Author: Tara Linhardt

Tara Linhardt is a music educator, recording artist and independent film producer in Loudon County, VA. She has a Masters in Education and has been performing and teaching traditional music for years both privately and in festivals, workshops, and traditional music camps such as the Traditions Week at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD and the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival. Tara also holds the Guinness Book World's Record for organizing the Largest Mandolin Ensemble in the history of the world!

Saturday at 2024 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

Casey Driessen at the 2024 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival – photo © Tara Linhardt

Saturday at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in Oak Hill, NY was definitely chocked full of some of the nation’s top acts in the world of bluegrass. But lots of people were also talking about and excited by some of the performers that they were just discovering as well. One had a smorgasbord choose among throughout the day and evening, with dance, singing, songwriting, and instrumental workshops.

The Kids Academy kids were busking throughout the festival grounds, a family tent had a full day full of shows and activities, four main stages with sound systems, and this year a new addition was offered with a new smaller acoustic stage as well. So many choices to please all sorts of fans.

At 6:15 the Kids Academy took to the main stage for their big performance. First the senior group played, followed by the larger main group. One of the truly wonderful things about the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival is that they do a wonderful job of not just offering a platform for some of the nations top bluegrass acts, but also making sure to encourage the next generations so that they continue making and loving traditional music at the festival.

Every year they also present awards towards college costs for hard working young musicians with their Bill Vernon Memorial Scholarships. This year’s recipients are Ethan Church (Newland, NC) a sophomore and ETSU; Jachin Irwin (West Union, OH) a junior at Morehead State University; and Megan Mendenhall (Bedford, MA) who will be a freshman at ETSU.

There was also a surprise as one of the Kids Academy students was presented with a mandolin by Della Mae. It had been provided for this purpose by Mike Marceau, a bass player in the Washington, DC area. Mary Hamilton was the young student who won the mandolin for her hard work in the Kids Academy. Hopefully, she will be back next year still having lots of fun playing music.

Pictrola was a real hit at Grey Fox, a quickly up-and-coming band out of the Northern Virginia and Washington DC area. Here they are performing their original song on the High Meadow Stage, written by guitarist Mike Shade entitled Shine.

Many of the main acts on the other larger stages also graced the stage of a lovely little stage sponsored by New Belgium Beer. The small acoustic setting gave audiences a nice chance to hear the music up close and unamplified, offering a much different feel. Below are a few examples from this stage.

Wyatt Ellis Band

Rachel Sumner and Traveling Light

Country Gongbang from South Korea

And of course the main High Meadow stage had crowds entertained all day and far into the evening. Here is a taste of the magnificent original instrumental trio known as Hawktail.

And, of course, photos…

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival – 2024 Friday report

Rob McCoury at the 2024 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival – photo © Tara Linhardt

By Friday morning the whole community of Grey Fox is up and running with the campground neighborhoods, options for morning meditation class, yoga class taught by Jill Alix, and then a full day of multiple stages with all sorts of great music from all over the globe. Some were full time touring acts, but Grey Fox also encourages musicians to sit in with each other and have some spontaneous jam moments on the stages. These tend to be a huge hit.

Della Mae was this year’s Artist in Residence, so they were sitting in with bands throughout the weekend. But there were plenty of other fun surprises, with artists showing up on each other’s sets giving the crowd lots of special treats.

There were workshops and interviews on certain stages, jams throughout the campgrounds, the Kids Academy students working hard in their classes, and also busking throughout the festival grounds raising money to support the Kids Academy program that they love. For some of these kids, the most amazing part of the festival is them getting to play music no matter what level their playing may be, and have money come on in along with compliments and encouragements from lots of festival attendees as they pass by.

Some bands may even use the picturesque Walsh Farm where Grey Fox is held to shoot some music videos, like Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway did at the old barn in the festival campground this year.

There is so much activity and so many positive vibes through the whole weekend. The variety of small and large stages, and the many types of bands and activities means that there is bound to be plenty to please a wide array of folks with various interests. The magic of Grey Fox was definitely experienced by so many people, in so many different ways, each day of the festival.

Bruce Molsky, Darol Anger, and Celia Woodsmith on the High Meadow Stage

Casey Driessen’s Red Shoe StringJam at the Catskill Stage had a rotating roster of amazing musicians rocking some spontaneous musical adventures with an on-stage jam session. An array of all star guests were featured throughout the set.

