IB: International Bluegrass May 2017

IB bluegrass INTERNATIONAL

Vol. 32 No. 5 May 2017

Bluegrass Chamber of Commerce:

Interview with IBMA Board Member Mike Drudge.

Also in this issue

• How Do You Get into the Hall of Fame?

• Ramble Ready

International Bluegrass Editor: Kelly Kessler kelly@ibma.org

Vol. 32 | No. 5 | May 2017

Designer: Erin Faith Erdos erinfaitherdos@gmail.com

STAFF

Paul Schiminger Executive Director

Kelly Kessler Director of Communications and Professional Development

Amy Beth Hale Director of Member Services

Eddie Huffman Director of Convention Services

BOARD EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD

Joe Mullins, Chair Ben Surratt, Vice Chair Denise Jarvinen, Treasurer Regina Derzon, Secretary Alan Tompkins, Executive Committee member

Becky Buller-Artist/Composer/Publisher Jeremy Darrow-Artist/Composer/Publisher Jamie Deering-Merchandisers/Luthiers Mike Drudge-Agents/Managers/Publicists Silvio Ferretti- International John Goad-Print Media/Education Marian Leighton Levy-Recording/ Distribution/Marketing

William Lewis-At Large Steve Martin-At Large Stephen Mougin-At Large Mike Simpson-At Large Wayne Taylor-Artists/Composers/Publishers Bree Tucker-Myers- Event Production Bob Webster-Broadcast Media

INFO CONTACT US

INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS

IB, the monthly digital publication of the International Bluegrass Music Association

(ISSN #1095-0605) IBMA: IBMA is the trade association

4206 Gallatin Road, 37216 USA 615-256-3222 | 888-GET-IBMA Fax: 615-256-0450 Email: info@ibma.org Website: www.ibma.org

that connects and educates bluegrass professionals, empowers the bluegrass community, and encourages worldwide appreciation of bluegrass music of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Statement 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.�

TA B LE O F C ON T E N T S MAY 2017

INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS

TOC Photos: Darwin Davidson, Maria Camillo, Brooke Bates

4 May and IBMA

World of Bluegrass 6 Ramble Ready 10 How do you get into the hall of fame?

12 Bluegrass Chamber of Commerce: An Interview with IBMA Board Member Mike Drudge 14 Writing the Book on Earl Scruggs 16 New Releases 18 industry news

We value our members. This newsletter is our primary conduit for sharing news across our trade organization. Our goal is to carry news each month from all constituencies of IBMA’s membership.

Deadline info: news items and press releases are due at the IBMA office via snail mail or email by the 18th of the month. Submitting before the deadline is encouraged. Email all materials to Kelly here, or mail to 4206 Gallatin Pike, Nashville, TN 37216.

MEDIA GUIDELINES: •

Word .doc or .docx files preferred.

•

Images welcome. Please send images saved as jpegs at 72 dpi, and not larger than 5 Mb.

•

Links to video, audio and downloads are all welcome.

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May and IBMA

May is the month to make your submissions for all awards that are not voted on by our professional membership. Submissions are accepted May 1-31.

D.A.A. IBMA’s Distinguished Achievement Award honors those in bluegrass music who have are forerunners in their field, and/ or have fostered bluegrass music’s recognition and accessibility.

Categories include Music, Media, Business, and General.

These awards are determined by special procedures. (Learn about them here.) Submissions are in the form of letters of recommendation submitted online.

Special Awards The Special Awards - Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year, Bluegrass Print/Media of the Year, Bluegrass Event of the Year, Best Liner Notes of the Year, and Bluegrass Songwriter of the Year – are awarded by special procedures. (Learn about them here.) The process begins with a round of submissions for candidates. Submissions may require support materials, as you’ll see in the second image below.

Momentum Awards The Momentum Awards honor those in the early years of their bluegrass music careers. The two categories for the Momentum Awards are Performance and Industry awards. After the May submission round, the Momentum winners are selected by special procedures. (Learn about them here.) Submissions may require support materials.

Would you like to make submissions for the Distinguished Achievement, Special and Momentum Awards? Follow this link:

make a submission Also in May, we announce our Wide Open Main Stage headliners. This is, of course, the marquee festival that supports the Bluegrass Trust Fund. On May 15, the Youth Stage application process begins. And on May 31, the Early Bird Business Conference rate ends, The Awards submissions period closes, and the Songwriter Showcase is announced.

