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Do you know The Natural State’s instrument? Act 277 was approved on Feb. 28, 1985, making the fiddle Arkansas’ official musical instrument. Representative Bob Watts argued that the fiddle has been closely associated with the education, entertainment, culture and people of Arkansas throughout the state’s history.
Its association was manifested in the song, “The Arkansas Traveler,” which tells of a “city slicker” proving his worth by performing on the fiddle. The instrument was also featured in the painting of the tale by Edward Payson Washbourne.
Learn about the history of the Arkansas fiddle and more from the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.
– Maeghen Carter, Ghidotti Communications