Here is a small taste…

And a fabulous on stage frolicking fiddle frenzy as part of Casey’s StringJam

And some Friday photos…

Thursday report from Grey Fox 2024

Yebin Kim with Country Gongbang at Grey Fox ’24 – photo © Tara Linhardt

Once again it was a magical time at the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in the mountains of New York. Every July the hills truly come alive with the sound of music as multiple stages host all sorts of fantastic music and dance. The campgrounds are home to jamming, the making of new friends and reuniting of old ones.

This festival really has a unique feel as it has a great variety of stages, each with their own feel, able to showcase artists in large and small environments, along with workshops and led jam sessions. I applaud Grey Fox for providing such a broad range of fantastic musicians, celebrating the roots of our traditional music, as well as some of the freshest ideas of how it is growing and evolving, both from the region and around the world.

Grey Fox also has really cool vendors with all sorts interesting crafts, and a large variety of foods and great coffee keeping even a discerning palate happy.

The festival stages opened with a showcase from the students at the Berklee College of Music, led by Bruce Molsky. The acts included tunes from traditional bluegrass to jazzy grass, and even Shakti style Asian-influenced fusion with a mind-blowing percussive dancer. This festival does a fantastic job of presenting a mix of very traditional music, as well as those pioneering new branches growing out of those traditional roots.

Here is a little taste of the band from Berklee called Lotus Feet. These guys are amazing, and I look forward to seeing loads more of them in various forms in years to come.

Country Gongbang from South Korea at the High Meadow Stage

The band Cat Fish in the Sky at the Creekside Stage

Le Vent du Nord- an stupendous band from Quebec, Canada

Bruce Molsky and Darol Anger celebrating their “must have” latest recording which has recently been released.

And spontaneous on-stage musical adventures with an all star lineup headed up by the great Casey Driessen.

Shadow Grass rocking the Catskill Stage Thursday night

And a collection of Thursday photos

Kathmandu Bluegrass Festival debuts in Nepal

Participants in Nepal’s first bluegrass festival – photo © Eliott Siff

On December 9, Nepal saw the first Kathmandu Bluegrass Festival with multiple bands, a packed house, and a big All Star finale, with bluegrass pickers from Nepal, the USA, and India. The event was organized by the Nepali-American band, Himalayan Highway, who were joined by The Grassy Strings from Kolkata in India, Ryan O’Donnell and the KTM Bluegrass Unit, and the Bluegrass Journeymen.

Local fans and musicians alike were talking about the great music from the show, as well as quite a bit of talk about the Ear Trumpet microphones that made their debut in Nepal this winter, and were used on the Kathmandu Bluegrass Festival stage.

While Nepal may not be the first place to come to mind when thinking about bluegrass music, in recent years there have been increasing numbers of bluegrass and old-time musicians coming to Nepal to play, as Nepali musicians traveling to the US. The fusion of the two cultures has been producing some really cool fresh sounds.

The Mountain Music Project first came to Nepal in 2006 with founding members Tara Linhardt, Danny Knicely, and Jake Penchansky. While shooting their documentary they noted the similarities between the Nepali traditional music and that of Appalachian bluegrass and old time music. Since then, Linhardt has screened the film in Nepal and the US, and their Himalayan-Appalachian fusion music gracing such stages as National Geographic, The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, The Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, and many others. Their documentary also was screened at numerous universities and some festivals like the Brooklyn Folk Festival, Joe Val Festival, and World of Bluegrass.

In recent years, Tara has been heading up Music Arts and Culture Tours bringing music fans, musicians, or just folks interested in some travel to Nepal for fun and adventure with her company Music Arts Adventures. Inevitably, they have gotten into jams with local Nepali musicians, and for some Nepali audiences, creating more interest and understanding of the US bluegrass music and culture. Anyone interested in the possibility of taking a vacation to Nepal, or interested in organizing a student trip for university groups should contact them online.

The Kathmandu-based band, Himalayan Highway, organized the festival, and has been gigging around the Kathmandu Valley with their hot mix of Nepali and bluegrass tunes. They have been creating quite a buzz about the world of bluegrass in the region, and they are hoping to tour in the US in the new year to let US audiences hear their work. The band was started by Zoe Levitt, an American mandolinist and vocalist, and Prince Nepali, a fourth-generation sarangi player from Kathmandu in Nepal. Prince Nepali’s father, Shyam Nepali, performed with Tara Linhardt and her Mountain Music Project band at the Grey Fox Festival, and competed in old time fiddle with his sarangi at Clifftop and Galax in 2015.

