International Bluegrass

IB International Bluegrass Vol. 28, No. 3 March 2013

God Didn't Choose Sides

Brings True Civil War Stories to Life with Music WORLD OF BLUEGRASS Registration Starts March 1 HOW TO

Make Money with YouTube Steep Canyon Rangers win GRAMMY

International Bluegrass Music Association Join the team

working together for the future of bluegrass music. www.ibma.org

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International Bluegrass International Bluegrass Music Assocation Vol. 28 | No. 3 | March 2013

Cover story 4 | God Didn’t Choose Sides Brings True Civil War Stories to Life with Music

by Derek Halsey

Features 8 | World of Bluegrass Ticket Sales, Registration &

Hotel Registration Kick off March 1

12 | How to Make Money from your YouTube Channel

by Erin Faith Humann

22 | Steep Canyon Rangers win GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album, New Music Educator GRAMMY Award Announced

NEWs 14 | Taylor Coughlin to Join IBMA Staff in March 15 | IBMA Offers Extremely Attractive

Liability Insurance Plan to Members 15 | Is your Membership Current?

Balloting for IBMA Awards begins in May 24 | Record Labels & Artists: Is Your Album Eligible for This Year’s IBMA Awards?

25 | IBMA Announces Songwriter Showcase, Deadline to Apply: May 1, 2013

Departments 14 | New IBMA Members 16 | Bluegrass Music Industry News 20 | Heard ‘Round the World 26 | Fresh Sounds in the World of Bluegrass

IBMA Staff Nancy Cardwell Executive Director Jill Crabtree Member/Convention Services Director Katherine Coe Administrative/Media Assistant IB | International Bluegrass Editor: Nancy Cardwell nancyc@ibma.org Designer: Katherine Coe katherine@ibma.org INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS (ISSN #1095-0605) IBMA: Working together for high standards of professionalism, a greater appreciation for our music, and the success of the worldwide bluegrass community.

The monthly emailed publication of the International Bluegrass Music Association; 608 W. Iris Drive; Nashville, TN 37204; USA; Phone: 615-256-3222, 888-GET-IBMA; FAX: 615-256-0450; E-mail: nancyc@ibma.org; Website: www.ibma.org Statements of fact and opinion are made on the responsibility of the writers alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers, directors, staff or members of IBMA. Portions of International Bluegrass may be reprinted provided that explicit citation of the source is made: “Reprinted with permission from International Bluegrass, the publication of the International Bluegrass Music Association, www.ibma.org.”

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God Didn’t Choose Sides Brings True Civil War Stories to Life with Music

by Derek Halsey Interest in the Civil War, the most deadly time in American history, ebbs and flows as the years go by. As 2013 began, however, the movie Lincoln became a hit around the world, focusing new attention on the War Between the States.

In February, Rural Rhythm Records introduced the first of a new series of Civil Warthemed albums called God Didn’t Choose Sides. While the timing of the release may seem opportunistic, this impressive project was three years in the making.

What is special about the God Didn’t Choose Sides album is that it is not a rehash of Civil War-era songs, or even a collection of tunes that were popular back in the 1860s. Instead, it features an all-star cast of bluegrass

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musicians performing newly-penned compositions based on true, well-researched stories from that horrible conflict. The songs reflect all sides of the War; some are about those who fought for the South, some about those who fought for the North, about slaves who fought for freedom, and about unusual characters who left their mark on the era.

The idea behind “God Didn’t Choose Sides” came from Sam Passamano II, president of Rural Rhythm Records. A Civil War history buff, Passamano freely admits that this album quickly took on a life of its own. As the venture unfolded, great new songs written by inspired songwriters appeared, and equally inspired performances by the bluegrass community flowed out during the recording process.

“When I decided to actually take a stab at putting a Civil War project together, music-

wise, I was really open about it,” says Passamano. “I thought, you know, there have been so many movies and books and records done on the generals, the politics and the war, we need to come up with something really unique and different. So, one thing led to another, and I started calling a lot of the songwriters that I thought could help and contribute to the project. I started getting songs (sent to me), and one song in particular came my way from Paula Breedlove and Brad Davis, and that was ‘The Legend of Jennie Wade.’ It immediately clicked, ‘Ok. Why don’t we do a real album of true stories about real people?’ That is a different twist, and I think it is a lot more compelling.”

“The Legend of Jennie Wade,” wonderfully performed on the album by the Lonesome River Band, is about a resident of Gettysburg, PA, who was the beau of a Union soldier named Jack Skelly. Skelly was wounded in the Battle of Winchester (VA) and while in the field hospital, he came across an old friend of his, Wesley Culp, who was fighting for the South. Skelly wrote a letter to Wade and asked Culp to deliver it.

But, weeks later, Culp lost his life at Gettysburg and his body was never identified. Wade never learned of the letter, and she never knew what happened to her love Skelly. As she baked some bread for the troops during the fight, with Culp and the letter living out their fate somewhere nearby, a bullet found its way through her doorway and she became the only civilian to die at the Battle of Gettysburg.

With an array of similarly intriguing songs collected, the task of matching them with the right musicians and singers was given to the album’s producer, Steve Gulley.

“To put it bluntly, this took about two and a half years of my life to put all of this together and to make this record,” says Gulley.

“Between me and Sam, we really took the

time to make a wish-list of people that we wanted on the record, and then find songs that fit those people.”

This project became special to Gulley for a lot of reasons.

“I was a History Major in college and I’ve been a big Civil War buff and it was right in my wheel house,” says Gulley. “I live in Cumberland Gap, TN, where I was born and raised, and I live here next to the National Park. Nearby Kentucky was a border state, and Virginia and Tennessee were Confederate states. Yet, there were pockets of Union resistance all up and down through here. So, there are a lot of old stories about people who would go up to a door in a Confederate uniform, thinking everything was cool, and somebody would meet them with a shotgun and kill them. And, that may be your relative.

“It was a crazy time,” continues Gulley.

“From a writing standpoint and a musical standpoint, there are so many little stories that get lost in the shuffle. That is one of the main reasons that we made this record, to let people know about real people who lived day-to-day, not knowing if somebody was going to come home or not. And, not knowing who they were going to face, if it was going to be a neighbor or relative on the other side. Six hundred and thirty thousand Americans lost their lives in that war. It is staggering.”

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The lead singers that bring these songs to life include Gulley, Brandon Rickman, Russell Moore, Dale Ann Bradley, Tim Stafford, Ronnie Bowman, Rickey Wasson, Dwight McCall, Bradley Walker, Brad Gulley, Carrie Hassler, Marty Raybon, Don Gulley, Vic Graves and the standout newcomer Dave Adkins. The backup musicians are a “Who’s Who” of bluegrass session talent.

