The Sound

Rounder Bluegrass

The First Fifty Years All Photos Courtesy of Rounder Records Archives I bought my first Rounder album in 1974. I was a recent convert to bluegrass and Rounder was likewise a new entry in the field of bluegrass and old-time record labels. I continued to buy more Rounder albums and my immersion in bluegrass grew deeper and…

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Perfect Mix For Success

In the world of songwriting, finding the right co-writer can be a difficult task. Finding the right fit and building a relationship with other writers requires patience and is often compared to a marriage.  Many songwriters today prefer to spend time together in person creating lyrics to a melody. Publishing companies often unite writers in…

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Learning to Play Mandolin Instruction with Tristan Scroggins

Photo By Natia Cinco Tristan Scroggins started playing professionally in a full-time touring bluegrass band when he was only fourteen years old (2009).  It was his father’s band—Jeff Scroggins and Colorado—and they loved to be on the road.  Tristan said, “I grew up in a strange situation of touring all of the time.  We started…

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Andrea Roberts

Leading Others  to Bluegrass Success Photo by Shelly Swanger Longtime performer turned business owner Andrea Roberts lived an enviable existence as a bluegrass musician the first part of her life. Her impressive resume includes fronting one of the first all-female bluegrass bands Petticoat Junction and playing alongside some of the genre’s most legendary figures including Bill…

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Ben Surratt Living His Dream

Photo By CarsonPhotography Young kids are often asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”  I would guess that a fairly low percentage of adults actually end up fulfilling those childhood dreams.  For musicians it might be different though.  I have interviewed many bluegrass musicians who became enamored with a musical instrument at…

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Building the Multi-Tool of Modern F-5 Mandolins

Photos by Bud Osborne “Writing about music is like dancing about architecture,” said musician-comedian Martin Mull in a line often misattributed to Frank Zappa. Same holds true for trying to describe a musical instrument’s sound. In wine culture, reviewers and sommeliers have a glossary accepted by consumers, with terms like ‘oakey’ or ‘full-bodied’ or ‘closed’…

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