When asked about organizing the Kathmandu Bluegrass Festival, Zoe Levitt said, “It was so amazing to bring a bluegrass festival to Nepal! I never imagined that we’d be hosting a jam with so many bluegrass musicians in Kathmandu. At first glance, you might not expect Nepali folk music and bluegrass to go together, but once you hear it, it sounds like such a great fit! The sarangi and Nepali percussion add so much depth to American tunes I’ve been playing all my life.”

Anyone interested in helping bring Himalayan Highway to the US can reach them online.

Here they are at the festival playing their tune, Folk Fusion.

Kids Academy shines on final day of 2023 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival

Grey Fox Kids Academy students prepare for their star turn – photo © Tara Linhardt

Sunday at Grey Fox is the day so many folks have been waiting for… especially those young pickers in the Bluegrass Kids Academy, and their families, since this is the day they take the stage following some of the big name acts.

The kids and their teachers work all weekend long to learn and perfect songs they will perform on stage. There is the big main group, and also a “seniors group” made up of some of the older students who might have some fancier skills.

The Kids Academies are a great way for young players to discover the fun of playing traditional music, as well as practicing in a group setting to perform on stage in a fun relaxed atmosphere. They exist around the country, and at some different times of year, but the summer season up and down the east coast seems to be home to many, with Grey Fox having one of the bigger programs I have seen. And a very well run one at that.

The students at Grey Fox are also encouraged to busk throughout the campground with the other kids as a fun way to practice, and get comfortable playing in front of people. This practice is popular with both the kids and the fans. Some of these students go on to become fine musicians, especially once they get that thrill of having played for people who dug it enough to clap, say nice things, and/or drop money in their bucket.

Austin Scelzo prepared this nice list of a number of programs in the northeast region for anyone who would like to try one out.

The Dry Branch Fire Squad and Joe Newberry also performed sets on Sunday. Ron Thomason of Dry Branch and his hilarious stories have become part of the Grey Fox tradition over the many years they have been the host band of the festival.

Joe Newberry also entertained the crowds with both his music and his humor on Sunday. Apologies to all for not catching the beginning of this lovely old-timey style rendition of a familiar TV show. I am pretty sure you will recognize it after you hear a bit. Hint: The original version was not old-timey at all, but Joe brilliantly makes it work. Love it.

After his set Joe also performed along with the Kids Academy as you can see in some of the photos below.

Saturday at Grey Fox 2023

Monster jam on Saturday night at Grey Fox 2023 – photo © Tara Linhardt

Along with the great music on the stages and in the campground of the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, there are also some wonderful parts of Grey Fox that set it apart from many other festivals. One such is the awarding of their annual scholarships, as well as raising money for other effective music education programs.

Money raised from buying a raffle ticket for the beautiful Beard Resonator guitar, Collings dreadnought guitar, Deering banjo, or the Northfield mandolin goes to support the Bluegrass Academy for Kids, Instructional Workshops, the IBMA Trust Fund, and the Grey Fox Scholarship Fund.

This year three lucky young, hard-working, and talented college-age musicians won the prestigious Grey Fox Bill Vernon Memorial Scholarship.The winners are G Rockwell (studying at New England Conservatory in Boston, MA), Tashi Litch (studying at Lawrence University in Wisconsin), and Grant Dresnok (studying at East Tennessee State University in Tennessee).

Here is a little jam they did on stage introducing themselves to the audience.

Lots of legendary artists hit the stages, as well as a number of hot new bands in the Grey Fox Emerging Artist Series, like Pictrola featured here.

At the end of the evening, as is the Grey Fox tradition, there was a bombastic All Star Jam headed up by Darol Anger. Here is a wee little taste of some of the fun with the Jesse McReynolds classic, Dixie Hoedown…

..and The Old Crossroads, featuring Joe Newberry.

Friday photos from Grey Fox 2023

Țara shared this batch of photos from Friday’s music and fun at the 2023 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival, plus a video of On The Trail.

First day of Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival ’23

It is always a beautiful thing watching the folks rolling in for another Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in the lovely hills of Oakhill, NY. Lots of smiles and hugs. It is in many ways like a family reunion for a lot of folks. A reunion of “created family,” of fellow music lovers of all ages.

Natalie MacMaster, with her husband Donnell Leahy and their kids, were a true delight with a mix of great music and humor. Their eldest daughter joined them on piano. Her main instrument is fiddle, but she was unable to play fiddle on the gig since her right arm was broken. She was able to play piano with her cast on, however and did a great job. She and her father also did a bit of fancy family fun where he did the bowing arm for her so she did get to play just a bit of fiddle with her left arm.

