The Sound
Wayne Henderson
An American Treasure Photos by Mike England In this day and age of shake-and-bake stardom, reality television, and fifteen minutes of fame seekers it is comforting and refreshing to know that there are still authentic individuals out there diligently working at their craft and continuing to leave their mark and make a difference. …
Aleyas Mandolins
A Gem From Coal Country’s Deep Heart Photo by Callie Thomas In today’s hyper-competitive custom luthier marketplace, excellence is only the price of admission for new mandolin builders. For an emerging luthier, getting noticed under the blinding luminescence of top-tier builders like Heiden, Kimble, Ellis, McClanahan and more means building instruments early in your career…
Oh, Me Of Little Faith
In my continuous journey to find and highlight exceptional songwriting, I arrived this month on “Oh, Me Of Little Faith,” a song written for the contemporary Christian genre and successfully introduced to bluegrass fans by the husband-and-wife team of Wayne Benson (Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out) and Kristin Scott Benson (The Grascals) as part…
RBR Entertainment Rises Like A Phoenix
A new record label launched by longtime songwriting collaborators Billy Droze and Chris Myers is turning heads in the bluegrass music industry. RBR Entertainment is churning out hits on bluegrass radio these days by an ever-growing roster of talented newcomers and established veterans. Droze is the label’s creative director and founder who produces projects at…
Learning By Ear Course
Learning how to play a musical instrument by ear is a skill that is vital to your development as a musician in traditional genres of music. While reading music can also be a valuable skill, in most forms of traditional music—folk, old-time, bluegrass, Celtic, blues—the music is historically handed down aurally. Musicians who participate in…
Larry Rice and His 1959 F-5 Gibson Mandolin
This article provides an insight into Larry Prentis Rice and his mandolin, and contains anecdotal recollections about him from friends, family, and bandmates. As the oldest of the four Rice Brothers, and born into a musical family, Larry Rice wrote, played, recorded and produced memorable music. Born on April, 24, 1949 in Danville, Virginia, he…