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Thinking of Going to Merlfest?

The deadline for Early Bird ticket prices to MerleFest 2010, presented by Lowe’s, has been extended to Tuesday, April 6, at 5:00 p.m. EDT.  That is the last day to purchase 4-day and 3-day tickets at the Early Bird price, representing an average 10% discount.

Ticket purchases can be made on the web at http://www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857.   Free parking is available, and children 12 years of age and younger are admitted free to the festival when accompanied by an adult with paid admission.

MerleFest 2010, presented by Lowe’s, will celebrate its 23rd year from 29th April – 2nd May, 2010 on the campus of Wilkes Community College.  There will be over 100 acts performing on 15 stages during the course of the event, with a complete list of confirmed performers is available at www.merlefest.org. As in previous years, the list of performers fits the traditional plus definition offered by Doc Watson when describing the rich musical diversity that is a hallmark of the event.

MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson as a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College and a celebration of “traditional plus” music.

Festivals Merlfest

The submission deadline for the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest, hosted by MerleFest 2010 presented by Lowe’s, is fast approaching.  All entries must be received by 18th February 2010.

Now in its 18th year, the contest is an extraordinary opportunity for aspiring writers to have their original songs heard and judged by a panel of Nashville music industry professionals, under the direction of this year’s volunteer contest chairperson, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale.

Contest entries are now being accepted via the following methods:

• U.S. Mail – Send to  P. O. Box 121855, Nashville, TN 37212
• American Songspace – www.americansongspace.com
• Sonicbids – www.sonicbids.com

Details about entry fees, eligibility and other requirements are available at chrisaustinsongwritingcontest.org.
To be eligible to enter, a songwriter must not derive more than 50% of his or her total income from songwriting or music publishing. Entries Must Be Received by February 18, 2010.

Bluegrass News, International News Merlfest

Holiday Photo Treats III – Merlefest 2009

Ted Lehmann has posted up his third series of Merlfest photos on his blog Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms.

Blog’s 3rd Anniversary

Ted also celebrates three years of blogging. His first blog entry is dated 4th December 2006. Since that time, Ted has contributed over 400 entries the majority of which are reports on bluegrass events.

In the past year, Irene and I attended sixteen bluegrass festivals and twenty-five other events devoted to bluegrass music in some form or other. We went to fewer festivals, I think because the economy, especially through the winter, frightened us…

All told, we spent 216 nights on the road with 200 nights in our trailer. We’re painfully aware that age is slowing us down; we don’t drive as far or as hard, and it takes us longer to recover from a trip. Nevertheless, we spread out geographically and broadened both our circle of bluegrass friends while learning more and more about this world we’ve come to value and love so much - Ted Lehmann.

Read Ted’s anniversary post on Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books, and Brainstorms.

Article Merlfest, Ted Lehmann

MerleFest – 29th April to 2nd May

If you’re planning to head over to the US for Merlfest next year, tickets go on sale tomorrow. An early bird ticket discount is available until 12th March 2010.

Ticket purchases can be made on the web at http://www.merlefest.org or by calling international 1-800-343-7857.

MerleFest 2010 will celebrate its 23rd year from 29th April – 2nd May, 2010. A complete list of confirmed performers is available from previous posting on our site.

Festivals Merlfest

MerleFest 2010, will once again host the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest.

Now in its 18th year, the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest. is an opportunity for aspiring writers to have their original songs heard and judged by a panel of Nashville music industry professionals, under the direction of this year’s volunteer contest chairperson, Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Jim Lauderdale.
Contest entries are now being accepted via the following methods:

1. U.S. Mail to – P. O. Box 121855, Nashville, TN 37212
2. Online at American Songspace
3. Online at Sonicbids

Details about entry fees, eligibility and other requirements are available at Chris Austin Songwriting Contest . The deadline for submissions is 18th Feb. 2010.  To be eligible to enter, a songwriter must not derive more than 50% of his or her total income from songwriting or from music publishing.

