In November last year Jim Peva gave notice of the impending sale of the Bill Monroe Memorial Park and Campground, home of the famous Bean Blossom bluegrass festivals.

More recently, he informed us of current plans. Following on from that comes news of the formation, by a group of devoted enthusiasts and industry folks, of the Bean Blossom Brown County Jamboree Preservation Foundation Inc. in a continued effort to ensure that the Bill Monroe Memorial Park and Campground continues to be the “Mecca of Bluegrass” for generations to come.

In an expression of his support for the Bean Blossom Jamboree Foundation (BBJF), park owner Dwight Dillman, a former banjo player with the Blue Grass Boys, recently removed the For Sale sign posted at the entrance to the park. Although not part of the Board of Directors or the Advisory Committee, Dillman endorses the Foundation’s plan to purchase and operate the park in accordance with its rich history and traditions.

The mission of the foundation is to establish a permanent music park and education center on the hallowed grounds where, Bean Blossom, the longest continuously-running bluegrass festival began in June 1967. Before Bill Monroe purchased the site, in 1951, it was home to the Brown County Jamboree that was held in the Brown County Jamboree Barn, which was officially opened in 1943.

The Bean Blossom Brown County Jamboree Preservation Foundation will have an information booth set up at all the events that take place at Bean Blossom including Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival (June 14-21), Bean Blossom Gospel Jubilee (July 30 - August 2), Uncle Pen Days (September 24-27) and Hillbilly Wagon Train Jam (October 2-4). The Foundation will also be at ROMP (June 26-28) in Owensboro, Kentucky.

BBJF Director Tom Adler said …….

“Our mission is to preserve the music park at Bean Blossom in perpetuity and continue the Brown County Jamboree’s heritage of musical shows and the bluegrass music festivals established at Bean Blossom by the Father of Bluegrass Music, Bill Monroe. The vision of the Foundation is a permanent music park and educational center, grounded in the history of the musical events at Bean Blossom.

If you are one of the many bluegrass fans with ‘Bean Blossom Memories’ of your own, and would like to see the history and traditions associated with the site of the world’s longest continuously-running bluegrass festival preserved for generations to come, you can play a key role!”

Tom clarified that role: (more…)

OK… so we’re a little late, but we didn’t want to let the month pass without a mention of this notable anniversary.

The concept of May being Bluegrass Music Month is probably buried deep in the mind at the moment, since it has been a part of the bluegrass landscape for several years now. Well, there isn’t any reason why the idea shouldn’t be reviewed and, if need be, the concept re-enforced.

World Wide Bluegrass Music Month [WWBGMM], to give its full name, was a concept presented by bluegrass music enthusiast Bob Wolff during a meeting at the International Bluegrass Music Association [IBMA] World Of Bluegrass [WOB] convention in Owensboro, Kentucky, in September 1987.

The first time in which Bluegrass Music Month was celebrated was May 1988, 20 years ago this month.

Wolff had, at that time (1987), done several years of study and teaching of theatre management and audience development within the industry. One of his tools was the book In Search of an Audience by Bradley G Morrison and Kay Fliehr (1968), New York: Pitman. LCCN 68018783. It focussed on doing research and finding ways to get information to your potential audience. Audience development meant more than doing the same old things - such as placing posters strategically, newspaper advertising and radio. Another source for ideas was Danny Newman’s book Subscribe Now!, the 1977 book which was published by the Theatre Communications Group. The book outlines Newman’s unwavering advocacy for subscription-based ticket sales.

With the selling ideas that these books prompted and the pioneering work of theatre people at places like the Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, audiences could be and were increased. Many of these ideas are now commonplace, of course. (more…)

Earlier this year Old Wilkes, Inc. and The Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame (BRMHoF) committee announced the initial induction of several prominent musicians from the Blue Ridge region.

The charter inductees to be honored at the first annual Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony, to be held at the Walker Center on the campus of Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro on Friday, June 13, 2008, are: Doc Watson, Earl Scruggs, The Carter Family, Tommy Jarrell, Dolly Parton, David Johnson, Ralph Rinzler, Ralph Epperson, Wayne Henderson and Sam Love Queen, Sr.

Each of these individuals is well noted for their considerable contributions to the special cultural and musical heritage of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with many having world-wide influence.

The Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame, created in 2006, will be housed on the second floor of the Wilkes Heritage Museum (in the restored, famous old Wilkes Courthouse) located at 100 East Main Street, Wilkesboro, NC. Wilkesboro is located less than twenty miles from milepost 235, or the halfway point on the Blue Ridge Parkway, easily allowing a visit the Hall of Fame or Museum.

