IBMA flap picked up by The Tennessean
This morning’s edition of The Tennessean, Nashville’s primary daily newspaper, has a story about the turmoil that has erupted inside the IBMA leadership over the performance by the US Navy band Country Current during last week’s International Bluegrass Music Awards.
I suppose that any hopes that this story would stay out of the mainstream press are now irrelevant.
The story (by Peter Cooper) can be found on The Tennessean web site.
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Well, if the IBMA was concerned about that number politicizing their event, they can rest assured that it did….and not because of the US Navy Bluegrass Band. The boards’ and president’s reaction is far more newsworthy than a medley of military anthems performed by a Navy band in a military tribute segment. If that happened at a Rap or MTV award show, that’s one thing but it was a bluegrass show, for God’s sake.
It seems the IBMA board made a decision based on what they thought was “best” for IBMA and that decision was made with good intentions but it’s also quite clear that what is best for the IBMA, a trade organization, IS NOT always what’s best for bluegrass music at large. When an organization or a corporation takes creative control away from the artist it only serves to destroy what is pure and real within the music and will ultimately lead it’s demise. In my opinion the IBMA crossed a line that should never have been crossed and tried to take creative control away from one member to please another member. That was a VERY BAD DECISION. The IBMA should be a “support” organization of bluegrass music, IT SHOULD NEVER BECOME A GOVERNING BODY THAT DECIDES WHAT MUSIC ARTIST CAN OR CANNOT PLAY!
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