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HEADLINE HERE

MAY 1-31 DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT, MOMENTUM, & SPECIAL AWARDS SUBMISSIONS MAY 15 YOUTH STAGE APPLICATIONS MID- LATE MAY WIDE OPEN HEADLINERS ANNOUNCED MAY 31 SONGWRITER SHOWCASE ANNOUNCED EARLY BIRD CONFERENCE RATES END

JUNE: PRO MEMBERS VOTE ON 2ND ROUND INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS MUSIC AWARD BALLOTS, PANEL OF ELECTORS VOTE ON 1ST ROUND HALL OF FAME BALLOTS International Bluegrass

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RAMBLE READY

OFFICIAL IBMA SHOWCASE ARTISTS On April 27th, we announced our Official Showcase Artists for World of Bluegrass 2017. They will perform on the Bluegrass Ramble, IBMA’s innovative showcase series in club venues in downtown Raleigh. As the premier platform for introducing talent and new material to the bluegrass community, this is your opportunity to see some of the hottest acts shaping bluegrass today. Venues include: Lincoln Theater, The Pour House, Kings, Architect Bar, Vintage Church, and the Raleigh Convention Center. Learn more about the bands by visiting their websites.

Do you have your tickets to the Ramble? They are included with Business Conference registration, or you can purchase them here.

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Cane Mill Road Website

Caroline Gallagher Website

Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer Website

Cup o’ Joe Website

Fireside Collective Website

Flats and Sharps Website

Forlorn Strangers Website

FY5 Website

Hank, Pattie & the Current Website

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High Fidelity Website

Jeff Brown & Still Lonesome Website

Jonathan Byrd Website

Mile Twelve Website

Molsky’s Mountain Drifters Website

Mr Sun Website

NewTown Website

Quiles & Cloud Website

Richie and Rosie Website

Salt and Light the Moore Family Band Website

Sam Gleaves Website

The Lonely Heartstring Band Website

The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys Website

The Price Sisters Website

The Railsplitters Website

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RAMBLE READY

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The Savage Hearts Website

The Slocan Ramblers Website

The Small Glories Website

Travers Chandler and Avery County Website

Sheriff Scott and the Deputies Website

Deer Creek Boys Website

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Did you know the Wide Open Main Stage, an unrivaled WOB 2017 bluegrass concert series, is a fundraiser for the Bluegrass Trust Fund?

Did you know the Bluegrass Trust Fund helps bluegrass professionals in times of emergency need?

Did you know this fundraiser dates back to Owensboro, and that the performers have always donated, too?

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!

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ASK EDDIE

INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS MUSIC

HALL of FAME 10 International Bluegrass | May 2017

How Do You Get Into The Hall of Fame?

Choosing who goes into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame every year is one of the most exciting and important undertakings of our organization. The process has begun for selecting this year’s inductees, and we want to shed a little light on how it works. The Nominating Committee is made up of ten IBMA members who have been appointed by the IBMA Board, based on their deep knowledge of bluegrass and their significant contributions to the field. They meet annually to review a field of candidates, and to select ten to fifteen for each category to be considered for new inductees.

Who are the candidates considered by the Nominating Committee? All letters of recommendation for candidacy from the bluegrass community go to the Committee for consideration. Committee members also consider an extensive list of prior nominees, plus any candidates the Committee would like to add to the list.

What are the categories? Two are considered each year. The Open Category is on the ballot every year. It is so named because it is open to both performers and non-performers. For the first time this year, there will be two Open Category inductees. (Up till now, only one inductee was chosen from the Open Category each year. This change came about through a vote by the IBMA Board last year.) The other category on the ballot alternates each year between Early Contribution (primary contributions made at least 25 years ago) and NonPerforming. This year, there will be one Early Contribution inductee, and two Open Category inductees. Alternating in 2018, there will be one Non-Performing inductee, and two Open Category inductees.

Back to the Hall of Fame Nominating Committee: they started the 2017 process by meeting on April 19 and selecting a slate of names for the Open Category and Early Contribution Category. That slate will now go to the Panel of Electors for their vote.

A side note: due to the importance of this work, the Nominating Committee and the Panel of Electors remain anonymous. I have been told that, if we all could know who was on the Committee and the Panel, we would feel that the legacy of bluegrass is in very good hands, indeed.

