Tag: Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association

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Bluegrass Music Music Instruction

Bluegrass University in Kentucky for Youth

I caught this article on the Bluegrass Today website a few days ago:

Bluegrass University opens in Winchester, KY

This program at the Leeds Center for the Arts in Winchester, Kentucky is intended to help middle- and high-school students with learning and performing bluegrass music. The program will take place one evening per week, and is headed by Jayd Raines and Zach Combs, two long-time touring bluegrass musicians.

I have not had a chance to fully check out the syllabus or content yet, but it sounds like a fantastic venture. Equal amounts of fun, learning and discipline, and capture teenagers at the most productive age while gitting them away from the iPhones and tablets for at least one evening per week.

For years, I have always wanted to do such a program in my area. Back around 2000, a friend and I found the perfect building to start a non-profit music education program. The building had a sign on the front that read “Americana Music Studio.” The history of the building was that a Polish immigrant couple after World War II moved to the area and converted the building to a studio that the husband would teach piano and violin, while the wife would instruct ballet. There were practice rooms and a small recital room. Eventually, they passed on, their children had no interest in pursuing the work, and the building’s neighborhood began to crumble around it.

It would have been perfect for our idea. Teaching kids folk, bluegrass, and other roots-music, like a miniature Old Town School of Folk in Chicago. Unfortunately, we could not find financial backing, and the building was eventually sold to a medical clinic.

As you may already know, recently I have been working hard with the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association to reward scholarships to kids aged 12-18 so that they can receive live or online instruction of bluegrass and other roots-oriented music on stringed instruments. However, we are not as fortunate as areas like Kentucky and the Carolinas where bluegrass music is part of life, and young people pick it up naturally. Since the scholarship program started a few years ago, we have really only sponsored about a half dozen kids. While most of those kids have continued to pursue the music, a few have lost interest, just like any other hobby for kids after a while.

As SEMBMA is a non-profit organization, we have to be extremely concerned on how we use the scholarship money. We have received many applicants, but some have been not what we are striving to fund. Once parent asked if we could provide funding so that the child could record a CD. Another requested scholarship help for a student learning electric rock guitar. We have broadened our scope a bit to help interested youngsters by providing instruction in folk and Celtic, but we also have to limit it at a certain point.

I have posted an advertisement for the scholarship on the local Craigslist. The only response that I have gotten in the past few months has been someone who is 35 years old and requesting money. Really? I also post flyers at music stores around town, but the Association gets very few bites.

Last week at the Charlotte Bluegrass Festival on Saturday morning, SEMBMA set up its “petting zoo,” where we put out guitars, banjos, mandolins and dobros for kids to try out. It is great to see young ones picking up instruments and learning an easy chord, then an easy song. While most kids are there as a pseudo babysitting service for parents to drop them off for an hour, one or two kids do take an interest in playing a stringed instrument. With Billy Strings performing on Thursday, it is great to see younger people getting involved in bluegrass music.

But at this time, it seems that we need more. If parents and grandparents are into bluegrass music, they need to show their kids and grandkids how fun bluegrass music really is. Get them off of the iPhones and interacting with other kids face-to-face by jamming together. Show them not only the younger successful artists like Billy Strings, Sierra Hull, and Wyatt Ellis, but some of the rising unknown bluegrass musicians that are all over YouTube. Schools have music programs, but they are dedicated to orchestra and marching band music. A motivated teacher may be smart to start up a Folk and Bluegrass Music Club (similar to a Chess Club or Drama Club), teaching instruments, jamming, and maybe showing videos of bluegrass performances.

I leave you with a video of my favorite 14-year-old fiddler, Hollace Oakes. At this year’s Abingdon Fiddlers Convention in Virginia, she recently took 1st Place in the Adult Old-Time Fiddle competition, 2nd Place in the Adult Bluegrass Fiddle competition, 3rd Place in the Youth Mandolin competition, 3rd Place in the Adult Flatfoot Dance competition, and her band Denim & Plaid won the Youth Band Bluegrass competition. This is what I would love to see with another hundred 14 year olds!

