In 1997, the Appalachian Christmas Quartet was born of a very simple set of ideas: Gather a few diverse musicians to play, well, Christmas music; bring in whatever instruments are available (this is the Appalachian idea!); even if there are a TON of instruments, the group is small; and the kicker-the players can’t just play their own “specialty” instrument. Everybody HAS to branch out into new territory as a musician! Sure there were a few rough patches (ask one of the members about the band’s very first gig!), but look at where it’s lead: 3 studio albums, 1 live album, more than 11 years of performing, hundreds (maybe thousands) of fans spread across the country, and probably a gazillion shirts with the picture of Master, Maestro, Herr Direktor, or Meister Jack, Esq. on ‘em. Sure, ACQ brings more than a hundred instruments to their shows. Sure, they can play them all. Yes, they are only “a band” for two or three weeks (sometimes just a single week!) a year. And, yes, they can all dance like the wind. Really, it’s more than a show: it’s a collection of talented musicians doing exactly what they love and creating an amazing experience in the meantime. ACQ plays more than 100 instruments every show. ACQ has 3 studio albums, 1 live album, and has performed since 1997.