Each of us spoke briefly about ways we have seen the industry change over the past 5 years, which led to some very interesting questions and comment from the folks in attendance. One remarkable thing about World Of Bluegrass is seeing prominent artists, record company heads, print publishers, major festival producers, entertainment attorneys and PRO reps sitting in the gallery taking it all in – and giving some back as well.

I sensed a major change in the pulse of the group from when a similar discussion was hosted two years ago. At that time, the notion of free distribution of recorded music raised the hackles of most of the artists and songwriters, whereas now they are eagerly seeking other ways to monetize their music. It is a very unsettling time in the music business, with long-established models falling left and right, and I’m encouraged to see our little piece of the industry actively embracing and researching new methods and modalities.

The audio from this seminar will be made available, as will all held during this week, shortly after the World Of Bluegrass concludes. Information will be found on the IBMA web site.

Ted Lehmann was also in the audience, and he has a number of photos on his site.

After the session concluded, I had a chance to speak with Alan Munde about the discussion. Alan was also in attendance, and suggested that he had the perfect solution for monetizing free content.

“What I would do is have a form they had to fill out before anyone can download free music online. I would have them put their address, when they are least likely to be home, and where they hide their spare key.

Then I can burgle their homes.”

Better head back to the chalkboard, Professor Munde.

“The Alan Munde Gazette is my mainest gig. Billy and others are the Two High. I did record with them and I do some dates, although there are other banjo players – like Gerald Jones – who have done a gig or two as well. It is an interesting happening in the music biz that for musicians to make a living – those that want to anyway – they have to do as much as possible.

In Austin anyway, the musicians all play in several different configurations. It’s kind of a fascinating story to me.”

Alan tells us that his “retirement” from the faculty of South Plains College has found him as busy as ever. On top of working shows with Alan Munde Gazette and Two High String Band, he spends time doting on his grandson, fixing up his house just south of Austin, and running his mail order business, Alan Munde’s Banjo College.

Hot Texas Burrito will hit in July, featuring new band members Alan Munde on banjo and Mark Rubin on bass. Alan has been a fixture on the bluegrass circuit for his 20 plus years with The Country Gazette and his career on the faculty at South Plains College in Levelland, TX, and Mark is familiar from his work with Danny Barnes in Bad Livers, another Austin product.

They join Billy Bright on mandolin, Brian Smith and Geoff Union on guitars, and Erik Hokannen on fiddle.

You can find several audio samples on the band’s MySpace page, including Munde’s arrangement of John Coltrane’s Lazy Bird.

Look for them out on the road this season promoting the new CD.

Alan and his wife Kitty are celebrating the birth of Casey Patrick Alan Rice on May 1 – Alan’s first grandchild! Also celebrating, of course, are the new parents, Rachel Munde and Jeff Rice.

People who know Alan recognize him not only as a talented and dedicated musician, but also one of the kindest, warmest-hearted people on the planet. Little Casey is a lucky young man to have such a fine grandpa.

Congratulations to the Munde and Rice clans!

Here is the official notice from the college:

South Plains College is accepting applications for the position of 5 String Banjo instructor/bluegrass specialist. The position involves directing bluegrass music ensembles, producing the televised monthly music program "Picking on the Plains," teaching a bluegrass history overview course and private lessons on 5 string banjo and guitar. The successful candidate should have a national profile in bluegrass music, familiarity with all the bluegrass instruments and professional skills on one instrument in addition to banjo.  College degree preferred. Contact: Office of Human Relations, South Plains College 1401 College Ave. Levelland, TX 79336, (806) 894-9611 extension 2177.

South Plains offers a two year Associate of Art degree, and a one year certificate course focusing on bluegrass music within their Commercial Music program. Concentrations available within this program are Commercial Music, Sound Technology, Music Business and Live Sound.

This latest, Banjo for the young Beginner (Mel Bay), is designed to take younger banjo students from basic strums to roll-style arrangements of familiar songs like Wildwood Flower, Grandfather’s Clock, Tom Dooley and Rolling In My Sweet Baby’s Arms.

The songs and lessons are written in tablature, with photos and audio files included to help make the concepts and techniques clear. Sample pages and audio files can be found on the Mel Bay web site.

The 40 page book (with audio CD) sells for $14.99, and should be available wherever bluegrass instructional materials are sold.

Click here to view the embedded video.

As a young man, he was a member of Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain Boys and went on to help found and maintain Country Gazette, one of the most enduring bands to emerge from the 1970s bluegrass mini-boom. Alan has also been a successful solo artist with a number of stellar and hugely influential recordings to his credit.

