Articles

Clayton McMichen was a renowned fiddle player who was noted for his ability to perform in a variety of styles including traditional, bluegrass, pop, jazz, and country. Born in Georgia in 1900, he was from a musical family and began learning the fiddle at a young age. From 1922 until his passing in 1970, McMichen…

A lot of students are turning to YouTube to learn how to play their instruments these days.  The upside is that it doesn’t cost anything.  The downside is that there typically is not a well-designed step-by-step learning method presented with an effective multi-media approach to learning foundational material and theory along with a progressive method…

This five-piece band out of Austin, Texas has a unique and compelling sound that draws from bluegrass as well as old-timey Appalachian music and country-folk.  Lead singer Rose Lichtenfels, who hails from Virginia, has a captivating voice marked by emotional nuance and provocative phrasing. At times, she sounds reminiscent of the Carter Family; at other…

Although I love to read books and do so for a few hours every day, I’m going to have to admit that I do not spend much time reading fiction.  I tend to be a non-fiction reader in the realms of music history, science, and philosophy.  However, when author Trish Doll sent me her new…

John Cowan, formerly of the Newgrass Revival, is one of the most distinctive and versatile singers to emerge from modern bluegrass. In recent years, he’s kept a high-profile touring with the rock band, the Doobie Brothers. Andrea Zonn, with whom Cowan partners on this album, is an equally impressive and versatile vocalist and fiddle player….

Workshop Weekend Over the weekend of February 7-8-9, the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky held its first Bluegrass Unlimited Workshop Weekend.  Eight instructors traveled to Owensboro to teach a group of 50 eager students how to improve their picking and singing skills.  The instructors included Alan Munde (banjo), Maddie Denton…