Van Colbert grew up hearing Ozark old time music played and sung by his family in Willow Springs, Missouri. Van's life has been steeped in old time music. At age thirteen Van was already learning and loving the claw hammer style banjo being taught to him by his father. He continues to play this increasingly rare style of banjo during family get-togethers with his four brothers and nieces and nephews, whom all carry on the traditional Ozark music.

Van is a frequent traditional performer with the Missouri Folk Arts program. For several  years Van has been a participant in the Master and Apprentice Folk Art program teaching old time claw hammer and archaic finger roll banjo styles. These styles were most prevelent in the early 1900s in the Ozarks.