Name: Becky Buller Occupation: Multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter, leader of the Becky Buller Band. I've been on the board since Jan. 20, 2014, as an "at large" artists, composers, publishers’ rep. What brought me to The Bluegrass: My parents became interested in bluegrass music when I was very young. I don't remember a time without it! They were in a Southern Minnesota based band called Prairie Grass during all my growing up years. I wanted to sing with the band, but they told me I would have to learn an instrument to be on stage with them because that's how a bluegrass band usually functions. They didn't have a fiddle, so I started begging them for lessons at age 9. A year later, they started me in Suzuki violin. I joined their band when I was 12 or 13. Ended up going to bluegrass school at ETSU in Johnson City, Tenn., joined Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike upon graduation, and spent 10 years with her touring worldwide and working as a publicist at Bell Buckle Records, took a break, had a baby, got back on the road with Darin & Brooke Aldridge for two years, and am now have my own group. What are your personal goals as a director on the board: I want to see the IBMA grow and flourish on all fronts. I want our business conference to be relevant, timely, and useful to folks from all walks of our industry, so much so that they can't afford not to attend. I want our festival in Raleigh to get bigger and better every year. I want to help create other revenue streams for IBMA that occur all year long. I want to create more value in an IBMA membership. I want to create even more partnership between the IBMA and regional and state and international bluegrass associations. What are you doing to help the board achieve the current goals: In March, I was asked to head up the songwriting committee and continue the wonderful work started by Louisa Branscomb and Mark Brinkman, two stalwart champions of us bluegrass songwriters. We have several cool projects in the planning stages; we'll be telling you more about those as they come together. One I can tell you about now is the Songwriting Mentoring Program. It will be back online at the first of the year. The goal is for IBMA member songwriters to have access to constructive criticism on cultivating our craft by some of the best in the biz while connecting and creating community. Tony Rackley has agreed to again head this up. (Bless you, Tony!) Folks interested in being mentored can drop him a line at jtrackley@aol.com. I'm also keeping up with board activity and pitching in wherever I can. And I'm keeping up with the various IBMA listservs and social media sites to stay abreast of what our members are saying. Your voice is very important. This is our organization; it will take us all pitching in and working together to make it the best it can be. Please feel free to email me with your questions, comments, and concerns at becky@beckybuller.com.
What is something IBMA members might not know about me: I've been a member of IBMA for almost 20 years. My first World of Bluegrass was in 1995. I was 16 and a junior in high school. Donica Christianson and I rode down to Owensboro with Jed Malishcke (Donica's banjo teacher and executive director of the Minnesota Bluegrass And Old-Time Music Association) as chaperone. Not sure what our parents were thinking… Just kidding. Jed is the best! Anyway, that week changed my life. I had a chance to meet, talk, and jam with my heroes. Because they took that time with me, I chose to make a career out of playing this music. Now I'm on the IBMA board, a position I do not take lightly. I do my best to pay forward the kindness given me by those folks way back when. I have no idea what future bluegrass stars I might be encouraging at a show or in the halls at the conference. And I'll do the best I can to help preserve our organization and keep it moving forward. What is your favorite bluegrass album and why: I’ll pick out three, because I can’t choose just one. As soon as I mention these three, I’ll think of several more. Live At The Old School House, The Johnson Mountain Boys. These guys were raw energy. Eddie Stubbs is my first favorite fiddler. His “Orange Blossom Special” on this record is still my favorite. Waiting For The Hard Times To Go, Nashville Bluegrass Band. This record started my love affair with Stuart Duncan’s fiddling. I learned to sing baritone along with those magical Pat Enright/Alan O’Bryant duets. They always pick such interesting songs, too. One more. Every Time You Say Good-bye, Alison Krauss And Union Station. And that rounds out my top three favorite fiddlers! What is your advice for someone new to the industry: Have five-year and ten-year plans. Play the long game. Don’t get anxious if things don’t get going for you as fast as you’d like. We like to think everything is instant these days, but there are still some things that just take time, especially if you’re aiming for high quality and longevity. The folks who are successful in this business, for the most part, have been at it a long, long time. And be real, be true to who you are and play the music that moves you. People crave authenticity. What is your advice for a seasoned pro: Keep up on, better yet, ahead of the new technology. Continue to connect with your fans in creative ways. Keep making and supporting the music you love. Refuse to be discouraged! And consider taking a turn on the IBMA board or at least on one of the committees. Definitely do Leadership Bluegrass, which I went through in 2003. This is our organization; it takes all of us to keep it running smoothly so we can effectively get our united message out to the world that bluegrass is rockin' awesome music!