Comments on: More From the Ted Lehmann Collection http://australianbluegrass.com/index.php/more-from-the-ted-lehmann-collection/ bringing bluegrass music news from all over downunder Sun, 20 May 2012 08:44:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Ted Lehmann http://australianbluegrass.com/index.php/more-from-the-ted-lehmann-collection/comment-page-1/#comment-870 Ted Lehmann Tue, 19 Jan 2010 23:36:58 +0000 http://australianbluegrass.com/?p=3657#comment-870 If you plan on going for just the weekend, then I'd choose IBMA's Fan Fest, arriving on Thursday in order to attend the awards ceremony in the Ryman Auditorium. Fan Fest, which takes place on Friday, Saturday, with a Sunday morning gospel show has twenty great bands a day performing in the main performance hall in addition to a fiddle championship, lots of very good workshops, and a large and varied set of performer and manufacturer exhibits. We've been twice and find it to be a highly entertaining and exhausting experience. I have to admit to something of a bias away from SPBGMA and also say quite clearly that we've never been to it. It's more fan driven on the awards side, and less designed, as far as I can tell, to exhibiting cutting edge bluegrass. Of course, if you had the whole week, then IBMA is just plain tops. The banquets, the official and after hours workshops, and the professional development meetings can't be beat. I look at SPBGMA as more of a festival with a fancy name while IBMA is truly a professional meeting. Hope this helps. Irene says she wants to go to SPBGMA next year, so a question in March a year might get a different answer. - Ted If you plan on going for just the weekend, then I’d choose IBMA’s Fan Fest, arriving on Thursday in order to attend the awards ceremony in the Ryman Auditorium. Fan Fest, which takes place on Friday, Saturday, with a Sunday morning gospel show has twenty great bands a day performing in the main performance hall in addition to a fiddle championship, lots of very good workshops, and a large and varied set of performer and manufacturer exhibits. We’ve been twice and find it to be a highly entertaining and exhausting experience.

I have to admit to something of a bias away from SPBGMA and also say quite clearly that we’ve never been to it. It’s more fan driven on the awards side, and less designed, as far as I can tell, to exhibiting cutting edge bluegrass. Of course, if you had the whole week, then IBMA is just plain tops. The banquets, the official and after hours workshops, and the professional development meetings can’t be beat. I look at SPBGMA as more of a festival with a fancy name while IBMA is truly a professional meeting. Hope this helps. Irene says she wants to go to SPBGMA next year, so a question in March a year might get a different answer. – Ted

]]> By: Editor http://australianbluegrass.com/index.php/more-from-the-ted-lehmann-collection/comment-page-1/#comment-869 Editor Tue, 19 Jan 2010 21:55:19 +0000 http://australianbluegrass.com/?p=3657#comment-869 Thanks Ric, I shall attempt to have that question answered by an expert festival goer from the USA. Thanks Ric,
I shall attempt to have that question answered by an expert festival goer from the USA.

]]> By: rick http://australianbluegrass.com/index.php/more-from-the-ted-lehmann-collection/comment-page-1/#comment-863 rick Mon, 18 Jan 2010 20:50:26 +0000 http://australianbluegrass.com/?p=3657#comment-863 If you had the choice of going to either the IBMA or the spgma awards for the entire weekend. Which would you choose. My wife and I are just bluegrass fans. We don't play any instruments just want to go to one or the other. If you had the choice of going to either the IBMA or the spgma awards for the entire weekend. Which would you choose. My wife and I are just bluegrass fans. We don’t play any instruments just want to go to one or the other.

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