MUSIC: HANDMADE INSTRUMENTS FROM THE EPISODE

MUSIC: Handmade Instruments from the Episode showcases the handwork of craftsmen who make the distinctive sounds of America possible. The Kamaka family has been creating ukuleles for generations, and their signature Pineapple Ukulele embodies the spirit of the Hawaiian Islands. The Martin Guitar Company takes pride in an almost two hundred year history of making the finest guitars in America. Dave Monette is famous for his exceptional trumpets, a combination of high-tech computer design and fabrication mixed with old world craftsmanship. From the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Stelling Banjo makes the instruments that “evoke the sound of America,” “a sound that says this is who we are,” according to musician Tony Ellis. Minstrel banjo maker Jim Hartel reveals another side of this distinctive instrument, pursuing a tradition rooted in American slave instruments brought from West Africa. Photos by Madison Metro.