INTERNATIONAL

bluegrass

57thANNUALGRAMMYNOMINEES

Foundation GrantRecipients

Leadership BluegrassClass of 2015 invitees

Boardu pdat e

STAFF

BOARD

INFO

International BluegrassVol. 30 | No. 1 | January 2015

Statement of fact and opinion are made on the responsibility of the writers alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers, directors, staff or members of IBMA. Portions of International Bluegrass may be

reprinted provided that explicit citation of the source is made: “Reprinted with permission from International Bluegrass, the publication of the International Bluegrass Music Association, www.ibma.org.”

Editor: Taylor Coughlintaylor@ibma.org

Designer: Erin Faith Erdoserinfaitherdos@gmail.com

INTERNATIONAL BLUEGRASS(ISSN #1095-0605)

IBMA: IBMA is the trade association that connects and educates bluegrass professionals, empowers the bluegrass

community, and encourages worldwide appreciation of bluegrass music of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

CONTACT USThe monthly emailed publication of the

International Bluegrass Music Association

608 W. Iris Drive, Nashville, TN 37204 USA615-256-3222 | 888-GET-IBMA

Fax: 615-256-0450 Email: info@ibma.org Website: www.ibma.org

Jon Weisberger/Board Chairperson

Taylor CoughlinCommunications and Professional

Development Director

Eddie HuffmanConvention Services

and IT Systems Director

Nancy Cardwell Consultant

Alan Bartram/Director, Artists/Composers/PublishersBecky Buller/At LargeDanny Clark/At Large

Jamie Deering/Director, Merchandisers/LuthiersRegina Derzon/Director Secretary, Associations

John Goad, Print/Media/EducationWilliam Lewis/At Large

Stephen Mougin/At LargeJoe Mullins, Artists/Composers/Publishers

Leah Ross/Director, Event ProducersBen Surratt/Director, Recording/Dist./Marketing

Tim Surrett/Vice Chair/Director, Artists/Composers/PublishersAngelika Torrie/Director, International

CONTENTS

JANUARYTable of

EDITORIALFresh Starts: Bluegrassified04

Q&A with Board MemberBecky Buller08

GRAMMY NOMINEES announced06

LBG class of 2015 invited05

Foundation for Bluegras Music Announce 2015 Grant Recipients

10BOARD UPDATE11INDUSTRY NEWS12NEW MEMBERS:

December13

Pick up some healthy lifestyle tips from an ultra runner and professional touring musician10

International Bluegrass www.ibma.org4

EDITORIAL

Tale as old as time: The beginning of a new year allows slates to be wiped clean, resolutions to begin anew. Time to start fresh, start over, or just START in general.

In the IBMA offices, we’re pretty glad to start fresh. It’s no se-cret our organization has had some struggles in the past couple months. But we’re optimistic and productive, ready and willing. And our slate is wiped clean, too.

So it’s time to ask you, our membership, what YOUR resolutions are for 2015 in regards to our beloved community of bluegrass music makers and shakers.

Is 2015 the year you’ll volunteer at World of Bluegrass, or even make it out to World of Bluegrass?

Will you renew your membership in 2015 and vow to get more involved?

In 2015, will you make more connections, or make good on promises to connect?

How about learning something new in regards to your bluegrass profession (whether full time or volunteer)?

In 2015 will you finally complete your vinyl collection of Flatt & Scruggs albums?

We love the energy and optimism that accompanies this time of year, and we’re anxious to continue and build upon the great work we’ve been doing, while beginning new projects and generat-ing fresh ideas. We want you, the membership, to be involved. We wouldn’t exist without you.

Best of luck on your resolutions, folks. May you prosper in your bluegrassified resolutions!

On behalf of the staff and board at IBMA, thank you for starting 2015 on a fresh note with us.

Yours in bluegrass,

Taylor Coughlin Communications & Professional Development Director

Fresh Starts: Bluegrassified

www.ibma.org International Bluegrass 5

Leadership Bluegrass 2015Each year in Nashville, 25 folks from around the bluegrass/roots music industry are invited to participate in an intensive, three-day leadership and professional development class through IBMA. Through workshops, lectures, lunches, jams, and open discussions, participants are challenged, inspired, renewed and fortified. The level of networking, knowledge sharing, and relationship building is one that has been heralded since the program first began in 2000.

