by Christine | Dec 19, 2011 | Welcome Column
It’s a great time to be part of the California bluegrass community and music scene. As our very own CBA “Home Page” demonstrates, there is no shortage of activities in California in which to enjoy the passion of bluegrass music. The CBA web site is chock full of news,...
by Christine | Dec 29, 2008 | Welcome Column
Here’s a thoughtful piece that came to us from Rick Owen via Bob Thomas. A Violinist in the Metro A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that...
by Christine | Jan 13, 2016 | Welcome Column
I’ve been lucky so far myself, but at one time or another, a lot people I’ve known have suffered from theft of their musical instruments or equipment. Happily, this is very rare at bluegrass festivals, where a sense community and good will (and a cost for admission),...
by Christine | Jul 18, 2010 | Welcome Column
It’s Friday evening, the moon is high and bright, and I’ve got my dobro on my lap trying to make it sing. My fire on the patio is slowly burning down to coals, my wife is asleep on the sofa inside, and my dog is probably keeping her company. I can’t keep him outside...
by Christine | May 10, 2016 | Welcome Column
I just finished my second year as a coach and instructor at Pete Wernick’s Jam Camp in Boomer, NC in conjunction with MerleFest. This year the camp was even larger than last with a total of 75 students and 10 instructors ranging in age from 8 to 79. It was also nice...
by Christine | Jan 16, 2017 | Welcome Column
When I first became aware of Bluegrass music in the sixties, it was an all white male affair. By contrast, country country had featured women from its outset with Sara and Maybelle Carter on through Kitty and Patsy to Dolly and Loretta. But if you saw Bill Monroe or...
by Christine | Mar 22, 2020 | Welcome Column
(Editor’s Note: We’re leaving Peter’s Welcome up another day because, even after my solemn promise to do do, yours truly forget to install links in his article. RC)Walking the dog around the neighborhood is still allowed, and I found myself...
by Christine | Mar 2, 2013 | Welcome Column
Dear friends, Please do not confuse me with my son Marty, with whom I am swapping Welcome Column days this month. It is I, Varner the Elder. Feeling elder every day. As editor of the CBA’s monthly publication I owe much (VERY much) to my predecessor and mentor, the...
by Christine | Jan 20, 2018 | Welcome Column
(Note: If you enjoy this column, please make your way over to the CBA Message Board and share your thoughts. All of us Welcome Columnists love to hear from you!)She waddled and snuffled right into my life, the biggest puppy I had ever seen, when I had just turned...
by Christine | Sep 2, 2018 | Welcome Column
Nancy Zuniga’s recent column about the whimsical nature of fate and how the fanning of a butterfly’s wing can cause a hurricane in one’s life some years down the road brought to my mind the most momentous “mistake” I ever made. A casual bit of absent-mindedness that...