How does the Panel of Electors work? The Panel has approximately 200 members the IBMA Board has selected by virtue of their extensive careers in and knowledge of bluegrass. Their first ballot on May 15 will narrow the slate down to five finalists in each category. The Panel will then be sent those five final nominees in each category on their second ballot. The two nominees receiving the most votes in the Open Category, and the one nominee receiving the most votes in the Early Contribution Category will be 2017’s inductees into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. Find more about the Hall of Fame at the IBMA website.

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BLUEGRASS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Interview with IBMA Board Member Mike Drudge To demystify how the IBMA Board works and how IBMA members can make the most of working with the Board, I asked Mike Drudge to answer some questions for our IB readers. He brought his trademark wit and years of experience to these answers.

Q. Mike, how long have you been involved with the IBMA Board of Directors?

And with all the things you could be doing with your busy schedule, what led you to choose investing your time this way?

A. Most recently I have served on the board representing Agents & Managers for the past two years. Prior to that, I served on the board from 1995-2005, eventually assuming the role of board Chair for the last three years.

Board service requires a time commitment, but then so does everything that matters, and IBMA matters. It is the trade association for all things bluegrass.

Rising tides raise all boats, and we’re all paddling up Cripple Creek together.

Photo by Brooke Bates

Mike Drudge shared this slide with us - from his PowerPoint presentation on IBMA leadership opportunities – on how to bring a successful proposal to the Board

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INSIDE THE IBMA BOARD

Q. When you talk to IBMA members who are unfamiliar with the Board, what seems to be the biggest gap between how they imagine it and how the Board actually works?

A. There tends to be a “us vs. they” mentality that’s always troubling. The thing is, there is no “they”. It’s all “us”.

There is so much hand-wringing that goes on around the board table, and few proposals that make the agenda that just sail through without a very thorough hearing from the entire board. Everyone in the board room is passionate about the music. I’m encouraged by the fact that so many diverse viewpoints are represented around the boardroom. The board chair relies heavily on the membership to dictate the board agenda, what proposals will be considered, and so on. So many great things have been accomplished that began with an idea from the membership and eventually bloomed into a well-defined proposal for the board to act upon. Some real-world examples of that are the Momentum Awards, the Talent Buyer Track, and the Bluegrass in The Schools program, among others.

Q. Let’s say I’m a luthier in Alabama, or a publicist in Denver, and I’m an IBMA member. How does the Board’s business affect me?

A. I sometimes refer to IBMA as the Chamber of Commerce for bluegrass music. It’s important for any business to plug in to the chamber of commerce for their local community, and even more so when talking about being a member of the larger bluegrass community. Even in its infancy, IBMA proved to be a very important networking tool for me to start Class Act Entertainment. The importance of IBMA as the primary crossroads of “all things bluegrass” has never been greater. Imagine a world where there was no IBMA Awards Show, or no annual event where we all gathered. (I call it a family reunion where everyone actually likes each other).

Q. As a member, what’s a situation where I should consider getting in touch with the Board? How do I let the Board know what my concerns are?

A. Truthfully, there is no concern too large or small that doesn’t warrant a member reaching out to the board.

And it’s important to note that a member isn’t required to consider their constituency rep on the board their only conduit for communication with the board. It can be any board member or staff person. Now, some issues don’t rise to the level of being a board proposal (“I think we should have bagels instead of English muffins for the Town Hall Meeting”) but even those little morsels are important to pass along to staff or board members as general feedback. One of the most effective ways to communicate is with one-on-one dialog with a board member. Call or email a board member. Better yet, if you find an opportunity to have a conversation in person, that’s ideal. Many folks tend to be full of ideas during the week of our events in Raleigh, and it’s important to note that the best time to revisit those ideas is in the early months of a given year so the board has time to respond accordingly by the time the fall events come around. I’m personally not a huge fan of the listserv as a mode of communication with the board.

I read the listserv, but it’s about my 8th favorite method of communicating.

Q. You’ve been actively involved in the business of bluegrass as a musician and as an agent. You also have the perspective of working on the IBMA Board. Do you have an elevator pitch for IBMA members about making the most of their membership?

A. Like many other industries, the bluegrass game is a contact sport. IBMA provides the best playing field to make, develop and foster those contacts. But remember, “You must be present to win”.

Mike Drudge formed Class Act Entertainment in 1993, following a four year stint with the Grand Ole Opry’s Jim & Jesse show. In addition to performing in the band, Mike represented the legendary duo as booking agent and tour manager.

