Becky Johnson, a 2009 graduate of the IBMA Leadership Bluegrass program, is the recipient of a Best Team Performance award given out during the recent Leadership Bluegrass Alumni Retreat at the YMCA Blue Ridge Center in Black Mountain, NC.
Johnson has worked in and around bluegrass music for most of her life, but tells us that this is the first time she has been so recognized by the community. It was at the Berkshire Mountains Bluegrass Festival in July of 1977 that Becky caught the bluegrass bug, and 40 years later she is still dedicating her energy to the propagation of the music. During that time she had chronicled live performances as a stage photographer and helped in show and radio promotion as a graphic artist.
This is also the 10th Anniversary of her Mrs. Bluegrass radio program on WCOM 103.5 FM in Chapel Hill and WMMT 88.7 FM in Whitesburg, KY.
Becky says that she noticed the trophy when she entered the session on May 3, but never expected that it would be hers.
“We discussed the many issues facing bluegrass music today, through break out groups filled with passionate but serious debates, from how to draw in younger kids to the World of Bluegrass experience, to increasing new leadership members, ice breaker events that involved everybody grabbing a different musical instrument, tuning it followed by a group practice and performance all within 45 minutes.
Little did I know that the microphone award for our group performance would eventually end up in my hands at the very end of the retreat! Exciting topics arose for the upcoming Leadership Master Class, to be held during the annual World of Bluegrass in Raleigh.”
Congratulations Becky. Well done!
