Our CBA members continue to amaze me with their energy and imagination for sharing our music with communities outside our own Association. The Board of Directors will support any group of members with an idea for community outreach if it serves the CBA mission. We strive to present bluegrass and old time music to as many potential new fans as possible.
Our Area Activities VPs are ready to assist members promote the music in their “home” areas. Ted Kuster, the Statewide Area Activities VP, is a great resource for members trying to increase outreach in their communities. Ted can connect you with your area reps and be your liaison to the Board if you wish. The Board facilitates our member volunteers with their ideas and plans. What are your ideas? What do you want to do?
A member wrote that he was not renewing his membership and the CBA should stop promoting diversity and inclusion. I can attest to the fact that the CBA prides itself on our actions to promote diversity and inclusion. We continue to reach out to diversify our membership. Our CBA Youth Program activities are a prime example of reaching out to young people and families to include them in our activities. Our Musical Family Comp program has been very successful in introducing families to our Father’s Day event. Our Scholarship Fund offers scholarships to families otherwise unable to afford either the Academy or the CBA Music Camp for their young musicians. The Sonoma County Bluegrass & Folk Festival presented three woman led bands at their March event: Missy Raines and the New Hip, AJ Lee and Blue Summit and the Carolyn Sills Combo. This was a conscious effort to include more women artists in our events and to introduce them to our audience. We now partner with a Veteran’s group: Heroes Voices. We have many “old” Veterans in our Association and we are now actively reaching out to young California Veterans who have already expressed an interest in music. The Bluegrass Pride committee has a busy concert schedule for May and a gofundme campaign going on for their float. This Bay Area group does community outreach on steroids. CBA members actively seek out opportunities for community outreach to send a message that bluegrass and old time music (and the CBA) are open to absolutely everyone and anyone. This has been the CBA Mission for over 40 years. This is not a new idea but there is new energy around this active outreach
Dear old Banjo Bob will be retired in 2019. Banjo Bob has been the “face” of the CBA for the last couple of decades and he will be replaced with a new logo in the new year. To change the “face” of the CBA is a huge undertaking. Bob was selected when our logo appeared mostly on paper and cloth. Bob does not reproduce well on all our new media formats and he no longer serves his purpose nor does he really speak to California Bluegrass in this century. There is no funeral planned for Uncle Banjo Bob but I plan to wear his likeness proudly on shirts until they, too, must be retired.
There is good and exciting news out of Sacramento. The “new” 5th String Performance Space will open soon. John Green has served the music community for decades and this new chapter promises to expand performance and audience opportunities in this large metropolitan area. John’s new venue will be called The Side Door and is located at 2900 Franklin Street, Sacramento. I have not received official word (this is written in March) on an opening date or schedule of performances. A Side Door Website is scheduled to be launched soon as well.
I am getting excited about this year’s Father’s Day Festival. By the time you read this we will have attended the Cloverdale Fiddle Festival and the CBA Spring Campout. The CBA will have a presence (and Youth Jam) at the Berkeley Bluegrass Festival at the Freight & Salvage in Berkeley. We will have attended countless performances of CBA musicians young and old. There are new activities scheduled for Father’s Day this year in order to better engage the nonpickers among us. Teen Ambassador Ida Winfree is working on a Teen Jamming space and recruiting VolunTeens for the Academy and the Festival. Deb Livermore is your contact to volunteer at the festival (deblivermore@gmail.com). Advanced Ticket Sales only last through May so purchase those discounted tickets soon. Renew your membership. Find a dog sitter for your pet (unless you travel in an RV to the festival) and plan to join us for the full week in June at the Nevada County Fairgrounds.
