Sterling Masat has been named as the newest member of the Commercial Music faculty at South Plains College in Levelland, TX. He will serve as bluegrass music instructor in the program, teaching banjo and guitar, and leading bluegrass ensemble classes. A
I’ve had a few emails about this series on practicing from people saying they have started spending time with their instrument again rather than just practicing “liking” things on FaceBook. And I’ve had a few emails from people saying they are
Judging from the mail I got this week, it seems that people like to read about practicing about as much as they like to practice. A full month of interviews of people who like to practice is pushing it, I know,
I practice all the time. Today I practiced watching the Olympics. This was after I practiced admiring how good my guitar looks in its stand. I practice that a lot. Later, I plan to practice eating barbecue, but I don’t
In most any discussion about the future of bluegrass, the subject of getting and keeping young people interested in the music inevitably comes up. We all know it's important, but how often do we actually take action in support of that
A faculty position has come open in the Commercial Music program at South Plains College in Levelland, TX. This is the program where banjo legend Alan Munde taught for so many years, and where bluegrass multi-instrumentalist Joe Carr still resides. South Plains is accepting
We caught up with Ron Block this week, and he tells us that he has started work on a new solo recording - as he has breaks in the Alison Krauss & Union Station tour schedule this summer. He says that
We have written a number of times about the four year degree in bluegrass which is now available at East Tennessee State University. The folks at ETSU are understandably proud of getting state approval for this degree program, and have
While East Tennessee State University remains the only college to offer a four year degree in Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies, another college in Tennessee has recently added a two-year associate’s degree program in bluegrass music. Volunteer State
Shindig. To people in western North Carolina where I live, Shindig is short for Shindig on the Green, which is an outdoor bluegrass music festival held on the courthouse steps in Asheville. Now in its forty-fifth year, the Shindig is
