The Bluegrass Standard - April 2026

Keith Barnacastle • Publisher

CONTRIBUTORS

Editor

Randy Smith

Randy Smith retired in 2025 after teaching high school English, AP psychology, and musical theater for 40 years, a job he truly misses.  He has been honored with being High School Teacher of the Year three times, Lincoln County Schools System Teacher of the Year, and he was selected as STAR Teacher seven times.  He lives just off Lewis Family Road, and his uncle by marriage was Pop Lewis’s nephew.  He taught Lewis Phillips, former musician for The Lewis Family; he went to high school and the University of Georgia with Sheri Easter (she was also his disco dance partner); and, his students have performed at the Bluegrass Festival in Lincolnton, Georgia. “I have been tangentially connected to Bluegrass music all my life,” Smith admits. “I am a storyteller by nature, and I appreciate anyone who can write or tell a great story.”

Creative Director Sales Director Writer Writer

Rebekah Speer

Rebekah Speer is a Nashville, Tennessee based artist and creative professional with more than twenty years of experience in the music industry. A singer-songwriter with recorded cuts and a growing presence as a recording artist, she also works extensively behind the scenes as a live sound and recording engineer, including front of house for the Grammy-nominated group Sister Sadie. As Creative Director for The Bluegrass Standard, she crafts a unique visual identity for each issue while gaining a deep appreciation for the artists and stories behind the music. In addition to her work with the publication, Speer provides graphic design, recording, and technical support to a wide range of clients, bringing both artistic vision and technical expertise to every project. www.rebekahspeer.com

Susan Woelkers

Susan traveled with a mixed ensemble at Trevecca Nazarene college as PR for the college. From there she moved on to working at Sony Music Nashville for 17 years in several compacities then transitioning on to the Nashville Songwritrers Association International (NSAI) where she was Sponsorship Director. The next step of her musical journey was to open her own business where she secured sponsorships for various events or companies in which the IBMA/World of Bluegrass was one of her clients.

Susan Marquez Brent Davis

Curious by nature, Susan Marquez thrives on knowing the backstory. After a long career in advertising and marketing, Susan began writing feature articles in 2001. Her specialty is culture, and music is her passion. She has written over 3500 articles for magazines, newspapers, business journals, trade publications, and online sources. “Just like you shouldn’t have a favorite kid, perhaps I should love every publication I write for the same, but there is no doubt that I love writing for The Bluegrass Standard the best. My job allows me to meet some of the most talented folks on the planet, and writing about them is a huge honor for me.”

Susan is a teaching artist for the Mississippi Arts Commission, and she served as the president of the Mississippi Writers Guild for nine years. She and her husband, Larry, split their time between homes in Madison, Mississippi, and New Orleans, where they love listening to live music every chance they get.

Brent Davis produced documentaries, interview shows, and many other projects during a 40 year career in public media. He’s also the author of the bluegrass novel Raising Kane. Davis lives in Columbus, Ohio.

Kara Martinez Bachman is a nonfiction author, book and magazine editor, and freelance writer. A former staff entertainment reporter, columnist and community news editor for the New Orleans TimesPicayune, her music and culture reporting has also appeared on a freelance basis in dozens of regional, national and international publications.

A Philadelphia native and seasoned musician, has dedicated over forty years to music. Starting as a guitar prodigy at eight, he expanded his talents to audio engineering and mastering various instruments, including drums, piano, mandolin, banjo, dobro, and bass. Alongside his brother, he formed The Young Brothers band, and his career highlights include co-writing a song with Kid Rock for Rebel Soul.

Stephen Pitalo has written entertainment journalism for more than 35 years and is the world’s leading music video historian. He writes, edits and publishes Music Video Time Machine magazine, the only magazine that takes you behind the scenes of music videos during their heyday, known as the Golden Age of Music Video (1976-1994). He has interviewed talents ranging from Ray Davies to Joey Ramone to Billy Strings to Joan Jett to John Landis to Bill Plympton.

David Haley Lauver is a songwriter and freelance writer from Knoxville, Tennessee, who is a columnist for The Bluegrass Standard magazine. Three songs Lauver has co-written topped national Bluegrass charts. Along with Jerry Salley, Karen Bowles, and Bobby Johnston, Lauver was a co-writer of “The News That Never Changes,” a 2025 Bluegrass Gospel #1 for The King James Boys. “Appalachian Blue,” created by the same writers, was an international hit for recording artist Kristy Cox and received a “Roots Music” Grammy nomination. Lauver also worked with Donna Ulisse and Ali Shumate to write “Jezebel,” a #1 song for Shumate. In 2014, Lauver was selected to the East Tennessee Writers Hall of Fame. He has performed at Nashville’s Tin Pan South Music Festival and North Carolina’s “Merlefest,” where he was a five-time finalist in the Chris Austin national songwriting competition. Lauver’s career has included work as a news reporter, U.S. Senate staffer, university communications director, and executive speechwriter.

Candace Nelson is a marketing professional living in Charleston, West Virginia. She is the author of the book “The West Virginia Pepperoni Roll.” In her free time, Nelson travels and blogs about Appalachian food culture at CandaceLately.com. Find her on Twitter at @ Candace07 or email CandaceRNelson@ gmail.com.

When asked if she always wanted to be a violinist, Sharon Winters Bounds immediately responds with a vehement “No” and a gleeful chuckle.

Both of her grandfathers and her father played the old-time style of fiddle, which is derived from traditional European dance melodies. Not all children necessarily want to follow a family tradition, and the young Sharon had no interest in being a third-generation fiddler.

When an opportunity to learn classical music arose in grade school, she warily approached her father.

“You can imagine an eleven-year-old girl going up to her father and saying, ‘Look, here’s the deal…” Bounds laughs at the memory and adds that she told her father she would try violin but would stop in six months if she did not enjoy it.

“My father, perhaps able to see the bigger picture, said, ‘Sure, if you don’t like it you can quit,’” she says. During her test trial, her parents took her to multiple fiddle contests, and she learned about different forms of fiddle playing, such as Texas-style. She noticed that some styles offered more room to improvise than others.

“And I said, ‘I want to do that,’” Bounds recalls. She had been hooked by fiddling.

Early on she listened to recordings by Mark O’Connor and Randy Howard, both known for their virtuosic skill in country and Bluegrass fiddle playing. “Back in the day we did not have people writing out the notation or tablature for us,” Bounds says of the lack of written notation for instrument fingering in the musical genres that intrigued her.

“We would take a 33 1/3 record and slow it down, and of course, we would have to retune our fiddle to match the tuning on that lower speed,” Bounds recalls. She was undaunted by the additional labor.

“I would sit down and listen to it, pick it apart, learn a part or two, get good at that and listen to the other parts, then you would put it all together and you would have a song,” Bounds concludes, “That’s how determined my generation was, that’s how we learned our songs.”

Now a remarkably versatile fiddle player, Bounds can play Bluegrass, Cajun, country, contest- and Texas-style fiddle, and her talent has taken her from her home in Tuscaloosa to some of the most cherished Bluegrass stages in the southeast. She has only positive things to say about the camaraderie and mutual support she has found in the fiddle competition circuit.

“There are fiddlers who also play guitar that will compete in the fiddle contests, then they turn around and back up other fiddlers with the guitar,” Bounds says. “There’s a lot of good friendships in the fiddle community.”

A fiddle competition Bounds holds close to her heart is the Grand Masters Fiddler Championship annually held in Nashville, Tenn. It attracts fiddlers worldwide, and she has made the top ten category on seven separate occasions.

