In the early 2000s, AFAR contributing writer Emma John—a classically trained British violinist—fell for the Americana-inspired music of bands like the Avett Brothers and Mumford & Sons. She desperately wanted to recreate that bluegrassy sound, but her attempts at home didn’t go so well. So she bought a ticket to North Carolina with the vague idea of figuring things out. Fate brought her Fred, a banjo player who opened the door to the world of bluegrass—and his home—to her. Here’s what happened when Emma walked through.

Read Emma's book about bluegrass, Wayfaring Stranger: A Musical Journey in the American South
Or her memoir, Self-Contained: Scenes from a Single Life

And subscribe to her podcasts, The Spin, a Guardian podcast about cricket, and The Breakdown, her bluegrass effort.