When Scott Ainslie was just three years old, his mother found him sitting at the piano playing melodies from records she played around the house. His proclivity toward music seemed innate, and his musical career evolved from there. He went on to learn every instrument he could get his hands on from flute to guitar, fiddle, and banjo. But he has also devoted his career to learning the deep history of American music and translating those stories to a public audience. He spent four years working with the now-defunct NC Visiting Arts Program that placed professional artists on community college campuses across the state. He also published a DVD and CD about musician Robert Johnson. Host Frank Stasio talks with Ainslie about his life and music.
Watch an excerpt from Scott Ainslie's multi-media performance "The Land Where The Blues Began" (titled in homage to Alan Lomax's work):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZ6oE-fThj4