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music Music Instruction

SEMBMA Youth Scholarship Showcase: Afterword

Last Sunday, April 21st, the Southeastern Michigan Bluegrass Music Association held its showcase of the Youth Scholarship recipients at Woldumar Nature Center in Lansing. It was great to see the four students perform, and even better to see a great turnout for an audience. I tried once again to video the event, and while the video itself was good, the audio going into the built-in microphone was terrible. Hopefully I can get the hang of this camcorder someday.

I had mentioned this showcase a few weeks ago (https://luegra.design.blog/2024/03/09/sembma-youth-showcase-april-21st/), and was glad that it was a moderate success. SEMBMA member Marcia Bailey also brought a few instruments for interested kids to try out at the Association’s “petting zoo.”

What made me pleased the most was that the four students are really passionate about improving on their playing. Eleven-year-old Dominic impressed me the most with his off-the-cuff knowledge of old-time fiddle tunes that he was warming up to. Belinda is another 11-year-old fiddler that I first saw at the Michigan Old-Time Fiddlers Contest back in 2022 and worked hard to get her parents to apply for a scholarship. She has a great teacher in Keala Venema, who is a well-known fiddler in the western part of the State. Thirteen-year-old Henson was performing standard banjo tunes in the style of Earl Scruggs. Lydia was also performing on banjo, but I was really impressed by her strong vocals for a girl of 14.

The four joined their instructors for a jam session at the end of the performance. It was great to talk to Keala again, as well as talk to some of the parents about how proud they are of the students. I was really glad to see Lydia jamming with some of the older musicians at the session going on downstairs.

I hope that between seeing these performers, as well as testing out some instruments in the petting zoo, that we can see more young people interested in taking up an instruments and pursuing music as a dedicated hobby or even an eventual career. I was able to talk to one mother who was really interested in getting her son involved, as he plays violin at school but is more interested in bluegrass and folk music than classical.

For more news about the event, you can visit the Bluegrass Today website where SEMBMA president Bill Warren posted some of his photos (https://bluegrasstoday.com/woldumar-nature-center-monthly-jam-in-lansing/). There’s one of me with a really small guitar. It says that I am part of the jam session, but I was really only tuning the thing for the petting zoo.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music Music Instruction

SEMBMA Youth Showcase April 21st

Well, the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association will get to showcase some of the young talent we have been supporting with scholarship funds over the past year. Anyone in the southern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan is encouraged to keep the afternoon of Sunday, April 21st open.

The Woldumar Nature Center in Lansing hosts folk and bluegrass bands monthly during the spring and summer. On April 21st, they are presenting SEMBMA’s Youth Scholarship Recipients, showcasing the talent and progress that these youngsters have made over the past year. These students were either tutored at one-on-one sessions with an instructor, or received online instruction from a professional bluegrass musician.

As readers may know, I have been an avid supporter of young bluegrass musicians. It goes beyond praising people like Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Wyatt Ellis, and Carson Peters. I enjoy seeing very young kids take an interest in playing a musical instrument, especially stringed instruments, and maturing as great players. Being on the SEMBMA Scholarship Committee, I have not only posted flyers up at music stores as well as ads on Craigslist, but I have scouted out events such as the fiddle contest atApplefest in New Boston, Michigan for young players that show promise. SEMBMA has money for these young, motivated musicians to continue on instruction, as part of the organization’s philosophy is to promote bluegrass music in the area by supporting young musicians.

There are not a lot of venues or scheduled events in the area that offer opportunities for people, especially youngsters, to show off their talent. Open mic events are usually offered at bars on a weekday evening, and acoustic music is usually glossed over for electric rock and blues. Even folk and acoustic open mic shows are geared more toward the songwriter crowd. Bluegrass festivals have plenty of parking lot jam sessions, but attention by the attendees leans more toward what performers are on the main stage. Even so, these festivals are beginning to disappear one-by-one due to financial concerns.

The Woldumar Nature Center is a fantastic place for all to visit. While its main purpose it to serve as a nature preserve for everyone to enjoy, it is appreciated that the Center provide other activities such as the Folk and Bluegrass Jam shows. I hope that other people appreciate what Woldumar is doing to give the community so many opportunities for education and entertainment, and I hope to see other places around Michigan to provide such activities.