Sharon Bounds: from an uninterested youngster to dedicated fiddle teacher and Bluegrass bandleader.

“It’s a very fun competition and over the years you get the opportunity to meet so many outstanding fiddle players. You become friends, and it becomes like going home to a family reunion.”

The high stakes of winning have not soured the offstage connections. “Now when you get on stage, you’re serious,” Bounds laughs, “but once you get through competing you’re all friends again.”

Bounds has also won the Mississippi and Alabama State Fiddle Championship several times and has succinct and time-honored advice for fiddlers who are interested in competing. “A lot of practice,” she advises. “Lots of determination, and just because you enter a competition and lose that first one or two, keep your head up and just keep going.”

In addition to competitions, Bounds has kept busy the past several years as a founding member of the band The Ancient Tones. Formed two years ago, Bounds’ band is entirely comprised of Alabama musicians. “We have everything covered as far as Bluegrass instrumentation.” Bounds plays the fiddle; Rick Rorex, a National Mandolin Championship winner, plays the mandolin; Weston Stewart plays the banjo and is a former National Bluegrass Banjo Championship winner; and Jesse Lindsey Smith, who sings, writes music, and plays both bass and guitar for the group. Another member is Alan Tolbert, who plays flat-top guitar.

“He’s one of the very best pickers I’ve ever run across,” Bounds says, “And I’ve been around a lot. He reminds me of Tony Rice,” she adds, referring to the late Bluegrass singer and guitarist.

“We put the group together because everyone was such a master of their instrument and we thought it would be fun to have a group together,” she says. They have begun crafting a catalogue of original songs for future performances and a potential album.

In the two years since its formation The Ancient Tones has already played twice in the Huntsville-based Bluegrass and BBQ Festival and has also performed at Lowe Mill Arts and Entertainment Center. Bounds is looking forward to the band performing in May at the extremely popular Bluegrass music venue Everett’s Music Barn in Suwanee, Georgia.

With her experience in the realm of fiddle and Bluegrass competitions, Bounds naturally progressed from the role of contestant to revered judge. “I enjoy that aspect too,” Bounds says. “I still get to participate in the jam sessions, while getting to see a different side as a judge.”

She also enjoys being on the committee for the Southeastern Fiddle Championship, known as Fiddle Fest. 2026 will be the 10th year for the annual one-day festival, which celebrates Bluegrass and fiddle music and takes place on the Shelton State Community College Martin Campus in Tuscaloosa.

Lily Coleman, one of Bounds’s students, performed in the 2025 Fiddle fest and took home the prize for best youth fiddle. The twelve-year-old Vestavia Hills-based student is—like

her teacher—a third generation violinist.

“What I like most about playing violin is performing for other people because it makes them happy,” Coleman explains. “Miss Sharon has taught me all the best songs, and she has taught me lots of techniques that have improved my fiddle playing, like slides and double stops.”

“She’s doing very well,” Bounds says of her promising three-year student. “She’s one of the ones I can tell is going to do great things with her fiddle.”

When Bounds is not teaching students, which range in age from four-year-olds to retirees, she is also in high demand for weddings. She is equally comfortable playing a stately, classical piece such as “Canon in D” as she is picking a rapid-fire fiddle tune on a Nashville stage.

Her husband Bill frequently accompanies her at weddings, and he plays guitar and banjo for another local band. “We stay busy,” Bounds laughs. “I love it. I’m either teaching or playing at a wedding or playing in a Bluegrass festival. I just love the music and it’s part of me.”

She may not have intended to follow the family tradition, but Bounds has fiddled her way to an exemplary career, and her oldest son Brandon also caught the fiddling bug, making four generations of violinists.

“And my first grandchild is about to be born soon,” Bounds says, continuing with a chuckle, “and you better believe she will have a fiddle in her hand!”

You can follow Sharon Bounds and her band The Ancient Tones on Facebook and on Instagram @sboundsfiddle

by Stephen Pitalo

Bluegrass has always been music built on movement—between towns and tents, borrowed fiddles and borrowed time, tradition and the next idea waiting to happen. And if there’s a modern map to that movement, it lives at BluegrassRoadTrip.com, the official online directory for bluegrass festivals across the United States.

At the center of that map is Amy Ricci, who didn’t set out to build a digital institution. She stepped in because something worth keeping was about to disappear.

“Originally it was called Bluegrass Circle, and that started in 2012,” Ricci said. “Corey Hemel, who promotes the Outer Banks Bluegrass Island Festival, started it with a friend. He put the website together, opened a store, and ran the festival—but he got really busy and was going to let it go.”

Ricci wasn’t having it.

“I told him, ‘No, don’t do that. It’s too good of an idea.’ In 2018 he asked if I wanted it, and I said yes. I took over the business and renamed it Bluegrass Road Trip.”

The name change wasn’t branding—it was direction.

“His idea was a circle of bluegrass people, businesses, and festivals,” she said. “My idea was Bluegrass Road Trip—using the site to plan your road trip to festivals.”

That concept now anchors one of the most comprehensive bluegrass resources in the country, built not on automation, but on persistence.

“Maintaining an accurate calendar is very time-consuming,” Ricci said. “I go to each festival’s website and verify the dates directly. Right now, the site is updated through the end of May. I started June, but many festivals hadn’t posted their dates yet, so I stopped and waited.”

Accuracy, for Ricci, also means confirming survival.

“I also have to make sure a festival is still running,” she said. “After COVID, a lot of festivals folded. That’s one of the hardest parts—going to a website and realizing it’s gone.”

Her research extends beyond festivals to the artists themselves.

“I check artists’ tour schedules—traditional bands and progressive bands—to see where they’re playing,” Ricci said. “If there’s a festival listed that I don’t already have, I add it. I want to make sure everyone is included.”

BluegrassRoadTrip.com isn’t built from a desk alone. Ricci is out in the field—tent up, stickers in hand.

“I go to festivals, set up a table, talk to people, and give out stickers,” she said. “I tell them, ‘If you know a festival I don’t have listed, email me and I’ll add it.’”

She’s clear about the site’s limitations—and its honesty.

“There’s a note on the site reminding people to double-check details,” Ricci said. “I’m human. This isn’t an AI thing.”

In December, Ricci made a leap that turned a long-running passion into a full-time commitment.

“I worked for GSK Pharmaceuticals for 26 years,” she said. “In December, I left my job. Now I’m building a better office, working on the online store, and putting more emphasis on Bluegrass Road Trip because I finally have the time.”

Financial sustainability is still evolving.

“I’ve been using money from my job,” Ricci said. “What I’m working toward is compensation from promoters and bands for featured links and listings. That’s part of what I’m building now.”

But community—not monetization— remains the site’s backbone.

“I go to as many festivals and shows as I can,” she said. “I live near Raleigh, so I’m close to a lot of venues and festivals. Since leaving my day job, I hope to travel farther— to Kentucky, Tennessee, and beyond.”

That freedom has deepened long-standing relationships.

“The first festival I ever went to was the Outer Banks Bluegrass Island Festival in 2012,” Ricci said. “I met Corey [Hemel] in person in 2014, and we became instant friends. He gave me flyers and asked me to hand them out at festivals. That led to meeting promoters, bands, and so many people in the community.”

After more than a decade, the biggest shift hasn’t been technological—it’s cultural.

“When I started, it was the same festivals every year,” Ricci said. “There weren’t many new ones. After COVID, everything changed. Festivals started appearing and disappearing much more frequently.”

That change has pushed Ricci toward documenting festivals as experiences, not just listings.

