Craig Havighurst, writer, NPR music journalist, independent filmmaker and IBMA Board member, has been tapped as Senior Producer for Music City Roots, a weekly, two-hour live radio/television broadcast aired on Wednesday’s from Nashville’s Loveless Cafe. The show presents music from a variety of artists loosely falling into the Americana or roots genre, including a healthy dose of bluegrass on most programs.
Havighurst has been associated with MCR since its debut in October 2009, serving as on-stage interlocutor, and guiding the performers through live interviews during the show – one of several things that sets them apart from similar offerings. But through this time, he has also been active as a free lance videographer, creating EPKs and promotional videos for Blue Highway, Infamous Stringdusters, Ralph Stanley, and Alison Krauss and Robert Plant.
But as Craig says on his blog at String Theory Media, “I’ve hung my free lance above the fireplace,” to work full-time for Music City Roots. There he will function in the day-to-day producer’s role, while also seeking to expand the reach of the program through more extensive syndication on the radio side. He hopes to see a syndication partner for their television feed as well, and plans to work towards a branded 24/7 online radio feed for American roots music.
In a discussion yesterday, Craig offered some reflections on the change from free lance to full time employment, and how he might be able to express his writing and film chops going forward.
“It feels strange after 8 years to have one point of reference, but it couldn’t be a better bunch of people or mission. It’s a great opportunity.
I’ll be looking for very similar kinds of film work, but just doing it under the MCR banner. Our productions will be on behalf of the artists but carry some kind of MCR credit ,and we’ll promote and share them via the MCR channels. I’m hoping for more live show films, since we have a nice set of cameras.
And I want to rededicate myself to magazine writing on the side. I’m going to see if I can get hooked in with a literary/public affairs kind of scene. I’m really interested in the role of bluegrass in the larger cultural conversation, viz. the Warren Hellman blog post I wrote. We’ll see.”
Congratulations to Craig – and to Music City Roots – on this new association.