The songwriters include Gulley, Stafford, Davis, Terry Foust, Ray Edwards and Mike Evans. Writing or co-writing 10 of the13songs on the album are Paula Breedlove and Mark ‘Brink’ Brinkman.

One memorable song co-written by Breedlove and Brinkman is “Old John Burns,” a true story about a feisty old timer in his 70s who snuck his way onto the Gettysburg battlefield, ready to fight for the Union side.

“I really like ‘Old John Burns’ because I think he was just an old coot,” says Brinkman, laughing. “His whole personality was, ’I’ve got my gun. Here’s my bullets. Let me at it. I can still shoot.’ That type of thing. I like the fact that when he was shot, and of course he had his civilian clothes on, he

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told some Confederate soldiers that he was just trying to get home to his wife. He was actually brought to safety by some Confederate soldiers after getting shot by them. He made up a story, with the irony of it being he was shooting at Confederate soldiers, then he got shot, and then he was saved by Confederate soldiers.”

There is a common theme that surfaces when talking to the creatives that put together the God Didn’t Choose Sides album, and that is they believe this collaborative venture is special, and will stand the test of time.

“I’ve been writing songs for 33 years and I believe that when I am dead and gone, this is the project that I want to be remembered by,” says Breedlove. “They took each song and matched it to an artist and every one of them is a perfect fit. It is like it was just meant to be.

The other writers and I are thrilled with the results. We’re really thrilled with the feedback we’re getting about it. We’ve heard people making statements about the album that are so complimentary. I’m just amazed and so happy that it’s doing so well. And, if anybody wants to read about the stories in the songs and get more information, the album has its own website at goddidntchoosesides.com.”

t trend Help us start a trend on Twitter March 1 when tickets and registration go on sale.

Tell the world that you’re coming to Raleigh September 24-28, 2013 for IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, and use these hashtags:

If you love bluegrass music, you’re a member of the Bluegrass Nation!

Click here to set up your free profile, and start sharing your favorite videos, songs, photos and articles about all things bluegrass.

#ibma #wob2013 #bluegrass

www.BluegrassNation.org

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World of Bluegrass Ticket Sales,

Registration & Hotel Registration Kick off March 1 Register before Securing Hotel Rooms

Register at ibma.org or by calling 1-888-GET-IBMA, and then make your hotel reservations!

Registration for IBMA’s World of Bluegrass Events and hotel reservations will open March 1, 2013, for bluegrass music’s annual industry gathering and family reunion in Raleigh, North Carolina. The five-day event will feature the best in bluegrass networking, showcasing and professional development, with lower prices across the board for all tickets and hotel rates.

Please call 1-888-GET-IBMA or go to www.ibma.org to purchase World of Bluegrass Registration, IBMA Awards tickets and Wide Open Bluegrass weekend festival passes and Showcase Passes—and then call or go online to make reservations in our hotel block with discounted rates. We’ll be starting with four-night minimum stays at The Sheraton Raleigh Hotel and the Raleigh Marriott City Center.

The business conference part of World of Bluegrass will feature new tracks for music presenters, emerging bands and youth, along with expanded showcase opportunities and a pro-active effort to reach out to new attendees in the roots music community, as well as local bluegrass fans in the Carolina region.

The festival Friday and Saturday, Sept. 27-28 will be called “Wide Open Bluegrass” this year.

Attendees will hear bands that play full throttle, “wide open,” driving, traditional bluegrass alongside edgy bands that draw from old-time string band, progressive, classical and jamgrass influences.

The entire community in Raleigh is eagerly awaiting World of Bluegrass, and plans are in the works already for banners in the street, fireworks, a North Carolina Pork Barbecue Championship, a public street fair surrounding IBMA weekend events, presentations at local schools, youth events, transportation options, music in local clubs and cafes, nearby camping… and more.

World of Bluegrass 2013 will take place at the Greater Raleigh Convention Center, the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, and the Red Hat Amphitheater—all within easy walking distance. Evening Showcases will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center and at several venues in town (just blocks away, or a five-minute ride on the “R-Line” bus).

Call to reserve your place at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass 2013, today!

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World of Bluegrass Hotel Reservations Open March 1 Once you’ve registered to attend World of Bluegrass at www.ibma.org or by calling 888-GET-IBMA, you’re going to need a hotel room! IBMA, in conjunction with the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, has put together a list of comfortable accommodations with an affordable price range for you to choose from.

The two host hotels, the Raleigh Marriott City Center and the Sheraton Raleigh Hotel, are connected to the main IBMA event venues. Additional overflow hotels are close by—accessible by car or with a short ride on Raleigh’s free “R-Line” bus system.

Host Hotels

Raleigh Marriott City Center

Sheraton Raleigh Hotel

The Raleigh Marriott City Center boasts 400 sleeping rooms, including 20 suites. It also features the award-winning Posta Tuscan Grille, a Starbucks® coffee shop, retail space and a pool. Approximately 900 parking spaces are just below the Raleigh Marriott City Center, with an enclosed connector to the Raleigh Convention Center. IBMA discount rates are available Sept. 22-29, 2013, and the cut-off date for making reservations is Aug. 20, 2013.

The Sheraton Raleigh, located one block from the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts and across the street from the Raleigh Convention Center, offers 353 guest rooms.

The hotel is within distance of several restaurants and nightlife venues, and also the State Capitol. Rates are available Sept. 21-30, 2013, and the cut-off date for making reservations is August 22, 2013.

Distance to Raleigh Convention Center: Connected

Distance to Raleigh Convention Center: Across the street

To make your reservation online: IBMA - Jamming & Non Jamming Rooms Standard $139.00 per night

To make your reservation online: IBMA - Jamming & Non Jamming Rooms Standard $139.00 per night

500 Fayetteville Street 919.833.1120 or 866.260.1270

421 S. Salisbury Street 919.834.9900 or 800.325.3535

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Clarion Hotel State Capital 320 Hillsborough Street 919.832.0501 or 800.4CHOICE

Located in the heart of Downtown, and only minutes away from the Raleigh Convention Center, NCSU Campus, and Glenwood South Entertainment District, the Clarion offers 202 guest rooms, the Top of the Tower Restaurant and Lounge for visiting or jamming, complimentary on site covered parking, complimentary internet access, a 24 hour business center, and exercise room. The hotel will be newly renovated and open as a new Holiday Inn by IBMA 2013.

Doubletree by Hilton Raleigh Brownstone-University 1707 Hillsborough Street 919.828.0811 or 800.331.7919

Distance to the Raleigh Convention Center: 0.8 miles. Complimentary R Line Shuttle service available (R Line stop is across the street from the hotel).

