Opinion / Humor

Greetings from Raleigh, NC. I can happily report that I’m sleep-deprived but still breathing, and I consider that a personal victory. Even better news: the world is still turning. I mentioned last week that people seem to love (perhaps “hate less”

For some reason, some of my most popular columns have been on the subject of bluegrass haiku. It may be because of the close affinity between the Japanese and bluegrass music. So, in honor of the upcoming IBMA World of

Every November we’re bombarded with practical advice on how to plan ahead for the Christmas season. This includes how to get shopping done in an organized and timely manner, how to stay within your budget, and other timeworn topics. Sometimes,

Welcome to what I hope will be a semi-regular (better make that “irregular”) feature here. Based on some of the well-known etiquette-oriented advice columns of the past, like “Dear Abby” and “Miss Manners,” I will periodically wear the hat (High

Greetings from the road! Just as a personal challenge, and because my agent doesn’t own a map of North America, we’ve decided to go from the far southwest corner of the United States, almost to Baja California, to the far

The IBMA has arrived at its final slate of seminars for the World of Bluegrass this year, and though it hasn’t yet been released to the public, I have been able to obtain an advance copy. I guess I should

Last week I delved into the bluegrass analogy, which when used properly (adhering strictly to state and local guidelines on bluegrass analogy use), can be used as a method of explaining various things to bluegrass musicians and fans who might

I recently had the pleasure of teaching the bluegrass vocals class at the Augusta Heritage Center’s Bluegrass Week with a great singer, teacher, and long-time friend Dede Wyland. One morning, over a better-than-expected camp breakfast (I believe I opted for

Greetings from the Augusta Heritage Center’s Bluegrass Week in Elkins, WV. Music camps are usually tons of fun for both instructors and students alike, but they usually don’t afford a lot of time for writing (sleeping is also rare, and

Three years ago today I caused a serious car accident driving home to Boulder from the RockyGrass Festival in Lyons, Colorado. At about 2:30 a.m. I briefly nodded off to sleep, and drifted into oncoming traffic. I snapped awake a