If you listen to this clip you will hear that there was quite a downpour of rain during their set, but the crowd, at least in that tent, didn’t move a muscle as the rains came because they were not going to miss a second of that great set.

Here is a video of the family in jam mode on the Creekside Stage at Grey Fox.

Here are a couple other little glimpses of the wide array of great music. We saw some of the legends of music, as well as an exciting series of emerging artists keeping each day full of great musical varieties.

Jake Blount

Stillhouse Junkies

The Ruta Beggars

Bluegrass Country radio’s founders celebration

The greater Washington, DC area has been home for many great musicians in the worlds of bluegrass and country musics over the years, but it has also been the home of some truly pioneering and influential radio waves, personalities, and shows.

On Saturday, September 10, at the historic Lucketts Old Schoolhouse there was a lovely celebration honoring the founders of what has become the Bluegrass Country radio station that evolved from terrestrial radio to the now internet radio station dedicated to bluegrass music. Many great bluegrass DJs have come out of this area and its bluegrass scene, and it all started at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday July 2, 1967, when the American University Radio station aired its first half hour bluegrass program called Bluegrass Unlimited. This radio broadcast was hosted by the great Dick Spottswood, and engineered by Gary Henderson. This eventually became WAMU-FM and became one of the most influential bluegrass radio stations in the country.

In 1970, Jerry Gray started his country music show, and Gary Henderson introduced a three hour long bluegrass show on Saturday mornings. Soon Katy Daley joined as another DJ. In 1974, Gary Henderson began his show Stained Glass Bluegrass. Then Lee Michael Demsey joined the list of WAMU DJs. The name “Bluegrass Country” was first used at the station for Jerry Gray’s show in 1980. Since then, WAMU and Bluegrass Country have had so many well known, well respected, and well loved radio personalities hosting their shows with their own personal flare and tastes in music.

With support from the National Endowment for the Arts, WAMU launched BluegrassCountry.org to add 24 hour internet bluegrass music to its still existing over-the-air programming. In 2009, Bluegrass Country introduced its first iphone app. Then by 2016 the WAMU radio station decided that it wanted to focus on news and talk radio, and was no longer interested in having bluegrass music on its radio waves, so that year the Bluegrass Country Foundation was created by music fans in and around Washington, DC to save the music and the shows they had loved so well, and to help keep the bluegrass station alive as on internet radio. Today this organization is run by volunteers, and can be heard on 88.5 HD-2, and can be streamed worldwide at BluegrassCountry.org.

To commemorate the 55 years of bluegrass and American roots music on the air, there was a celebration of the founders of this great bluegrass institution and its legacy. A lovely full color, hard-back book was created and shared with attendees. Lee Michael Demsey sat between Dick Spottswood and Gary Henderson and the three giants of bluegrass radio reminisced and shared their stories with a delighted room of some of the region’s bluegrass who’s who. The day was filled with stories, food, concerts, jams, and a few speeches.

If folks would like to check out the music and the shows, or would like to donate to keep music stations alive that have real live hosts and not just computers working algorithms, they can go to their website at BluegrassCountry.org. The Foundation’s goal is to not only provide professionally-produced bluegrass radio, but to also be involved in preserving and collecting important older music so that it will not be lost. They are also hoping to expand some of that type of work into finding, collecting, and digitizing, and making publicly available valuable recordings from the history of the music, and to educate, preserve, and promote bluegrass and American roots music wherever their signal reaches.

The Bluegrass Country Foundation in an independent 501C(3) nonprofit association, and is presently fundraising to create an endowment to ensure that the station and the music will securely survive well into the future. The station is no longer supported by any university, government, or institutional funding. They are totally supported by private donations for their day-to-day operating expenses. They are hoping to find new underwriting from organizations interested in reaching their listener base, and are also looking for a sales rep to help in reaching out to possible underwriters. All donations are tax deductible.

For more information about Bluegrass Country and the Bluegrass Country Foundation, go to their website, or write or email:

4401A Connecticut Avenue NW
Box 137
Washington, DC 20008

Saturday photos and videos from Grey Fox ’22

Here are photos and videos that Tara Linhardt captured on Saturday at the 2022 Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival. It turns out that we mixed up the Saturday and Sunday galleries on Friday (oops!), but things are properly labeled now.

Tomorrow we’ll have a detailed report from Mike Fiorito looking back at the whole festival weekend.

Della Mae

Circus No. 9

Mr. Sun

Peter Rowan