Leadership Bluegrass is proud to announce the invited participants for 2015:Amy Gallatin, Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters, Connecticut

Bree Tucker-Meyers, DVT Marketing Enterprises Inc., California Debbie Hall, Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance, Rhode Island

Devon Leger, Hearth Music, Washington Emily Epley, Exec. Director of Earl Scruggs Center, North Carolina

Gary Loeser, The Event Company, Kentucky Hank Smith, musician and teacher, North Carolina Heidi Herzog, Red Dress Productions, Tennessee

Jacob Groopman, Front Country, California Jeff Westerinen, artist and producer, Maryland

Jenni Lyn Gardner, Della Mae, Tennessee Joe Lurgio, musician, Tennessee

Joe Mullins, Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers, Ohio Judy McDonough, JEMMedia, Tennessee

Laura Boosinger, Blue Ridge Music Trails of NC, North Carolina Laurie Greenberg, Tall Pines Media, New Jersey

Maria E. Nadauld, Above the Bay Booking, California Mark Panfil, musician, New York

Mitch Collman, Robust Records Inc., North Carolina Paul Schiminger, High Strung Bluegrass, Maryland

Reuben Shetler, Boston Bluegrass Union, Massachusetts Ron Raxter, PineCone, North Carolina

Thomm Jutz, artist, Tennessee Tori Gold, Gold Heart Band, Virginia

Wendy Tyner, Wintergrass, Washington

Leadership Bluegrass 2015 will take place March 4-6 at BMI headquarters on Music Row in Nashville. The Plan-ning Committee (Emilee Warner – Chair, Trisha Tubbs, Alan Tompkins, Jean Spivey, Nolan Lawrence, Dan Keen, Beth Fortune, Taylor Coughlin – staff liason) are hard at work preparing.

The program is competitive with less than half of applicants actually accepted. For those who were not select-ed to participate, you are encouraged to re-apply next year!

For more information on Leadership Bluegrass, contact Taylor@ibma.org.

The invited class for

International Bluegrass www.ibma.org6

The awards will be held in Los Angeles, California on Sunday, February 8 at 8pm/7c on CBS. A lot of awards, such as those in the bluegrass/roots categories, are awarded earlier in the day.

BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM

Noam Pikelny Plays Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe

Noam PikelnyLabel: Compass Records

Into My OwnBryan Sutton

Label: Sugar Hill Records

The Earls Of LeicesterThe Earls Of Leicester

Label: Rounder

Cold SpellFrank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen

Label: Compass Records

Only MeRhonda Vincent

Label: Upper Management Music

BEST AMERICANA ALBUM

A Dotted LineNickel Creek

Label: Nonesuch

Congratulationsto the nominees of the

7

BEST FOLK ALBUM

Three Bells Mike Auldridge, Jerry Douglas &

Rob IckesLabel: Rounder

Follow The Music Alice Gerrard

Label: Tompkins Square

RemedyOld Crow Medicine Show

Label: ATO Records

“And When I Die”Billy Childs Featuring Alison Krauss & Jerry DouglasBilly Childs Featuring Alison Krauss & Jerry Douglas

Track from: Map To The Treasure: Reimagining Laura NyroLabel: Masterworks

“The New York Trains”The Del McCoury Band

Woody Guthrie & Del McCoury, songwriters (The Del McCoury Band)

Track from: My Name Is New York: Deluxe Audio Book

Label: Woody Guthrie Publications, Inc.

“Pretty Little One”Steve Martin And The Steep Canyon Rangers

Featuring Edie BrickellSteve Martin, songwriter (Steve Martin And The Steep

Canyon Rangers Featuring Edie Brickell)Track from: Live

Label: Rounder; Publishers: LA Films Music

Bass & MandolinRichard King & Dave Sinko, engineers; Robert C. Ludwig,

mastering engineer (Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer)Label: Nonesuch

The Way I’m Livin’Chuck Ainlay, engineer; Gavin

Lurssen, mastering engineer (Lee Ann Womack)

Label: Sugar Hill Records

Through The WoodsThe Okee Dokee BrothersLabel: Okee Dokee Music

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL BEST CHILDREN›S ALBUM

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS PERFORMANCE

BEST AMERICAN ROOTS SONG

“Destination”Nickel CreekNickel Creek

Track from: A Dotted LineLabel: Nonesuch

www.ibma.org International Bluegrass 7

International Bluegrass www.ibma.org8

Name: Becky BullerOccupation: Multi-instrumentalist, sing-er/songwriter, leader of the Becky Buller Band. I’ve been on the board since Jan. 20, 2014, as an “at large” artists, composers, publishers’ rep.