“When I go to a festival, I try to show what it’s really like,” she said. “Is there camping? A pavilion? Is it covered if it rains? I take photos, make reels, and add them to the site so people can see if it’s something they want to attend.”

Sometimes, those experiences veer delightfully off the map.

“One midnight jam had black lights, and people were marked with designs that glowed,” Ricci said. “Everyone was glowing—it was so much fun.”

Another involved floating mushrooms over a crowd.

“He tied giant inflatable mushrooms to fishing rods and had us walk them over the audience,” she said. “I thought, ‘Where else do you see something like this?’”

Increasingly, the answer is BluegrassRoadTrip.com—now approaching four and a half million total site hits and supported by a Facebook community of more than 73,000 followers.

And then there’s Roscoe.

“He sat on my desk for years,” Ricci said. “I brought him to festivals, and people started asking for him. Now he’s kind of the mascot.”

It’s fitting. Bluegrass thrives on personality, presence, and showing up.

BluegrassRoadTrip.com isn’t just a directory—it’s a working archive of how bluegrass actually moves through the world. One road at a time. One festival at a time. One person deciding that something worth loving is also worth maintaining.

Go take a look at everything they are doing at www.BluegrassRoadTrip.com

by Susan Marquez

LAKIN FAIN

Artist Lakin Fain grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and now lives in Denver, Colorado. She has been painting her whole life. In recent months, her love of bluegrass and her talent in art have come together in a unique way that she didn’t see coming.

Lakin went to college to study environmental design. “It’s a broad degree that explores production design, fabrication, and even 3D modeling in the woodshop,” she explained. It was during those classes that Lakin first started making puppets.

But her passion for art was more traditional. “I love oil painting.”

She currently works as a lighting designer in an architectural firm. “It is related to art,” she says. “My job deals with form, light, and color.”

On the side, Lakin does commissions. “I paint people’s pets, children, houses – that kind of thing.” But a serendipitous event last year led to what may be a most creative, and possibly lucrative, side gig. “ I have a friend whose boyfriend plays the drums,” said Laking. “She commissioned me to create an art piece of him. I began to think of ways to elevate the art – perhaps by making something two-dimensional.” Lakin decided to make a puppet out of cardboard. “I added a pull string so that the puppet’s arms would move up and down to simulate him playing the drums.” It really worked, and that delighted both Lakin and her friend.

Where Music and Art Intersect

An amateur banjo player, Lakin says she took up the instrument about a year ago. “I wanted to connect with my family’s Appalachian roots. We hail from Williamsburg, in Eastern Kentucky. I grew up fascinated with my grandmother’s house, which is full of historical artifacts collected from area coal miners.”

Lakin wrote her senior thesis in college on Reinforcing Appalachia. ”It was a collage that utilized old and current photos depicting the past and present, and paintings I did on how I envisioned the future.” It was during that time that Lakin began listening to bluegrass music seriously and soon took up the banjo.

After the success of her drum-playing puppet, Lakin made a frog playing the banjo and took it with her to a bluegrass festival. “I also took my banjo so I could jam. While I played, a friend picked up the frog puppet, and it was a hit. People loved how the frog played the banjo with the other musicians, and they began to inquire about how they could get a puppet.”

Now Lakin makes her puppets out of wood. She began making puppets that looked like her favorite musicians, including Billy Strings and members of his band, including Strings’ banjo player, Billy Failing.

Lakin and several friends attended the Billy Strings show on Halloween. “I made five puppets and gave them to five friends,” she said. People at the show wanted to buy all of

them. I realized then that I may be on to something.”

She made more puppets to take to the Billy Strings show in Asheville in February.

Not long ago, Lakin says she ran into Billy Failing in the airport, and she happened to have the puppet she made of his likeness with her. “I gave it to him, and he was shocked that someone had a puppet with his image on it. It was really an amazing experience.”

It has become apparent to Lakin that she has a new business in the making. “I enjoy the hands-on authenticity of working with wood and making something by hand,” she says. At the time of this interview, she was working on a website. It’s entirely possible that it may be up and running by the time you are reading this article. She does have an Etsy page called Pickin’ Puppets where her puppets can be purchased. You can also contact her to make commissions.

by Jason Young

Rose’s Pawn Shop’s American Seams Catches Lightning in a Bottle.

If there is an act that Americana music fans will look upon with excitement as they rummage through the twenty-first century, recapping their favorite artists, it will no doubt be L.A. roots rockers Rose’s Pawn Shop. Their latest effort, American Seams, captures the synergy that has become the band’s trademark.

Weathering numerous personnel changes while navigating the revolving music industry, the band’s current incarnation has dialed back punk tempos for nuanced songwriting.

“We’re super excited about getting new music out into the world,” shares Rose’s Pawn Shop lead singer Paul Givant. “I’ve had a handful of songs written over a time period of our last record, and I started looking at which ones fit together.” “[American Seams] is about looking back on our life, our careers, and our relationships and taking stock—looking at the good, bad, and the ugly of how things have gone,” explains Givant.

The title track, “American Seams,” became the focal point of the album. “I’m not taking a political stance,” assures Givant, whose song lyrics touch on the current polarization. “With the country going in two different directions, the singer warns, it feels like it’s falling apart at the seams.”

The band collaborated with award-winning producer Eric Corne. “Eric is a super cool, mild-mannered dude!” describes Givant about the Canadian producer. “He has a chill vibe, but he knows how to get what he wants out of performances.”

A musician himself, Corne helped capture

the nuances. “He has a great ear for helping us shape our sound. If he doesn’t like something, he will let you know, then give you suggestions.”

“We tracked the album around four or five days,” shares the band’s founder. “We did a lot of [recording] live, minus the vocals and a few overdub parts. We recorded at Robbie Krieger’s studio, then finished it at Eric’s home studio. There we did another week and a half working on vocals and harmonies.”

“Capturing a live energy was easy,” explains the L.A. songwriter. “With the guidance of Eric, we did five takes for each song. Once we were sure of what our arrangement was like, we would just go at it! What I really like about the record is it sounds very close to how we sound live—it’s not overly produced.”

Givant credits the band for pulling it off. “These guys are fantastic!” shares Givant. “[American Seams] came together nicely—it’s a testament to the high quality of the musicians that are playing with Rose’s right now.”

“We definitely had some folks come and go,” says Givant about the band’s roster over the years. “The longest-tenured guy is our bass player, Stephen Andrews. He and I have become the core of the band,” shares the Rose’s Pawn Shop singer.

Guitarist Zachary Ross brought in his own style. “Zack is a different type of guitar player from a blues-rock background—he gives the band a bigger sound! I think the sound has changed since [he] joined.”

Adding new members—fiddle player Jesse Olema, drummer Deacon Marrquin, and guitarist Ross—Givant says the band’s sound has evolved. “Our very first record pulled from punk rock—at one point we were like, ‘Let’s be like bluegrass Flogging Molly.’ Some of that energy is still there, but

we dialed it back. The cool thing about American Seams is we pulled together different styles of American music.”

“We wouldn’t be considered bluegrass by purists, but we have a lot of bluegrass in our instrumentation,” admits Givant.

The new album features stronger vocals. “It’s always been an important part to me—going back to the bluegrass side of things. I love those tight bluegrass harmonies. It’s what we spent the rest of our time working on with American Seams. It was really Zack and Jessie working out the parts. They are incredible singers in their own right!”

Givant says the band is ready. “We have a big year of touring ahead,” the singer shares. “I am really excited to get back to Europe—we have only been out there one other time. We’re trying to make Europe a regular part of our tour circuit.”

