IBMA News

The Best of Bluegrass for 2019

30 Sep, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

In North Carolina this month the International Bluegrass Music Awards show was held in Raleigh’s prestigious convention centre with a myriad of fans, industry professionals and artists in attendance.

On this night of nights for the bluegrass world, the following awards were announced.:

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS

Female Vocalist of the Year: Brooke Aldridge (3rd third win in category)

Male Vocalist of the Year: Russell Moore (6th win in category)

Banjo Player of the Year: Kristin Scott Benson (5th win in category)

Bass Player of the Year: Missy Raines (8th win in category)

Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year: Phil Leadbetter (3rd win in category)

Fiddle Player of the Year: Michael Cleveland (12th win in category)

Guitar Player of the Year: Billy Strings (1st win in category)

Mandolin Player of the Year: Alan Bibey (1st win in category)

Entertainer of the Year: Joe Mullins & The Radio Ramblers (1st win in category)

New Artist of the Year: Billy Strings

For a full list of this year’s winners see our 2019 IBMA Awards Page.

Alison Brown to Deliver Keynote Address at IBMA

23 Aug, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The IBMA has announced the 2019 keynote address speaker. Grammy winning banjo player and IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award recipient Alison Brown will deliver the Keynote Address at this year’s IBMA Business Conference to be held on Tuesday 24th September, at the Raleigh Convention Center in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina.

The keynote kicks off IBMA’s week-long annual World of Bluegrass event, brought to you by Chiesi USA and taking place from 24th to 28th September in Raleigh, North Carolina.

In her scheduled address, Four and a Half Things I’ve Learned, the Compass Records co-founder will share insights she’s gained over the past 25 years at the helm of one of roots music’s most successful independent labels.

I had the honor of giving the IBMA keynote address 17 years ago. Although we weren’t aware of it at the time, we were in the waning days of the record business as we knew it. Since then, the music industry has undergone a radical transformation in the way music is sold and consumed. All of the players in the ecosystem, from the record labels to the retailers, to the artists and the fans, have been affected. I look forward to sharing some of my thoughts about where we are at this juncture and how to keep bluegrass music healthy and thriving in the current landscape – Alison Brown.

Alison Brown has taken an unlikely path in establishing herself as one of the most critically acclaimed banjoists in the world. One of the more multi-faceted minds in roots music, Alison is a former investment banker (with an AB from Harvard and an MBA from UCLA), a Grammy winner, USA Artists fellow and co-founder of Nashville-based Compass Records Group which is home to the Compass Records, Red House Records, Green Linnet and Mulligan Records catalogs.

In 2015, Alison received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the International Bluegrass Music Association for the furtherance of bluegrass music. In 2019 she will become the newest inductee into the American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame for Five String Banjo Performance.

2019 IBMA Award Nominees

26 Jul, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

In September this year, bluegrass musicians, fans and industry figures will assemble in Raleigh North Carolina to celebrate the world of bluegrass music and to present the prestigious IBMA Awards. This year the association celebrates its 30th year.

This year Del McCoury and Jim Lauderdale will host bluegrass music’s biggest night, where the music community acknowledges the year’s outstanding achievements, honours new Hall of Fame inductees, and waves the worldwide flag for bluegrass music.

The 2019 inductees into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame have also been announced, with pioneering Dobro player Mike Auldridge, influential banjo picker Bill Emerson, and West Coast band the Kentucky Colonels slated to be added to the prestigious roll of names representing the genre.

The 2019 Awards and Award nominees are:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR:

Balsam Range
Sam Bush Band
The Earls of Leicester
Del McCoury Band
Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR:

Balsam Range
I’m With Her
Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver
Russell Moore & IIIrd Tyme Out
Sister Sadie

INSTRUMENTAL GROUP OF THE YEAR:

Sam Bush Band
Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper
The Earls of Leicester
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder
The Travelin’ McCourys

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR:

Appalachian Road Show
Carolina Blue
High Fidelity
Mile Twelve
Billy Strings

SONG OF THE YEAR: (7 nominees, due to a tie)

Appalachian Road Show – “Dance, Dance, Dance”
Balsam Range – “The Girl Who Invented the Wheel”
Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers with Del McCoury – “The Guitar Song”
Peter Rowan – “The Light in Carter Stanley’s Eyes”
The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys – “Next Train South”
Molly Tuttle – “Take the Journey”
Sideline – “Thunder Dan”
Del McCoury

ALBUM OF THE YEAR:

Mile Twelve – City on a Hill
Del McCoury Band – Del McCoury Still Sings Bluegrass
Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers – For the Record
Carolina Blue – I Hear Bluegrass Calling Me
Sister Sadie – Sister Sadie II

