by Nancy Cardwell
It was a joy to see many of you in person at World of Bluegrass week in Raleigh, North Carolina, September 24-28! As usual, the priority was on seeing old friends, making new connections, discovering new music, and recognizing industry and musical achievements during the past year. We hope you enjoy the photos below, as well as the pictures and videos we’re posting at facebook.com/bluegrassfoundation/.
If you missed IBMA Foundation board member Becky Buller’s inspiring keynote address on Tuesday, September 24, be sure to check out the video here. (Go to 8:32; the first few minutes there is no sound until Ken White starts speaking.)
We raised over $12,000 during World of Bluegrass week in general donations to the IBMA Foundation, plus a special fundraising campaign at the Expo Hall booth with “tip jars” lined up across the front edge of the table featuring photos of individuals each scholarship and grant are named after. NOTE: For a gift of $100 of more through the end of 2024, you, too, can receive a gift of 11 custom designed bluegrass notecards. (See most of the notecard designs here. The designs by artist Mike Armistead correspond to individuals which Foundation grants and scholarships are named after.) Make a donation HERE, or mail a check to IBMA Foundation, 1183 University Drive #105-215, Burlington, NC 27215.
The “Friends of the Foundation” ambassador/street team for the IBMA Foundation gained a few more members during the week, bringing the total to more than 100! We appreciate all the bluegrass boots on the ground, when it’s time to announce a new program or deadline to apply for a grant or scholarship!
A dozen or so well-known banjo players dropped by the Foundation booth to test drive the 2025 Strings for Dreams Raffle prize banjo, a 1980 Deering Advanced Maple Blossom model with only one previous owner. We’re also collecting autographs on a Deering banjo head to go along with the prize instrument next year. Look for more details April 1, 2025, at www.stringsfordreams.com.
Several seminars during the first part of the week focused on education themes and a fabulous two-day Roots Revival: Black String Band Symposium was presented Sept. 26-27 at the Convention Center. The symposium was organized by IBMA Foundation board member and Elderly Instruments CEO Lillian Werbin and author Kristina Gaddy, of the Banjo Gathering, and was supported in part by an Arnold Shultz Fund grant.
Education seminar topics included “Why Bluegrass Jamming Matters…in Public Schools and beyond (Annie Savage, Pete Wernick, and Nancy Cardwell); “Emcee Masterclass – part 2 (Katy Daley, Cindy Baucom, Jim Lauderdale, and Ben Wright); and “One Time at Bluegrass Camp (Megan Lynch, Jodi Harbin, Vickie Vaughn, and Austin Scelzo).
The IBMA Foundation board of directors met in person on Wednesday, including guests who serve on our committees year-round. Foundation board chair/president Trisha Tubbs and I updated conference attendees at the Bluegrass Industry Awards Luncheon on Thursday, where we announced more than $81,000 awarded in grants, scholarships, and educational programs. More than $25,000 has been raised to support the new Gloria Belle Memorial Scholarship created by Becky Buller. Two brand new initiatives were announced: the Mike Auldridge Memorial Scholarship and the Terry Baucom Bluegrass Education Grant. Scholarships and grants in honor of Gloria Belle, Baucom, and Auldridge will kick off in 2025. Big thanks to Cindy Baucom, who was recognized with an IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award and the 2024 Bluegrass Broadcaster of the Year Award, who came up with the idea for the grant in memory of her late husband and made the donation to endow it. The Auldridge college scholarship was funded by Dobro player, Howard Parker.
For the full “report card” of what the IBMA Foundation has been up to from July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024, check out this link.
Later Thursday afternoon, the Foundation hosted a reception in the Raleigh Convention Center to honor the recipients of 2024 project grants, college scholarships, Bluegrass in the Schools Mini-grants, Fletcher Bright Memorial grants for young musicians, and Arnold Shultz Fund grants. A sizable number of recipients from each category of grants and scholarships honored us with their attendance.
IBMA International Band Grant winners, Johnny & The Yooahoos from Munich, Germany, were impressive – as was the entire schedule at the newly expanded International Stage on the lower level of the Raleigh Convention Center.
Powerful bass players/band leaders John Cowan and Missy Raines co-hosted the 34th annual International Bluegrass Music Awards Show, with too many high points during the program to list. The grand finale, a tribute to the legendary fiddler, Bobby Hicks, started out with a stage full of young musicians from IBMA’s “Kids on Bluegrass” program fiddling their hearts out on a spirited rendition of “Wheel Hoss”—later joined at either edge of the stage by some well-known adult fiddlers.
