In a continuing effort to fulfill it”s charter and aid the growth of bluegrass music, the International Bluegrass Music Association has developed an artist training workshop for the Bluegrass in the Schools program. The course includes information about educational tools available through the IBMA, ideas on how a band or artist can develop and present their own program, a live demonstration of a successful presentation, a Q&A session, a presentation on how to motivate students, and information on how to pitch and fund such a program at a local school.

The first of these regional training workshops is to be held Saturday, June 10, from 9 AM – noon at the Festival of the Bluegrass in Lexington, KY. You must purchase your own festival ticket for that day, but there is no additional fee for the workshop. Attendees will receive a Bluegrass in the Schools Certificate of Participation for the training session.

Presenters will include Tom Kopp, Ph.D. and Kentucky Blue (a popular Kentucky-based band that presents educational programs to students on a regular basis), among others.

Additional trainings are tentatively planned for Minnesota (the MBOTMA Fall Jamboree in November) and Arkansas in the fall. In 2007 we hope to be at SuperGrass in Bakersfield, Calif. (early Feb.); the Joe Val Bluegrass Festival in Boston, Mass. (mid-Feb.); and Wintergrass in Tacoma, Wash. (late Feb.)

To register for the first Bluegrass in the Schools Regional Training in Lexington, Ky., call 888-GET-IBMA, 615-256-3222, or email nancyc@ibma.org.

Be sure to do your homework by reading the Bluegrass in the Schools Implementation Manual.