What brought me to The Bluegrass: My parents became interested in bluegrass music when I was very young. I don’t remember a time without it! They were in a Southern Minnesota based band called Prairie Grass during all my growing up years. I wanted to sing with the band, but they told me I would have to learn an instrument to be on stage with them because that’s how a bluegrass band usu-ally functions. They didn’t have a fiddle, so I started begging them for lessons at age 9. A year later, they started me in Suzuki violin. I joined their band when I was 12 or 13. Ended up going to bluegrass school at ETSU in Johnson City, Tenn., joined Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike upon graduation, and spent 10 years with her touring world-wide and working as a publicist at Bell Buckle Records, took a break, had a baby, got back on the road with Darin & Brooke Aldridge for two years, and am now have my own group.

What are your personal goals as a director on the board: I want to see the IBMA grow and flourish on all fronts. I want our business conference to be relevant, timely, and useful to folks from all walks of our industry, so much so that they can’t afford not to attend. I want our festival in Raleigh to get

bigger and better every year. I want to help cre-ate other revenue streams for IBMA that occur all year long. I want to create more value in an IBMA membership. I want to create even more partner-ship between the IBMA and regional and state and international bluegrass associations.

Becky Buller

Shakehowdy

Getting to Knowyour IBMA Board&

FEATURE

www.ibma.org International Bluegrass 9

What are you doing to help the board achieve the current goals: In March, I was asked to head up the songwriting com-mittee and continue the won-derful work started by Louisa Branscomb and Mark Brinkman, two stalwart champions of us bluegrass songwriters. We have several cool projects in the plan-ning stages; we’ll be telling you more about those as they come together. One I can tell you about now is the Songwriting Mentoring Program. It will be back online at the first of the year. The goal is for IBMA member songwriters to have access to constructive criti-cism on cultivating our craft by some of the best in the biz while connecting and creating com-munity. Tony Rackley has agreed to again head this up. (Bless you, Tony!) Folks interested in being mentored can drop him a line at jtrackley@aol.com.

I›m also keeping up with board activity and pitching in wher-ever I can. And I›m keeping up with the various IBMA listservs and social media sites to stay abreast of what our members are saying. Your voice is very important. This is our organiza-tion; it will take us all pitching in and working together to make it the best it can be. Please feel free to email me with your ques-tions, comments, and concerns at becky@beckybuller.com.

What is something IBMA mem-bers might not know about me: I’ve been a member of IBMA for almost 20 years. My first World of Bluegrass was in 1995. I was 16 and a junior in high school. Donica Christianson and I rode down to Owensboro with Jed Malishcke (Donica’s banjo teacher and executive director of the Minnesota Bluegrass And Old-Time Music Association) as chap-erone. Not sure what our parents were thinking… Just kidding. Jed is the best! Anyway, that week changed my life. I had a chance to meet, talk, and jam with my he-roes. Because they took that time with me, I chose to make a career out of playing this music. Now I’m on the IBMA board, a posi-tion I do not take lightly. I do my best to pay forward the kindness given me by those folks way back when. I have no idea what future bluegrass stars I might be encour-aging at a show or in the halls at the conference. And I’ll do the best I can to help preserve our organization and keep it moving forward.

What is your favorite bluegrass album and why: I’ll pick out three, because I can’t choose just one. As soon as I mention these three, I’ll think of several more. Live At The Old School House, The Johnson Mountain Boys. These guys were raw energy. Eddie Stubbs is my first favorite fiddler. His “Orange Blossom Special” on this record is still my favorite. Waiting For The Hard Times To Go, Nashville Bluegrass Band. This record started my love affair with

Stuart Duncan’s fiddling. I learned to sing baritone along with those magical Pat Enright/Alan O’Bryant duets. They always pick such interesting songs, too. One more. Every Time You Say Good-bye, Alison Krauss And Union Station. And that rounds out my top three favorite fiddlers!

