Jayden Sturgill, Age 11, Banjo Player/Student; Neon, Kentucky:
“Been playing the banjo three or four years. I started playing it because my mamaw always played the guitar so I thought I would play the banjo. I take lessons at Neon Middle School. I like to play (the mountain music) because it will get forgotten if you don’t. I like how it sounds. My favorite song I can play so far is ‘Red Lick’. Red Lick just sounds better than the rest.
I like living in the mountains because of all the nature, animals and things like that. I love to whittle, spears and stuff. Learned it from my pappy. I fish and I hunt… but I don’t like to kill ‘em. I go hunting without a gun. I just really like to see them (animals). I killed a squirrel once, didn’t like the killing part so we go out in a tree stand and just watch the animals.
Wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I just love it here.”