Situated in the heart of the Cameron Village shopping area only a short walk from over 60 retail stores, restaurants and entertainment venues, the DoubleTree hotel enjoys suburban ambiance within a mile of downtown Raleigh, NC and the Convention Center. New guest rooms and suites offer complimentary internet access, and the lobby has an atrium fireplace, lounge seating and a multipurpose library – all great spaces for jamming! There’s also wireless HSIA in hotel public areas, a 24-hour Fitness Center, access to the YMCA (with swimming pool) next door, the Harvest Grille restaurant, and in-room dining. On-site parking is complimentary.

To make your reservation online: IBMA Room Block, $85.00 per night

Distance to the Raleigh Convention Center: 2.8 miles

Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh/Downtown

600 Glenwood Avenue 919.719.0619 or 800.HAMPTON Just opened in January 2013, the Hampton Inn & Suites Raleigh Downtown hotel is located in the well-known Glenwood South District of downtown Raleigh, full of fabulous restaurants & nightlife. Free high-speed internet access, and guests are invited to start the day with Hampton’s free hot breakfast.

Self parking is across the street at a cost of $6/day.

To make your reservation online: IBMA Room Block, $154.00 per night

Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown 3415 Wake Forest Road 919.872.2323 or 800.HILTON

Distance to the Raleigh Convention Center: 1.5 miles. Complimentary R Line shuttle service is available. The R Line stop is one block from the hotel.

The Hilton North Raleigh/Midtown hotel is located just minutes from Downtown Raleigh, North Hills Shopping Mall and is only 10-15 minutes to the Raleigh Convention Center.

Enjoy the complimentary airport shuttle service to and from the airport and North Hills Shopping center. IBMA visitors will find breakfast or Starbucks® coffee at Lofton’s Corner, or unwind with friends in the casual restaurant, Skybox Grill & Bar, which serves lunch and dinner. Guest rooms offer internet access, and complimentary parking is on-site.

To make your reservation online: IBMA Room Block, $139.00 per night

Distance to the Raleigh Convention Center: 4.7 miles To make your reservation online: IBMA Room Block, $101.00 per night

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Holiday Inn Express Raleigh Southwest – NC State Hotel 3741 Thistledown Drive 919.854.0001 or 800.465.4329

Located just off I-40 at exit 295 and 15 minutes from the Raleigh Convention Center, amenities at the Holiday Inn Express Raleigh SW include an indoor swimming pool, whirlpool and fitness center. IBMA guests will enjoy the comfortable public spaces and outdoor areas for jamming as well as the sausage, bacon, eggs and our signature cinnamon rolls at the complimentary Express Start Breakfast.

Distance to the Raleigh Convention Center: 5.2 miles To make your reservation online: IBMA Room Block, $89.98 per night

Red Roof Inn Raleigh Convention Center NCSU 1813 S. Saunders Street 919.833.6005 or 800.874.9000

The Red Roof Inn is located two miles from the Raleigh Convention Center just off I-40. When IBMA arrives in September, the hotel will have completed a complete renovation. Parking is plentiful, on site and complimentary.

Distance to the Raleigh Convention Center: 2.2 miles To make your reservation online: IBMA Room Block, $73.49 per night

www.worldofbluegrass.org

Travel by Air Raleigh-Durham (RDU) International Airport, located about 15 miles from downtown Raleigh, serves Raleigh and the Research Triangle Region of North Carolina.

RDU currently offers more than 370 daily arrivals and departures on eight major airlines and nineteen regional carriers, with 40 other airports connected by 180 non-stop daily flights.

Arriving passengers find a variety of transportation options, ranging from SuperShuttle to airport taxis to rental cars to buses and other transportation services.

Raleigh-Durham (RDU) International Airport 2400 John Brantley Blvd., I-40 Exit 284, Morrisville 27560; 919.840.2123; www.rdu.com

Getting Around Raleigh One of the highlight attractions to Raleigh is the ease of getting to and around this great city!

While you are there - many attendees will be able to see all that downtown has to offer and never move their car by riding the FREE downtown circulator called the R-Line.

An eco-friendly approach to urban transportation. This FREE circulator service features hybrid electric buses that will connect you to restaurants, retail, entertainment venues, museums, hotels, and parking facilities in downtown Raleigh. Buses run every 10-15 minutes, so you can make all the attractions AND bluegrass action around town.

Click for more...

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wfor Fun and Profit:

How to Monetize Your YouTube Channel

by Erin Faith Humann The year 2005 marked several important world events. The Vatican lost a beloved Pope (John Paul II), Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire was released on film, and three former PayPal workers launched their interactive video-sharing website called YouTube.

Since its immediate boom in popularity and revenue, YouTube has started to share the monetary love. In 2012, YouTube announced that anyone could start making money on their uploads, given that the users haven’t violated any of the guidelines for monetization. Prior to 2012, only a select few were allowed to monetize their videos on an invitation and application basis. Still, even with those select few, word spread quickly that with the right amount of talent and fan base, one could give up their day job for a career on YouTube.

YouTube celebrity Michael Buckley of the “What The Buck” show began his career in 2006 early on in the YouTube history line. Buckley operates a celebrity gossip, news and entertainment YouTube channel that reportedly brings in over $100,000 a year.

Jenna Mourey (aka Jenna Marbles) operates a self-named channel that went viral after the release of her video “How To Trick People into Thinking You’re Good Looking.” While hilarious, she is a little carefree with her vocabulary—you were warned. Jenna is doing something right though, as her 49.3 million hits on this video alone was just the start for her online career.

Several reports have been published on how to make money on YouTube, making note of dollar amounts per view. Since YouTube has partnered with Google AdSense, to actually get paid for your monetized videos your channel has to reach an initial threshold. That being said, you may not see immediate payouts large enough to run across town and hand in your notice. The loose estimation is $2 per 1000 views. That may not seem like a lot, but when you decide to make a career out of the internet, it takes time and patience. Remember “Too Good to Be True” offers are usually just that.

In all the commentary from YouTube celebrity interviews there is a common theme: patience, subscriptions and views. Michael Buckley is known to say that no matter how frustrated you may get with “fans,” remember that “they’re strangers. They are Strangers.” It makes it less personal when you realize there are a LOT of bitter YouTubers out there who just love to spread negativity on your website. Remember that for all those “haters,” there’s a wealth of positive viewers who may benefit from what you have to offer.

To really earn money on YouTube, you as a user need to develop a weekly routine. Channels that see the most income often only do one upload a week, BUT it’s consistent. After you’ve built up a fan base, the subscribers actually look forward to upload day. Jenna Marbles, for example, holds over 7 million subscribers and her channel has over 989 million views. Without taking the complexity of AdSense into account, one could estimate by using the $2/1000 views formula Jenna has earned nearly $2 Million since 2010.

