The Virginia Tourism Corporation has launched a travel Web site that uses “sing back” technology to invite travelers to visit bluegrass destinations.At www.crookedroadvirginia.com, visitors can build a personalized bluegrass lyric to send to friends, family or coworkers. The new site promotes the sights and sounds of The Crooked Road:  Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail.

In just a few clicks, visitors to CrookedRoadVirginia.com can chose from over 500 names, occupations, hobbies and relationships to build a personalized bluegrass lyric. Users can then send their new bluegrass hit along to anyone’s email or phone number, including cell phones.

The song is sung to the tune of “Sweet Virginia” and is a personalized invitation to visit The Crooked Road. The music for the build a lyric program was written and performed by No Speed Limit, one of the many young bands coming out of Southwest Virginia. 

Created in 2004, the Crooked Road is Virginia’s newest heritage tourism destination.  The Crooked Road connects legendary bluegrass and traditional mountain music venues together in a 250-mile driving tour through the mountain towns of Southwest Virginia. The Road’s major venues are some of the most authentic traditional music destinations in the country and include the Ralph Stanley Museum, the Carter Family Fold, the Birthplace of Country Music, the Rex Theater, the Blue Ridge Music Center, the Floyd Country Store and County Records, the Country Cabin, and the Blue Ridge Music Institute.

“The Crooked Road is one of Virginia’s richest destinations in terms of musical heritage,” said Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation.  “This is an exciting combination of cutting-edge technology and traditional music that takes tourism promotion in a whole new direction.  The new site gets visitors personally involved in Virginia’s Crooked Road online before coming to visit in person.”

Online visitors can also register to win a hand-made guitar or mandolin crafted by Gerald Anderson and Spencer Strickland, two of the Crooked Road’s master luthiers.  The contest’s grand prize is a trip for two to the Crooked Road including airfare, rental car, VIP seating to see Ralph Stanley and other bluegrass legends at the Hills of Home Bluegrass Festival, three-nights lodging at the Ralph Stanley Museum suite and a hand-crafted guitar.  The contest runs through April.

To build a bluegrass lyric and enter to win a guitar, mandolin and a trip to Virginia’s Crooked Road, go to www.CrookedRoadVirginia.com.
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