The Venue

One Filmmaker’s Perspective I first heard live bluegrass music when I was 26 years old. Growing up in New Jersey, and going to college in Washington, DC, meant that my experience with bluegrass was limited to seeing Bonnie and Clyde in 1967, and hearing parts of Hee Haw, or The Beverly Hillbillies on TV. That level of personal exposure was…

Despite being home to some of the best bluegrass musicians in the country and the site of some of the most important historical events, there aren’t many places to regularly see live bluegrass in Nashville. The Station Inn continues to be a bluegrass beacon and you can still hear bluegrass most weeks on the Opry…

The New Executive Director of the IBMA Photo by Casey Campbell After an impressive run, the Executive Director of the IBMA, Paul Schiminger, has stepped down and Pat Morris has taken over the reins as the post-pandemic world plays out.  Morris is well-aware of what he is walking into and has the talent and experience…

It is perhaps the longest-running and most successful fund-raising project in the Moose realm. It is also one of the largest and most popular traditional music attraction in North America. “It” is the Old Fiddlers’ Convention sponsored by the Galax Moose Lodge #733. Begun in 1935, the Fiddlers’ Convention is held every August at Felts Park in…

Photo by Tim Black Denison University: Bluegrass & American Roots Program Granville, Ohio Established in 2010, Denison University’s Bluegrass and American Roots Program is one of an increasing number of university programs focusing on the study and performance of bluegrass, blues, old-time, and other traditional American music. Since 2018, the Denison program has been under…

Randy Wood’s most prized possession back home on the Georgia farm was a pocket knife his father gave him.  With it, and some other woodworking tools, he became internationally famous as a builder and repairer of fine acoustic instruments.  Randy joined the Army after high school and learned how to play guitar during long solo…