Vendors, especially food and beverage vendors, at a bluegrass festival can sometimes be like an oasis from the elements, a blessed port in a storm. Think of the times you’ve been at a hot and humid festival in late July;
Author: Chris Jones
A look at new IBMA rules and procedures
Last week I said we’d spend some time discussing recent changes in the IBMA awards procedure, naming, and criteria, most of which have been covered here in Bluegrass Today. It’s only natural there would be adjustments in this area through the
IBMA Awards season, a sure sign of spring
For your consideration: I might as well warn you that I’ll be opening all correspondence this way for the next two weeks. It has a little more zip to it than “To Whom it May Concern,” anyway. I’m also going to
Bad tax advice for bluegrass musicians – or anyone else
I had a hard time cranking out this week’s column, which was originally going to be a historical discussion of the favorite snack foods of Charlie Monroe (The Uncle of Bluegrass), but this is tax season, and before I knew
Musicians at home: where the real creative work happens
Another video column! Chris explains how getting back home from the road allows for the creative juices to flow.
Folk remedies of the 21st century
Last Thursday, I had one of those experiences straight out of an anxiety nightmare. You know the kind, where where a bear is chasing you and you have to fumble with the handle of a gate in order to escape
Bluegrass Mad Libs – you know you want to play
It’s hard to believe that the first day of spring is already here. Now that we’ve turned that seasonal corner, it’s only natural to start thinking about bluegrass festivals, and/or mud, depending on where you live. For fans and professional musicians
Time Changes Everything, or The Attack of the Circadian Rhythms
How are you adjusting to the time change? Or perhaps you haven’t even changed your clocks yet because you had nowhere you needed to be in the past few days. We all envy you, if that’s the case. Let me begin
Marvelous fun with song title mashups
SiriusXM recently added a huge number of extra channels (officially called “Xtra Channels”) to its app and online service, which I thought was an exciting development. They didn’t so much add new genres, as themes and blends of genres. There
Don’t blow your audition – follow these simple steps
If you’re playing bluegrass music professionally, or even semi-professionally, at some point you’re going to have to endure that dreaded pre-hiring ritual called the audition. Mind you I don’t mean to assume that everyone will go through the process of being