If you attended the 2013 Wide Open Bluegrass festival in Raleigh, NC, you may recall the IBMA Youth Council stage set up just outside the convention center. Here the organization was showcasing talented young bands (under 25), offering them a chance to both strut their stuff before the assembled masses, and serve as inspiration for other young musicians still learning their craft.
This Friday, June 27, is the deadline for interested bands to submit an application to perform at the 2014 event. The IBMA has created a submission page on its web site where you can put your group forward. The opening page collects basic information about the group, and subsequent pages will request that you upload an MP3 file and a photo, and provide a YouTube link of your group performing.
To be considered, each band must have at least two members under the age of 25. The Youth Council is looking for groups that perform professionally, or aspire to do so. They are not hewing to any firm definition of bluegrass, saying instead that they are, “welcoming bluegrass and the roots and branches of bluegrass music.”
The six members of the Youth Council will select ten groups to showcase in Raleigh on Friday and Saturday (10/3-4/14), and each will perform one set.
Selected bands will be announced and notified by the end of July.
You can create an application here online.
