The CBA has had a very busy autumn. Please read Lucy Smith’s article on the International Bluegrass Music Association’s (IBMA) World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC in this issue. Almost every Board member attended as did our hardworking team of volunteers. There were many California Bands in attendance and six of our very own Kids on Bluegrass: Josh, Jake and John Gooding, Jesse Personeni, Helen Foley and Amaya Rose Dempsey were invited to participate in the IBMA Kids on Bluegrass program. We were able to provide $500 to each young person to help with travel and hotel reservations because of your very generous continuing contributions to our Youth Program. Lucy Smith did a fabulous job as “captain” of our team and has volunteered again for 2015. Put this event on your bucket list for 2015: Raleigh estimated that more than 180,000 people attended various events this year at the World of Bluegrass and $10.8 million was deposited into the local economy.
The Fall Campout and Annual Membership Meeting was held in Lodi and attendance was good and the weather perfect. Thanks to David Brace for working so hard to produce this event. Board members were elected (minus me and plus Maria Nadauld and the other incumbents), year round officers and Coordinators were confirmed, Tim Edes was reelected Chairman of the Board, I was reelected President (hence this monthly message) and the Executive Committee now consists of Tim Edes, Montie Elston, Geoff Sargent and newbie Mark Hogan.
The annual donation drive for scholarship money for the 2015 CBA Youth Academy is in effect and there is almost $1000 in the fund. $3000 was collected last year and all was distributed to attendees and the goal is to surpass that amount this year. Donations (tax deductible) can be sent to me at 2106 9th Avenue, Oakland 94606 with checks made out to the CBA Youth Program. Registration for the 2015 event begins January 1 and tuition will remain at $300 per child for the four day camp. There must be a scholarship fund in order to offer scholarships so please consider donating again this year. We have increased attendance to 49 children this year but remember that the 42 enrollee event was sold out with a waiting list by May 1st last year so get those registrations in early (registration information will be on the website and in the January issue of the Bluegrass Breakdown).
Festival Director David Brace and I will meet with the Nevada County Fairground staff on November 14th in Grass Valley along with all the other festival and concert directors of the Fairgrounds. We met last spring when it was announced that the Strawberry Music Festival would make its temporary home on the Fairgrounds. The Fairgrounds is fast becoming the place to hear music in Northern California with Father’s Day, Strawberry, World Fest, the Celtic Festival, Music on the Mountain all making their home on the Nevada County Fairgrounds.
Early Bird tickets are available for the 40th Annual Father’s Day Festival now (available to members only) and the Full Hook Up raffle (again for members only) is set for January so get busy and purchase tickets and fill out your form for the raffle. Membership in the CBA is paid for when an Early Bird Ticket is purchased. All volunteers for the festival and Music Camp must also be members (volunteering is a privilege only afforded to members) so make plans to join or renew a membership. All contracts are out for performers and performers will be announced when we receive the contracts. A great lineup is planned for the 40th Annual.
The next big event is the Great 48 Hour Jam in Bakersfield held Thursday through Sunday, January 811, 2015 in Bakersfield. As of today (10/29/14) close to 200 rooms have been reserved at the discounted price. If you do not act soon you will be staying in a neighboring hotel (within walking distance). The Bakersfield event is almost entirely planned with showcase performances Thursday night in the Presidential Suite, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper concert Friday night and special events (KOB, Band Scramble among others) on Saturday night.
There will be round the clock jamming and the event (except for the Friday night concert) is free. The Brotemarkles will again be hosting a Teen Jam Room and we even have teens from Nashville coming to celebrate with us. Various California associations and Music Caravan will host suites with entertainment and space for celebrating the music. The Amtrak station is a couple of miles away so consider taking the train (we are thinking seriously about it this year). Every year this event is attended by more and more people, which computes to more and more fun. Lots of our Southern California family shows up. There will be opportunities to: join the CBA, purchase Father’s Day tickets, register for our camps and simply meet us.
Thank you all for your continuing support of the CBA (demonstrated by active membership) and just wait to you see who will be performing at Father’s Day this year. Please keep your membership current. We count on the income and also count on the numbers of members to demonstrate to our advertisers and sponsors that we are an Association worth their while to support. Active membership is very important to the Association. Give a membership for a holiday gift. Happy Holidays and Happy New.
