We heard this morning from Graham Sharp, banjo man with Steep Canyon Rangers, who shared a report from their 12th annual Mountain Song Festival in Brevard, NC in September. The festival is a charity event, with proceeds donated to area Boys and Girls Clubs.
The money is used by the clubs for a wide range of youth activities, including traditional string music education.
Graham said that they turned over $90,000 to the Boys and Girls Club, something the band is proud to do each year. Guitarist Woody Platt’s mom, Cindy, had founded a Boys & Girls Club in Brevard prior to her passing in 2013, and the festival was created to further her work.
Graham asked that we thanks all the performers this year: The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Hot Rize, Sierra Hull, The Steel Wheels, Molly Tuttle, Mipso, Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley, Carolina Blue, Shannon Whitworth & Barrett Smith, Grandpa’s Cough Medicine, and Fireside Collective.
The Steeps have also recently received an honor quite rare among bluegrass bands. The Jones von Drehle Vineyards & Winery in Thurland, NC has created a private label wine for the band, sold as The Steep Canyon Rangers, Red No. 5.
Proceeds from the sale of these bottles will go to the Cindy Platt Boys & Girls Club of Transylvania County.
Well done Steep Canyon Rangers and all the artists and volunteers who made the Mountain Song Festival a great success.
