about how difficult it is for the poor and elderly to get access to the […]

It’s officially winter, and freezing temperatures have brought cold nights to towns all over the South, where most of Music Maker’s partner artists live. And every night when the temperatures drop, we never forget to ask ourselves, “Are our partners safe and warm tonight?” In our 26 years of existence, Music Maker has worked to […]

I first met Freeman Vines in 2015 at his home in the rural town of Fountain, North Carolina. Vines’ work had slowed down considerably as a result of poor health and isolation—both geographic and social. As Freeman began to show me his guitars, I instantly knew that I was in the presence of a great […]

Loneliness is a recurring subject in the Blues. A lover gone or the loss of a family member typically inspires one of the most archetypal themes within the genre. For our Partner Artists, music serves as a much needed salve for coping with such hardships. But things have changed in the world of COVID-19.  Our […]

The Blues was born in the South and dispersed wherever people would congregate. Shot houses, railroad depots, local bars, VFW halls and other community gathering places served as the melting pots in which our greatest cultural export was forged. These regular gigs provided daily bread for the artists who played them and are a critical […]