Opinion and commentary

A while back I was invited to bring my fiddle to a potluck party some friends of mine hosted in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina. I brought along my instrument in the hopes of finding some bluegrass musicians to

Janet and I just got back from Sore Fingers Summer School, a bluegrass camp in the Cotswolds in England—affectionately dubbed by Tim O’Brien, Hillbilly Hogwarts. We taught a week-long class on bluegrass harmony to 30 Brits who spent their hard-earned pounds

In 1992, Bill Clinton grabbed headlines with the phrase “It's the economy, stupid," and used it to unseat George Bush as President. I’m not trying to stir up old political feuds or throw a hissy fit, but my point here should

The primary purpose of pursuing our musical interest is the music itself, and I enjoy simply sitting in the living room practicing with our group, with no one watching. The process of writing a song, arranging it and bringing it

Let me say up front that this article is not about a night I had on the dance floor in the 80s with the father of bluegrass. It’s about remembering lyrics, but would you have started reading something called “Fun

If any of you tuned in to the Grammys last night, or have followed any of the coverage, you surely noticed one name that has been making headlines: Adele. Adele tied Beyonce’s record for the most Grammys brought home in one

Growing up in Hurricane WV was a real blessing in my life. Hurricane and surrounding towns were a hotbed of bluegrass music lovers, with a wealth of fine musicians. I remember as a young man, when my dad took me

If you think that this article is going to pit one organization against the other, or compare one to the other, then just stop reading now. A friend once told me that for every stone I throw, expect ten stones

The NAMM (National Association of Music Merchandisers) Show is held less than a mile from Disneyland. One is a commercial shrine to prepubescent entertainment and sensory overload. The other is a theme park. Or, maybe I should say the NAMM Show

Say one thing about 2011: It was a terrific year for lovers of bluegrass music, both traditionalists and big tenters. In fact, there were so many top-notch albums issued last year that I had trouble figuring out my Top 10