The band will make a trip to the East Coast. “We are thrilled to play some places we haven’t played in a while,” shares the singer. “We want to promote the album and get the new songs out there to the people, and hopefully they are well received.”

Leadership Bluegrass: Developing the Next Generation of Leaders

“Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?”

That George Jones country classic has been covered by Ricky Skaggs, Mo Pitney, the Steep Canyon Rangers and other Bluegrass artists.

In a real sense, the International Bluegrass Music Association also is answering that song’s question. Through Leadership Bluegrass, IBMA helps identifiy and develop the next generation of leaders for the music’s future while encouraging greater cooperation across the industry today.

IBMA selects a 25-member Leadership Bluegrass class each year. In just over a quarter century, the program has graduated more than 500 alumni from all sectors of the Bluegrass community.

Participants take part in an intensive threeday program to enhance their leadership and networking skills. They also gain a better understanding of the business of Bluegrass and challenges and opportunities ahead.

Trisha Tubbs, president and board chair of

the IBMA Foundation, was a member of the first Leadership Bluegrass class in 2000. She served on the group’s Planning Committee and for seven years was facilitator for new classes.

Tubbs said that Dan Hays, then IBMA executive director, and Pete Kuykendall, editor and general manager of Bluegrass Unlimited magazine, were familiar with Nashville’s Leadership Music project. That program brought together representatives of Nashville’s diverse music community for monthly sessions about issues of mutual interest.

Hays, Kuykendall, and Bluegrass historian Dr. Charles Wolfe brainstormed an idea that would be a better fit for the widespread Bluegrass community. Tubbs said the recommendation of an annual “boot camp” was approved by the IBMA board in 1999.

“Bluegrass was growing and there was an interest in reaching younger members involved in each of the different areas,” Tubbs said. She said objectives were to create contacts, increase cooperation among people working in all areas of Bluegrass, and raise the level of professionalism.

Over the years, Tubbs said, Leadership Bluegrass has helped participants learn about changing technology—from the need for websites and a social media presence to the transition from cassettes and CDs to digital downloads and streaming services. Recent classes have included discussions on the use of artificial intelligence tools.

Tubbs said that alumni of the program continue to work together through mentoring sessions, networking, and joint projects. Some have developed “master class” presentations for IBMA’s annual business conference, while others have contributed to the IBMA Foundation’s webinar series.

“A High-Level Crash Course in Bluegrass”

Alum Donna Ulisse, songwriter/artist on Turnberry Records and co-CEO of Tall Oaks Publishing, recalled her participation as a “high-level crash course in Bluegrass.”

A member of the program’s Class of 2010, Ulisse had just come from Atlantic Records in the country music world. She said she learned a lot about doing social media and publicity, dealing with promotion and booking agencies, and other aspects of the industry that require more direct involvement by Bluegrass artists.

Ulisse said meeting Leadership Bluegrass panelist Doyle Lawson had a big influence on her career. “We talked about how he goes about selecting songs,” she said. “That discussion started our friendship and led to his producing my records. I’m now proud to be his business partner in Tall Oaks Publishing.”

Jerry Salley—songwriter/artist/producer and creative director/head of A&R for Billy Blue Records—was in the Leadership Bluegrass Class of 2011. “I made lasting relationships in that group,” he said. “One of the greatest things about the program is that you work with and continue to be friends with those folks for the rest of your life.”

“We had speakers and discussions about how record labels operate, artists and their needs, challenges that booking agents face, venue owners and how they do business, and the work of songwriters, publishers, and broadcasters,” Salley said. “It’s an opportunity to get to know more about every single facit of the industry.”

“None of us can succeed without the others,” Salley said. “In Leadership Music, you learn how people navigate their aspect of the industry and how we can work together more effectively.”

Online applications for Leadership Bluegrass open each fall on the IBMA website and generally close by the end of October. The program is open to all professionals in Bluegrass—including artists, label managers, broadcasters, event promoters, publishers and songwriters. Applicants must be at least 21 years old and demonstrate leadership and potential for future contributions to the Bluegrass community.

Leadership Bluegrass Class of 2026

“Seeing the Leadership Bluegrass participant list each year gives me real hope for the future of our industry,” said Ken White, IBMA Executive Director. “This year’s class highlights the growing global reach of Bluegrass, bringing together industry professionals from Quebec, British Columbia, Switzerland, Australia and the United States. Their diverse experiences and perspectives will help guide the future of Bluegrass music.”White was among the speakers when this year’s class met March 2-4 in Nashville. Jeff Westerinem served as facilitator and Nancy Posey was assistant facilitator.

Congratulations to these members of IBMA’s Leadership Bluegrass Class of 2026:

Chassady Abernathy (Sound Biscuit / Appalachian Road Show / ETSU — Ellijay, GA) • Evie Andrus (East Tennessee Bluegrass Association, President / University of Tennessee, Lecturer of Appalachian Music / Pellissippi State Community College, Adjunct Music Faculty / Laurel Theater, Managing Director — Knoxville, TN) • Jessica Blankenship (Kentucky Music Hall of Fame & Museum — London, KY) • Kathryn Boucher (Spartanburg Philharmonic — Spartanburg, SC) • Madeleine Cody (The Cody Sisters — Brooklyn, NY) • Amy Sue Combs (International Bluegrass Music Association — Bowling Green, KY) • Joe Dan Cornett (North Chapel Music — White House, TN) • Gina Dilg (Square Dance Agency — Radford, VA) • Helen Foley (California Bluegrass Association — Sonoma, CA) • Tanya Guenther (NimblePie Creative Co. / NimbleFingers Bluegrass & Old-Time Workshops & Festival — Mile Ranch, British Columbia, Canada) • Byron Hill (Byron Hill Music — Franklin, TN) • Tyler Hughes (The Crooked Road — Big Stone Gap, VA) • Stephen M. Johnson (Represent / GPA Government and Public Affairs — Owensboro, KY) • Sarah W. Larsen (Black-Eyed Suzies / Little Fiddle Studio — Stevensville, MD) • Joanne Ledesma (Musicbizgal.com — Glendora, CA) • Isaac McCarthy (The Ohio State University / Bluegrass Pride — Gerrardstown, WV) • Will McSeveney (Skyline Records — Nashville, TN) • Bridget Rees (Dorrigo Folk and Bluegrass Festival — Megan, New South Wales, Australia) • Benjamin Russell (Gordon Rees / Delta Hayride Association — Nashville, TN) • Mark R. Schuster (IBMA Foundation — Langley, WA) • Elliot Siff (The Bluegrass Journeymen Academy / Elliot Siff Productions — Golden, CO) • Carly Speno (Bonfire Entertainment — Laval, Québec, Canada) • Randy Steele (tnjams.com — Chattanooga, TN) • Shelly Surdoval (The Recording Academy — Franklin, TN) • Urs-Rainer von Arx (Swiss Bluegrass Music Association / Country Ramblers — Zürich, Switzerland) • Liz Wolfe (BluegrassJamsNearMe.com — New York, NY)

by Susan Marquez

Hannah Harper is striving to balance raising a family with three little boys and following a musical journey as an aspiring songwriter and singer. It’s a journey that began when she was just nine years old, growing up in Southeast Missouri in a family steeped in the rich traditions of bluegrass gospel music.

The nation was introduced to Hannah when she first appeared on Season 24 of American Idol on February 2. She auditioned for judges Lionel Richie, Carrie Underwood, and Luke Bryan with an original tune she wrote and sang called “String Cheese.” It’s a song that brought Carrie Underwood, also mom to two young boys, to tears on national television.