Again, the SEMBMA Youth Scholarship Recipients showcase is Sunday, April 21st at 3:00 pm. The Woldumar Nature Center is at 5739 Old Lansing Road in Lansing. I hope to see you there!

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Gospel Music Old-Time Fiddle

2023 Michigan Old-Time Fiddle Contest/Sister Servants/Christian Youth Singers

Two weekends ago was the 2023 Michigan Old-Time Fiddlers Contest at the Applefest in New Boston. There were only four participants, and when I saw Trae McMaken (last year’s winner) seated near the stage, I knew that he would be this year’s winner as well. The guy is THAT good!

The contest was held later in the afternoon, which did see a bit more people in the audience than in previous years. There are also the problems with scheduling. First and foremost, the contest always goes on after the performance by the local middle school orchestra and choir. Every year, that performance always runs over because they go on late due to poor organization by the school music director. Thus, the contest began about 30 minutes late, and as expected, the blues/rock cover band scheduled to go on after the contest decided to start setting up some of its equipment during the contest.

It is sad that this old-time fiddle music is not as appreciated here in Michigan as it is in other parts of the country. I have preached about Michigan’s fiddle and music history many times, but it seems that very few people outside of the actual musicians care about it. I am glad to see that the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association has gotten some interest from young musicians recently for the scholarship awards. We have awarded one more student some scholarship money since I last wrote about it (https://luegra.design.blog/2023/08/06/sembma-scholarships-part-2/). I was hoping to see a new young fiddler at this year’s contest, but the four contestants were older fiddlers that have participated a number of times.

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We can always hope for next October! In the meantime, if any of you know of any young fiddlers (or banjo players, or mandolin players, or acoustic guitarists) playing bluegrass or old-time music, be sure to send them to the SEMBMA website and have them fill out a scholarship application (https://smbluegrass.org/scholarships/).

As many of you know, I am moving out of my house and moving back into my folks’ house as they both have passed away. I have sold the house and will be completely out by November 1st. So every day I have been grabbing a box or two and shipping it back to my new homestead. Yesterday, while in Hamatramck at a stop light, I noticed a group of young people (about eight) on the corner singing standard Gospel songs like “Rock of Ages” and “Amazing Grace.” They were from a Christian youth group connected with Living Waters (http://www.livingwaters.com/). It was extremely strange, as Hamtramck has become a highly populated Muslim community, and of course, tensions due to the Hamas attack on Israel recently has gotten a lot of people on edge. But there they were, being brave, singing old-time Gospel tunes and holding signs requesting looking toward Jesus.

It warmed my heart to see that. While I am a devout Roman Catholic, I have always loved the songs that early bluegrass Gospel brought forth. On my way back down the street, I saw that they were still singing, so I went to the local store, picked up some soft drinks, and gave it to them, letting them know how beautiful the singing was. They were friendly, and while they started to try to get me to be a part of their organization, I felt obliged to let them know of my faith in Catholicism and that my parish was a few blocks from where we were.

Seeing young people so motivated by their Christian beliefs, and what is more to be standing in an area that could prove to be hostile, was extremely moving, Then again, Jesus was not set on preaching to the believers, but to preach to those that were straying from the Lord and help them see the light.

I end this blog with a video that my friend Sister Clare Marie of the Sister Servants of the Eternal Word sent me. I mentioned this group in previous blogs (https://luegra.design.blog/2020/08/07/nuns-performing-bluegrass-and-diversity/ and https://luegra.design.blog/2021/12/04/715/). These wonderful ladies stay in my heart always.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

SEMBMA Scholarships: Part 2

Back in April, I talked about the youth scholarships that the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association (SEMBMA) was offering to young students who were interested in studying acoustic music, and how little response the Association had received from kids (https://luegra.design.blog/2023/04/29/youth-scholarships-available-from-sembma/). Well, SEMBMA’s annual picnic and Hall of Honor inductions was earlier this afternoon, and I was able to meet up with head of the Scholarship Committee to discuss the progress.