What is your advice for someone new to the industry: Have five-year and ten-year plans. Play the long game. Don’t get anxious if things don’t get going for you as fast as you’d like. We like to think everything is instant these days, but there are still some things that just take time, especially if you’re aiming for high quality and longevity. The folks who are successful in this business, for the most part, have been at it a long, long time. And be real, be true to who you are and play the music that moves you. People crave authenticity.

What is your advice for a sea-soned pro: Keep up on, better yet, ahead of the new technol-ogy. Continue to connect with your fans in creative ways. Keep making and supporting the music you love. Refuse to be discour-aged! And consider taking a turn on the IBMA board or at least on one of the committees. Definitely do Leadership Bluegrass, which I went through in 2003. This is our organization; it takes all of us to keep it running smoothly so we can effectively get our united message out to the world that bluegrass is rockin’ awesome music!

International Bluegrass www.ibma.org10

PRESS RELEASE

FOUNDATION FOR BLUEGRASS MUSIC

ANNOUNCE 2015 GRANT RECIPIENTS

The Foundation for Bluegrass Music announced the four programs that will receive funding grants from the Foundation in 2015. Each program will receive a $2,000 grant:

§Junior Appalachian Musicians (JAM inc.), Independence, VA

§Toe River Arts Council, Inc., Bringing Bluegrass Back Home, Burnsville, NC

§West Virginia University-West Virginia University Bluegrass and Old-Time Instruction, Morgantown, WV

§Wheeling Park High School Bluegrass Bands,Wheeling, WV

“We were very happy to receive so many very worthwhile applications for our grants this year,” said Mark Pan-fil, Chairperson for the Foundation for Bluegrass Music. “It encourages us to hear of the many places, through-out the country, where people are working to spread Bluegrass music, but it also makes the decision process so difficult for the members of this board. We believe the programs that we chose focus most directly on Bluegrass music, and addressed specific needs as identified by the board in the Bluegrass music community.”

“We would like to thank all of the organizations that applied this year and encourage those who we couldn’t manage to help with funding to re-apply next year,” Panfil added.

Created in 2007, the Foundation for Bluegrass Music is a non-profit charitable organization (501c3) created to serve as an “umbrella” under which funds can be placed and disbursed to support educational, literary, artis-tic and historic preservation activities of public benefit. In addition to these yearly grants, the Foundation also funds such projects as Bluegrass in the Schools and various workshops and camps for all aspects of the industry. To find out more about the Foundation for Bluegrass Music, visit bluegrassfoundation.org.

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www.ibma.org International Bluegrass 11

INDUSTRY NEWS

Hi, everyone—a happy new year to all, and here’s our first update of 2015. As you can imagine, with the holidays just conclud-ed, it’s a brief one, but we’re gearing up for a Board telecon-ference later this week (the draft agenda was published in our 12-22-14 update), so there’ll be more to report in the near future, including the selection of two new Board-appointed mem-bers. In addition, if the Board approves the proposed Bylaws amendment, members of the Agents/Managers/Publicists; Artists/Composers/Publishers; and Broadcasting divisions will be electing new Board mem-bers to fill out remaining terms (fall 2015 in the first 2 cases, fall 2017 in the last) as soon as practicable.

On the Executive Director front, we’ve retained former E.D. Nancy Cardwell as a consultant for a maximum of three months to ensure continuity of work while we move forward with the search for a new Executive

Director. We’re in the last stage of our original plan, and in the event that it doesn’t result in the selection of an E. D., we will immediately finalize the reten-tion of a search firm, with all of the indications of interest, resumes, etc. collected from our earlier job posting turned over to them for follow-up. In the meantime, the Executive Com-mittee will look at options for interim management beyond Nancy’s consultant role.

The Bylaws Committee has re-ceived proposals and comments from a number of members, and is beginning to sort them out—along with their own ideas—for consideration. The goal is to bring recommendations and/or sets of choices to the Board, starting at its spring meeting. As committee chair Regina Derzon will be explaining separately, the committee will distribute a summary of its draft proposals to members for comments in advance of the meeting.

Financial reports on the World of Bluegrass and projections for the fiscal year-end are be-ing finalized for presentation to the Board at its teleconference. Once that’s done, summaries will be made available to mem-bers.

