by Christine | Apr 10, 2020 | Welcome Column
Note: This is the fourth time we’ve overheard Ted and Jed discussing various issues. We last visited them in November 2019, as they were discussing the unconscious part of the brain, and how Jed bought a new guitar and blamed it on his unconscious (we...
by Christine | Nov 9, 2019 | Welcome Column
Note: This is the third time that we’ve listened in on a conversation between Ted and Jed. The first time they were discussing not making it “big” in the Bluegrass World as well-known musicians, and being okay with that. The second time they were...
by Christine | Aug 10, 2019 | Welcome Column
Part 1 – You know nothing about mandolins. Nothing except background music that you have heard while eating a pizza in an Italian Restaurant.Part 2 – You go to a county fair and hear David Grisman play the mandolin, for the first time in your...
by Christine | Aug 12, 2017 | Welcome Column
As many of you know by now, the next CBA campout will be held October 16-22, 2017, at the Lodi Fairgrounds. The thought occurs to me that “Campouts” should be “Jampouts.” Sure there is camping, but the musical focus is some bluegrass...
by Christine | May 12, 2018 | Welcome Column
Their minds arrived at the small town long before their bodies. Their minds arrived days, weeks, months, and sometimes 361 days ahead of their existential shells. And when the time had come, the bodies made their way to cars, vans, camper vehicles,...
by Christine | Jul 8, 2017 | Welcome Column
So there is this ocean liner cruise that happened last year. Not just any cruise, mind you, but a cruise ship with a band (No, not the Titanic II). And, mind you again, not just one band, but six bands. And not just six bands you might expect on a sea cruise, but six...
by Christine | Mar 14, 2020 | Welcome Column
Okay I could be wrong. But I’ll wager that most of you CBA folks are not in a bluegrass band, or any band for that matter. Maybe you were in a band, or will be in a band, but are not in a band now. Yes I know, some of you are thinking, “Oh yeah, I’m...
by Christine | Nov 14, 2020 | Welcome Column
So there is this guy named Orville Gibson. He was born in 1865, and he hung around Kalamazoo, Michigan during a significant part of his life. Why is Orville important to mandolins? Because he redesigned what the world knew as a mandolin way back then. I’m...
by Christine | Mar 11, 2018 | Welcome Column
Oh why then should I play? The stage will not reach out and embrace me. Thunderous applause will not reach well worn ears. Why open the case? Why draw the rosin laden bow across waiting hungry strings? Why bother? The ghosts of Howdy Forester and Vassar will...
by Christine | Nov 29, 2020 | Welcome Column
Poem: “Something that arouses strong emotion because of its beauty.”Poet: “A person with special powers of imagination or expression.”Tone: “A musical sound with reference to its pitch, quality, and strength.”Back in 1994 David...
