One of the more interesting aspects of bluegrass music is the multiple hats so many members of our industry wear in their day-to-day lives. Popular artists whose music we enjoy may have a career far from entertainment, and spend their weekends on the road, or sometimes more than one “day job” they fulfill to remain free to pursue their art.
Not many of the top touring acts we see on stage make their complete living from performing, though many do find ways to keep a toehold in the music business in other ways. Teaching private lessons, or in higher education, doing publicity or artist representation, songwriting, studio work, working in music stores, or as industry reps of some sort, are all ways that grassers keep body and soul together.
And thanks for all these avocations, else we wouldn’t be able to see so much live bluegrass at festivals and concerts all over the country!
One such as we describe is Kristen Bearfield, a voice you may know if you have reason to contact the International Bluegrass Music Association, where she serves on staff as their Public Relations and Communications Specialist. She is also deeply involved in the operations of their annual World of Bluegrass Convention. On top of that, she performs as a member of High Road, a bluegrass, gospel, and acoustic group, and as a solo artist, both recording and touring. You can see our previous coverage of her music here. That’s a lot to keep up with, but Kristen is a disciplined and determined young lady, who pulls it all off with aplomb.
She’s just recently returned from a tour of Finland and Norway where she performed her own music, as well as gospel and bluegrass favorites for some large and very appreciative audiences. In Finland she did shows with Nashville country artist Kinsey Rose, and Norwegian singer, and ETSU bluegrass graduate, Aslak Gjenestad.
Bearfield tells us that there are plenty of avid fans of American music in Scandinavia.
“They absolutely love acoustic and bluegrass music here! It’s amazing how much love they have for American music, and how wonderfully they treat us as artists here. The people are so eager for live music, and are so appreciative.
Our first show in Finsland was sold out, and we did a 1000 seat venue with myself, Lynda Randle from the Gaither Homecomings, and Erlend Gunstveit, winner of The Voice in Norway.
We had over 2500 for a ‘country night’ at Skjargärdsaang where myself and Kinsey Rose did a mix of country, bluegrass and gospel!”
Kristen says that it was worth all the hassles of international travel for the chance to sing and play for such wonderful people.
“One of the most special things about music is how it crosses boundaries. It’s amazing to me to sing in English to a Norwegian crowd of over 2,500 people – and we’re all worshipping the same God together through music, no matter what the language. What a gift!
The people of Norway truly love bluegrass, country, and gospel music, and I can’t wait to go back.”
Well done, Kristen!
