Conversations From The Music Of The Beach
The South is the birthplace of the best in American music, from the Blues and Jazz, to Gospel and Country Music, to Rhythm & Blues and Trop-Rock. Indeed, the full soundtrack of the South echoes from the mountains to the sea and crosses all genres of American music.
Across the Carolinas and Virginia, and farther south into Georgia and Florida, thousands of music-lovers with a soul for a certain carefree coastal lifestyle congregate to celebrate something called Carolina Beach Music.
This music is particularly revered by practitioners of a traditional Southern dance step called The Shag, the official state dance of South Carolina and North Carolina, that a recent feature in Southern Living magazine described as "the swing dance of the South" and a "slowed-down jitterbug."
As times have evolved, the definition of "Carolina Beach Music" has expanded far beyond the jukeboxes and sandy dance floors of beachside bars along Ocean Drive in North Myrtle Beach to envelope the full scope of Southern music -- and yes, even music from quite a few "non-Southern" recording artists who've maybe never set foot in the Carolinas. This rich tapestry of musical styles gives 21th century "Carolina Beach Music" more diversity and variety than it has ever enjoyed in the 80 or so years since the term was coined.
The Southern Chord now has refocused its mission to share news and headlines from the world of "Carolina Beach Music" and to collect conversations with those talented individuals and groups who craft the timeless lyrics and smooth-stepping melodies of this uniquely Southern genre.

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