The International Bluegrass Music Association has announced the 2016 class for their annual Leadership Bluegrass workshop. Roughly two dozen members of the bluegrass industry are chosen each year to attend a three-day seminar in Nashville designed to help develop leaders in the business side of our music, and increase networking opportunities across the various career specialties.
Care is taken to ensure that candidates are chosen from a wide array of fields, regions, ages, and interests. Ideally, there is a mix of artists, event producers, association reps, publicists, booking agents, instructors, writers, and record label reps.
Attendees will hear from industry leaders who offer prepared presentations, but often the greatest enlightenment comes from their fellow class members. This year will be the 17th Leadership Bluegrass experience managed by the IBMA. More than 400 grassers have participated over that time. They report that this year their received 60 applications for the 26 available seats in 2016.
Leadership Bluegrass will be hosted at the BMI offices in Nashville from March 21-23. Trisha Tubbs will serve as facilitator.
The 2016 class will contain:
- Alan Bibey – Grasstowne; Surfside Beach, South Carolina
- Daniel Boner – East Tennessee State University; Elizabethton, Tennessee
- Dustin Boyd – Planet Bluegrass; Boulder, Colorado
- Darby Brandli – California Bluegrass Association; Oakland, California
- Janet Brightly – Consultant, Greyfox and Wintergrass; Annandale, Virginia
- Angus Finnan – Folk Alliance International; Kansas City, Missouri
- Jocelyn Gold – Gold Heart; Hamilton, Virginia
- Katherine Hanson – FDA Leadership Development; Ijamsville, Maryland
- Kelsi Harrigill – Flatt Lonesome; Trinity, Alabama
- Lisa Husted – Greyfox Bluegrass Festival; Whitesboro, New York
- Leah James – International Bluegrass Music Association; Nashville, Tennessee
- Chris Joslin – International Bluegrass Music Museum; Owensboro, Kentucky
- Tony Kamel – Wood & Wire; Austin, Texas
- Brad Kolodner – WAMU’s Bluegrass Country; Baltimore, Maryland
- Devon Leger – Hearth Music; Shoreline, Washington
- Marian Leighton Levy – Rounder Records; Newburyport, Massachusetts
- Kimber Ludiker – Della Mae; Hendersonville, Tennessee
- David Morris – Bluegrass Today/Paddle Faster Publishing; Gaithersburg, Maryland
- Laurie Okun – City of Raleigh/Raleigh Convention Center; Raleigh, North Carolina
- Patrice O’Neill – Acoustic Sound/Wintergrass; Milton, Washington
- James Reams – James Reams & the Barnstormers; Litchfield, Arizona
- Salvatore Sauco – Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance; East, Rhode Island
- Annie Savage – Colorado Bluegrass Music Society; Lafayette, Colorado
- Lee Stivers – The Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers; Washington, Pennsylvania
- Lucas White – Middle Tennessee State University; Murfreesboro, Tennessee
- Dianee Wyland – Independent Artist & Teacher; Silver Spring, Maryland
Congratulations and good luck to all the participants.
