The Foundation for Bluegrass Music in Nashville has announced the hiring of Nancy Cardwell to serve as their administrator. Cardwell has worked in bluegrass most of her life, as both a performer and on the staff of the International Bluegrass Music Association where she worked for many years as their special projects coordinator, culminating in her assumption of the Executive Director’s position for her last few years with the organization.
She will assist the Board of the Foundation with their charitable efforts, primarily in helping givers connect with worthy organizations and educational institutions in the bluegrass community. Each year they award grants to multiple agencies based on an ongoing application process. By collecting smaller donations from a large group of individuals, the Foundation can function as an umbrella entity that can offer sizable contributions.
Nancy says that her experience with the IBMA’s Bluegrass In The Schools program when she was their Special Projects Director puts her in a good position to administer the Foundation.
“I’m excited about working with the Foundation. There’s an enormous amount of potential for this group to do a tremendous amount of good with bluegrass music, for current and future generations.” Cardwell also served on staff at IBMA from 2012 through the spring of 2015 as executive director of the trade association for bluegrass music.
If bluegrass music were a town, we would be your community foundation. We’re the ‘United Way’ of bluegrass music—a place to donate funds and set up endowments that will be used for bluegrass-related programs and projects that will keep the genre alive and growing for decades to come. As Mr. Monroe said, this music is powerful. We want to save the world with bluegrass music.”
As this is not a full time position, Nancy will continue working as a membership specialist for the Hispanic Community/Faith-based initiatives for Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, as a booking agent for BuckleDown Productions, and as a freelance musician and writer.
The Foundation for Bluegrass Music will have a large presence at next month’s World Of Bluegrass convention in Raleigh, NC. They will host a booth in the convention’s exhibit hall during the week, and at the Red Hat Amphitheater during that weekend’s Wide Open Bluegrass festival.
Other notable Foundation events that week include:
- Thursday (9/29) – Foundation Chair Mark Panfil will announce the 2016 grant recipients during the Special Awards Luncheon.
- Friday (9/30) – Bluegrass Music Higher Education Forum, moderated by Foundation board member Fred Bartenstein.
- Friday (9/30) – Lunch symposium for current and retired college professors to discuss trends in bluegrass music education.
- Friday/Saturday (9/30-10/1) – College Band Showcase on the Wide Open Bluegrass Youth Stage.
More details about the Foundation and their charitable work can be found online.
