Artist or Hack?

I watch a lot of live music – I mean really watch. And I listen too – really listen. Some performances are moving and some not so much. Oddly, there’s not a perfect correlation to talent level or competence. I have watched beginners give their all and it...

Artistic Endeavors

Last night I watched the movie, “A River Runs Trough It.” It wasn’t the first time I had seen the film, but it had been many years since I had first viewed it and I thought I’d enjoy seeing it again. It was as good as I remembered it to be. The movie’s emotional...

As Spring strains to emerge…

Somewhere in history, there must have been a marketing genius who realized the way to create widespread demand for this folk music form would be to throw open the doors and invite everyone in. The Big Barn consists of jam sessions and ,now that the weather is...

As The Years Fly By

My first bluegrass band ever is still in business. The band members are separated by over 100 miles, so rehearsal is not an option – at least not very often. We do have a website, which I haven’t updated in, um, a while. There are many bands more adept at the...