The White House and Congress are negotiating the details of emergency aid that will likely include money for musicians and others who participate in the so-called gig economy. President Trump said this afternoon that the size of checks mailed to Americans
West Virginia mandolin player Silas Powell, leader of Silas Powell & the Powell Family Band, is recovering after a scary car accident last week. According to Powell, he was traveling near Jane Lew, WV, this past Monday (March 9), when he
Applications are now being accepted for the 3rd annual Higher Education Scholarship provided by the Mountain Fever Music Group. They offer a $1,000 award to a college-bound student based on merit, citizenship, and love of music. The Mountain Fever Music Group
IBMA is closely monitoring the coronavirus outbreak but isn’t taking action just yet related to the 2020 World of Bluegrass celebration in Raleigh this fall. “As of right now, there are no plans to cancel” the conference, IBMA said in a
The South Carolina Arts Commission and the and the University of South Carolina McKissick Museum have announced that Kristin Scott Benson is one of the recipients of the 2020 Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards. Benson had this to say in
My Grass Is Blue is an organization run by the Byrne family, dedicated to fostering the appreciation of bluegrass music in their native Ireland. David Byrne, patriarch, has been a fan of the music since his teen years, and has successfully
I’m proud to announce the family is growing once again. Parents Mason and Raven Fisher are excited to bring home bluegrass baby Maybelle Lee Fisher today. Folks should remember Mason as the banjo player for the Dowdy Brothers band. Congratulations Mason,
Austin Tate, mandolinist with Carson Peters & Iron Mountain, and Amanda Muncy, were married on February 15. The two were wed at Freedom Tabernacle Baptist Church in Atkins, VA during an afternoon ceremony. Austin tells us that while Amanda isn't a picker,
Do you suffer from wrist pain when you play? Many musicians do, and the ailment isn't limited to professional players. A good number part time and amateur string musicians experience discomfort as well. It can come from any number of sources:
Knoxville grasser John Miller, a guitarist and vocalist who has worked with a good many groups over the years, has been hit with a second round of cancer. And in the unkindest cut, it appears that the radiation treatment he