Hannah shared that she suffered from postpartum depression, and the song was her response to a struggle many mothers battle. She has always been a stay-at-home mom, but after the third child was born, the stress of caring for three little ones was difficult. “I’m 26 years old and had my first child at 19, with the other two following every two years.”

With lyrics like, “I smile because I know/ Meetin’ their needs fills my soul/ And being their momma is who I’m meant to be,” Underwood immediately connected with Hannah’s song. But it was the lyric, “When I’m overwhelmed and touched out/ Here they come climbin’ up on the couch/ Sayin,’ Mama, can you open my string cheese?” that brought Underwood to tears.

“Well, that’s about the most relatable song I’ve ever heard,” said Underwood. “You’re one I’m going to be thinking about after you leave here, wondering what you’re going to sing next. I’m rooting for you.” Bryan added, “With that mountainous bluegrass sound you have in there, I kept thinking like Kacey Musgraves in there. I kept thinking, Alison Krauss…and a little Dolly in there…you’re

going to be able to move some people. Way to really write the moment you’re in.”

Much like Dolly Parton, Hannah is a true storyteller, sharing her life in songs. “I took interpersonal communication and creative writing in college. I had never written poems, but those classes unlocked something in my brain.” She started writing “String Cheese” after the birth of her third child. However, Hannah emphasizes that her songwriting influences aren’t limited to her experiences as a mother: “I have written songs about things other than motherhood.”

But motherhood has taught Hannah that words matter so much. “As a mom, my words matter to my kids. I have found songwriting to be one of my favorite outlets.”

Hannah’s path to stardom has been a winding one. “My mom is the daughter of Gospel singer Bob Lewis. My parents, Katrina and Gaylon Harper, were in his band. After they eloped in Arkansas, they came off the road to raise a family in Bunker, Missouri. Hannah is one of three children. “I have two older brothers who are both musicians. Dalton and Dillon Harper.” Hannah has lots of ties with the bluegrass world. “I sang on a song with Rhonda Vincent when I was 11.” Hannah says her dad quit his job to do fulltime music ministry, and that’s where she got her start. The family traveled on a 40-foot bus, and the children performed extensively. Dalton played guitar, and Dillon played mandolin. “We played a lot of churches,” says Hannah. “From 2009 to 2016, our livelihood depended on love offerings.” Her brothers are still touring with Hannah today, with Dalton on guitar and Dillon playing bass.

When Hannah got married, she began posting videos of her cleaning house. “I posted a video of me doing dishes at the sink to a 90s playlist, and it went viral.” Surprised that

her videos had garnered a following, Hannah did a live on TikTok one night, and a recruiter from American Idol reached out. Hannah thought it was a joke, but soon realized it was for real. The preliminary Zoom calls went well, and Hannah was on her way. “I said a prayer, ‘Lord, don’t let me tread on ground not appointed for my feet.’”

That audition video is one of the most-watched American Idol reels. The judges loved her and unanimously voted to send Hannah to Hollywood. The next television appearance for Hannah was during Hollywood Week on February 24, when she sang Lee Ann Womack’s “A Little Past Little Rock.”

The show’s finale is in May. Until then, she is unable to release anything. “But I can write,” she says. And she is writing. And she is soaking up all she can with her American Idol experience. “The show has definitely changed my life. So many doors for opportunities have opened. I’m doing things I’ve never done before, like singing in front of vocal coaches and getting feedback. It’s a learning curve, and I’m grateful for it.”

Hannah’s husband, Devon, was in law enforcement but is now a stay-at-home dad. “This is something I want to do because I want the opportunity to give my boys the kind of life I had growing up, but in a bigger way. I want to sustain my family and do music full-time.”

by Susan Marquez

When Danny Roberts learned to play the mandolin while growing up in Kentucky, he never dreamed it would take him all over the world. “When I was coming up, my musical idols played in contests. They did it on the weekends, then went back to their regular jobs. That’s what I saw, and that’s what I wanted to do.”

He never dreamed that he could have a full-time career in music. Yet, for the past 22 years, Danny has been playing with The Grascals, a group he formed with a childhood friend, Jimmy Maddingly. “Jimmy and I grew up together.” In addition to Danny and Jimmy, the other OG’s (Original Grascals) were Terry Eldredge, Jamie Johnson, Terry Smith and David Talbot. A few months after they formed The Grascals, they were asked to be Dolly Parton’s opening act and to serve as her backing band on tour. It was the kind of endorsement bands dream of – they had professional respect, they were adored by their fans, and they were celebrated by the industry.

“Dolly is as sweet as can be,” says Danny. “When we were in the studio with her, we’d all sit in a circle and work on a song, then she’d feed us. She made us chicken and dumplings or biscuits and gravy – she’s a great cook.”

It didn’t take long for The Grascals to get recognition in the form of awards. Their blend of modern traditional bluegrass, along with country influences and gospel, earned them plenty of accolades. They were honored on a big scale right out of the gate. Their self-titled debut featured a duet with Dolly Parton on “Viva Las Vegas.” It won the IBMA Album of the Year, and the band was named IBMA’s Emerging Artist of the Year. More recognition followed, with two IBMA Entertainers of the Year awards, a Dove award nomination, and three GRAMMY nominations.

The Grascals have shared the stage with many stars and recorded with many more. They have recorded and toured with Charlie Daniels, Tom T. Hall, Kenny Rogers, Vince Gill, The Oak Ridge Boys, George Jones, Hank Williams, Jr., Brooks & Dunn, Dierks Bentley, Patty Loveless, Steve Wariner, The Jordanaires, and Joe Nichols.

The band has performed worldwide and for two United States presidents. “We played for George W. Bush at Fort Campbell in Tennessee,” recalls Danny. “We were in a huge hangar with thousands of soldiers both inside and outside. Air Force One approached as we finished a song, and it was inspiring to see all those soldiers turn to watch the President disembark. We also played for a going-away party for the President’s staff at the White House, and the President and First Lady came backstage and talked with us. They were just as friendly and down-home as could be.” The band also played during an ancillary event honoring Native Americans as part of Barack Obama’s inauguration.

Playing overseas has been a wonderful experience for Danny and the band. “The most memorable places we went, for me at least, were Japan and Greece. In Japan, we couldn’t communicate with the people because of the language barrier, but they still loved the music. And Greece was so different in culture and lifestyle. I marveled that I was so far from home. In Japan we played a festival with Charlie Daniels, and we were the only bluegrass group. I remember that it was set up like a 90’s festival, and the people there were all dressed in cowboy attire.”

Today, the band members include Danny, Kyle Perkins, John Bryan, Jamie Harper, Kristin Scott Benson, and Jamie Johnson. When asked what keeps them going, Danny emphatically responded, “It’s the love of the music.”

Danny is the only member who has been with the band since its beginning. “Jamie left and returned after eight years. Throughout hard times and adversity, we are all still friends. You have to have a purpose. It’s like a marriage, where it’s not all roses all the time. And when you have six people with six different ideas, you’ve got to know when to give and when to take. That said, it’s

never been as easy in the band as it is now. The singing is so good, the music is fun, and everyone gets along. We really have a blast together! This is not a chore for any of us – it is always a pleasure for us to play together.”

That camaraderie shows when the band is on stage. A Grascals show is upbeat and light-hearted, yet the music is always on point. Whether it’s at a festival, Radio City Music Hall, or the Grand Ole Opry, every time they walk on stage, they put on the best show possible.