GOSPEL RECORDING OF THE YEAR:

Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers – “Acres of Diamonds”
Claire Lynch – “Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout”
Roland White and Friends – “I Am a Pilgrim”
Marty Raybon – “I See God”
Balsam Range – “Let My Life Be a Light”

INSTRUMENTAL RECORDING OF THE YEAR:

Sideline – “Cotton Eyed Joe”
Missy Raines with Alison Brown, Mike Bub, and Todd Phillips – “Darlin’ Pal(s) of Mine”
The Earls of Leicester – “Earl’s Breakdown”
Carolina Blue – “Fried Taters and Onions”
Sam Bush & Bela Fleck – “Sunrise”

COLLABORATIVE RECORDING OF THE YEAR:

Balsam Range with Atlanta Pops Orchestra Ensemble –“Burning Georgia Down”
Missy Raines with Alison Brown, Mike Bub, and Todd Phillips – “Darlin’ Pal(s) of Mine”
Joe Mullins & the Radio Ramblers with Del McCoury – “The Guitar Song”
Rhonda Vincent and Dolly Parton – “Please”
Roland White with Justin Hiltner, Jon Weisberger, Patrick McAvinue, and Molly Tuttle – “Soldier’s Joy/Ragtime Annie”

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR:

Shawn Camp
Del McCoury
Russell Moore
Tim O’Brien
Danny Paisley

FEMALE VOCALIST:

Brooke Aldridge
Dale Ann Bradley
Sierra Hull
Molly Tuttle
Rhonda Vincent

BANJO PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Gina Furtado
Mike Munford
Noam Pikelny
Kristin Scott Benson
Scott Vestal

BASS PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Barry Bales
Mike Bub
Beth Lawrence
Missy Raines
Mark Schatz

FIDDLE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Hunter Berry
Becky Buller
Jason Carter
Michael Cleveland
Stuart Duncan

RESOPHONIC GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Jerry Douglas
Andy Hall
Rob Ickes
Phil Leadbetter
Justin Moses

GUITAR PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Kenny Smith
Billy Strings
Bryan Sutton
Molly Tuttle
Josh Williams

MANDOLIN PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

Alan Bibey
Sam Bush
Sierra Hull
Ronnie McCoury
Frank Solivan

McCoury and Lauderdale to Host IBMA Awards Show

11 Jul, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Two of the most celebrated and award-winning artists in bluegrass, Del McCoury and Jim Lauderdale, will host IBMA’s 30th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards Show, scheduled for 26th September, at Raleigh, North Carolina’s Duke Energy Centre for the Performing Arts. McCoury and Lauderdale will host bluegrass music’s biggest night, where the music community acknowledges the year’s outstanding achievements, honors new Hall of Fame inductees, and waves the worldwide flag for bluegrass music.

The International Bluegrass Music Awards is part of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass brought to you by Chiesi USA, which takes place from 24th to 28th September in Raleigh, North Carolina.

This year we celebrate both the 30th anniversary of the International Bluegrass Music Awards and the 80th birthday of Hall of Famer Del McCoury. What could be better than Del co-hosting the Awards Show with the legendary Jim Lauderdale? It is sure to be a fun and memorable evening with unforgettable performances by awards nominees. This is the biggest night in bluegrass music, as we honor excellence over the past year and over entire careers – Paul Schiminger, executive director of the IBMA.

Even among the pantheon of music’s finest artists, Del McCoury stands alone. From the nascent sound of bluegrass that charmed hardscrabble hillbilly honky tonks, rural schoolhouse stages, and the crowning glory of the Grand Ole Opry to the present-day culture-buzz of viral videos and digital streams, Del is the living link, headlining sold-out concerts to music festivals of all genres, including one carrying his namesake. In 2010 McCoury received a National Heritage Fellowship lifetime achievement award from the National Endowment for the Arts, and in 2011 he was elected into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. A two-time Grammy winner, McCoury has won numerous IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, as well, including Entertainer of the Year a record-setting nine times.

Music icon Jim Lauderdale won the Best Bluegrass Album Grammy in 2002 for Lost in the Lonesome Pines, his collaboration with Ralph Stanley & The Clinch Mountain Boys, and won a second Grammy for his album The Bluegrass Diaries in 2008. A lauded singer-songwriter, he has been a symbol for creative integrity and prolificacy for thirty-two albums over decades of recording. He’s an A-list Nashville songwriter whose songs have ruled the music charts while recording an eclectic catalogue of albums. His prolific streak of releases continues in 2019, as he finishes his tenth bluegrass album.

Claire Armbruster and Mary Burdette return as executive producers of the show.