There was a strong education focus among Hall of Fame inductees this year. Katy Daley, along with her husband, Bill Brown, created and endowed the Katy Daley Broadcast Media/ Sound Engineering Scholarship, and the Foundation has awarded three scholarships, so far. Katy and 2024 Daley scholarship recipient Hallie Adams of Morehead State University in Kentucky were able to spend some valuable time visiting in person in Raleigh this year. Legendary banjo stylist Alan Munde, of course, is as well known for his teaching skills as his performing and recording career, including his 1986-2007 teaching tenure at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas, where he was the bluegrass expert in the Commercial Music department. He was also involved with creating and teaching at the week-long Camp Bluegrass, still running each summer on the South Plains College campus 37 years later. Lastly, the amazing Jerry Douglas has taught every resophonic guitar player who has heard him play, simply by example. Actually, the same thing can be said about Munde’s banjo style and Daley’s broadcasting and emcee work. I guess that’s why they’re all in the Bluegrass Hall of Fame! Our sincere congratulations, to all three friends.
Around 20 folks who teach bluegrass music on the college/university level met for lunch on Friday to compare notes on degree programs, student bands, ideas for future academic conferences, and other ideas and challenges. Congratulations to Tony Watt, an associate professor at Berklee College of Music, who received the IBMA Momentum “Mentor of the Year” Award.
Ruth McLain Smith, IBMA Foundation board member and instructor at Morehead State University’s Kentucky Center for Traditional Music, and Scott Napier, Director of the new Bluegrass and Traditional Music Program at Owensboro Community and Technical College, were also finalist nominees for the IBMA Momentum “Mentor of the Year” Award.
On Friday and Saturday nights, September 27-28, from 6:30-11 pm, the IBMA Foundation presented 10 college bands. Bands came from North Carolina, Kentucky, Ohio, Colorado, South Carolina, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin! A special thank you goes to Ryan Wilson and the Tiger Town Roots band from Clemson University, who subbed at the last minute when one of the Asheville, North Carolina college bands had to cancel due to Hurricane Helene.
During the week three bluegrass bands presented educational bluegrass music programs for local schools, sponsored by the Raleigh Arts Council and IBMA Foundation Bluegrass in the Schools Mini-grants. On Saturday afternoon seven bluegrass college bands and directors presented the Bluegrass College Info Session in the Raleigh Convention Center for high school students and their parents.
The slogan of the IBMA Foundation is “a brighter future for bluegrass music,” and we were reminded of the bright promise at every turn during World of Bluegrass 2024 in Raleigh. Old friends and new of all ages and from literally all corners of the globe met at bluegrass music’s annual business homecoming/family reunion in Raleigh, and the future is indeed bright.
Heavy rain from Hurricane Helene descended upon downtown Raleigh on Friday morning, September 27, but the sun came out mid-afternoon and the outdoor stages opened after 5 p.m. We missed the brunt of the storm in central North Carolina, but as the weekend progressed we heard reports of stranded bands, flooding, road closures and blockages, property damage, and a death toll of more than 160 in western North Carolina, East Tennessee, and across the Southeast.
IBMA Executive Director Ken White announced, “As a reminder to all bluegrass music professionals affected, the IBMA Trust Fund is here for you should you need it. The Trust Fund will continue to find ways to stand with you as situations become clearer in the coming days and weeks.” IBMA Trust Fund: https://ibma.org/bluegrass-trust-fund/
Additional resources:
Samaritan’s Purse, samaritanspurse.org
North Carolina assistance, ncdps.gov/helene, 1-800-621-3362, ncvoad.org/volunteer
Red Cross: Visit redcross.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) You may also text the word, “HELENE” to 90999 to make a donation.
FEMA: 800-621-3362 or visit DisasterAssistance.gov for more information or to get started on an application.
Please take care, and let’s never take our precious bluegrass music community or music for granted. At press time, Interstate 40 at the border of North Carolina and Tennessee was still closed, several bridges were out, and many have lost their homes and businesses, as well as access to electricity, water, clothing, cell phone and internet service, and food. Let’s all help where we can.
RETURN to the October 2024 issue of The Cornerstone.
Photo: Isabela March (Sally Ann Forrester college scholarship recipient) and Dr. Richard Brown (IBMA Foundation board of directors) played fiddle tunes for several hours at the IBMA Foundation booth during World of Bluegrass week in Raleigh, Sept. 24-28, 2024.
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