Tickets for the June 13 concert and induction ceremony, to be emceed by Mike Cross, are on sale now and may be purchased from the Walker Center box office (336-838-6260). A limited number of dinner tickets are available with a cost of $75 that includes seats for the ceremony. Tickets for the Concert and Induction Ceremony are $25.

The folks with the Central Florida Bluegrass Association have put together a special session for this weekend where amateur pickers and jammers will have the chance to participate in a studio recording.

Anyone who attends the event will have an opportunity to record with others on hand. They are calling it the Circle Unbroken Recording Session, named for the landmark triple album from Nitty Gritty Dirt Band that featured a hodge-podge of top flight bluegrass and country artists in a jam-like session.

A professional audio engineer will be on hand to track the sessions, who will also mix and master the results. A modest fee of $20 is requested for each participant, which will entitle you to a final, mixed CD will all of the songs recorded over the weekend.

The sessions will be held in Plant City, FL on May 17-18, starting on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. Further details can be found by contacting Jeff Jones by email.

Singer/songwriter Liz Meyer wrote in to let us know how the EWOB festival went this past weekend.

She tells us the weather was great in Voorthuizen and the music was even better. For three days this small Dutch town was teaming with bluegrass musicians from all over the world. 41 bands from 15 different countries, including three US bands, participated in the festivities.

These three days, May 1-3, were the culmination of a month of bluegrass celebrations that took place as part of the European World of Bluegrass. It also served as the kickoff for bluegrass month in Europe. During the month of May there are 195 European festivals and events where fans will be able to take in some good bluegrass on the old continent.

One of the most exciting parts of the EWOB festival is the European Bluegrass Band competition.

Winners are chosen each year by the musicians performing at the festival. The first place winner each year is invited to perform at the IBMA World of Bluegrass the following year. Here are this year’s winners.

1. European Bluegrass Band 2008: ACOUSTICURE (Hungary)
2. European Bluegrass Band 2008: PETR BRANDEJS BAND (Czech Republic)
3. European Bluegrass Band 2008: 4-WHEEL DRIVE (The Netherlands)

The #1 European Bluegrass Band 2008, Acousticure, is the first bluegrass band from Hungary to appear at this colorful international gathering, performing at the past 2 European World of Bluegrass Festivals. An energetic 4-piece group of impressive multi-instrumentalists, Acousticure keeps the sound crew hopping with frequent instrument changes. Their young spokesman, mandolin-fiddler-guitarist Zsolt Pinter, has spent enough time in the USA to speak English like a native, and has a remarkable command of bluegrass-country vocals. Acousticure’s musical vision playfully fuses bluegrass influences from old-time to newgrass, often incorporating their native Hungarian folk music. (An example of the latter, Kis Kece Lanyom, can be heard on the European World of Bluegrass 2007 CD from Strictly Country Records.) The US bluegrass scene will get a chance to experience Acousticure onstage in Nashville at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) World of Bluegrass convention in October 2009, where they will perform as the #1 European Bluegrass Band.

ACOUSTICURE:
Zsolt Pinter: fiddle, guitar, mandolin, vocal
Geza Kremnitzky - mandolin, banjo, vocal
Peter Gyergyadesz - bass, vocal
Andras Toth - guitar, banjo, dobro, mandolin, vocal

The professional band awards aren’t the only awards given during EWOB though. Each year the festival audience selects their favorite groups from among the showcase performances. Call it a Fan’s Choice Awards if you will. This year’s winners are:

1. Audience Popularity Award, EWOB 2008: BLUEGRASS CWRKOT (Czech Republic)
2. Audience Popularity Award, EWOB 2008: BLACKJACK (Czech Republic)
3. Audience Popularity Award, EWOB 2008: SUNNY SIDE (Czech Republic)

I find it very exciting to see and hear all this great bluegrass music being created outside the boundaries of the US.

The European Bluegrass Music Association (EBMA) has a very comprehensive European festival schedule online on their new website. The listing provides information regarding each concert, including the date, location, name of the event, appropriate website or email link, and additional comments about the event. Listings are provided through the end of calendar year 2008.

In addition to the listing of events, the site also has a thorough guide for US bands interested in touring Europe. The guide includes information regarding venues, travel logistics, lodging, traveling with instruments, merchandise sales, and tips on the various cultural differences you might encounter.

