We listen to, and play bluegrass music because it’s fun. The fact that the California Bluegrass Association exists (40+ years and thousands of members strong) shows we are many. An association dedicated to such a fun pursuit might lead an outsider to think CBA members are frivolous, or hedonistic. They would be dead wrong in this.
Yes, our members are devotees of bluegrass music, and yes, it’s fun, but the true power of the CBA comes from the fact that we’re connected as people, and our lives are intertwined as a result.
Nothing illustrates this more starkly than the CBA members’ response to the recent devastating wildfires in California.
Love of one’s home is a recurrent theme in bluegrass lyrics, but that’s not a strictly bluegrass sentiment – it is universal. It’s horrifying to consider the tragedy and disruption that fire can bring to a neighborhood, town or region. This season’s wildfires do not seem remote at all to anybody I know in California. We are all involved.
The CBA recognized a special, and unique need it could fill – help our bluegrass folks affected by the wildfires get instruments back in their hands and accelerate the healing process as only music can!
When the CBA set up a GoFundMe site to raise funds to supply instruments for these wildfire survivors, the outpouring of love and caring among the communities was immediate and obvious. As of this writing, it’s raised nearly $35,000, and hopefully will reach the goal of $50.000.
There are no shortage of worthy causes to address, and the upcoming holiday season brings even more. But as you decide how much you can spare, and where you should donate, please consider the CBA Instruments for Fire Survivors campaign – learn more at https://www.gofundme.com/bluegrass-fire-relief.