The Class Act roster features bluegrass, country, Americana and folk headliners.

Mike was elected to the board of directors of the International Bluegrass Music Association in 1995 representing agents and managers. He continued in that role for five years before being elected to vice chair, and eventually assumed the role of chairman of the board and president of the organization. He was instrumental in the IBMA reaching out to sister organizations such as the Southern Arts Federation.

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Writing the Book on Earl Scruggs Here’s something you don’t see every day: a book launch of exceptional interest to bluegrass lovers. For starters, it’s about Earl Scruggs, and it’s at the Earl Scruggs Center. And unlike your garden-variety book launch, this one will feature an informal picking session of Scruggs tunes with the crackerjack lineup of Terry Baucom of The Dukes of Drive, Jason Burleson of Blue Highway, Marc Pruett of Balsam Range and Kristin Scott Benson of the Grascals.

Gordon Castelnero and David L. Russell have written Earl Scruggs: Banjo Icon [Rowman & Littlefield], the first-ever biography of IBMA Hall of Famer and four time Grammy winner Earl Scruggs. Join the staff of the Earl Scruggs Center and Castelnero and Russell Saturday, May 6, 2017 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Hear the how and why of this much awaited book as the authors share stories and field questions from guests. They will sign books following the program.

Although Earl has been gone five years, his unmistakable sound and musical influence are still very much alive today. Scruggs’s three-finger picking style transformed the perception of the five-string banjo in just one night in 1945, and he went on to become the most imitated and influential banjo player in the world.

Earl Scruggs: Banjo Icon chronicles the extraordinary life and legacy of the famed banjo man from the collective memories of the Scruggs family and more than 60 notable musicians/entertainers such as Steve Martin, Vince Gill, Charlie Daniels, Roy Clark and Roger McGuinn. This biography testifies to Scruggs’s enduring influence and sheds light on the history of bluegrass for musicians, students, and anyone entranced by Scruggs’s unmistakable sound.

The book launch is free with exhibit admission, and for members. For information about the event and registration (recommended), click here.

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NEW RELEASES

Reviews by Bob Webster and Kelly Kessler

Young Heart, Old Soul Garrett Newman Band [Pinecastle]

Foxhounds and Fiddles Flashback [Pinecastle]

The Mountains Are Calling Me Home Junior Sisk [Mountain Fever Records]

Banjo player Garrett Newton is in his midteens and has hit the bluegrass community in a fairly big way with his first recording on the Pinecastle label. His agent, Lorraine Jordan (the Lady of Tradition), says Newton is a young man with an old soul. Although he’s been playing for only a half-dozen years or so, he’s already assembled his first band and travels with Jordan and takes lessons from noted banjoist Steve Dilling.

Flashback is another formation of bluegrass musicians carrying on the sound of J. D. Crowe’s New South, with alumni Phil Leadbetter, Don Rigsby, Richard Bennett and Curt Chapman. Banjoist Stuart Wyrick completes the ensemble. All but Wyrick were part of a New South reunion type touring band, prior to Crowe’s retirement, which led to this recording. The band name is derived from the Grammy nominated album “Flashback” from Crowe’s 1994 effort.

This is the second project by Junior for Mountain Fever Records and it’s in keeping with his high standards for solid, traditional bluegrass.

The single release, “What Goes Around,” was a preview of how consistent the entire recording is. Junior was quoted as saying that song “is a saying I have heard all my life and it rings true most of the time.”

In addition to Jordan’s guidance, the liner notes on his first recording are written by an award-winning fellow banjo player and band leader, Joe Mullins. If that’s not enough establish his credentials, Newton called on Ron Stewart, Jason Moore, and Heather Berry to appear on the sessions. His touring band also has notables Allen Dyer on guitar and lead vocals, Parks Icenhour on lead guitar and bass vocals, Daniel Aldridge with the mandolin and baritone vocals, and Jordan on acoustic bass and tenor vocals.

Newton selected several bluegrass standards for his first outing, but does them with drive and a traditional approach. He also wisely chose a Mark Brinkman/Terry Foust song for the title track, “Young Heart, Old Soul,” to capture his bluegrass outlook at this early stage of his career.

