This past October, I had the chance to sit down with the Carolina Chocolate Drops on the stage before the second show of a two-night stand at the Clifton Center in Louisville, Ky. With their instruments surrounding us but not too close at hand, we talked at length about the stories and historical tidbits that normally fill the time between songs in their live performances. I wanted to learn about the banjo itself — not just its history, but its cultural and racial significance.

The Drops were happy to oblige, and their words still resonate in my head and heart months later.

In all honesty, this project may have affected me more deeply than any other I've had the chance to work on. The quartet's insights into the greater narrative of the banjo and what it means for all of us demonstrated real wisdom, punctuated with intentionality and passion. The Drops synthesized vast information about the banjo's lineage into a comprehensible body of knowledge, and then conveyed it to me with tact, emotion, poise and honesty. I actually left that stage with a new outlook on the world and my place in it. I felt more aware and challenged than ever, but also exhilarated and inspired. My hope is now to "get to the roots of things," as Hubby put it — to seek a similar level honesty and truth in all that I do.

And I have the Drops to thank for that.

In that spirit, it felt most apt to share with you the thoughts and ideas the Drops so graciously shared with me in the most direct way possible. To read their words is one thing. To hear Rhiannon, Hubby, Malcolm and Rowan speak them is quite another. I hope they will be as meaningful to you as they were to me.

So now, let me tell you this story in an unconventional way — with a few of our own words in front of your eyes, while the Drops speak to you directly. Grab your headphones and listen — with an open mind and heart — as we set the record straight about the banjo.