Mandolin Making
Lambsburg, VA
Spencer Strickland grew up in southwestern Virginia in a family steeped in music. His mother sang and his father played guitar in a family gospel band that performed at churches and community events in the region. At age ten, Strickland began taking mandolin lessons with local musician and sound engineer Wesley Easter. Since then, Strickland has gone on to win prestigious awards for his playing, including first place in the 2004 and 2008 mandolin competitions at the Galax Old Fiddler’s Convention. In 2004, Strickland apprenticed with the late guitar and mandolin builder Gerald Anderson through the Virginia Folklife Program. Anderson had trained with legendary guitar and mandolin builder Wayne Henderson for three decades, and Strickland developed excellent luthier skills. Their apprenticeship led to a business partnership: Anderson & Strickland String Instruments. In 2008, the Virginia Folklife Program produced Been All Around the World, an album by Anderson (who plays guitar) and Strickland for the Crooked Road series. Anderson and Strickland performed as a duo, Anderson-Strickland, and recorded multiple projects. Most notably, they played the theme song for the PBS television series “Song of the Mountains”. The two friends performed together regularly until the untimely passing of Anderson in 2019.
Today, Strickland continues to build instruments in his hometown of Lambsburg under the name Strickland String Instruments. He has built over 85 guitars, 26 mandolins, and assisted Gerald Anderson in the making of over 100 instruments. Strickland plays mandolin and rhythm guitar for The Church Sisters and also teaches instrument building at the Wayne C Henderson School of Appalachian Arts in Marion. Strickland will be in the Instrument Makers Workshop in the Virginia Folklife Area on Saturday and Sunday and playing in the Instrument Makers Jam on the Center for Cultural Vibrancy Virginia Folklife Stage on Sunday.