Author: Chris Jones

The IBMA World of Bluegrass is fast approaching, and there are lots of things to consider when preparing for this sometimes overwhelming event. Do you have enough business cards? Do you have any business cards at all? Do you have

This is a big month for lovers of bluegrass music. For one thing, it's Worldwide Bluegrass Month. If it interests you, it's also Falls Prevention Month (for the other 11 months, just go ahead and take as many spills as

I've had the honor of getting to be the curator for the Walnut Valley Festival's NewSong Showcase for the last few years, and I'm looking forward to MCing the winners' showcase at the festival in a week or so. I'm

In these polarized political times (please hold your comments), a new acronym has sprung up to describe politicians who don’t quite tow the party line: "RINO" and "DINO," short for "Republican In Name Only," or "Democrat In Name Only." This

Well, it's the heart of summer; it's extremely hot in many places, and our thoughts turn naturally to death. This may seem a little morbid, but this is a column about bluegrass music, after all. Aside from the moment when

Unless you’ve never given your email address out to a living soul (I'm starting to think this is a good idea), you've probably received some spam emails of some kind, representing some scam or another. Maybe you've almost fallen for

Do you read online customer reviews before going to restaurants or staying at hotels? As you may have discovered, it's best to judge based on several reviews, looking at the average impressions compared to the averages of your other choices.

There's a period between after nominations are announced, and before final voting closes, when nominees become aware they may be being watched and/or listened to more closely. The stakes of what they do become just a little bit higher.  Voting has

Have you ever played in a band with a lead singer who changes the way he or she sings in the presence of an attractive member of the audience, or what might be called a "potential mate?" You know what

Happy Wednesday! This column is actually a slightly edited rerun from almost 10 years ago. It seemed mostly non-specific, but if you read carefully you can place this around the time that Kanye West snatched an award away from Taylor