Dan Hays, Executive Director of the International Bluegrass Music Association, has published an article on the IBMA web site that nicely capsulizes the vision and focus of the organization. The article is prompted by the recognition of 2010 as the 25th Anniversary of the IBMA, and is one of many special pieces they will publish throughout the year.

It’s a very thoughtful article, one that may help explain what it is that IBMA does to those who may not be clear on the group’s function.

Here’s how it begins…

In drafting a retrospective of the “past” 25 years of IBMA’s existence, the first thing that came to mind was that phrase itself…the “past” 25 years. The word “past” implies something over and done with and while I’m just smart enough to know that the time between 1985 and a second ago is indeed “past,” I flinch at the word because it suggests our 25 years as an organization are somehow behind us. In more ways than one, they are not.

My hope is this anniversary can be a reflection on our “first” 25 years…an initial cornerstone of time we can use today much like the first songs we learned that would become the foundation of the music we know.

Others have honored our longevity in these pages on earlier occasions – IBMA’s 10th, 15th, 20th anniversaries – with names, dates and actions it took to give birth to the association. I reread each of them to refresh my memory for this article, and they provide a through review of the milestones and hurdles of our “first” years.

Allow me then to chase a new approach while being clear that what I share is personal observation and substantially just my opinion. I hope it’s also an approach that encourages you to share your own thoughts.

The full text can be read on the IBMA site.