If you’re in Europe, or considering a summer vacation there, and would like to take in a bluegrass festival or concert, be sure to consult their listing of events.

If you think you’d like to take your band to Europe on a performance tour, this guide should provide valuable information.

As the International Bluegrass Music Association is at pains to remind us, bluegrass music is a truly worldwide phenomenon. Though the IBMA is based in the US, and the largest part of the membership resides here, no small part of their focus is on the furtherance of the music outside of this country.

The continued growth of the Eurpean Bluegrass Music Association is but one example of those efforts bearing fruit. As is, in a smaller way, this story we received from Sharon Lombardi in France about a recent workshop in Belgium.

This year, between 24th and 29th March 2008, the Acoustic Music International Workshop stood in Virton (Belgium) for the 23rd year.

As usual, this workshop was entirely devoted to acoustic instruments, such as guitar, fiddle, double-bass and harmonica. As far as the bluegrass part was concerned, we came close to a full bluegrass band. Not only could you attend Roberto Dalla Vecchia’s guitar workshop, Jean-Marie Redon’s banjo workshop or Jesper Rübner-Petersen’s mandolin workshop, but also the brand-new resophonic guitar workshop, taught by Henrich Novak.

Almost one hundred and thirty students came from all over Europe and even the United States and spent a week attending workshops, concerts and even jamming.

It was the seventh year that Jean-Marie Redon led the banjo workshop. It was so popular that it was full only a few days after registration had started.

The next workshop is scheduled for the first week of April 2009 and you can register from January 2009.

The IBMA is offering reduced membership fees during the month of April for new professional members. The annual dues are normally $70, but this month anyone who is not a member of the organization and who fits the criteria for professional membership can join for $45.

Details from IBMA…

Discount Membership Eligibility:

• $45 rate is for “Individual Professional” membership (normally $70) for applications received April 1-30, 2008.
• Applicant must qualify for “professional” membership and currently be (or have been) active in a professional capacity within the bluegrass music industry.
• Discount is only for new memberships in IBMA. The special $45 rate is not available for renewals or those whose membership expired within the past 60 days.
• Recruiter benefit: Current members who recruit new members during this period are eligible for prizes, including: First place: Two VIP tickets to the 2008 IBMA Awards Show; Second place: One year’s free membership renewal; and Third place: IBMA merchandise; prizes will be based on most members recruited during the time period. To count as one of your recruits, a new member must be eligible and pay dues between April 1-30, 2008 and must indicate your name or organization in the “solicited by” section of the membership application. Everyone who recruits someone will be acknowledged in International Bluegrass.

Online registration and more details are available on the IBMA site.

The International Bluegrass Music Association has just announced the graduating class of Leadership Bluegrass 2008.

2008 marks the ninth year IBMA has held the Leadership Bluegrass conference with more than 200 alumni now having participated. The program brings together 25 individuals each year for a three days of intensive sessions designed to build networking opportunities, commitment, and address issues important to the future of the bluegrass music industry.

…advanced level, interactive learning experiences that invites participants to examine the challenges and opportunities facing our music along with related leadership issues.

The 2008 class was held March 25-27 at the BMI offices in Nashville, TN. Fred Bartenstein has been the facilitator for all nine years of the event. Bartenstein is known as a bluegrass historian and broadcaster, he is also a professional meeting facilitator.

Dobro player and band leader, Tim Graves, was one of the participants this year. Tim wrote in to share his experience and encourage others to attend in the future.

I just finished the Leadership Bluegrass class of 2008. Everyone needs to sign up for this class and hope you are selected to attend. It is a wonderful experience for anyone in the business. You will be able to make some wonderful friends and be exposed to all the changes that are happening in the business.

This is an IBMA function and I support it 100%. Contact IBMA today and sign up for LBG today for 2009. Also IBMA is giving everyone who signs up for membership a discounted rate for April of $45.00 for a one year membership. Everyone needs to be a member of IBMA if you are going to be in the Bluegrass Music Business. There are a tremendous amount of resources that the IBMA offers to all Bluegrass musicians, that can be used to better the chance of success in this wonderful business we call Bluegrass Music!

This year’s graduates are: (more…)

The IBMA reminds labels and independent artists that the organization will again prepare a list of eligible recordings for the 2008 International Bluegrass Music Awards which will be included in the first round ballots sent to IBMA members in June. This list, though not intended to be an all-inclusive catalog of eligible releases, can have a predictable impact on this first ballot, where professional voting members write in the names of artists and recordings they deem worthy for the awards.