Prior to this weekend, we were sponsoring only one youth, Dante, on banjo lessons. Our scholarship assistance is helping to pay for lessons from banjo extra ordinaire Kristin Scott Benson, and he has performed on stage with a number of national bluegrass acts, including Appalachian Roadshow and The Kody Norris Show. Money well spent.

Well, the Scholarship Committee has recently received four more applications that we will be considering for sponsorship! One of the applicants is the young girl that I saw perform at last year’s Michigan Old-Time Fiddle Contest in New Boston (https://luegra.design.blog/2022/10/02/the-2022-michigan-old-time-fiddle-contest/). Her name is Belinda, and she is from the Grand Rapids area. It took some time to hunt her down, and her father finally got back to me a few days ago. I was extremely pleased that the family followed up on the suggestion of applying, and from looking at her background, she seem to be highly influenced by old-time music, naming Rhiannon Giddens as one of her influences.

We also received applications from another fiddle player, as well as two youngsters interested in pursuing banjo studies. One of these aspiring banjo players did show up to this afternoon’s picnic and participated in the jam session. While reading the application of the other young banjo player, she listed her three influences as Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and the 2nd South Carolina String Band. Wow! There is a name that I haven’t heard in a long while. The 2nd SC String Band goes back to my Civil War reenacting days. They used to perform at a number of national battle reenactments such as Gettysburg and Antietam (maybe someday I will talk more about those days and what I was doing musically then). I am impressed that this young lady not only knew about this band and the type of music that they perform, but claimed it to be an influence.

I am certain that the committee will approve some sort of assistance to all of the new applicants, as they all seem to be determined to learn more about bluegrass, old-time, and other roots-oriented music. It also motivated me to quit slacking off and pick up my guitar again. I do hope that all of them continue to educate themselves on this beautiful genre of music.

I leave you with a classic video from years ago when the Sleepy Man Banjo Boys appeared on The David Letterman Show some years back.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Youth Scholarships Available from SEMBMA

Since 2020, the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association has offered scholarship money to deserving youth ages 12-18 for use with lessons on stringed instruments or vocals (either online or in-person) to help promote bluegrass and old-time music with the younger generation. The COVID pandemic did a lot to get people, especially kids, interested in learning musical instruments since they would be stuck at home. However, SEMBMA has had a difficult time finding qualifying youth for these scholarships, even after many internet blasts and mailings to area music stores and schools.

As a member of the Scholarship/Education Committee for SEMBMA, it amazes me how something like this is is being passed on by qualified students. We have had a few applicants, but most of them have wanted to use the funds for non-educational purposes. We do have restrictions, but if that student can show that they are truly interested in improving on his/her playing of guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, or even singing, and can show us that they are already moving forward in that talent, we will help them without hesitation.

At this time, SEMBMA is helping sponsor one young banjo player named Dante, who is making a name for himself locally at jam sessions and sitting in with various bluegrass bands in the area. We are currently helping to pay for online lessons he is receiving from award-winning banjoist Kristin Scott Benson of The Grascals. She has told SEMBMA how impressed she has been with Dante’s playing and dedication to the banjo.

I remember seeing a young girl performing at the Michigan Old-Time Fiddlers Contest back in October (https://wordpress.com/post/luegra.design.blog/962). I am still kicking myself for not getting her name, as she would be a perfect candidate for one of our scholarships. I have called out to the contest organizers to see if they have information on getting in touch with her.

The International Bluegrass Music Association has long supported youth programs. I had previously mentioned the Junior Appalachian Musicians program, as well as other programs in post way back (https://wordpress.com/post/luegra.design.blog/515). I will definitely be doing more work in locating and recruiting young people into the bluegrass fold and hoping to provide them with needed scholarship money to take lessons. I scratch my head regarding this, as this is “easy money” for the right youth. When I look at the younger talent in the bluegrass field, including Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Ryan Holladay, and a few others, I would think that there are plenty of other young people wanting to achieve that success.

