The UNCG Old Time Ensemble performs American folk music, focusing on the string band traditions of the North Carolina Piedmont and Southern Appalachia. The Old Time Ensemble’s mission is to give students an opportunity to learn songs and tunes that have been part of North Carolina’s culture for generations.

Members of the Old Time Ensemble include students and faculty members spanning a broad range of musical backgrounds, although for many students, this is their first experience playing folk music. Old Time Ensemble is based on the idea that oral traditions should be part of every musician’s education, so the group learns all its music by ear, through careful listening and repetition, the way traditional American music has been learned for centuries.