From the recent IBMA press release:

To be eligible for the 2008 International Bluegrass Music Awards to be presented on October 2, 2008 in Nashville, Tenn., a recording project must have had its first commercial release between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008.

If you have an eligible recording and would like it listed with the first round ballot, be sure to send information to that effect to IBMA no later than April 30, 2008. The information required for submission, along with the address where it should be sent, can be found on the IBMA web site.

The Third Annual Folk Alliance Awards were presented during the 20th Annual Folk Alliance Conference in Memphis, TN, on Wednesday evening, February 20, 2008.

We have already mentioned the Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients:

• Mavis Staples
• Tommy Jarrell
• Rounder Records

Other winners that may be of interest to bluegrass aficionados include …

• Legacy Recording - Woody Guthrie The Live Wire (Woody Guthrie Archives)
• Emerging Artist - Carolina Chocolate Drops
• Album of the Year - Uncle Earl - Waterloo, Tennessee
• Small Folk Venue - Freight & Salvage, San Francisco, California (Tied with Cafe Lena - Saratoga Springs, NewYork)
• Large Folk Venue - The Ark, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Unsuccessful Nominations include ….

• Legacy Recording - Various Artists - People Take Warning: Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs (Tompkins Square)
• Traditional Artist - Uncle Earl and David Bromberg
• Large Folk Venue - The Birchmere - Arlington, VA, and Kennedy Center Millenium Stage - Washington, DC

The award for Album of the Year was chosen based on Folk-DJ Chart airplay.

I received an interesting E-mail message from Charles Lewis this morning.

A native Eastern Kentuckian, Lewis is the founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of America’s Bluegrass, Inc. He has produced and hosted such Bluegrass and Gospel groups as The IIIrd. Tyme Out, Doyle Lawson, Ralph Stanley, The Lonesome River Band, Rhonda Vincent, Cherryholmes, Larry Sparks, Dave Evans, Ernie Thacker, The Osborne Brothers, Bobby Osborne, The Lewis Family, Larry Cordle, Ronnie Reno, Don Rigsby, Melvin Goins, Tim Surrett, Joe Isaacs, The Freemans, The Kingsmen, The Florida Boys and many, many more local and national groups.

The purpose of his message was to alert me to the posting of some pictures from the Old Time Gospel Singing Convention held at the Paramount Arts Center in Ashland, Kentucky, on December 28th.

The montage of pictures from the convention can be viewed at the website. There is an impressive array of talent on show.

Also, you can view pre-show interviews with a variety of artists who performed at the convention; namely Don Rigsby, J.D. Crowe, Paul Williams, Larry Cordle, Kenny and Amanda Smith, Joe Freeman, Dave Carroll, Ricky Wasson, Tim Surrett, Ronnie Bowman, Joe Isaacs, and James King.

All of the video interviews can be seen on YouTube.

Banjo pioneer Bill Keith is interviewed in a lengthy piece published online by the Hudson Valley Bluegrass Association.

Bill talks about his current musical activities and his involvement with a number of noteworthy ensembles in his younger days. He was introduced to most bluegrass fans when he joined Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys in 1963, where he brought his then-embryonic melodic (or scalar, fiddle-tune style) banjo techniques to much wider attention.

Keith also performed with folk artists Geoff and Maria Muldaur, and found himself a part of what came to be considered a landmark ensemble called Muleskinner. This band featured such notable artists as Clarence White on guitar, David Grisman on mandolin, Richard Green on fiddle and Peter Rowan on guitar and vocals.

“Then, the plan was that we were to back up Bill Monroe in an appearance on the television show. So we got together and rehearsed and got a few numbers to do on our own…and so rehearsed the numbers we were pretty sure Bill would play – Foot Prints in the Snow, and Kentucky Waltz, and whatever. We had our rehearsal, and the next day we scheduled another rehearsal that Bill was supposed to come to. But we got a telephone call that he couldn’t make that rehearsal, so we added a few more tunes to what we could play on our own. The next day was a dress rehearsal in the morning and then taping in the afternoon. But Bill wasn’t there for the dress rehearsal and so we added a couple more things and of course the point in time came and he still wasn’t there, so we did the TV show on our own.”

The video of that show has been a collector’s item for fans of early 1970’s vintage modern bluegrass, and they went on to record a successful album as Muleskinner, which led to a release of the audio from the initial TV appearance.

