Following the plan the International Bluegrass Music Association adopted for their 2020 World of Bluegrass convention, the organization will host its acclaimed Leadership Bluegrass business sessions this year for free online. Missing will be the personal networking opportunities so prized by attendees, but the information shared in small group meetings and seminars will be offered to all virtually in March 2021.
In a typical year, Leadership Bluegrass invites a couple dozen bluegrass professionals from all corners of the business to Nashville for a week. These individuals are chosen through a highly selective process, and they pay their own way plus accommodations to spend time in discussions and information sessions with top industry pros. Of course very little has been typical about the past twelve months, and the organizers of Leadership Bluegrass decided that it wasn’t practical to ask people to travel and spend time in close proximity while COVID-19 restrictions are still in place.
So this year, each Thursday in March will see a live presentation offered online, along with a set of music from an up-and-coming bluegrass group from outside the US. These will be available to everyone at no cost on the IBMA Facebook page, starting March 4 at 1:00 p.m. (EST).
The 2021 program is entitled Leadership Bluegrass Online: Navigating the Digital Jungle, and will run on the following schedule.
- March 4 – The Show Must Go On: Producing Events in Uncertain Times
Performance by Country Gongbang (South Korea) - March 11 – The Music Modernization Act: Where Are We Today?
Performance by The Often Herd (UK) - March 18 – The Business of Education: 4 Tips to Becoming More Effective & Profitable
Performance by Johnny & The Yooahoos (Germany) - March 25 – The Artist’s Perspective: Sarah Jarosz
Performance by You, Me, Everybody (New Zealand)
All presentations will begin at 1:00 p.m. (EST).
Further details about Leadership Bluegrass can be found online.
