We’ve just received word from Erio Meili of the Sao Paulo Bluegrass Music Association in Brazil, with word of an international bluegrass competition the SPBMA is hosting called Bluegrass Row.
Erio is inviting bands from all over the world to make a video of themselves playing a medley of predetermined instrumentals.
Here are the basic rules, as Meili describes them:
“The tunes are to be played with all 6 traditional bluegrass instruments (mandolin, guitar, banjo, fiddle, bass, dobro), but allowing also some inserts, within certain rules, for vocals and other instruments.
The tune sequence of the medley will be:
a) The Crow (Californian Steve Martin’s 2010 Grammy Winner)
b) The Frobee Watch (Brazilian Erio Meili’s public domain composition)
c) None Finer (from AcuTab and Bluegrass Today editor John Lawless from Roanoke, VA)This is a 6-months lasting project where the winner will be announced on September 30, 2010.
Please take a look now at the contest rules (various language options) and listen to an embedded midi sample of the medley on our web page.
Please do not hesitate to incentivize yourself and any of your bluegrass picking friends to enter this first and unique bluegrass world contest challenge with creativity and with a full bluegrass instrument line-up.
Bluegrass will keep growing!”
It’s an honor that he has chosen one of my songs for the competition.
The contest is mostly for fun – and bragging rights. Each member of the winning band will receive a Bluegrass Row T-shirt, and the knowledge that are an international award winner.
Go for it!