Anyone reading this and knowing of a youth interested in expanding on his/her bluegrass and old-time string music knowledge, please refer them to the scholarship application on the SEMBMA website: https://smbluegrass.org/scholarships/

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Farewell Milan Music Festival, Is SEMBMA Next?

A few days ago, I learned that the Milan Music Fest, held yearly in August at the KC Campgrounds in Milan, will be no more after this past year (https://bluegrasstoday.com/milan-music-fest-shutting-down/). Producer Mark Gaynier has decided that after 25 years of running this highly successful bluegrass festival in southeast Michigan, he would like to retire from the event and change course in his life.

No shame or hard feelings here. Mark has worked hard to make the festival a success for his attendees, and when top national acts like Rhonda Vincent show up every year, you know that something was being done right. However, one can understand the sadness of bluegrass fans in the region. This was a great location, and the acts performing were always top notch. There are a few other bluegrass festivals in Michigan, but most are on the west side of the state, making it difficult for those like me that cannot spend time overnight due to employment and caregiving issues.

There is a one-day festival in Blissfield (near the border of Ohio) that the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association sponsors. Although I am a member of SEMBMA, I am never able to volunteer due to my commitment to the Michigan Old-Time Fiddlers Convention held on the same day. At the next SEMBMA meeting (on October 22nd), I plan to suggest that the association recommend moving the Blissfield festival to the same weekend that Milan was. This would help get some of the Milan crowd, as well as not conflict with other events.

Speaking of SEMBMA, the organization has not been in good shape as of late. It is attempting to secure new officers for the board, but there has been next to no response. With that said, there is talk of dissolving the association and distributing what is left in the treasury to various educational funds. Working as a board member on even a small organizations such as SEMBMA take a lot of time and energy. I fully understand Bill and Pam Warren wanting to step down, as they have taken the reins for a number of years.

I have stated to the association that I will help in any way, even taking on one of the board member positions, if it means keeping the group going. I have a full-time job, and almost every hour of my time outside of work is spent caregiving my 90-year-old mother. I literally have to plan ahead days in advance just to do things like get a haircut or even write this blog. However, it would be a shame to see SEMBMA dissolve at this time.

My big disappointment is that there are so many members of SEMBMA that never show up for business meetings, but are waiting in line when a free jam sessions is scheduled. Promoting bluegrass in the community takes more than learning an instrument and showing up at jam sessions. This association is creating scholarships, sponsoring festivals, and working with artists to give bluegrass a voice in the area. It needs people who are willing to donate time and energy in order make a name for itself as a viable organization that is respected in the music community.

Again, I will do what I can given my situation. Heck, I never have time to participate in the SEMBMA jam sessions! However, it saddens me that so much of the membership think that the jam sessions are all that matters.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music Music Programs

SEMBMA Cancels Bluegrass Workshop: What Went Wrong?

Last Sunday, the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association had its first meeting for 2022. The last meeting was in October, which I could not attend due to having COVID. I had missed providing any input on decisions made during that meeting.

The big decision made at that meeting was to set up and sponsor a workshop for learning bluegrass guitar, banjo, bass, mandolin, fiddle, and singing. The date set was June 10-12, with really only workshops on June 11 and the other days providing jam opportunities. The proceeds would go to the Association’s Scholarship Fund. Cost would be $40.00 for each participant, with a discount for SEMBMA members.

I honestly didn’t find out about the workshop weekend until January (and I am a member as well as on the SEMBMA committee for Scholarships!). So at last week’s meeting, we found out that only five people registered for the workshop. That was less than the number of instructors hired for the event! The workshop would be less than two months away, and there was no word on any more people wanting to register. The person in charge of organizing the workshop stated that she did all that she could to get the word out, sending flyers to music stores and radio stations.

With a unanimous vote, it was decided to cancel the workshop. Some attending wanted to move it to September, while others (myself included) want to hold off for a lot longer until the Association can invest more time and money into the project.

There were a lot of things working against this workshop from the beginning that cancellation was inevitable. The problem is that the coordinator(s) were either too blind to see them, or just did not want to work in order to alleviate them.