He spent the last 20 years on the faculty of South Plains College in Levelland, TX, a position from which he recently retired – though he still performs with his group, Alan Munde Gazette.

So… when Alan Munde releases a new recording, banjo players take notice, and with Old Bones, they have a good reason to sit up and pay attention. The CD is made up of 13 tracks that Alan has recorded over the past twenty-odd years which for one reason or the other, never made it onto a CD.

Some were cut for solo or Country Gazette projects that never materialized, while others were cut at South Plains – where they offer a program in audio recording – as visiting artists were on campus to offer workshops to the students. These involve cuts with guests like David Grier, Mike Bub, Ron Block and Mike Compton.

The songs offer a mix of vocal and instrumental pieces, and as long-time Munde fans might expect, draw on a varied palette of stylistic influences ranging from hard driving bluegrass to breezy swing jazz. The banjo, of course, shines throughout.

We asked Alan to share a few thoughts about Old Bones…

Darling, Pal of Mine was recorded in Nashville in the mid-1990s by one of the industry’s most brilliant recordists, Rich Adler. On the cut are a bunch of picking heroes beginning with the legend himself Roland White, sweet voiced and booming bassist Marshall Wilborn, the best bluegrass singer of all time, Mr. Slide Guitar Gene Wooten, fellow Oklahoman former Gazette member fiddler Billy Joe Foster, and none better on the guitar David Grier. Roland, Gene, and Marshall all trade off on singing a verse and then Billy Joe joins them on the chorus.

This tune was recorded in the key of A but I played it without a capo (there are other non-capoed examples on the CD) and it made for an interesting sound. I liked it.

Arriba Francie is a different sort of piece for the banjo. This cooking Latin-esque instrumental was written by my very best friend and long-time teacher/mentor Slim Richey. I met Slim when I was 14 or so and have remained close ever since. It features two fellow Oklahomans Adam Granger on guitar and Dick Nunneley on mandolin. I knew them both when we all lived in Oklahoma and love playing with them any time I get the chance. What a blast they are.

Joe Carr is one of my all-time favorite people and musicians in the whole world. He is a great guitarist and mandolinist a great singer and a wonderful person. He is special in that his personality comes out strongly in his music. He is heard on the earliest recorded cut for this CD, Hickory Hollow, and again on a banjo/mandolin duet on Cindy, which we recorded much later. It is great fun any time Joe is involved with a project.

Other standout tracks include a version of Bill Emerson’s Sweet Dixie – which ends with twin banjo – and Wait Till The Sun Shines, Nellie where Munde shows once again how he excels at translating a vocal song into a banjo tune.

There are no audio samples up yet online, but Alan says he will get them up soon. Banjo pickers, and anyone who loves truly exceptional banjo playing, will want to snap this one up right away.

The intervening years have marked Munde as a consummate music professional, with a long performing and recording career, plus a 20 year tenure as the head of the bluegrass music program at South Plains College in Levelland, TX. Along the way, he has authored or been the subject of a great many pieces of instructional material, and taught at camps and workshops all over the world.

So it should be no surprise that Mel Bay Publications chose Alan to author a banjo book for their Getting Into series. Getting Into Bluegrass Banjo is a 96 page book with an accompanying audio CD that is designed to help novice banjo pickers get started on the 5 string. It covers right hand rolls, creating solos, left hand techniques and then combines them all in a number of banjo arrangements for popular bluegrass standards.

You can find more details and a list of songs on the Mel Bay web site.

The setting for the Banjo Retreat is the stunning 1865 Drouillard House and its surrounding grounds and The Mad Platter, an acclaimed Nashville restaurant, caters the event.

“While we try to get the best teachers and players we can each year, the Drouillard House and the food are probably what keep people coming back. I’ve taught at most banjo camps across the country, and I’ll proudly admit that I think the comfort level of our camp is second to none. And that creates a relaxing atmosphere for folks to have a great weekend.

We’re also excited about Kristin Scott-Benson being with us. She’s one of our favorite players and people and her playing and teaching are going to bowl people over!”

Small group classes, faculty concerts, jamming and a wide choice of electives highlight this year’s class offerings, with a special emphasis this year on double banjo playing, in honor of Tony’s CD, Double Banjo Bluegrass Spectacular.

Folks do seem to come back year after year – this year’s camp sold out in early June. As a special added feature for 2007, Munde, Evans and Luberecki will perform at the Station Inn on Thursday night, October 18th at 8 p.m., backed by guitarist Tim May, fiddler Megan Lynch, mandolin player Roland White and bassist Jon Weisberger.

If you want to get in on the NashCamp experience, reservations will be accepted for the 2008 event on January 2, 2008.

