• Harold Killian passes

    Mandolinist Harold Killian, 95, of Catawba, NC, passed away on January 12, 2024. Along with his brother, Tommy Killian, they formed the group The Catawba River Boys and performed together for many years. Harold always greatly enjoyed playing and singing

  • Happy Valley video from Wyatt Ellis

    Another new music video is available this week, this time from Tennessee's mandolin prodigy Wyatt Ellis, with a tune from his upcoming album, Happy Valley. In fact, it's the title track, one Wyatt wrote at 12 years old, like all of

  • Barnyard Funk video from Mark Stoffel

    Mandolinist Mark Stoffel, he of Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, has put together a fun little video for his current Mountain Home Music single, Barnyard Funk. This clever instrumental from Mark's imagination combines bluegrass improv with a funk groove, and

  • Welcome Amelia Strouth!

    Kevin Strouth, mandolinist with Starlett & Big John, and his wife, Nicole, are celebrating the birth of their first child. Amelia Rose Strouth was born on November 19 in Fairfax, VA. She made her arrival at 4:32 p.m., weighing in at

  • Wyatt Ellis debuts on his own at The Opry

    Wyatt Ellis on the Grand Ole Opry (11/10/23) - photo by Nathan Leslie Wyatt Ellis, 14-year-old mandolin prodigy, made his artist debut on the Grand Ole Opry on Friday night last week. Only a small number of performers such as Dolly

  • Barnyard Funk from Mark Stoffel

    Mandolinist Mark Stoffel, who currently plies his trade as a member of Chris Jones & The Night Drivers, has a new single dropping tomorrow from Mountain Home Music, an instrumental he calls Barnyard Funk. It's a clever little tune in which

  • Akira Otsuka is named 2023 DCBU Monument Award winner

    Akira Otsuka with DCBU President Carolyn Eyerly and his 2023 Washington Monument Award Celebrated capitol area mandolinist, photographer, and producer Akira Otsuka was presented with the 2023 Washington Monument Award by the DC Bluegrass Union on October 29. Born in Japan, Akira

  • Shep – a special gift for Brandon Shuping

    Brandon Shuping with Glenda Martin Fuller when he picked up Shep The late Charles "Speedy" Shepherd was musician and luthier from Salisbury, NC. He primarily built fiddles, but once and only once, he made a mandolin. It was a more difficult