So how does that apply to the entertainer or musician? Unless you’re filming your favorite feline or teaching the world how to make a cake-pop, views can be a little difficult to come by for the average band. Justin Beiber got his start on YouTube covering popular radio hits, yet for all his millions and millions of subscribers Bieber didn’t see any profit off those videos due to

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YouTube’s strict copyright guidelines. This is helpful to the musician who actually writes his or her own songs, but if you’re looking to be the next Beiber—video tape your cat instead. In 2010 YouTube released the following list of upload guidelines.

Examples of videos that could be eligible include: • You filmed your cat and there is no background music.

• Your video contains royalty-free music, and you can prove commercial rights using direct links to the song and applicable license.

• Your friend's band wrote and recorded a song for your video and states in writing that you can use and make money from it.

Your video is not eligible if it contains content that you didn't create or get permission from its creator to use. You need to be able to show written permission for the following video elements: • Audio: recorded music, live performances, cover songs, background music, etc.

• Visuals: images, logos, software, video game footage, etc.

• Any other content you don't own worldwide commercial usage rights to.

Examples of videos that are NOT eligible: • Your video contains a song you purchased for personal use (e.g., bought on iTunes or in a store), but you didn't obtain a commercial license.

• You found a video on the Internet and you cannot prove that it's in public domain.

• You are only singing words of your favorite copyrighted song.

• You have used content from someone else with permission, but you haven't yet received a copyright notice on your video.

• You edit together or "mash-up" other works.

• You only use 30 seconds of a song or video clip.

• Your video does not provide proper attribution or credits as required by a license.

If you think you still have a product that can make money on YouTube, congratulations!

Creativity is a waning art and you should be heard. Here are some tips gathered from celebrity interviews and YouTube partners: • Marketing your channel: Don’t slow down because you never have enough subscribers.

Always make the same effort.

• Form close relationships with other YouTube personalities and users. Engage with other members of the online community. It’s a “small world” and networking will go far in the YouTube community.

• Don’t try to please the masses; make videos that you enjoy.

• If you have YouTube contacts, try to use them as mentors in some way. Try to team up with high end Rewards Program partners and collaborate.

It’s entirely possible to make a living on YouTube, but one shouldn’t confuse the possible for the practical. If you have a product, a band or a creative insight, experiment with a camera and practice saying what you think YouTube should hear. Remember your first video will probably be terrible, so watch it again, edit, watch it again, edit, etc. Remember to respect the YouTube community guidelines as well as their copyright guidelines. Avoid rudeness to other users and always remember the old adage that “Practice makes perfect.” It’s just like learning an instrument. Your uploads will get better every time and hopefully you will see some financial perks as well.

For more info: www.tinyurl.com/axha2vl

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Taylor Coughlin to Join IBMA Staff in March IBMA is pleased to announce that Taylor Coughlin will join the IBMA Staff as Publications Editor/Special Projects Director March 7.

Taylor is a proud Colorado native, with a background in entertainment journalism, digital media, and content management. Taylor graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2011 with a degree in Broadcast News and a minor in German. Her career started as an online content producer for the NBC affiliate’s entertainment website, Metromix, in Denver.

Taylor then moved on to become a content manager for Examiner.com, and not long after moved to Nashville to pursue her dreams of working in “the biz.” Now as part of the IBMA team, she says she is finally living the dream.

Bluegrass was always the perfect soundtrack for growing up in the mountains, which is a big part of why Taylor says she feels so strongly about bluegrass music. Growing up, her voice teacher was in a bluegrass band and she always had fondness for the banjo. When Taylor began to actively explore different genres of music, she said, “bluegrass always stood out as something special, because it truly is. In today’s busied world of over-production in music, she believes the roots and traditions of bluegrass music to be refreshing, timeless, and important” “We’re thrilled to welcome Taylor to the IBMA team,” said Executive Director Nancy Cardwell.

“In addition to her talents as a journalist and her bluegrass background, she has the IT and project management skills we needed. We’re looking forward to bringing a fresh voice to IBMA communications, as well as collaborating with another new staff person who will challenge us creatively and bring some new expertise to the table.” Taylor will be managing content and the overall direction of BluegrassNation.org, as well as editing IB, overseeing professional development with webinars and World of Bluegrass sessions, and acting as staff liaison with several IBMA committees.

Taylor is a dedicated runner and says she thrives on activity, sunshine, and live music. She keeps a blog on running and music. She says she considers herself blessed to join the IBMA team.

New IBMA Members Ronald Ackerman, Jim Brock, Phyllis Buffaloe, Bruce Day, Richard Foley, David Henderson, Tony Kamel, Tyson Laney, Sherry Meyers, Steve Nowell, Larry Smith, Nicole Taylor, Nika Taylor, Natalie Taylor

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IBMA Offers Extremely Attractive Liability Insurance Plan to Members Festival season is upon us, which means it’s time for event producers to start thinking about insurance for their upcoming events. Did you know that your IBMA membership gives you access to an amazing Event Liability Insurance program? The program is offered through SteelBridge Insurance Services and was specifically designed have affordable premiums along with broad coverage and many coverage options.

The basic coverage provided in the program is General Liability. Simply put, General Liability Insurance provides coverage for circumstances where the festival or event (including owners, employees, volunteers, etc.) are legally responsible for injury to someone and/or damage to someone’s property. For example if temporary fencing blows over and dents an attendees car or injures the attendee, the festival producer would most likely be held responsible for those damages and their General Liability policy would likely pay for the property damage or injury.

The program also provides coverages that are often excluded from other event liability policies.

These include Medical Expense which provides coverage for medical expenses associated with minor injuries to volunteers or spectators and Non-owned Auto Liability, which provides excess auto liability (above and beyond the coverage on the actual vehicle) for accidents associated with vehicles you don’t own but are used on behalf of the event. Other important additions to the program are coverage for Collapse of Temporary Structures and expanded coverage for Liquor Liability.

Various coverage limits and options are available to meet the needs of your event. The program has a simple online application process and you receive your insurance documents within 24 hours of making payment. Additional coverages event producers might want to purchase are Weather Insurance, Event Cancellation coverage or coverage for Leased & Rented Equipment.

For more information visit www.steelbridgeins.com/IBMA or call SteelBridge at 888-647-4777, and they will be happy to answer any questions you have about the program or insurance in general. You can also visit the SteelBridge Blog at www.steelbridgeins.com/blog-0 for detailed insurance information and risk management tips.

Is your Membership Current?

Balloting for IBMA Awards begins in May Be sure your professional membership is current, in order to participate in the voting process for IBMA Awards and help us recognize some of the genre’s best efforts for the year.

Please make a note of the following dates: 1st Ballot – International and paper ballots mail May 1, 2013 1st Ballot (Electronic) – Opens May 14 at 8 a.m. Central. Closes June 10 at 5 p.m.

2nd Ballot – Opens & mails July 9 at 8 a.m. Ballot closes July 31 at 5 p.m.