Hear Muleskinner on Rhapsody or in iTunes.

Read the full interview online.

Hot on the heals of the success of Rounder recording artists at The Grammy award show on Sunday comes news of an award for the label itself.

The North American Folk Music and Dance Alliance (Folk Alliance) will honor Rounder Records as a recipient of the 2008 Elaine Weissman Lifetime Achievement Awards (LAAwards) at the Folk Awards Show Wednesday, February 20, 2008, in Memphis, Tennessee.

The awards, a highlight of the Folk Alliance’s annual conference, are given to those who have inspired others, achieved definitive leadership in their field and contributed to the advancement of folk music and/or dance. Each year the LAAwards honor two performers, one living and one legacy, and a person or institution involved in the business or academic side of the folk world, who have devoted their life’s work and talent to the advancement of the performing folk arts. Mavis Staples and the late Tommy Jarrell take the award in the living and legacy categories, respectively.

The Rounder story is well-known, indeed we have recently posted a link to a press article in a Massachusetts newspaper. However, here’s what the Rounder press release says about themselves.

In 1970, with only their passionate enthusiasm for American roots music lighting the way, three Cambridge, Massachusetts college students, Bill Nowlin, Ken Irwin, and Marian Leighton Levy, cast their lot into the perilous music industry. The tenacious trio went the distance: from humble beginnings to what is now America’s premier independent record label. From its early interest in rural American music (via fiddle, stringband, blues, and bluegrass recordings) to an expansive catalogue of more than 2,500 titles running the gamut from folk to world, soul to socas, jazz to juju, Cajun to Celtic, and beyond, Rounder has emerged as the pre-eminent source for vital, uncompromised music of all genres.

Rounder’s award comes in the Business/Industry Lifetime Achievement Award category.

I asked Marian Leighton Levy for her reaction to this news

“It’s wonderful to be honored with Folk Alliance’s Lifetime Achievement Award. It came as a complete surprise and is the kind of recognition of Rounder artists, the label’s history and catalogue, that makes us both pleased as punch and very proud. While it’s always nice to have Rounder recognized within the industry, it’s particularly meaningful when it comes from an organization so devoted to the music and make up of fellow-music lovers like ourselves.”

Two Rounder artists, The SteelDrivers and Vienna Teng, will be performing at conference showcases throughout the week.

The 2008 International Folk Alliance Conference runs from Wednesday, February 20 until Sunday, February 24. The full schedule is available on their web site.

The Folk Alliance was founded in 1989 and seeks to create new and better opportunities for all those involved in the performance folk arts. With thousands of attendees annually, their conference offers a complete view of the business world of traditional and contemporary folk music and dance through showcases, educational seminars, films, and a networking-rich trade show.

The Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville has just announced the list of this year’s inductees, all of whom have a bluegrass connection.

The honorees are selected annually in three chronological career categories: pre WWII, WWII to 1975, and 1975-present.

Ernest V. (Pop) Stoneman will be honored in the first (pre WWII) category. He was the patriarch of the Stoneman Family, one of the most prolific and infuential of the early country recording artists. One of his sons, Scotty Stoneman, is claimed as a primary influence by successive generations of bluegrass and old time fiddlers.

The next category (WWII to 1975) produced a tie. Both Tom T. Hall and The Statler Brothers will share this year’s honor. The Statlers have not done much bluegrass - though they belong in every hall of fame for giving us Roadhog Moran & his Cadillac Cowboys - but many of their songs have found their way into the bluegrass Gospel repertoire.

Tom T. Hall, of course, has dedicated his recent career to writing, recording and promoting bluegrass music, and with his wife Dixie, has left a legacy to the music in the form of a bequest to the IBMA upon their passing.

In the modern (1975-present) category, Emmylou Harris, gets the nod. Though she is more generally regarded as a country artist, her contributions to bluegrass are legion, from performing/recording with Seldom Scene to having hired, performed with and promoted the careers of artists like Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice and Sam Bush.

Congratulations to this year’s inductees!

HT: Jon Weisberger

There is no official posting of a winners list yet on the SPBGMA web site for Saturday night’s 34th Annual Bluegrass Awards, but we did find them on Rhonda Vincent’s message board.

As has been the case of late, Rhonda and her crew did quite well, taking the Female Vocalist of the Year (Contemporary) award, and her loyal Ragers Kenny Ingram, Mickey Harris, and Hunter Berry won the instrumental awards for banjo, bass and fiddle respectively. Former guitarist with the band Josh Williams picked up the guitar trophy.