“I have to admit, any time the Opry calls, we are always ready to go,” says Danny. The Grascals have played over 200 times at the iconic venue, and Danny states that the times they have played there are his most memorable shows. “It’s an honor every time we walk out on that stage. I always thought if you got on the Opry, you’ve made it. One very special highlight was playing with Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner the last time they sang together on the Opry stage.”

Danny’s daughter, Jaelee, who is now a member of Sister Sadie, literally grew up in the wings of the Grand Ole Opry. “We used to measure her growth by Little Jimmy Dickens,” he laughs. “But she kept getting taller!”

The Grascals have a new album – their 14th - coming out this summer on Billy Blue Records. “It’s our first record with Billy Blue, and we are really excited,” Danny says. “That album will include our first single with the label that features Dolly, ‘Broken Angels,’ and a music video with her as well. We have a new sponsor, Hopeless Holler Trading Co., and they are wonderful folks who we are so happy to be partnered with.” Danny says the band is ready to “run up and down the road in our new ride and keep making great music.”

by Susan Marquez

AUTHENTIC UNLIMITED

Finding a song that puts a band on a winning trajectory is always a blessing.

That’s the case with “Fall in Tennessee,” the song that garnered praise and honors for Authentic Unlimited at the 2024 IBMA Awards.

With the song comes an interesting story of how it came to be recorded. But first, it’s important to understand how Authentic Unlimited came into existence.

“We started the group... and grew into it,” explains founding member and banjo player Eli Johnston.

Growing into it

When Doyle Lawson retired in 2021, three members of his legendary group, Quicksilver, regrouped to create a new band. Eli, bassist Jerry Cole, and fiddler Stephen Burwell formed Authentic Unlimited, eventually recruiting seasoned musicians John Meador on guitar and vocals and Jesse Brock on mandolin to join them.

“I played music with John in Gatlinburg,” says Eli. “Over coffee one day, I asked him about joining Authentic Unlimited. He recorded our first two albums with us, so we knew he was a good fit. Fortunately, he felt it was a good opportunity. After he did another album release with us, we put our trust in him and brought him in as an owner in the band.”

John Meader had done some songwriting with Bob Minner, known for his originals recorded by Special Consensus, Blue Highway, and Dailey & Vincent, among others. “We had talked with Alison Krauss about guesting on a song with us,” says Eli, “but the timing wasn’t right.”

The band wanted to include a guest with a “name,” so to speak. “We had a song John and Bob wrote, ‘Fall in Tennessee,’ that called for a Dobro,” recounts Eli. “I know who my favorite Dobro player is, and when I asked the other band members who they would suggest, they all came up with the same person [as I did]: Jerry Douglas.”

Doyle helped connect them with Flux (as the great Dobro player is known), and he came in to record the song with the band. “That song blew up for us,” says Eli. “We played it at the IBMA Awards Show in 2024, and it was posted online, and it went crazy. We knew it turned out good but never expected this.”

The tune was named IBMA’s Song of the Year and received an award for Music Video of the Year; Authentic Unlimited was named Vocal Group of the Year. So Much for Forever was also nominated for Album of the Year and Collaborative Recording of the Year with Jerry Douglas.

“It turned out pretty good for us,” says Eli, in a charming understatement.

New fire & energy

Exactly a year ago this month, Colton Baker, formerly with IIIrd Tyme Out, replaced John Meador on guitar and lead and tenor vocals. “Colton has brought new fire to the group,” Eli reports. “He brings a lot of personality, and he pushes us further. I feel like we are really coming into our own. We’re doing more energetic stuff. We love traditional bluegrass, and we love gospel. But now we want to reach beyond the norm.”

In the business of bluegrass music, a sound technician is just as important as any band member. Eli says they are grateful to have the services of sound tech Kevin McKinnon. “Kevin was the sound tech for Doyle for 12

or 13 years. When Doyle retired, we inherited all his gear. He told us to do something good with it. We were so blessed to receive it and to have Kevin working with us.”

This past November, Authentic Unlimited finished recording a new album in Smith County, Virginia, Eli confides. “We rented an Airbnb on Smith County Lake, and the studio was just down the road. We enjoyed living together, cooking together, and making music. We have a full-length album that we are looking to release this summer. We recorded eleven tracks, plus a few extras for the song bank to put out as singles.”

The new album, packed with soulful melodies and heartfelt lyrics, is totally different from the band’s four earlier recordings, Eli reports. Infused with fresh new energy, Authentic Unlimited honors traditional bluegrass while bringing an innovative new sound to the mix. True to its name, this band has an endlessly authentic sound that appeals to both old and new generations of bluegrass fans.

“We are rebranding ourselves a little bit as we develop our own distinct sound,” Eli says. “I think people are going to like it.”

Visit Authentic Unlimited online at https://www.authenticunlimitedband.com.

by Stephen Pitalo

Kaïa Kater

Finds Her Spirit Between the Spark and the Silence

Kaïa Kater remembers the moment the door cracked open. She was a kid in Montreal when her mother fell in love with the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack, and they sought out an opportunity to see its musicians perform live.

“We went and saw the ‘Down from the Mountain’ tour,” Kater says. The consequent search for more of the same eventually led Kater and her mother to a map, an eight-hour drive, and the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in upstate New York. She laughs about their lopsided campsite and the single chair they shared all weekend, but that trip set the trajectory. Next, her mother enrolled her in the Grey Fox Bluegrass Academy for Kids, and eventually she picked up the banjo that would become her anchor.

“The first song I learned on banjo was ‘Cripple Creek,’” she says, “then ‘Old Joe Clark’ or something. People were super-generous with their time, and with me.”

A short lesson with a family friend changed Kater’s direction entirely. She connected instantly with clawhammer banjo, like it was a piece falling into place, and she still talks about it with a kind of awe. The lesson lasted only minutes, but it echoed for years as she shaped her sound.

“It changed my life,” she says. “There was something about learning the clawhammer banjo that just worked for me. It sparked something. People would come up to me and say they want to learn the banjo. I would say, ‘Great. Do you have three and a half minutes? I’ll teach you right now!’”

The weight of several landscapes

Over the past decade, Kaïa Kater has built a reputation as the owner of one of the most distinctive voices in modern roots music, earning a Juno Award for the album Strange Medicine and a Canadian Screen Award for Best Original Song on The Porter, a CBC dramatic series. Her earlier albums — Sorrow Bound, Nine Pin, and Grenades—garnered nominations for the Polaris Music Prize and wide critical acclaim from NPR, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian, among many others. She has collaborated with revered artists like blues guitar legend Taj Mahal – she’ll be touring with Taj next month -singer-songwriters such as Allison Russell and Aoife O’Donovan, and jazz drummer and composer Brian Blade, weaving their voices and textures into her expanding sonic palette. International touring, and appearances at stages like Carnegie Hall and NPR’s Tiny Desk, have further cemented her influence. Through all of it, she’s built a catalog that reflects both her restless curiosity and her command of tradition.

