Mary Magdalene (“Maggie”) Rader became a true representative of Appalachian living.  Born as the eighth child in a family of 16, her childhood consisted of helping to raise her siblings and of hard scrabble living.  Her father, who cared deeply about each of his children bestowed on Maggie a gift that helped her to standout, to be noticed, and to always have something exciting just ahead. He gave her the gift of music.

            Maggie first learned banjo from her father on a homemade instrument that he made for her, but she did not stop there.  Music quickly became a focus of her life and once she had mastered clawhammer banjo, she and her siblings taught each other to play a variety of instruments.  By the time folklorist and author Kip Lornell came to her living room in the old house her and her husband had bought in 1970 in Newport, she was an accomplished piano player, harmonica player and singer.  Music was a constant in a life of hardship and change.

            Maggie was married to her husband Bruce for 58 years. During that time, they produced seven children and following Bruce’s occupation as a mountain sawmill man, moved 26 times. Music, and especially her banjo playing, was her constant companion.  She found that one of the places her music was deeply appreciated was the string of churches she and her family attended and so she adapted her playing to incorporate many old time hymns and gospel tunes.  In addition, she kept alive the pre-civil war tunes she had learned from her father.

            Maggie’s playing style was unique and included and extra note or two that she caught with her right hand, creating an interesting style that strayed from the standard “bum ditty” of many players of her era. In addition, she often moved the position of her right hand up and down the neck, to provide dramatic tonality to the tunes, an approach often attributed to Kyle Creed. but independently developed by Maggie.

            Maggie’s large repertoire of tunes included standards like “Cripple Creek,” “Sugar in the Gourd,” “Ida Red,” and “Sally Ann” as well as unique local tunes from Giles County like “Yellow Cat.”  In addition, she could play Carter family tunes like “Wildwood Flower,” and many church favorites like “Uncloudy Day,” and “Do Lord, Remember Me.”  She would switch between banjo, “mouth harp,” and piano depending on what instrument was nearby.

            Her collection of tunes as well as her unique style brought a variety of tune collectors to her door including Kip Lornell, Mac Traynham, and a variety of students.  Collections of her playing now reside at Ferrum College, Virginia Tech and in the private collections of folklore students.

            Maggie’s skills as a mountaineer in an isolated Virginia area of the mountains did not stop at music.  She was known as a hunter, trapper, and subsistence farmer, and as a friend and ally of her neighbors who was always willing to lend a helping hand.  That is, when that hand wasn’t clawhammering her favorite instrument.