by Christine | Jun 6, 2020 | Welcome Column
My wife, who has a sly and mischievous sense of humor, blurted out one day, “I’m too old to be a new talent!” She said that, although she had already achieved much acclaim as an actor, teacher (Monterey Peninsula College) playwright and critic.And we all know of...
by Christine | Sep 4, 2019 | Welcome Column
I’ve said many times, one of the things that bluegrass and baseball have in common is, they’re both fun to argue about. Bill Monroe or Jimmy Martin? Mickey Mantle or Joe DiMaggio? One of life’s little pleasures is arguing back and forth the points that make either...
by Christine | Feb 21, 2016 | Welcome Column
There’s this idea floating around that it takes about 10,000 hours of practicing something to become an expert. I’m not sure I agree with that but my own take on getting good at something is that you need to be more than a little obsessive about practice. ...
by Christine | Jan 18, 2011 | Welcome Column
A couple of weeks ago, a piece was posted on the Banjo Hangout (a major online forum for banjo players) under the provocative heading “Would your band pay $925 to play at IBMA?” I posted on the topic on BHO, but thought I’d like to expand on what I said there in...
by Christine | Sep 16, 2014 | Welcome Column
A couple of weeks ago, a piece was posted on the Banjo Hangout (a major online forum for banjo players) under the provocative heading “Would your band pay $925 to play at IBMA?” I posted on the topic on BHO, but thought I’d like to expand on what I said there in...
by Christine | Apr 7, 2014 | Welcome Column
Dear friends, If there’s one thing we do around here it’s obsess about stuff. We are, after all, an association built upon adherence, maybe even fanaticism, to the proposition that the music we love deserves to be both preserved and promoted. Most people are happy...
by Christine | Sep 8, 2010 | Welcome Column
“Old age sticks up Keep Off signs & Youth tears them down” e.e.cummings This past weekend, I was witness to a lively after dinner discussion that featured folks from my generation and my son’s generation. Not surprisingly, my generation sounded cranky and old and...
by Christine | Sep 23, 2019 | Welcome Column
Daily grist; there is only one good thing about old-age. It doesn’t last long. JDRhynesBack in the middle 1970s,on July 4th, the San Francisco Chronicle put on a food and fanfair that was free to the public at Fort Mason on the beach....
by Christine | May 31, 2017 | Welcome Column
Let’s say you’re going to a jam session soon. You’ll grab your instrument (or instruments) of choice, and away you go. Maybe you’ll bring some beer or a bottle of wine for the host. What else do you bring? A songlist? A fakebook? Some folks never seem to need charts...
by Christine | May 31, 2019 | Welcome Column
For years we’ve asked folks for the story of how they became “hooked” on bluegrass. I’ve told my story and it’s in the archives. But let me share how I began playing a musical instrument. Spoiler–it had NOTHING to do with a love of...