Press Conference Date – August 14, 2013 at Music City Roots in Nashville, TN 3rd Ballot – Opens & mails August 15 at 8 a.m. Ballot closes Sept. 9 at 5 p.m.

Recipients will be announced Sept. 26, 2013, at the International Bluegrass Music Awards, hosted at the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, NC. International Bluegrass 15

Bluegrass Music Industry News March 2013

Agents, Managers, PR Ralph Stanley has signed with Moonstruck Management for management and booking.

Headed by Josh Trivett and Peter Keiser, Moonstruck has a client roster that also includes Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Lonesome River Band, Bobby Osborne & the Rocky Top X-Press and the Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, among others. www.moonstruckmanagement.com Industry and publicity executive Dixie Owen launched All the BUZZ LLC, a Nashvillebased entertainment agency specializing in public/ media relations and event management in February. http://www.AllTheBuzzLLC.com The Darrell Web Band has signed with Rock House Entertainment for publicity and The Graham Talent Group for management and booking. Check out Darrel’s new video, “Pistol and the Pen”— a commentary on suicide—at www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGn65GvxNv4

Artists & Composers Congratulations to the following artists whose music is topping charts at press time.

The Grass Cats “The Mountains, My Baby and Me” written by Russell Johnson & Rick Lafleur Bluegrass Unlimited National Bluegrass Survey and also the monthly BluegrassToday.com chart Balsam Range Papertown, Mountain Home Bluegrass Unlimited Top 15 Bluegrass Albums Chart

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Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out Timeless Hits from the Past: Bluegrassed Cracker Barrel Billboard Bluegrass Album Chart Bluegrass Hall of Famer Doyle Lawson and his band Quicksilver are offering pre-orders of their new album, Roads Well Traveled, on their website at www.doylelawson.com. The album will be released in March.

Nancy Watson, daughter of Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Doc Watson, is releasing a 4-CD set of stories and songs called Milestones: Legends of the Doc Watson Clan on April 30. “I’m so happy that my project is finally seeing the light of day,” Nancy Watson said. “I’m looking forward to inviting everyone to be part of the family for a bit.”

Info: Erin Morris, Morris Public Relations, erin@morrispr.biz Byron Berline, Tommy Jackson, Curly Lewis and Benny Thomasson were inducted into the National Fiddlers Hall of Fame in Tulsa Feb. 6. The organization has been in existence since 2008, and their mission statement is “to honor individuals for their contributions to fiddling, to preserve, educate and promote the art of fiddling and its historical and social significance.” www.nationalfiddlerhalloffame.org Barry Crabtree has joined The James King Band on banjo. www.thejameskingband.com Congratulations to The SteelDrivers! Their new album on Rounder Records debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass chart in February.

The Grascals performed Feb. 28 in Camden, TN at an event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the plane crash that killed Patsy Cline, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Cowboy Copas and Randy Hughes. They were joined by Bill Anderson, Jean Shepard,

Mandy Barnett and The American Three.

The Grascals appeared on the Feb. 27 episode of Marie, the television show hosted

by Marie Osmond on the Hallmark Channel.

If you missed it, you can view the video here: www.hallmarkchannel.com Flatt Lonesome has released their selftitled debut album on Pisgah Ridge Records, a division of Mountain Home Records. Winner of the 2012 SPBGMA Band Championship, Flatt Lonesome features siblings Kelsi, Charli and Buddy Robertson along with Paul Harrigill (Kelsi’s husband) and friends Dominic Illingworth and Michael Stockton. FlattLonesome.com Becky Buller is the new fiddler with Darin and Brooke Aldridge. www.darinandbrookealdridge.com Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers welcome guitarist Duane Sparks to their group. They will perform at a benefit concert for the Centerville Alternative Strings Program in Centerville, OH March 9.

Info: 937-439-3500, ext. 3619. www.radioramblers.com The WBT Briarhoppers have a new video at www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFYScqadMTI An album release concert for God Didn’t Choose Sides: Civil War True Stories about Real People (Rural Rhythm) was held Feb. 22 at the Sam & Sue Mars Performing Arts Center of the Duke Hall of Citizenship at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, TN. LMU and the Abraham Lincoln Library and Museum were also involved as sponsors. The concert featured Steve Gulley, Dale Ann Bradley, Marty Raybon, Carrie Hassler, Brad Gulley, Tim Stafford, Dave Adkins and the Gap Creek Quartet, backed by Sierra Hull, Jason Burleson, Brandon Godman, Phil Leadbetter, Bryan Turner and Debbie Gulley, with Mark “Brink” Brinkman providing a songwriter segment.

The Lonesome River Band is currently touring in California and Arizona. They are also profiled in the first issue of the new music magazine, LargoUmbra.

Award-winning mandolinists Alan Bibey and Wayne Benson have released a new album of mostly instrumental music called The Mandolin Chronicles, to be released March 12. Alan and Wayne wrote six of the tunes.

Their pal Russell Moore sings lead on the single vocal, “Another Night.” www.pinecastlemusic.com Thanks to IBMA member Betty Wheeler, for posting photos from the Mike Auldridge tribute concert at the Birchmere in D.C. February 19 at www.tinyurl.com/bssrgfu.

Kathy Mattea has a new video from her latest Sugar Hill release, Calling Me Home. www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr3I2Tj8ZFI The Austin-based band, Wood & Wire released their self-titled debut album Feb. 5.

The band features Tony Kamel on guitar, Matt Slusher on mandolin, Dom Fisher on bass, and Trevor Smith on banjo. www.woodandwireband.com Actor/entertainer Randall Franks made a special cameo appearance in the children’s adventure, “The Solomon Bunch,” released Feb. 5 to DVD and digital download. Randy plays Edgar Albert, a musical savant who plays the fiddle. www.randallfranks.com Congratulations to Monroe Crossing, who played Carnegie Hall in New York City Feb. 18, performing Carol Barnett’s “The World Beloved: A Bluegrass Mass” with a 250-voice chorus. www.dcinv.org James Reames & the Barnstormers will be touring in California in March, playing the 21st Annual Redwood Bluegrass Associates Concert Series March 9 in Mountain View, CA. they will perform March 10 in Sebastopol, CA at the Sonomoa County Bluegrass and Folk Festival. www.jamesreams.com International Bluegrass 17

Fiddler player and singer-songwriter Laura Cortese, known for her work with Uncle Earl, Pete Seeger, Band of Horses and more, will debut her new album in April.

Brittany Haas, Natalie Hass, Hanneke Cassel, Mariel Vandersteel and Valerie Thompson back her up. www.thisislauracortese.com Si Kahn has a new CD coming out titled Aragon Mill: The Bluegrass Sessions. He recorded it last May in Germany with the German bluegrass band, The Looping Brothers. www.sikahn.com

Association News Dan Daniel is the new president of SEBA, the Southeastern Bluegrass Association.

