The IBMA Foundation has announced that Danny Daniel of Bowling Green, KY is the winner of their 2025 Strings for Dreams raffle, taking the prize of a vintage 1980 Advanced Maple Blossom Deering banjo.
Danny, a partner at Scott, Murphy, & Daniel, a commercial construction firm in Kentucky, told the IBMA that he had purchased his ticket as soon as the raffle opened.
“I was more than surprised to find out I won the banjo. In fact, it was quite a shock!. I’m not the luckiest guy when it comes to the horse track or wherever. My luck doesn’t usually play out too well.
I just told my partner at the construction company, I really can’t remember winning anything before.”
Though he had played banjo as a young man, Daniel had set it aside once his son was born.
“My son is almost 40 now, and I just turned 70. Up until he was two years old, I did play. I’ve got an old Gibson pre-war banjo, but I haven’t had it out of the case in 30 years. Maybe this will entice me to pick it up again. Learning to play was one of the hardest things I ever tried to do!”
Each year the IBMA Foundation, which works to foster the growth of bluegrass music through educational programs, scholarships, and grants, offers a donated bluegrass instrument through this program.
A few of the IBMA Foundation efforts supported by Strings for Dreams include:
- Bluegrass camps and afterschool programs
- Educational bluegrass presentations in schools
- College scholarships for students focusing on bluegrass-related studies
- Bluegrass educational grants to help musicians with the expense of attending camps, lessons, educational supplies, and instrument rental/repair
- The Arnold Shultz Fund, which encourages participation in bluegrass music by people of color
- Bluegrass academic conferences, workshops, and research awards
- Educational resources including the Discover Bluegrass: Exploring American Roots Music and the Bluegrass Stagecraft 101 video series
Congratulations Danny!