Here are some problems as well as possible solutions to making an events such as this workshop more successful:

  • Time allotted to set up and promote the event. In this case, the decision to have the event was eight months until the workshop date. Moreover, the first notices did not come out until January. Talk to anyone that runs a bluegrass event, and they will tell you that they start the planning the day after the last event ends. You need a year to not only follow a structured plan to make the event work, but also time for people to plan to attend.
  • Promotion. The days of sending flyers out or posting them at music stores and expecting a line at the gate on opening day is ancient history. One has to have a strong grasp on social media just to get a message out. Emails are a start, but that has to have a plan, such as sending announcements out on a regular basis so that members and other interested parties get the reminder. These emails should have updates on the event, such as who will be teaching, any special offers, and asking for suggestions from attendees. However, the big blast should be with Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. I know that SEMBMA has its own YT page, so a video announcing the workshop should have been posted.
  • Money. This coincides with promotion, along with other factors. This is not Field of Dreams, where if you build it, they will come. Much more needs to be done to get the word out, and that costs money. Yes, there are some free outlets such as posting flyers on local bulletin boards, but if you really plan to get people to pay attention, you have to pay for advertising. Local newspapers are a start, but that is a coin toss to see if it will work. Since this is a bluegrass-related event, the advertising is best spent with bluegrass publications such as Bluegrass Unlimited. This goes back to time allotted, as magazines require an ad request months in advance. The thought here is, you get what you pay for. If you don’t spend money, you won’t get great results. Now you may not get great results if you spend a big amount on advertising, but most successful event coordinators know that the first year or two may result in loss of revenue in order to get the word out.
  • Scheduling. Why would you schedule a first-time workshop only a week after a more-established workshop only a two-hour drive away? That being the Midwest Banjo Camp near Lansing, which has been going on for years and has built itself up into a reputable weekend, providing well-known instructors and a well-structured schedule.
  • Personalities. Just who are the teachers that are at the workshop? If I have to pay a fee and you are not telling me who is the instructor, then this guy could know less about the instrument than me! Also, if my kid wants to learn guitar, what is going to motivate me to register and drive an hour or two instead of getting lessons from the local music store 10 minutes away? The truth is, names draw attendees. That is why a lot of bluegrass festivals have workshops and pay artists a little more to be the instructors. Someone is more likely going to attend a workshop with Ronnie McCoury, Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, or Darol Anger than Joe Schmoe from the local music store.

SEMBMA is going through a drastic time right now. Current officers are looking to retire, and no one is really volunteering to step up. I currently serve on two committees (the other being the Office Nomination Committee), and it is hectic with the little time that I can spare. Some new, younger blood needs to step in with new ideas. This workshop (and its inevitable cancellation) is just one example of old ideas not working. The issue here is that young people need to know that for bluegrass to survive in certain areas, it needs more than to just learn how to play and instrument and jam.

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Music Programs

More Programs to Get Kids Into Music

Here is some information that is great to read about.

I came across this program during a web surf and thought that it was great. It is called Violins Not Violence, and it helps to promote music to children and young adults to keep them out of gangs and crime in California. The organization recently donated a violin and guitar to two deserving youngsters who have an interest in pursuing music as a hobby or perhaps a vocation. While there is not much information on the website (www.violinsnotviolence.net), the recent donation did receive some media coverage. I recommend making a donation to the group, as one can see that actions are more powerful than words with this non-profit group started by two police officers.

A cute T-shirt is being offered by the Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Museum, and will also be available at the ROMP Fest September 15-18 (the same week as MerleFest, another screw-up in the roots-music traffic jam of September). The shirts says, “Pick Banjos Not Fights,” and is available at the HOF website (https://www.bluegrasshall.org/shop/shirts/pick-banjos-not-fights-t-shirt/). While no word is available on if any of the sales goes to supporting music programs directly, the HOF and the IBMA have a number of youth-oriented programs dedicated to promoting music and keeping children out of trouble.