They also won the Vocal Group and Entertainer of the Year awards.

Read the list on the Rhonda Vincent message board.

Our buddy Crawdaddy Dave (Dave Roye) will be posting photos and videos from the 2008 SPBGMA Convention in Nashville this weekend on his web site.

He has already posted several videos from Thursday (1/31), including several hallway jams and a performance on the Gospel Showcase from New Found Road. There are also a good many photos taken today posted already, with more to come over the course of the weekend.

Find them all here.

We got a note recently from progressive banjoist Jake Schepps, letting us know that he and his Expedition Quartet are heading from Boulder, CO to New York City for this week’s Arts Presenters Conference. The annual conference brings together performing artists and buyers in the worlds of music, dance, theater, family programming and comedy.

Jake tells us that a number of acoustic string acts will be showcasing as well this year, including Abigail Washburn’s Sparrow Quartet, Laurie Lewis and the RIght Hands, Bill Evan’s Soul Grass with Sam Bush, Bearfoot, and more.

A full conference schedule can be found online.

We told you last fall about the new theme song for the IBMA Awards Show, The Road From Rosine, which debuted in October ‘07 at the show in Nashville.

The song was written by Mountain Heart fiddler Jim VanCleve at the request of the Awards Show producers, Terry Herd and Cindy Sinclair, and recorded for the show by the folks at Rural Rhythm Records for the occasion. At the time, it was indicated that the song might be included on a future VanCleve solo project, but it was not available for online listening or purchase.

Well, it is now. Rural Rhythm has released The Road From Rosine as a single on iTunes. The track features Van Cleve on fiddle, Ron Stewart on banjo, Clay Hess on guitar, Andy Hall on dobro, Adam Steffey on mandolin and Jason Moore on bass.

Visit the iTunes Music Store to give it a listen or get the download for yourself.

This inspriring story was written by the Rev. Belle Mickelson. She is an Episcopal minister who runs Dancing with the Spirit, an organization which teaches bluegrass to youngsters in the native villages of Alaska and Canada - and which could use the support of the wider bluegrass community.

Yesterday was the big Christmas Concert and dinner at Arctic Village School. Kids played fiddles, guitars, mandolins, and banjos and sang Jingle Bells, Silent Night, The First Noel, I Saw the Light, and You Are My Sunshine. Outside, it was 40 below and the moon shone on the snow-covered ground.

Elders Gideon James, the Rev. Trimble Gilbert plus Wilbert Kendi helped my son Mike and I teach music all week. They are from the Athabaskan Indian fiddling tradition of rhythmic foot stomping and dancing. The kids loved it and many stayed after school to play just one more tune!

Arctic Village is the fourth stop in our Christmas tour that began Dec. 1 in Beaver and then continued on to Stevens Village and Tanana—little places along the Yukon River. We flew by small plane—all bundled up just in case we had to make an emergency landing. We usually camped out in schools—that sometimes had the only running water in the village.

The kids were so excited to see us come! It was so great to see their smiles as they picked up guitars or a banjo… I loved what one little 7 year-old girl in Beaver told me as I played the fiddle for her. “It talks,” she said, “it talks!” And the kids in Stevens giggled and laughed so much as they tried square dancing by themselves. In Tanana, Pete Peters traveled with us and brought Native drumming and language for a couple songs.

I’m still amazed at how fast all the kids learn. We use color-coding and simple notation. It was our third week-long visit to Arctic Village this year—and junior high and high school fiddle students can easily play over twenty songs including Amazing Grace, I’ll Fly Away, Liza Jane, Will the Circle be Unbroken, and The best part is the joy they feel—and the sense of accomplishment. On the guitar, it only takes a few days to learn the chords and start flatpicking. The mandolin is great for little fingers because there are two finger chords. We don’t have a lot of banjos and acoustic basses—but hopefully that will happen soon!

This trip is funded by school districts and Dancing with the Spirit—a new bluegrass music program for kids in Native villages in Alaska and Canada. Thru camps and school programs, young people take classes in fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, and bass—plus sing, dance, and form bands. Music can bring success and hope to villages struggling with alcoholism, drugs, and suicide.

The Rev. Trimble Gilbert from Arctic Village says, “In the old days we fought tribal wars with arrowheads. It’s a different type of war now—against drugs and alcohol. I believe we can win with music.” (more…)