Early on, Kater’s identity carried the weight of several landscapes. Montreal formed her artistic instincts, Appalachia taught her a musical language, and Grenada offered a family story she didn’t fully understand until she reached adulthood. Asking her father about his past unlocked a history that shaped her perspective. “My dad is from Grenada, and he came to Canada as a refugee in the mid-‘80s,” she says. “He was really quiet about his story. I thought, ‘Hey, I should ask my dad about his experience being a refugee,” and it was really positive. I’ve been going back every couple years ever since.” Kater first stepped onstage when she was around 14 or 15 years old. When she looks back at that teenage version of herself, she recognizes talent, uncertainty, and a kind of wide-open creative energy that is harder to access now that music is also

a job. Her advice to that earlier self comes with equal parts tenderness and grit. “Try to keep that flame of joy alive, of why you do it,” she says. “When it becomes a business, it can become dispassionate. There was this fountain of creativity in that young person I was, and I constantly have to work to get back something that was a lot easier for her back then.” After a pause, she adds: “Oh, and get a good bookkeeper!”

A song as a snapshot in time

Kater’s 2024 album Strange Medicine grew into a cinematic, textured work, and touring with it has changed the songs in unexpected ways. She never treats the recorded versions as final; she sees them as moments captured before the music shifts again. The live versions breathe differently -- sometimes leaner, sometimes more personal.

“When you record the song for the album, it’s really just a snapshot in time of how it exists in that moment,” she says. “The songs, for me, have definitely changed. A good song should stand on its own without all that stuff. I should be able to play any of those songs alone on stage and still have them impact people.”

Touring takes Kater far beyond North America, and her European audiences leave an impression. Their silence surprises her, but it comes from attentiveness, not indifference, and she has learned to trust the room’s stillness. “They listen really intently, almost to the point of silence, to the point where sometimes I’m like, ‘My God, do they even like this?’” she laughs. “I think music is valued in a really cool way there.” Writing requires a different kind of environment altogether. She needs the kind of conditions that don’t exist on tour, so when she finally steps away from the road, the songs begin to come together in her mind. “I have to have a lot of silence and boredom and be in an

empty room with myself,” she says. “When I’m off the road, I’m writing. A lot of the stuff that I’ve been writing lately is looking back over my youth and memories and family recollections.” Kater will release a deluxe edition of Strange Medicine in early 2026, adding songs from the same creative period. After that, she will continue shaping a quieter, more introspective record rooted in the vantage point of her thirties. Her music keeps changing because she keeps changing, and she listens closely to each shift.

And somewhere between dedicated performance and the solitude of writing, Kaïa Kater taps into her original spark, knowing full well that it has never left her.

Visit Kaïa Kater online at https://kaiakater.com.

by Kara Martinez Bachman

Few musicians in the world of bluegrass garner as much respect and acclaim as banjo expert Alison Brown. Recently, Brown decided to produce a new record for the allfemale, Grammy-nominated Americanabluegrass-folk group, Della Mae. With both a guest turn on banjo and an acumen that happens behind the scenes, this consummate performer’s imprint on the new Della Mae record has created excitement for all involved.

Della Mae guitarist and vocalist Celia Woodsmith exuded delight when speaking of the collaboration with one of her musical heroes.

“She is such an incredible mind, and an incredible musician,” Woodsmith said. “She is one of the people who we really look up to most.”

The compliments are easily returned by Brown, who admires Woodsmith and her bandmates: Kimber Ludiker (fiddle), Avril Smith (guitar), and Vickie Vaughn (bass). She called working with them in-studio “the best.”

“I was so struck by the mutual respect they brought to the process,” Brown explained, “and that’s on top of their vocal prowess, instrumental chops, and the great songs they wrote for the album.”

“Honestly, I felt like we were recording a project that was just waiting to be made,” she added.

“Magic Accident” – Della Mae’s 7th studio album – was released in late January under the banner of Compass Records. Woodsmith said the music will feel familiar to previous work, with one exception: This record expands the influences by bringing new cowriters into the fold. She said the process brought out the best in everyone involved.

“If you’re really good at co-writing, you can kind of pull stories out of the other person,” Woodsmith said. “You have to tell your ego to take a back seat. You have to be all about listening and collaboration.” All four bandmates contributed writing, as did Caroline Spence, Melody Walker, and more. Guest musicians also showed up on various tracks.

“Alison Brown is playing on a lot of the songs, and Jen Gunderman, Cheryl Crowe’s keys player, plays on a track,” she added.

She said this much collaboration is an exciting new turn, but Della Mae is still “being true to ourselves.” For Della Mae, that truth dates back to around 2010, when the band formed.

“We were basically the only all-female touring bluegrass band on the circuit. We were a novelty at that time,” Woodsmith reminisced.. “People thought we’d be a lot more ephemeral, like a lot of the other lady bands.”

Listeners detected real quality, however, in what Della Mae was doing. The band proved it wasn’t a novelty; it was the real deal.

“In that time [since 2010], a lot has changed in bluegrass music, and the culture of bluegrass music,” she said, adding that women now see that true success – and industry respect – is possible.

“We are honored to be standing in a space that encourages young women and young people,” she added.

Each member of the quartet brings to the mix a background that expands – and enhances – the sonic content. As it is with much of the Americana genre, there’s a musical melding that takes place. A synthesis of sound. Their individual creative aesthetics

and techniques blend seamlessly, creating something larger than its individual parts and pieces. Woodsmith said she started out playing rock music. Smith’s guitar work came from the worlds of jazz and folk. Ludiker specialized in “west coast, Texas-style fiddle.” Rounding out the influences, Vaughn’s bass delivered the traditional vibes of bluegrass and country.

“The combination of those things work well together,” Woodsmith said.

Della Mae has a number of dates lined up across the U.S. in support of the new record. They’ve already been playing some of the tracks from the new album for about two years now; while the studio versions will be new to fans, the live shows will feature material that’s all been stage-perfected.

“We have been road-tested…we are time-tested…we have been through a lot with one another, and that comes through on the album.” Woodsmith summarized the relationships among members of Della Mae in the simplest and clearest of terms:

“It’s a sisterhood,” she said.

by Brent Davis

STEPHEN MOUGIN

“Put Me In, Coach!” Getting the Mojo Treatment at IBMA

Figuratively speaking, Stephen Mougin wears a lot of hats. (Literally, he’s nearly always seen in a black pork pie number). He’s a songwriter, producer, studio owner, radio host, solo performer, and, since 2006, he’s been singing and playing guitar with bluegrass legend Sam Bush.

But every year attendees of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s conference pack a convention hall room to see Mougin (“Mojo,” nearly everyone calls him) in a different role as he conducts his band coaching session.

“It’s one of the favorite things that I get to do in my professional career,” he says. “I started as a music teacher, and I was a choir director for three years before I moved to Nashville to play full time. I love teaching. I don’t have a lot of time for it these days with everything else that’s going on. So, the band coaching scratches that itch for me in an intensive, focused way.”

Often Mougin knows nothing about the band that has volunteered to be coached in the open session. He might stop them before they’ve completed the first line of their song. He may comment on something very specific--the way they use the microphone or explain that fill-in licks should always come between vocal lines. Other observations are more philosophical.

“One of the things that I focus on with all the bands--especially younger bands--is to play it like you love it. Whatever song you’re playing, it has to be your favorite song at this moment. Because if you’re playing it as if it’s not your favorite song, it’s going to sound that way.”

He also stresses that great musicians are good listeners.

“You spend most of your time focusing inward to make sure you’re playing the right chords or that you’re playing in time or any of those kinds of things,” he explains. “And the real hurdle is the moment when instead of looking in or listening inward, you’re listening outward, where what you’re doing is basically on autopilot. And all it is doing is reacting to the things around you. And that’s when the real music starts to happen.”

Mougin can’t recall when he started doing the sessions at IBMA. (“It’s been more than a decade, I think.”) He began working with youth bands and then invited older musicians to take part. In 2023 Fox Crossing Stringband volunteered for the public critique. In fact, banjo/dobro player Cassie Lynn Wright says the band profited from being in front of an audience.