One of the items on the Board’s agenda this week is a discus-sion of the business conference. Do we want to make changes to its design? Add new ele-ments? Eliminate any current ones? Make it longer? Focus on a particular group or groups of potential attendees? Change how it’s marketed? We have a good deal of feedback from the attendee surveys, but more is always welcome! If you want Board members to know your thoughts, please send them directly (email addresses are at https://ibma.org/about/people), or to suggestions@ibma.org.

Update from the board of directors

International Bluegrass www.ibma.org12

January 2015Industry NEWS

On the charts

Standing ‘o!

In Remembrance

Billboard: Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn at number one; Nickel Creek, A Dotted Line at number two; Alan Jackson, The Bluegrass Album at number three.

Bluegrass Today Monthly Airplay: “Her Love Won’t Turn on a Dime” by Lonesome River Band (written by Bart Butler, Timothy Johnson, Shane Minor) at number one; “Now the Summer’s Gone,” by Joe Mullins and the Radio Ram-blers (written by Barkley C. Davis) at number two; “Honky Tonked

to Death,” by Junior Sisk and Ramblers Choice (written by Bill Castle).

Bluegrass Unlimited songs: “Moon Over Memphis,” by Balsam Range (written by Mark Winchester) at number one; “Too Blue to Have the Blues,” by Detour (written by Jeff Rose and Terry Herd) at number two; “Bitterweeds,” by Larry Sparks (written by Barbara Wilkinson, Sonya Wood) at num-ber three.

Bluegrass Unlimited albums: Five by Balsam Range (Mountain Home) at number one; Lonesome and Then Some…A Classic 50th Cel-ebration of Larry Sparks by Larry Sparks (Rebel) at number two; ‘Tween Earth and Sky by Becky Buller (Dark Shadow) at number three.

Singing News: “Stacking Up the Rocks,” by Balsam Range at number one; “Empty Me Lord,” by Primitive Quartet at number two; “I’ll Be Gone,” by Mountain Faith at number three.

Oberlin College’s Conservatory of Music has named Punch Brothers ‘’Affiliate Scholars,’’ in recognition of ‘’significant professional achievement.’’ The group, which features 2004 Oberlin graduate Chris Eldridge on guitar as well as mandolinist and vocalist Chris Thile, are in their second year of residency at the prestigious conservatory.

Blue Highway’s Tim Stafford married Janet Ratliff on December 20! Congratulations to the happy couple!

Joe Carr of Texas passed away from a stroke on December 14. He was 63. Carr was a well known musician as a member of the Country Gazette, as well as an educator at South Plains College for many years. Carr won an IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award alongside Alan Munde in 2008.

www.ibma.org International Bluegrass 13

INDUSTRY NEWS

For the record - need to know

Kenneth Ingle

James Kee

Gale Casey

Tina Davis

Jenny Hirt

Grady Henley

Joseph Ippolito

Lori Kampa

Whitney Tine

Steve Wilson

Wayne Mcdowell

Richard Madison

Gary Roques

Jerry Mayeroff

Nicholas Somogyi

Diane Kraft

Jennifer Mclain

Michael Mclain

George Pennington

Philip Rook

NEW MEMBERS: DECEMBER

Official Showcase Band applications for World of Bluegrass 2015 (Sept. 30-Oct. 2) will open on Janu-ary 15, 2015 on IBMA.org. The submission deadline for all applications must be completed online by Saturday, February 28, 2015 for consideration.

Bluegrass First Class (Feb. 20-22, 2015; Asheville, NC) announced its tickets are on sale, and released some of the lineup which includes Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, Dailey & Vincent, Seldom Scene, Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver and more! Check out the full lineup and all details on their website.

Australian band Mustered Courage recently signed with Lost Highway to record their next album.

Also in Aussie news, The Mid North (from New South Wales) will release their second album Tales From a Mountain soon. Band leader Scott Collins also served as the engineer for the project.

Laurie Lewis announced in her most recent newslet-ter that she and partner Tom Rozum will once again be on a rafting trip with Northwest Rafting Co. The trip takes place on the Rogue River in Southern Or-egon and kicks off August 13. More information on the floating, picking, and all-around good time to be had can be found here.

Grasstowne, lead by Alan Bibey, will have Jimmy Haley on guitar and Gena Britt on bass, with Justin Jenkins and Bibey remaining on guitar and mandolin, respectively. Their first gig will be at SPBGMA, Feb. 6-7.