The International Bluegrass Music Association has released a photo of the 2015 graduating class of Leadership Bluegrass.
OK… “graduating” may be laying it on a little thick, but these are the folks who completed the organization’s annual three-day seminar which seeks to bring together both current and aspiring leaders within the bluegrass music industry.
This 16th class met in Nashville at the BMI headquarters for three intense days of workshops and discussions, March 4-6, along with several nights of music in the evenings. Weather watchers among us may note that those dates coincided with one of the snow storms that hit middle Tennessee this winter, but organizers were able to scramble together a web interface that allowed students, presenters, and discussion leaders to go on as planned, despite slushy, icy roads.
Trisha Tubbs served as facilitator, with Chris Keenan traveling from Ireland to be her assistant.
The following are members of the 2015 class:
- Amy Gallatin – Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters, Connecticut
- Bree Tucker-Myers – DVT Marketing Enterprises Inc., California
- Cameron Matthews – The Bluegrass Situation, New York
- Debbie Hall – Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance, Rhode Island
- Eddie Huffman – IBMA, Tennessee
- Emily Epley – Executive Director of The Earl Scruggs Center, North Carolina
- Gary Loeser – The Event Company, Kentucky
- Hank Smith – musician and teacher, North Carolina
- Heidi Herzog – Red Dress Productions, Tennessee
- Jacob Groopman – Front Country, California
- Jeff Westerinen – artist and producer, Maryland
- Joe Mullins – Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers, Ohio
- Judy McDonough – JEMMedia, Tennessee
- Kathy Chiavola – Artist, Tennessee
- Laura Boosinger, -Blue Ridge Music Trails of NC, North Carolina
- Laurie Greenberg – Tall Pines Media, New Jersey
- Maria E. Nadauld – Above The Bay Booking, California
- Mark Panfil – Foundation for Bluegrass Music and musician, New York
- Mitch Collman – Robust Records Inc., North Carolina
- Paul Schiminger, -High Strung Bluegrass, Maryland
- Reuben Shetler – Boston Bluegrass Union, Massachusetts
- Ron Raxter – PineCone, North Carolina
- Thomm Jutz – artist, Tennessee
- Tori Gold – Gold Heart Band, Virginia
- Wendy Tyner – Wintergrass, Washington
Each year’s participants are selected from among the various candidates who submit to attend. There is a fee for inclusion, and contributions to help offset additional costs are raised through both sponsorships and donors.
Previous attendees have consistently raved about both the educational and networking opportunities they have gained from the experience.
Submissions to attend the 2016 event will be accepted in the Fall. Further details can be found on the IBMA site.