“Getting Stephen’s ideas in a conference session also allowed us to see and feel the audience’s reaction instantly,” Wright recalls. “There’s nothing like the feeling of trying something new, stepping out of your comfort zone, and seeing Mojo and the whole room light up because everyone can feel that it’s working.

“After playing together for a while, you naturally settle into certain ‘roles’ or ‘grooves.’ Mojo’s coaching made us realize that those are actually all choices, and many of which we’d been making without even realizing it. By suggesting different approaches and explaining the ‘why’ behind them, Mojo helped us unlock new ideas to improve our music.”

Under the Rocks, a band from British Columbia, Canada, participated in last year’s coaching session at IBMA.

“I saw Mojo post on Instagram that he was looking for a band for his workshop,” says

Chris Baxter, who sings and plays banjo and mandolin with the band. “I DM’d him right away thinking this would be an awesome opportunity to learn some tips from one of the best. Gratefully, he accepted.

“I’d met Stephen before, but didn’t really know him. What we got out of it was learning how to be more dynamic in a song during a live performance. We learned small tricks like watching each other’s lips while singing so that our phrasing all matched. And playing slow songs with the same energy as ripping tunes.

“Going into it I think most of us didn’t really know what to expect. We weren’t apprehensive, rather excited for the opportunity to gain some real skills that would hopefully take our performances to the next level.”

Mougin does some coaching sessions during the year between conferences. But his other myriad activities--he recently began hosting “Mojo’s Mixtape,” a weekly show on Sirius XM focused on 1980s and ‘90s bluegrass music --keeps him busy.

“I learned a long time ago the secret to success in the music business is to do a lot of different things, so something’s happening all the time,” he says. “I don’t have a ton of time for band coaching. It’s not something I’ve ever really put a lot of effort into advertising or publicizing or trying to market. It’s something that folks have seen at IBMA, and they reach out.”

And it’s not just new or up-and-coming bands that attend the coaching sessions. Veteran musicians are interested, too.

“A lot of times we’re talking about basics, but I have professionals who come every year and sit and listen and tell me the things that I reminded them of are not particularly new,” Mougin explains. “But, you know, it’s good to have a little-touch up every once in a while on some things that you can think about differently and find ways to improve what you’re doing.”

by Candace Nelson

7 Must-Visit Ice Cream & Frozen Treat Spots in Appalachia

From historic ice cream parlors to roadside frozen custard stands, these seven spots are local favorites with delightful flavors across Appalachia.

Ellen’s Homemade Ice Cream Charleston, West Virginia 225 Capitol Street, Charleston, WV 25301 https://www.ellensicecream.com

Ellen’s has been a sweet landmark in downtown Charleston since September 1997. All of its ice cream, gelato, sorbet and sherbet are made on site from scratch, and the menu rotates seasonally with creative options alongside beloved classics. Customers frequently share favorites like banana splits, hot fudge sundaes and espresso Oreo milkshakes.

Beyond frozen treats, Ellen’s serves fresh soups, green salads, wraps and sandwiches, making it a local favorite for lunch followed by dessert. You’ll often find a lively downtown crowd — families, college students, and visitors — especially on warm summer evenings.

The Meadows Original Frozen Custard Duncansville, Pennsylvania 471 Municipal Drive, Duncansville, PA 166 :https://meadowsfrozencustard.com

The Meadows Original Frozen Custard started in 1950 in Duncansville and is one of the oldest frozen custard stands in

Pennsylvania. Unlike traditional ice cream, frozen custard includes egg yolks for a richer, smoother texture, and The Meadows uses a recipe developed decades ago that’s still beloved by locals.

In addition to cones and cups of custard, the menu features milkshakes, sundaes, arctic swirls, banana splits, root beer floats and smoothies — classic summer staples that have drawn generations of visitors. The original stand has grown into a familiar summer tradition for families and roadtrippers alike, with seasonal crowds forming as temperatures rise.

Austin’s Homemade Ice Cream Ceredo, West Virginia 1103 C Street, Ceredo, WV 25530 https://www.austinsicecream.com

Austin’s is one of West Virginia’s most iconic small-town ice cream parlors, with roots going all the way back to 1947. Originally started by a local family and passed down through generations, the business has grown over the years while staying deeply rooted in community tradition.

The Ceredo location is known for its wide variety of flavors — over 40 at times — including quirky originals like grape pineapple and national award-winning standbys like chocolate and vanilla. Their makers have won numerous ribbons at national competitions, and even dairy-free

options such as apple cinnamon oatmeal have taken home honors in recent years.

During peak season, families and kids from across the tristate area line up for scoops, and in winter months the shop closes temporarily, reopening in spring to welcome summer crowds.

404 Café & Creamery

Big Stone Gap, Virginia

404 Shawnee Avenue East, Big Stone Gap, VA 24219 https://www.facebook.com/404cafeandcreamery

404 Café & Creamery is a local favorite in Big Stone Gap, a historic small town in southwest Virginia. Known for its handdipped ice cream and cozy café atmosphere, 404 blends homemade scoops with a menu of coffee, baked goods, light lunches and soups — perfect for cooling off in summer or warming up during fall.

The café has been recognized locally for its quality, and ice cream often draws visitors who combine dessert with other menu items like grilled sandwiches or freshly baked pastries. Hours extend into the evening, making it a popular spot for an after-dinner treat.

Small Town Scoops

Jonesville, Virginia

150 West Main Street, Jonesville, VA 24263

https://www.smalltownscoops.net

Small Town Scoops lives up to its name — a classic Main Street ice cream parlor in Jonesville where locals and travelers alike gather for cones, sundaes, and shakes. The shop’s atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, where neighbors chat over sweet treats and kids linger out front with melting cones.

The menu features traditional favorites alongside seasonal specialties, and Small Town Scoops often hosts community events

or fundraisers that bring the town together. It’s exactly the kind of place you visit on a slow summer evening stroll, lingering over conversation and your favorite scoop.

Aunt B’s Ice Cream Bean Station, Tennessee

1026 Main Street, Bean Station, TN 37708

Aunt B’s Ice Cream in Bean Station brings classic roadside parlor vibes to East Tennessee. The shop has a nostalgic feel, reminiscent of serve-yourself cone windows and generous portions that define family outings. Though it doesn’t have a large web presence, local listings and community guides show it serves up all the classics: cones, floats, sundaes, and shakes.

Whether you’re cooling off on a summer road trip or picking up a treat after dinner, Aunt B’s delivers the kind of simple, satisfying dessert experience that makes small towns memorable.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Athens, Ohio

9 West Washington Street, Athens, OH 45701 https://jenis.com

Jeni’s has grown into one of the most respected artisan ice cream brands in the country, but its first shop opened right in Athens, Ohio, where the creative approach to flavor began. Known for thoughtfully sourced ingredients and inventive combinations, Jeni’s blends foodie flair with handcrafted technique.

Flavors range from playful, like salty caramel and brambleberry crisp, to seasonal specials that highlight local produce. The Athens shop is a lively stop in a classic college-town setting — perfect for strolling Court Street with a cone in hand and exploring nearby galleries, coffee shops, and bookstores.

These seven ice cream and frozen custard

destinations aren’t just places to cool off — they’re local traditions, community gathering spots and tasty waypoints on summer road trips. Whether you prefer handcrafted classics, inventive artisan flavors or rich frozen custard, each stop offers its own story and scoop worth tasting.

FAN PHOTOS