IBMA 2024

Musicians and Community Support One Another Photos by Ricky Davis 2024 was preordained to be a bittersweet IBMA year, like a high school graduation, throwing caps in the air, fully realizing that the World of Bluegrass landscape as we knew it was about to change. After 12 years in Raleigh—a period long enough to be a lifetime for young musicians—the time for transition to Chattanooga was on the immediate horizon. Optimism ran strong that a new bluegrass playground would be replete with bells and whistles, rather like boarding a newly christened cruise ship after a multi-year vacation run on a favorite vessel. But bluegrassers never anticipated IBMA moving to another holler would be wedged out of the primary circle of concern by something much more significant and life-changing: a hurricane impacting many of the musicians and constituency.  Helene blew in the back door like an uninvited guest at a dinner party when the table was set. Many attendees were already in pla