The International Bluegrass Music Association in Nashville has announced the participants in their 2017 Leadership Bluegrass class. Members selected for this three-day program held at BMI headquarters are chosen from a pool of applicants each year to attend the intensive training and motivational seminars to help build and identify future leaders in the bluegrass music business.
This year marks the 17th annual edition of the program, which now boats over 400 graduates. As she has since 2010, Trisha Tubbs will serve as facilitator.
The people selected for 2017 include:
- Erik Alvar – Jim Hurst Trio, Gainesville, FL
- Lee Bidgood – East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN
- Jeff Burke – Music Educator, Nashville, TN
- Adam Engelhardt – SonyATV Music Publishing, Nashville, TN
- Anna Frick – Airshow Mastering, Boulder, CO
- Barb Heller – North Country Public Radio-NCPR, Canton, NY
- Justin Hiltner – Artist, Nashville, TN
- Kathryn Jenkins – Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music, Sevierville, TN
- Bronwyn Keith-Hynes – Mile Twelve, Jamaica Plains, MA
- Irene Kelley – Artist, Nashville, TN
- Uri Kohen – Westport Folk & Bluegrass Festival, Westport, County Mayo, Ireland
- Brennen Leigh – High Plains Jamboree, Austin, TX
- CJ Lewandowski – The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Sevierville, TN
- Corrina Rose Logston – Artist, Whites Creek, TN
- Laura Mainer – Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, Johnson City, TN
- John Meyer – Museum of Appalachia, Tennessee Fall Homecoming, Clinton, TN
- Ashley Moyer – Rounder Label Group, Nashville, TN
- Joe Newberry – Artist, Raleigh, NC
- Akira Otsuka – Bluegrass 45, Gaithersburg, MD
- Ricky Gene Powell – Artist, Wintergrass, Burien, WA
- Craig Reed – Downtown Raleigh Alliance, Younger Brother Productions, Raleigh, NC
- Bobby Rymer – Writers Den Music Group, Nashville, TN
- John Smith – Free Dirt Records & Service Co., Washington, DC
- Bill Thibodeau – Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance, Cumberland, RI
- Kris Truelsen – Radio Bristol, Birthplace of Country Music, Bristol, VA
- Rachel Whitney – Pandora Media, Nashville, TN
Attendees pay a fee to attend the various educational offerings at Leadership Bluegrass, with additional costs borne by IBMA Platinum sponsors, BMI, the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation, and the Wintergrass Music Festival (Acoustic Sound).