I’m told Alan is interested in playing more dates, and so his band, Alan Munde Gazette, is gearing up for a more rigorous tour schedule. In response to that move, they have brought a new member on board.

Elliott Rogers has joined the band on guitar and vocals. Rogers replaces Phill Elliott, who recently left the band to focus on his capo business.

Here is a statement from the band about the addition of Rogers.

Elliott (Rogers) is a fine singer, songwriter, and guitarist from Albuquerque whom many of you probably know from his work with his own band, Elliott’s Ramblers. We played our first show with Elliott at Camp Bluegrass last week to rave reviews. We’re really looking forward to fully incorporating his lead and harmony vocals, strong guitar work, and original songs into the group.

South Plains College is dear to my heart as I spent 3 years there studying bluegrass music and recording technology. It is a wonderful atmosphere to work and study in, with great people on staff. I was profoundly affected by the influence of Alan Munde and Joe Carr while attending SPC.

Carry stressed to me on the phone that the main requirement they are looking for in an applicant is that they have “the heart of a teacher.” I remember from my days there that all the staff were genuinely concerned that the students learn, both in class and out.

If you are interested in the job please contact:

Joe Carr
Assistant Professor of Music
South Plains College, Levelland, TX 79336
(806) 894-9611 ext 2493
jcarr@southplainscollege.edu

The position is full time, and requires mastery of the 5 string banjo in the three finger style.

Here are Joe’s comments:

South Plains College in Levelland, Texas is still accepting applications for the position in Commercial Music currently held by Alan Munde. Alan is retiring from teaching at the school in May after 20+ years. He will still teach at Camp Bluegrass each July.

Interested applicants should contact Joe Carr at jcarr@southplainscollege.edu.

The camp sets up a large number of highly specialized classes, with tracks for beginning, intermediate and advanced players. The instruction is designed to offer a mix of hands-on workshops and demonstrations of specific styles and techniques. Two faculty concerts are also on the schedule.

The full list of instructors is quite impressive:

• Old-time: Cathy Barton-Para, Clarke Buehling, Cathy Fink, Joe Newberry, Michael Miles, Ken Perlman and Mike Seeger.
• Bluegrass: Danny Barnes, Janet Beazley, Greg Cahill, Bill Evans, Murphy Henry, Gerald Jones, Ned Luberecki, Alan Munde and Mike Sumner
• Accompanists: Peter Knupfer (bluegrass fiddle) and Ron McKeever (bluegrass guitar)

Midwest banjo Camp is operated under the direction of Ken Perlman. Full details can be found on the MBC web site.

Here is the official announcement of the position:

South Plains College in Levelland, Texas is accepting applications for a full time (9 mos) faculty position as a Bluegrass Music specialist.

The candidate will be responsible for directing student bluegrass music ensembles including televised performances and live concerts. The candidate will teach private lessons on banjo and other instruments as student demand dictates.

Qualified applicants should have professional experience with mastery level skills on the 5 string banjo in three finger bluegrass styles. Multi-instrumental and vocal skills and professional contacts are desired.

Salary commensurate with professional experience and education.

For more information please contact:

Joe Carr
Assistant Professor of Music
South Plains College, Levelland, TX 79336
(806) 894-9611 ext 2493
jcarr@southplainscollege.edu

I’m just back – and completely exhausted! However, I wanted to share these pictures and relate a little bit of the magic that was day two of the 6th annual Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival, being held this weekend in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California.

It’s hard for me to imagine a more interesting and eclectic lineup of Americana, folk, singer-songwriter and bluegrass acts at any other festival in North America – and the fact that it’s a free event makes it all the more special. Hardly Strictly is a gift to the world from Warren Hellman, a San Francisco investment banker and aspiring clawhammer banjo player. This year’s event brings together folks like Earl Scruggs, Emmylou Harris (with John Starling, Tom Gray and Mike Auldridge), Dry Branch Fire Squad, Del McCoury Band and Ricky Skaggs as well as Elvis Costello, Richard Thompson and T Bone Burnett. It’s not all bluegrass but it is all fantastic and the mixing of different styles and perspectives is truly marvelous. And did I mention it is free?

I was asked by Warren to put something together this year that would be truly special and, knowing his love for banjo music, I asked my good friends and mentors Tony Trischka and Alan Munde to join me in a set of music at this year’s event. We played several triple banjo tunes in three part harmony (including the Osborne Brothers’ Big Ben and Alan Munde and Byron Berline’s Deputy Dalton) and also performed tunes separately, including two songs from Tony’s upcoming double banjo CD to be released on Rounder Records in January, 2007 (this is going to be good!). For our last tune, Alison Brown joined us for a four part version of Dixie Breakdown.