Fans of traditional bluegrass will find this a very enjoyable project and the young pickers looking for a model to help them find a path need not look much further for a compass to reflect a viable direction. [BW] Website

Track one is “Foxhounds and Fiddles,” written

by Bennett and Rigsby with a setting of growing up in the country. There are also slower songs, including “Two Rivers,” as well as an old Stanley Brothers “You’re Still To Blame” among the gems on this recording. We get a couple of gospel numbers, an instrumental, and the variety of several lead vocalists making for a very enjoyable listening experience – something for everyone.

If you like the New South sound, you’ll be reminded of the Tony Rice vocals from his days with Crowe as well as Rigsby making one think of Skaggs. Although we have the New South style, the songs are fresh and crisp and delivered with enthusiasm. This will make a fine addition to any listener’s collection. Makes one wonder what they’ll record next. [BW] Website

Video

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Video

We know Junior sings from the heart and that’s evident here with “Take Time for Little Children” by G. Steve Watts. He includes other message songs with “Money Will Not Save You” and “Dying To Live Again.” Junior also gives a driving treatment to an old Stanley Brothers number, “Darling Do You Know Who Loves You,” and there’s his relationship advice in “Shape Up Or Ship Out.” This CD is filled with evidence of why Junior was voted IBMA Male Vocalist of the Year in 2013. He is supported by his touring band, including Jamie Harper on fiddle, Jason Davis on banjo, Johnathan Dillon on mandolin, and Kameron Keller on bass.

If you like your bluegrass in the traditional style, you’ll find it here on all eleven tracks.

If you are new to the bluegrass community, check this one out for opening the door to a rich musical path. [BW] Website

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NEW RELEASES

Going Home Joe Newberry & April Verch [Slab Town Records] There’s a tendency to think of the music two people can make as simple – two instruments, two voices, how much can be there, really?

In our corner of the musical world we know better, thanks to pairings like Skaggs & Rice and Hurst & Raines. If two musicians know how to find one another in support of the song, a kind of magic happens as something decidedly greater than the sum of the parts is conjured up.

Ozark/Appalachian songsmith Joe Newberry and Canadian fiddler April Verch seem not to know there’s a border crossing between the two traditions they draw on. Instead, we hear the common taproot and a kindred blend, whether on an ancient fiddle tune, a rousing Wade Mainer gospel tune, or one of their originals. (Don’t miss Newberry’s touching title track.) Verch’s lively, expressive fiddle is served well by Newberry’s understated rhythm work.

The joy and immediacy captured in this album are unmistakable. As Sugar Hill’s Barry Poss says, “Oh, but this is a good one!” [KK] Website

Video

The Life We Know Snyder Family Band [Mountain Home]

Chapter 3 Lawson & Williams [Mountain Home]

In the Snyder Family Band’s sixth recording outlines their career from budding youngsters learning classical violin and guitar, to many contest winnings, and now songwriting and being able to relieve the bass-playing dad from all the driving chores to get to gigs.

Jimmy Martin veterans J. D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson and Paul Williams began recording together in 2009, releasing two projects.

This year we have “Chapter 3”, with Joe Mullins taking on the banjo role in fine style since Crowe has retired. Add Josh Swift on resophonic guitar and Stephen Burwell on fiddle from Lawson’s Quicksilver band, and all that’s needed is a touch of David Johnson’s pedal steel and Balsam Range’s Tim Surrett on acoustic bass.

Their style and sound are constantly evolving, and they are not hesitant to display what they feel and hear. This new project contains a Texas swing style number, Samantha’s vocals on originals, a laidback instrumental, plus original gospel numbers. Multi-instrumentalist Zeb and sister Samantha even tackle “Blue Ridge Mountain Sky” with an approach reminding us of Southern Rock sounds.

No fancy studio tricks here, just fine musicians playing and singing from their hearts and minds to create an enjoyable project. Several songs are 4-5 minutes in length, giving Zeb and Samantha adequate time to make the most of their skills.

This is not the traditional project of songs about trains, cabins and the home place. It is, however, a creative approach to several original numbers that are very enjoyable to hear and let your mind travel with the lyrics. New pickers looking for examples of musical expression, without getting too far from the boundaries of what many consider to be bluegrass, will find something here to ponder. [BW] Website

Video

Lawson says of the project: “We sing about love, hope, commitment, heartache, despair, regret and God’s love for us. Paul again shows his amazing skill as a writer with three of his more recent compositions. Listen to him sing “Abigail” and you’ll hear what I mean.”