New board members for the Bluegrass Music Association of Maine include Kathy Scott, Richard Bicknell, Beth Revels, Bill Umbel, Robert Stackhouse, Jim Chard, Gene Rumery, Glenn Bowman (chair), Patti Smith (treasurer), Margaret Riggin (secretary), George Scott (VP) and Deb Burdin (President). Info: www.mainbluegrass.org The Appalachian Cultural Music Association announces a new musical gathering for bluegrass, old time and Americana musicians and fans to be held at the Wytheville Meeting Center April 12-13, The purpose of the “ACMA Blue Ridge Acoustic Uprising” is to provide an avenue for the new group to celebrate, promote and recognize bluegrass, old time, gospel, classic country and Appalachian style music through an annual gathering in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountain region. www.acousticuprising.com

Broadcasters “A Prairie Home Companion” with Garrison Keillor focused on the banjo for their Feb. 23 show, broadcast live from the stage of the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul,

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MN. Noam Pikelny, Joe Newberry, Suzy Bogguss, Bill C. Malone and Bill Evans were featured—with Noam, Joe and Bill on the five(s). www.prairiehome.puclicradio.org.

Check out video from the show at this link:

prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/2013/02/23

Event Producer News IBMM will feature the following artists onstage at ROMP June 27-29: Merle Haggard, David Grisman Sextet, Del McCoury Band, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver, Sam Bush Band, Punch Brothers, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Leftover Salmon, The Deadly Gentlemen, The SteelDrivers, Della Mae, G2, Town Mountain, The Spinney Brothers and many more! www.rompfest.com Club Passim in Cambridge, MA will hold their first bluegrass festival the weekend of April 13-14. Featuring short sets by emerging and established bluegrass artists and bands, workshops, a headliner or two, and a film screening, the event will draw heavily on local talent in the thriving Boston stringband scene. www.passim.org The 26th Old Settler’s Music Festival in Austin, TX will feature Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Della Mae, Jerry Douglas, Peter Rowan’s Twang an’ Groove, MilkDrive, Leftover Salmon and many more on April 18-21.

Silver Dollar City has announced the line-up for their May 9-27 Bluegrass & Barbecue Festival in Branson, Mo. Headliners include The Grascals, The Gibson Brothers, Blue Highway, Doyle Lawson, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, The Kruger Brothers, Rhonda Vincent and more. www.silverdollarcity.com Going to MerleFest April 25-28 in Wilkesboro, NC? The line-up includes The Avett Brothers, Sam Bush, Chatham County Line, The Charlie Daniels Band, Jerry Douglas, The Kickin Grass Band, The Kruger Brothers, Jim Lauderdale, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Quebe Sisters Band, Red Molly,

the Peter Rowan Band, the Snyder Family Band, Rhonda Vincent & the Rage, Pete & Joan Wernick and more. www.merlefest.org Song of the Mountains in Marian, VA will feature the talents of The Kruger Brothers, Nathan Stanley, Mark Newton & Steve Thomas, and Paula Dellenback & West Wind on March 2. On April 6 The Grascals, the Easter Brothers, Whitetop Mountain Band, and Jonathan Buckner & Chosen Road will appear. songofthemountains.org The 23rd Annual Bluegrass Music Festival presented by the Thousand Islands Bluegrass Preservation Society in Lafargeville, NY will take place June 7-8.

Bill Knowlton will be the master of ceremonies, and the line-up will include Remington Ryde, The Grass Cats, Spare Change, Blue Country, Al & Kathy Bain, Louis Setzer & the Appalachian Mountain Boys, the Foggy River Band and more. www.thousandislandsbluegrass.com The line-up for Lil John’s Mountain Music Festival has been announced, for the May 23-25 event in Snow Camp, NC: Dailey & Vincent, Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out, Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper, James King Band, Marty Raybon & Full Circle, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, Little Roy & Lizzy, Ronnie Reno & the Reno Tradition, Darrell Webb Band and more. www.littlejohnsmountainmusic.com Bluegrass on the Plains will be held May 29-June 2 in Auburn, AL. Headliners include The Isaacs, Rhonda Vincent, Dailey & Vincent, Balsam Range, Little Roy & Lizzy and more. www.bluegrassontheplains.com Congratulations to our friends at Bluegrass Underground at Cumberland Caverns (McMinnville, TN), who won an Emmy Award for Lighting design at the 27th Annual Mid South Emmy Awards in Nashville in January. www.bluegrassunderground.com

Luthiers & Merchandisers Oasis Disc Manufacturing produces Zero Carbon Digipaks, CD packages made from 100% recycled water bottles.

Info: www.OasisCD.com

Over Jordan (sources: Bluegrass

Unlimited, Oregon Bluegrass Association) Old-time square dance caller, mentor and beloved musician Bill Martin died Sept. 7 in Portland, Oregon after a long battle with multiple myeloma. In the late 1990s and early 2000s Martin endeared himself to local musicians by hiring them to play his square dances. In 1999 Martin (also known as King Bubba) co-founded the Portland Old-Time Music Gathering, still an annual January.

Martin is credited with laying the foundation for Portland to become a haven for a significant old-time music and dance revival. While undergoing treatment at The Hopewell House in Portland, Martin hosted “Bubbafest,” drawing 70 musicians and dancers to the facility.

Info: www.bubbaguiar.com Robert Schacht, 69, a founding member of the Colorado band Front Range, passed away Dec. 20 in Flagstaff. Bob grew up in a musical family in Wisconsin, and he enjoyed playing bass and singing tenor with church groups. After moving to Hawaii, he helped form the non-profit organization Bluegrass Hawaii.

John Shuffler, 81, younger brother of George, passed away Dec. 21 in Morganton, NC. John and George Shuffler brought a unique style of walking bass to bluegrass music. John learned to play at age 12, working in George’s band. In 1951 he joined the Stanley Brothers for a few months, and when he left to serve in the military George took his place. He rejoined the Stanleys in1953, recording four songs for the Mercury label: “A Voice from on High,” “Dickenson County Breakdown,” “Poison Lies,” and “I Long to

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See the Old Folks.” John played weekends for 10 years with L.W. Lambert’s band near Statesville, and he also worked with Jim Shumate. In the late ‘80s he formed his own band and he recorded on Steve Kilby’s CD, Plain & Fancy in 2000.

Dreadnoughts Unlimited is accepting applications for scholarships to Steve Kaufman Acoustic Kamps this summer in Maryville, TN. Request an application from Harry Moore at harrymoore8@gmail.com or dreadnoughtsunlimited@gmail.com.