The contest recognizes winners in four categories—country, bluegrass, gospel and general.  First place winners in each category receive:  a performance on the Merlfest Cabin Stage (29 April – 2 May), an acoustic guitar, a cheque for $300, two boxes of D’Addario strings and one-year subscriptions to both Acoustic Guitar and American Songwriter magazines.  Second and third place winners in each category receive performance slots on the Friday night Songwriters Coffeehouse, as well as cash prizes, D’Addario strings and subscriptions to Acoustic Guitar and American Songwriter.

Festivals Merlfest

Merlfest 29th April – 2nd May 2010

News from the folk at MerleFest 2010, is that actor, comedian and musician Steve Martin will perform on the Watson Stage on Saturday, 1st May for Merlfest

Martin is currently drawing rave reviews as he tours in support of his Rounder Records release, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo, which spent multiple weeks at the top of the Billboard Top Bluegrass Albums Chart.

Touring with Martin are the Steep Canyon Rangers, who will perform with him at MerleFest. Together they have performed at the 20th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards Show, The Late Show with David Letterman, The View, the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival, Carnegie Hall, the Ryman Auditorium, and other venues in cities including Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington, Toronto, Chicago, Denver, Santa Fe and Troy, NY. Maritn’s tour will end on 9th November, at the Royal Festival Hall in London.

I’ve heard great things about MerleFest for years. As a musician, it’s an event I’m really looking forward to playing - Steve Martin

Martin is a three-time Grammy winner, the latest for his collaboration with Earl Scruggs on Foggy Mountain Breakdown (2001) and two for the comedy albums Wild and Crazy Guy (1978) and Let’s Get Small (1977.)

After playing on the Grammy® Award winning Foggy Mountain Breakdown with Earl Scruggs, Martin began writing a string of new banjo songs, some with lyrics and some as instrumentals. An album 45 years in the making, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo features special vocal appearances by Mary Black, Vince Gill, Tim O’Brien, Dolly Parton and instrumental guest spots by Earl Scruggs, John McEuen, Stuart Duncan, Jerry Douglas, Pete Wernick and Tony Trischka. Martin wrote or co-wrote all of the songs on the album, which was recorded in Dublin, Hollywood, Nashville and New Jersey.

MerleFest 2010 announced its talent line up last week, and at the time, festival director Ted Hagaman promised surprises and additions to the list. The award-winning SteelDrivers have also been confirmed and will perform on Thursday and Friday 29th and 30th April.

MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson as a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College and scheduled for 29th April – 2nd May 2010. The event is held on the campus of Wilkes Community college in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. An eclectic group of over 75 artists performing on 15 stages will provide the traditional plus sound for which the festival is known. The MerleFest box office will open for 2010 ticket sales on Tuesday, 10th November at 2:00 p.m. EST. Ticket purchases can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org.  An early bird ticket discount is available through to 12th March 2010.

Artists, Festivals Merlfest, Steve Martin, The Steep Canyon Rangers

MerleFest 2010, presented by Lowe’s and scheduled for 29th April – 2nd May 2010, has announced the line up for the event’s 23rd year.

The following artists will join host Doc Watson on the campus of Wilkes Community College for a celebration of traditional-plus music, a term Doc coined to describe the unique mix of traditional, roots-oriented sounds of the Appalachian region, including bluegrass and old-time music, and expanded to include Americana, country, plus whatever other styles we were in the mood to play.

In addition to providing the full line up, the festival’s website, www.merlefest.org, is a complete source of information on all aspects of the event. Festival fans are encouraged to visit the website and sign up for the MerleFest e-newsletter or register as a volunteer. Fans can also follow the latest MerleFest developments on Facebook and Twitter.

The MerleFest box office will open for 2010 ticket sales on Tuesday, November 10, at 2:00 p.m. EST. Ticket purchases can be made on the web at www.merlefest.org or by calling 1-800-343-7857. With over 75 acts performing on 15 stages during the course of the event, MerleFest is an entertainment value. An early bird ticket discount is available through March 12, 2010.

MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson as a fundraiser for Wilkes Community College. The event is held on the campus of Wilkes Community college in Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Festivals Doc Watson, Merlfest

Merlfest is scheduled for 29th April – 2nd May, 2010.

This news is just in from Wilkesboro in North Carolina on an impending announcement on the 210 Merlfest lineup. There are a few regulars from Australia who travel to the USA to attend  Merlfest which is one of the largest music festivals in the USA. MerleFest was founded in 1988 in memory of Eddy Merle Watson as a major fundraiser for Wilkes Community College in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Merlfest is scheduled for 29th April – 2nd May, 2010.

The Merlfest crew will announce the talent line up for the festival during an exclusive one-hour radio special on North Carolina public radio station WNCW on Thursday, 22nd October at 8:00 p.m. EDT.  Merlfest’s artist relations executive, John Adair, will join WNCW host Martin Anderson to announce the eclectic group of artists who will the 2010 Merlfest program.

We are excited once again to work with long-time media partner WNCW to deliver the news about our incredible lineup for 2010—which encompasses everything from bluegrass and Americana, to old-time, country and roots music – Festival Director Ted Hagaman.

Fans who live outside WNCW’s broadcast range can hear the show via the station’s online streaming broadcast.  The full line up will also be posted to the festival’s website, after the broadcast event. Festival fans are encouraged to visit the website and sign up for the MerleFest e-newsletter to find out more about additions to the line up, the history of the event, how to volunteer, tips for visiting MerleFest, and more.  Fans can also follow the latest MerleFest developments on Facebook and Twitter.

Festivals Merlfest

Arguably one of the best wash ups of the 2009 Merlfest event has been delivered by my American mate Ted Lehmann.

Ted tells it like it was and has, without doubt, the most amazing pictorial history of the event. For those of us who have been to a Merlfest, here is a bit of nostalgia to surf over. For those who have never been, here’s what you have missed.

Take In Merlfest from Ted Lehmann’s Blog

Festivals Merlfest, Ted Lehman

As the last notes of music rang out over the hillside and crews began dismantling stages, early estimates suggest that more than 70,000 fans had attended Merlfest’s four day music festival.

Even in a tough economy, attendance on Thursday was the 5th highest on a Thursday in the festival’s history.  On Friday, MerleFest experienced the 4th highest Friday attendance, while Saturday’s numbers were on par with Saturday of 2008.  At the time of this release, Sunday’s final numbers were not available.

We have had an incredible weekend, with so many dedicated fans taking advantage of the beautiful weather and enjoying a wide range of musical performances, Reports from surveys and interviews with fans tell us that our attendees took advantage of the entertainment value that we take pride in offering every year.  With over 95 artists performing on 15 stages over the four days of the festival, in addition to a variety of activities and shopping, there was truly something for everyone.  We’re grateful to the folks of Wilkes County, to everyone who works here at the college, to all of our volunteers, and of course the fans,  for making our 22nd festival another one worthy of the history books. -  festival director Ted Hagaman.

MerleFest, held anually, honors the memory of Eddy Merle Watson and the musical contributions of Doc, Merle and the entire Watson family. The event started in 1988 and is the biggest fund-raiser for the Wilkes Community College. Dates for Merlfest 2010 are 29th April 29  to 2nd May.

Festivals Merlfest

Tony Rice is one of the many bluegrass start returning to Merlfest this year. Rice has been appearing at Merlfest for 21 years and 2009 will mark his 22nd as the festival winds into action this week in the small town of Wilksbro in North Carolina.

During his Merlfest appearances Rice has has played his famous acoustic guitar sound with almost every bluegrass name  from  Bela Fleck and Sam Bush to Alison Krauss and Union Station. The Merlfest website lists almost 100 acts playing on 15 stages to around 80,000 people over these four days. No small event.

Rice fans will enjoy an article in the Rockingham News N.C., written by Lisa Snedeker , a freelance writer.

Tony Rice – Rockingham News

Artists, Festivals Merlfest, Tony Rice