This recording contains songs by Dolly Parton, the Louvins, and Alton Delmore, among others. All are presented with keen harmony, emotion, and dedication to classic country and gospel music that we’ve come to expect from these bluegrass icons. No matter what you prefer in bluegrass, you’ll play this one repeatedly. If you’re new to bluegrass, welcome.

You’ve chosen a great introduction to a wide variety of what the music has to offer. [BW]

Website

Video

INDUSTRY NEWS

May 2017

IBMA OFFICE NEWS BRINGING ON NEON We’re updating our technology for maintaining membership information at the IBMA office. Please bear with us while we make the transition. We are bringing on board a far more efficient system, so we can offer the best possible membership services.

ARTISTS & COMPOSERS THE BUSINESS/CRAFT OF SONGWRITING with Mark “Brink” Brinkman

workshop will be held Saturday, May 20, 2017 in Arvada, CO at the Olde Town Pickin’ Parlor.

Website.

THE IBMA SONGWRITER COMMITTEE announces the re-launch of the Songwriter Mentoring Program.

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EVENT PRODUCERS Texas Bluegrass Music at Salmon Lake will bring bluegrass to the East Texas and the Gulf Coast area for Memorial Day: Robertson County Line, The Baker Family, Chris Henry and Hardcore Grass, Edgar Loudermilk, Bama BlueGrace, Shallow Creek, Catahoula Drive, The Purple Hulls, and The Marksmen. Website.

BLUEGRASS ON THE PLAINS presents some of the biggest names in bluegrass at Auburn, AL. Website.

HOUSTONFEST will be held June 9-10 in Galax, VA, featuring the Earls of Leicester and Flatt Lonesome.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

PRINT, MEDIA & EDUCATION

NEW INITIATIVE TO BRING BLUEGRASS TO OHIO SCHOOLCHILDREN In an effort to expand the study of Ohio’s Bluegrass Region beyond the classroom in to the music room, third and fourth grade students at Archbold Elementary School participated in a live bluegrass music program, April 24.

The multidisciplinary project was led by history teachers Jeff Benecke and Zach Gericke, and Courtney Froehlich, AES music teacher.

Students normally study the geography, agriculture and wildlife of the region. This year, teachers used materi-

als from the Foundation for Bluegrass Music’s “Bluegrass in the Schools” program to introduce the historic and cultural origins of bluegrass music, which created a more well-rounded curriculum.

New Outlook, a Wapakoneta, Ohio, based bluegrass band, presented an instrument demonstration and live concert for the students. The five traditional bluegrass instruments and instructional materials were donated to the school music educa-

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tion program by the Black Swamp Arts Council and Guitar Center. In the fall, bluegrass musicians will present miniworkshops on each instrument.

The event culminated with a free evening concert open to the public featuring Fossil Creek, New Outlook and Joe Mullins and the Radio Ramblers.

The bluegrass program was sponsored by the Ohio Arts Council, the Black Swamp Arts Council, the Archbold Music Commission and the Foundation for Bluegrass Music.

Is your CONSTITUENCY represented in this newsletter?

We’d like to hear from you!

Send any industry news items for publication in IB to Kelly Kessler at kelly@ibma.org.

Deadline info: news items and press releases that reach me by the 18th of the month have a very good chance of running in the next month’s newsletter. Submitting before the deadline is encouraged.

Constituencies

AGENTS, MANAGERS & PUBLICISTS

ARTISTS, COMPOSERS, & MUSIC PUBLISHERS

BLUEGRASS MUSIC ASSOCIATIONS

BROADCAST MEDIA

EVENT PRODUCTION

INTERNATIONAL

RECORDING, DISTRIBUTION & MARKETING

MERCHANDISERS & LUTHIERS

PRINT, MEDIA & EDUCATION

YOUTH COUNCIL

Media guidelines:

Word .doc or .docx files preferred.

Images welcome. Please send images saved as jpegs at 72 dpi, and not larger than 5Mb.Links to video, audio and downloads are all welcome.

If you’re in these IBMA constituencies, we want to carry your news: Agents, Managers & Publicists Artists, Composers, & Music Publishers Bluegrass Music Associations Broadcast Media Event Production International Recording, Distribution & Marketing Merchandisers & Luthiers Print, Media & Education Youth Council

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IB INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS MUSIC AWARDS DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

YOUR VOICE COUNTS SPECIAL AWARDS | MOMENTUM AWARDS

IB

professional members are urged to participate in the awards process during this awards season

International Bluegrass Music Association empowering the global bluegrass community