The Sound

Shelby Means // Photo by Hunter McRae 

Shelby Means’ New Solo Album

Shelby Means had nothing to prove to anyone but herself when she set out to record her first solo self-titled album. Her bluegrass credentials are solid. In fact, bluegrass brought her to Nashville in the first place. A native of Wyoming, she grew up going to festivals and played in the Alaska bluegrass band Bearfoot…

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Reviewed by David McCarty Photos Courtesy of the Martin Guitar Company

C.F. Martin Launches Two Billy Strings Dreadnoughts with a Modern Twist

Billy Strings’ impact on bluegrass and guitar flatpicking has triggered tens of thousands of fans to attend his concerts and buy his records and merch. For bluegrass guitarists, he’s probably had more impact on the flatpicking scene than any of his modern peers, raising the bar with his facile, deeply rooted picking and singing. But…

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Faculty Share Original Songs and Insights L to R: Jeanette Williams, Louisa Branscomb, Johnny Williams // Photo by nancy posey

Songs Move Mountains

Louisa Branscomb Marks 36 Years of Songwriting retreats March 2025 marked the 36th consecutive year of songwriting workshops, usually twice a year, hosted by veteran songwriter Louisa Branscomb. Louisa founded Woodsong Farm Songwriting Retreats in 1989, at her farm in Georgia, and continued to hold 2 to 4 retreats a year for the next 30…

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Kris Howland displays two of the albums he helped bring to vinyl

Kris Howland Brings Classic Bluegrass LPs Back to the Future

Photos by Chelsea LaFond It’s an excellent time for bluegrass LP seekers and collectors. And the folks at Heady Wax Fiends, with help from Real Gone Music, have certainly sweetened the pot by bringing classic bluegrass LPs back on premium vinyl.       Their rerelease of Manzanita by the Tony Rice Unit sparked our initial…

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Selfie of Elijah Doty

Elijah Doty

Sound Guy And So Much More Elijah Doty is a 23-year-old Illinois boy who is “living the dream” according to his Facebook intro. He loves God, country and bluegrass music, horses, and emergency management. In the bluegrass community, he is primarily known as a sound technician and multi-instrumentalist. However, Doty also serves his community as a…

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Steve Cooley and Béla Fleck // Photo Courtesy of Ashbourne Farms

Morehead State University Bluegrass Program Surprises Steve Cooley With a Scholarship With His Name On It

Steve Cooley is a veteran of the Louisville, Kentucky, bluegrass scene that has played with many of the greats of the genre over his extended music career. He was lucky enough to be around back in the days when Sam Bush was on the Louisville scene when J.D. Crowe still played the hotel bars in…

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