Kentucky—
Dear Mrs. Cindy Baucom and the IBMA Foundation:
I am writing to you to thank you for awarding me the Terry Baucom Bluegrass Education Grant to attend the Bluegrass Unlimited Workshop at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum on Feb. 6-8, 2026. I am so appreciative and I enjoyed the weekend very much! My teacher for fiddle was Jimmy Mattingly. I have known Jimmy for many years, and it was so much fun to get to see him again and learn all that he shared with us. I saw several old friends and met many new ones. I learned some new breaks for several songs, a new introduction for my favorite fiddle tune “Sally Goodin,” and was even able to demonstrate playing back up notes for my class. It was an amazing weekend, and once again, I cannot thank you enough for the scholarship.
-Makenzie Bell
Indiana—
Greetings,
My name is Gavin Weller, and I am writing to you to express my deepest gratitude for awarding me the Fletcher Bright Memorial Grant. I have been playing guitar for six years with minimal instruction in jazz and blues bands, but I believe I am called to play bluegrass. This music holds a special place in my heart, from the mountain hymns and murder ballads to the gospel classics and breakneck fiddle tunes. This grant will allow me to achieve a level of education that was previously unavailable to me. I am currently a full-time college student at Purdue University and have been trying to keep my chops up to the best of my ability. I am very grateful for this opportunity you have given me, and I will be sure to share my progress as I learn from Mr. Workman.
Sincerely,
Gavin Weller
Purdue – Animal Sciences – Pre-Veterinary Medicine
Uganda—
Video here: Kizito Moses of the Equatorial Bluegrass Band in Uganda is learning to play “Home, Sweet Home” on a Deering Goodtime Banjo from an Arnold Shultz Fund grant from the IBMA Foundation.
RETURN to the April 1, 2026 issue of The Cornerstone.
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