Print, Media & Education

Record Labels & Publishers

Pete “Dr. Banjo” Wernick and Joan Wernick will host their first Europe Jam Camp in Prague, Czech Republic on March 22-24. More jam camps will be hosted this year in Boulder, at MerleFest, at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival, and at the Lighthouse Bluegrass Festival in BC, Canada. Pete also reports that Hot Rize will play some reunion shows this summer at the Gettysburg and Telluride Bluegrass Festivals, plus their first show in many years in Pete’s home town, Ithaca, NY. Hot Rize will be recording an album of new material in June. www.drbanjo.com

Mountain Fever Records announce new recordings coming soon from The Spinney Brothers, Hammertowne, Jett’s Creek, Grasstowne, The Expedition Show and The Churchmen. www.mountainfever.com

Fiddle instructor Megan Lynch has updated her website at www.fiddlestar.com.

Aspiring fiddlers should go check it out!

ArtistWorks, the leading provider of interactive online music lessons, announced record growth in 2012, more than doubled revenue and increased membership by 77% during the period.

The number of their online schools has increased from 12 to 24. Congratulations, guys! www.ArtistWorks.com Bill Burlingame, Ph.D. has created a new bluegrass calendar featuring historic photos from his personal collection. It’s titled “Bluegrass: The Early Years.”

Info: wvb5@bellsouth.net The Cowan Creek Mountain Music School, June 35-38, in Whitesburg, KY, will offer a week of lessons on banjo, fiddle, lead guitar, mandolin, mountain dulcimer, harmony singing, old time string band, and Kids on the Creek—an arts & music class for children 5-10 years old. www.cowancreekmusic.org

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The next Daughters of Bluegrass project from Good Home Grown Music, Pickin’ Like a Girl, debuted Jan. 30-Feb. 3 on Sirius-XM with Kyle Cantrell. The 4-CD set features the bluegrass talents of 133 women from across the U.S. and around the world.

Heard ‘Round the World Sources: Bluegrass Europe Magazine, Richard Hawkins of the European Bluegrass Blog

The European Bluegrass Music Association will host the 5th European Bluegrass Summit on the weekend of 15–17 March 2013. The event will take place in Prague and will be held under the auspices of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic.

The summit is open to all, professionals and non-professionals, members and nonmembers of the European or other national associations, who think they may benefit from sharing ideas and best practices with like-minded people doing similar work in other countries. This includes fans, musicians, promoters, journalists, webmasters, national association reps, and anyone else with a personal, professional, or organizational interest in bluegrass in Europe. Info: www.ebma.org More than 320,000 people have seen a movie in Belgium which features bluegrass music in its plot and soundtrack. A Broken

Circle generated a “Broken Circle Band” tour, and the movie has also been released in German in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Jussi Syren & the Groundbreakers (Finland) are featured on the cover of the current issue of Bluegrass Europe magazine.

“We’ll stay close to the mic, sing our hearts out and keep the energy and drive in our music,” Jussi promises.

Lilly Drumeva, bandleader of Bulgaria’s Lilly of the West band, has been awarded a Fulbright scholarship to pursue research in the field of bluegrass music in the United States. Drumeva will be in the States from August – November, and she will compile her studies into a book afterwards. The volume will be the first book in Bulgarian about bluegrass music.

Gifted writer and historian Richard Hawkins retired Feb. 15 from editing the Bluegrass Ireland Blog. Ray O’Brien of Waterford City has set up a “Bluegrass in Ireland” Facebook page at facebook.com/BluegrassIreland.

Richard, we appreciate your work over the years—in both print and blog formats. Ray, we’ll see you on Facebook!

Richard Hurst of the Ulster American Folk Park, Omagh, Co. Tyrone, Northern Ireland, announces that the lineup for this year's 22nd Annual Appalachian & Bluegrass Music Festival (Fri. 30 Aug.-Sun. 1 Sept. 2013) will include the Lonesome River Band, Cedar Hill, Lynda Dawson & Pattie Hopkins of Kickin’ Grass, Rawhide, The Jaywalkers, Southern Tenant Folk Union, plus Irish bands Woodbine, The Broken String Band, Northern Exposure, Tupelo, Well Enough Alone, and the Down and Out Bluegrass Band. www.nmni.com/uafp Thanks to Dagfinn Pedersen of the Norwegian Bluegrass Music Association and the EBMA board, for this news of a new CD project in Norway, being released 23 March 2013: Audun Haugeplass, former vocalist and bass player of the Holstein United

Bluegrass Boys, is releasing his first solo album, On Rocks and Earth, on the folk music record label Kyarts..

Three months ago it was announced that the Athy Bluegrass Festival, founded in 1991 and thus Ireland's oldest annual bluegrass event, would no longer be held. Tony O'Brien, organizer of the festival since 1997, announces the Athy town council has intervened to give financial support to the event.

This means that the 23rd Athy Bluegrass Festival will be held on the weekend 12-15 July 2013 in the Athy GAA Centre, Dublin Road, Athy, Co. Kildare. www.athy-bluegrass.com The members of Della Mae have made a considerable impact with their “Bluegrass on the Silk Road” tour of South and Central Asia, part of the US State Department's American Music Abroad program. Paul S. Rockower, communications director for American Voices, an associate of the program, has written an article, “American Music Abroad cultivates next generation of voices,” which appeared in the Washington Diplomat recently. He also travelled with Della Mae on the tour, and describes the opening show at the all-female Fatima Jinnah University in Islamabad, Pakistan: “Della Mae's presence on campus was akin to that of the Beatles or the Rolling Stones — students at the country's first female university were so excited to hear the female bluegrass band that they literally tore the doors off the hinges of the theater to get in on the sound check warm-up.”

“We've never played for crowds so excited and enthused to hear live music,” said Della Mae fiddler Kimber Ludiker. Read the full article here: www.tinyurl.com/ar87jjy The 14th Spring Bluegrass Festival takes place in the Swiss Agricultural Museum in Alberswil, next to Willisau, Canton Lucerne, Switzerland, on 18 May 2013. The bands appearing on two stages at the all-day event will include: Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice, Growling Old Men, Rawhide, De Stroaklinkers, Rick Harris, Field & Thompson, Sunny Mountain Grass.

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Steep Canyon Rangers Win GRAMMY Award for Best Bluegrass Album Nobody Knows You (Rounder) from The Steep Canyon Rangers was named Best Bluegrass Album at the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards, held Feb. 10 in Los Angeles.

McCoury Band and David Grisman Sextet, the Mountain Song at Sea Bluegrass cruise brings the group’s annual Mountain Song Festival to the high seas.

This is the band’s first GRAMMY win and their second nomination. They were nominated in the same category at the 2012 ceremony for their album Rare Bird Alert, a collaboration with Steve Martin.