I have talked about the Junior Appalachian Musicians program (www.jamkids.org) before, but I want to mention it again. This program has helped hundreds of kids in the southeastern region of the US with pursuing an interest in music, particularly the music form that region that was developed by their ancestors. I highly recommend going to the website and learning about it. I know that the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association (https://smbluegrass.org/, of which I am a member and part of the Education Committee) have been working to begin such a program in our area, and we have small programs such as JAM. SEMBMA currently offers an annual scholarship program for you ages 13-18, and holds a musical instrument “Petting Zoo” at many regional bluegrass festivals.

Also of note here in the Michigan area, a SEMBMA member Dixie Roy Andres has been hosting a program called Fiddlin’ Dixie with Lil’ Friends for about 10 years now at regional bluegrass festivals. Her program gets young people into music by having them build their own canjos, shoebox guitars and toilet paper roll kazoos. It is a wonderful program to get small kids involved with. For more information, go to Dixie’s website (https://fiddlindixiewithlilfriends.webs.com/).

Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Bluegrass Music

Tidbits: Garcia, Ellis, SEMBMA, Circle TV, YouTube

Hey! Remember back on May 16, 2020 when my blog was about how the IBMA refuses to recognize Jerry Garcia as a viable influencer on bluegrass music (https://luegra.design.blog/2020/05/16/why-wont-the-ibma-recognize-jerry-garcia/)? WELL! It seems that this year’s World of Bluegrass virtual conference is having a presentation on Jerry and his work with the bluegrass music industry. Hmmm, I wonder where they got that idea from. Anyway, here’s a link to the description in the schedule: https://worldofbluegrass.org/schedule2020/ . It will be on October 1 at 11:00 am. I’m not expecting a thank you from IBMA, if you want to know.

Last Saturday the Southeast Michigan Bluegrass Music Association had its annual Hall of Honor ceremony. I was proud to see that Marvin “Red” Ellis was inducted. I wrote about him in a previous blog (https://luegra.design.blog/2020/03/15/red-ellis-and-the-forgotten-history-of-michigan-bluegrass/), and will continue to research the history of bluegrass music in the Detroit area. On a related note, there was a good article on the Miller Brothers in the September 2020 issue of Bluegrass Unlimited. The Miller Brothers were originally from Kentucky, lived for a while in Indiana, them moved up to the Detroit area for auto factory work. While in Michigan, they recorded a few bluegrass albums in the early 1970s. They are definitely a group that I hope to research more for the SEMBMA Hall of Honor.

Speaking of SEMBMA, the Association is now awarding scholarships to youth 13-18 years of age who are interested in pursuing further education with bluegrass music. The scholarships will be paid directly to the instructor/institution, and lessons can be in-person, over the internet, or some form of video. Students can be studying a stringed instrument (guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, fiddle, dobro, autoharp) or studying vocals. For more information on the scholarships and to secure an application form, go to http://www.smbluegrass.org . Submission deadline is January 1, 2021 and may require a personal interview of the applicants by SEMBMA board members and/or the scholarship committee.

Late to the Party Department: I just discovered that Circle TV (www.circleplus.com) is available in my area over the air (I don’t have cable, and my mom’s cable service sucks to say the least). I don’t watch television much, maybe an hour a day, but now that I can watch Circle, I may make use of it since the pandemic still won’t let us go to see live music. I get to watch the Opry on Saturday night (although host Bobby Bones irritates the crap out of me), reruns of Hee Haw and The Beverly Hillbillies, some Ditty TV programs, Daily & Vincent, and even some CMA songwriter programs. Pass me the Doritos!

YouTube fiddle lessons videos: I may have mentioned FiddleHed here before, but if not, I highly recommend checking him out, even if you don’t play fiddle. I have an article on him for Fiddler magazine coming up in the Winter 20/21 issue. I bring him up because he is one of the few that actually “teach” the tunes. I recently did a search for fiddle instruction for the Bill Monroe song “Uncle Pen.” A lot of videos came up, but most of them were hardly instructional. They are usually just a camera pointed at the fingerboard during the “lesson,” and no slow downs or explanation of what the fingering is. That is not instruction, that is just showing off that you can do the lick. Thank you again, FiddleHed!

Chew on it and comment.