Earl Scruggs and Friends followed our performance and the U. S. Air Force Blue Angels put on a dazzling display of aviation prowess above our heads while Earl and the band played. Last year’s weather on Saturday was somewhat marginal with heavy fog and temperatures in the upper 50s. That wasn’t the case this year, as it was bright, sunny and warm….well for San Francisco at least (temps were in the mid 60’s)!

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is always held the first full weekend in October out here in San Francisco. Make plans now for next year’s event – it’s truly an unforgettable experience! Attendance was estimated at 230,000 people today with music spread out on four large stages located throughout the central meadow at Golden Gate Park.

Photos by Gretchen Snyder and Steve Stolzenburg

Earl Scruggs	Alan Munde	Tony Trischka	Bill Evans
Banjo Extravaganza Trischka, Evans, Brown Hardly Strictly Bluegrass

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I have been teaching banjo in the Creative Arts Department (when I began it was known as the Country and Bluegrass Program) of South Plains College in Levelland, TX since 1986. Before that I was a touring bluegrass musician with Country Gazette, and before that a Sunny Mountain Boy with Jimmy Martin. During my time as a touring musician I tried my hand at giving lessons to supplement my income. Guided by my own experiences as a learner (a degree in Education from the University of Oklahoma was also helpful) and aided by the few instructional books available at the time, I created the best instructional method I could. I continued that method at South Plains College, expanding it with more teaching ideas from other banjo teachers and colleagues here.

For these many years I have tried my best to explain things I have found to be relevant in learning to play the banjo, things a good player needs to know how to do. But I continued to struggle with one issue that I still had trouble explaining. Students ask me, “Why can”t I just play what I feel? Why should I have to copy or learn the music of another player?” Many esteemed players, including Tony Trischka and Peter Wernick in their very fine book, Masters of the 5-String Banjo, added to my dilemma by giving contradictory advice that runs something like this: play it like Earl, don”t copy anybody, learn everything Scruggs did, develop your own style.

I finally realized that Trischka and others are addressing two different audiences. The first audience is of banjo students. As a student, we should strive to learn as much as we can about how the creators and masters of the instrumental style played so that we, too, might be able to play successfully in the style. What better model do we need than Earl Scruggs? Of course, there are others to learn from also – Stanley, Reno, Osborne, Shelton etc. – to get the full scope of the bluegrass banjo world. The second audience is banjo players as musical artists. Here one should strive to develop a personal style “? take the things we have learned as a student and add our own views of the art and become our own musical person.

As to the student audience I suggest copying solos of the classic players. An example from my constant, but slow reading history may be helpful here. Among the many interesting books I have read is Wanderlust: A History of Walking, by Rebecca Solnit. In the book she covers such topics as theories of bipedalism, gardens and labyrinths, literary walkers such as Wordsworth and Thoreau and several other topics. The one that caught my attention was the chapter “The Uphill Road to Grace: Some Pilgrimages.” In this chapter she describes several kinds of pilgrimages. One is the walking pilgrimage that can be taken along the path that Christ was thought to have walked as he carried the cross. The Pilgrim can set his feet in the same places that Christ set his:

“Pilgrimage is premised on the idea that the sacred is not entirely immaterial, but that there is a geography of spiritual power.”

She suggests that there are things to be learned by such a journey:

“Pilgrimages make it possible to move physically, through the exertions of one”s body, step by step, toward those intangible spiritual goals that are otherwise so hard to grasp.”

One can come to an understandings and insights that cannot be put into words and can only be learned through the act of walking the walk.

In the same way, players can walk the walk of great banjo artists who have gone before them by copying their styles. I have been asked if I get tired of playing Foggy Mountain Breakdown. My response is “no.” For me it is a pilgrimage. As a student of the bluegrass banjo I am trying to the best of my ability and understanding to move my fingers in the same way as Earl Scruggs, to put my fingers in the same place (”the geography of spiritual power”) in the same order that he did “? to walk the walk. In doing so, I believe that I gain a sense of what he was up to, so to speak, and in turn bring that internal knowledge to bear on the whole of my playing as an artist of the bluegrass banjo. I do the same thing with Allen Shelton”s I Wonder Where You Are Tonight and Take My Ring From Your Finger, and Doug Dillard”s The Old Home Place and The Whole World Round, as well as hundreds of other solos from these and other great players.

I believe it has been a great advantage for my playing to copy the greats the best I can and then strive to play the way I feel, so that I will be the best Alan Munde banjo player I can be.