Coming off their GRAMMY win the band will continue touring extensively, including stops at MerleFest and Telluride Bluegrass Festival. They will also be performing multiple shows with Steve Martin, joined on select dates by singer/songwriter Edie Brickell, including appearances on The Late Show with David Letterman (April 23), The View (April 24) and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (May 6).

The band’s GRAMMY win comes less than a week after they disembarked from their inaugural floating bluegrass festival, Mountain Song at Sea. Featuring performances from groups such as Punch Brothers, The Del

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Congratulations to Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Chris Thile and Yo Yo Ma, who took home GRAMMY Awards for Best Folk Album and Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical for their recording, The Goat Rodeo Sessions (Sony Classical).

Kudos also for our banjo-playing friends, the folk rock band Mumford and Sons, who claimed GRAMMYs for Album of the Year and Best Long Form Music Video for Babel (Glassnote) and “Big Easy Express.”

New Music Educator GRAMMY Award Announced SCR will begin recording their next album at Levon Helm Studios in late February with Larry Campbell producing. Campbell is a three-time GRAMMY award-winning producer and currently serves as musical director for the Levon Helm Midnight Ramble concerts. He has produced for artists such as Helm, Bob Dylan, B.B. King and Sheryl Crow, as well as toured as a multiinstrumentalist with Helm, Dylan and Buddy Miller.

The Steep Canyon Rangers are Mike Guggino (mandolin), Charles Humphrey III (bass), Woody Platt (guitar), Nicky Sanders (fiddle) and Graham Sharp (banjo). The group first formed during their college days at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Ten years later, the band has only deepened their commitment to roots music performing with fierce instrumental prowess, but also providing deeply moving songwriting and harmonies, infusing traditional bluegrass with contemporary themes and arrangements.

Neil Portnow of The Recording Academy has announced a new Grammy Award for 2014, the Music Educator Award. “This new award is an opportunity for us all to recognize that behind many performers stands a music teacher who provided the inspiration and motivation to pursue the passionate call of music,” Portnow says.

“These teachers, who are responsible for so much of the great work being done by musicians today, operate behind the scenes, sometimes against tremendous financial and political odds, to ensure that everyone who wants the opportunity to learn to play or sing or compose, gets that chance.”

Academy members are invited to go to www.grammymusicteacher.com to submit an application. The bluegrass world has a number of wonderful educators doing good work. Here’s our chance to shine the spotlight on them and our genre.

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Attention Record Labels & Artists: Is Your Album Eligible for This Year’s IBMA Awards?

All professional members of IBMA will receive the first ballot for the International Bluegrass Music Awards in late May. A reference list of recordings reported to have been released during the eligibility period for this year’s awards, will be available at www.ibmaawards.org or mailed upon request.

IBMA compiles this information for members who may not be familiar or have access to actual release dates of the recordings. Once again, we are requesting the help of record companies, artists and producer members in compiling the list.

To include a project on the reference list send the following information in writing for each recording: • Recording Title • Featured Artist/Group • Record Label • Catalog Number • Commercial Release date (month/day/year recording was first made available to consumers) To be eligible for the 2013 International Bluegrass Music Awards to be presented on September 26, 2013 in Nashville, TN, a recording project must have had its first commercial release between April 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013. Since IBMA will establish the Eligible Recordings List before the first ballots are printed and mailed, your information must be received at the IBMA office in Nashville no later than May 1, 2013.

Even if you have sent IBMA information on recordings during the past year for review in the newsletter, please supply this specific information again, since prior info may not have established an exact release date. Because this reference list will probably not contain every recorded project released during the eligibility period, IBMA members are not limited to titles on the list when making their nominations. Any necessary updates will be made to the list of eligible recordings posted on the website.

Send information before May 1, 2013 to: katherine@@ibma.org or to IBMA Awards Eligibility List, 608 Iris Drive, Nashville, TN 37204. IBMA reserves the sole and exclusive right to make eligibility determinations and may require additional information from candidates and/or their representatives in order to make such determinations.

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IBMA Songwriter Showcase Announced Deadline to Submit a Song: May 1, 2013

Have you written a new song that the bluegrass industry needs to hear? IBMA will host a Songwriter Showcase to feature the work of 10 selected songwriters during the World of Bluegrass Business Conference to be hosted in Raleigh, NC Sept. 24-28. The exact date and time of the Songwriter Showcase will be announced in a future issue of International Bluegrass and also at www.ibma.org.

The IBMA Songwriter Showcase is not a contest. Its purpose is to present new, original bluegrass songs to artists, producers and labels looking for new material, as well as to other industry reps in the audience. Both veteran and novice songwriters are invited and encouraged to submit songs. Songwriters who presented original material at past IBMA Songwriter Showcases are not prohibited from submitting a CD again for this year, but they should present a different song.

IBMA Songwriter Showcase Application Procedure: Submit a CD of one original song to: IBMA Songwriter Showcase; 608 W. Iris Drive, Nashville, TN 37204 OR email an mp3 file with lyrics in a Word document to nancyc@ibma.org.

Deadline: May 1, 2013 CDs will not be returned. It is not necessary to submit a highly produced song demo. A vocal with a guitar is fine. Please send five copies of your song lyrics if you mail a package. There is no form to fill out or application fee to submit a song for consideration, but be sure to include your contact info: name, address, telephone & email address.

Selection Criteria: Songs must be…

• Original works OR co-written by the person who submits the CD/file • Unpublished OR not previously recorded by a major bluegrass artist or a major artist from another genre.

Songs will be chosen on the basis of their…

• Representation of the bluegrass genre • Potential appeal (Are they likely to draw the interest of recording artists and to get airplay by bluegrass broadcasters?)

• Quality of work (lyrics, melody) • Entertainment value.

If you have additional questions, contact Nancy Cardwell at the IBMA office: (615) 256-3222, nancyc@ibma.org.

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Fresh Sounds in the World of Bluegrass March 2013

Flatt Lonesome Flatt Lonesome Pisgah Ridge www.crossroadsmusic.com

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Dave Adkins & Republik Steele That’s Just the Way I Roll Rural Rhythm Records www.RuralRhythm.com

Buddy Griffin & Ashley Messenger as Retro & Smiling Get Ready www.retroandsmiling.com

Darin & Brooke Aldridge Live at Red, White and Bluegrass!

Mountain Home www.crossroadsmusic.com

Carl Jackson Grace Notes Voxhall Records info@voxhallrecords.com

Alan Bibey & Wayne Benson The Mandolin Chronicles Pinecastle Records www.pinecastlemusic.com

Kathy Kallick Band Time Live Oak www.kathykallick.com

Josh Driskell Hopkins & Balsam Range Daylight www.JohnDriskellHopkins.com

Junior Sisk & Ramblers Choice The Story of the Day That I Died Rebel Records www.rebelrecords.com

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IB

International Bluegrass Vol. 28, No. 2 February 2013