Ars Nova Workshop presents the traditional and experimental duo Magic Tuber Stringband, at Solar Myth on August 9.

Magic Tuber Stringband is the Durham, North Carolina-based duo of Evan Morgan and Courtney Werner. The duo are at the forefront of artists inhabiting the rich, living musical traditions of the Appalachian region – not as preservationists, but as fluent speakers shaping the forms with their inventive new ideas. The music, contemporary in nature, shares a throughline with its history in both technique and in inspiration. “We thought about how artists like Don Cherry, Marion Brown, and Terry Riley would bring people together for free improvisation but also set intentions or prompts and we tried to take a page from their book,” the duo explains. Magic Tuber Stringband’s music, like traditional music of the region, exists in constant communion with the natural world. The duo’s music thrums with a primal, vital energy that speaks to an intimate relationship with both folk practice and the natural environment. Morgan is an organizer within the local music community, and Werner is a dedicated naturalist involved in local land stewardship. Answering the question “What does a modern string band sound like?” their music teems with life, translating abundant ecosystems into arcing melodies and shimmering, mystic drones.