The 2019 IBMA Awards Show will celebrate bluegrass music’s finest moments and showcase the ground-breaking music that’s being made today. Expect some exciting collaborations of hot new artists with their idols – Mary Burdette.

This year’s show marks the 30th anniversary of the IBMA Awards, so we will celebrate the history of bluegrass music throughout the show, showcasing all styles of bluegrass, created by the talented artists who are nominated for awards – Claire Armbruster.

Information about the 30th IBMA Awards Show, including ticket availability, can be found at on the World of Bluegrass website.

More info about IBMA’s World of Bluegrass:

IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, whose Principal Sponsor is Chiesi USA, is a five-day annual bluegrass music homecoming and convention. World of Bluegrass encompasses four events:

the IBMA Business Conference, September 24-26;
the Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases, taking place September 24-26 in downtown Raleigh and at the Raleigh Convention Center;
the 30th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for Thursday evening, September 26; and
PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass, September 27-28, a two-day festival.

Wide Open Bluegrass features the best of the best in bluegrass today, benefiting the IBMA Bluegrass Trust Fund—a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that assists bluegrass professionals during financial emergencies—and introducing the music to thousands of new fans every year.

Changes To 2019 World of Bluegrass Announced

14 Mar, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Organisers of this year’s International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s World of Bluegrass, brought to you by Chiesi USA and taking place September 24-28 in Raleigh, North Carolina, have announced a change to the annual event’s weekend festival, PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass. Beginning this year, in addition to the 7 stages of music that are available for free in downtown Raleigh during Wide Open Bluegrass, the performances at Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater will also be open to the public for free.

A limited number of seats, in prime sections, will be available for those who want to ensure entrance and reserve preferred seating for every performance. Ticket prices for these seats will be offered at two reduced price points, $60 and $50 per ticket (per evening) for IBMA members or $70 and $60 for non-members. Additional sections and lawn seating will all be open for general admission, and available free on a first-come-first-served basis. Free general admission is limited by the size of the venue; once capacity has been reached, venue staff cannot permit non-ticketed attendees to enter until space is available.

Audiences at the Main Stage at Red Hat Amphitheater will be treated to six hours of performances by premier bluegrass acts, beginning at 5pm each evening.

With the help of our Raleigh partners and key sponsors, IBMA is transitioning our festival to a free, mission-forward event – taking bluegrass to the masses by reducing all barriers to participation. All are welcome to come hear the best in bluegrass music today – Paul Schiminger, Executive Director IBMA.

Wide Open Bluegrass will continue to be a fundraising vehicle for the IBMA Bluegrass Trust Fund, which provides direct financial assistance to bluegrass artists and other industry professionals in times of emergency need. (To date, the Trust Fund has given more than $800,000 in direct aid.)

Additional details about World of Bluegrass 2019 will be announced in the coming weeks.

Information about Red Hat Amphitheater limited reserved seating, Bluegrass Ramble Showcase passes, IBMA Business Conference registration, IBMA Award Show tickets and hotel reservations are available at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass website, WorldofBluegrass.org.

More info about IBMA’s World of Bluegrass and the Wide Open Bluegrass Festival

IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, whose Principal Sponsor is Chiesi USA, is a five-day annual bluegrass music homecoming and convention. World of Bluegrass encompasses four events: the IBMA Business Conference, September 24-26; the Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases, taking place September 24-26 in downtown Raleigh and at the Raleigh Convention Centre; the 30th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for Thursday evening, September 26; and PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass, September 27-28, a two-day festival. Wide Open Bluegrass features the best of the best in bluegrass today, benefiting the IBMA Bluegrass Trust Fund—a 501(c)(3) charitable organisation that assists bluegrass professionals during financial emergencies—and introducing the music to thousands of new fans every year.

As in years past, events during World of Bluegrass will take place at the Raleigh Convention Centre, the Duke Energy Centre for the Performing Arts, the Red Hat Amphitheater and at various venues in town.

The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau reported that last year’s World of Bluegrass events generated $12.7 million in direct visitor spending for that region, with total attendance for the week’s activities estimated to be a record-breaking 223,000 people. Over 220 acts performed throughout the entire week of World of Bluegrass.

About Chiesi USA

Chiesi USA, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company committed to research, development, and commercialisation of innovative products in the areas of cardiovascular, neonatology, respiratory, rare disease and special care therapeutics. Our primary focus is on people: the people we serve in the healthcare community; the people whose lives are touched by our products and services; and the people who work at Chiesi USA, as they strive to build their company, their family and their community. Chiesi USA, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.

About PNC Bank

PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.

About IBMA

IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the nonprofit professional organisation for the global bluegrass music community. The organization’s successful run in Raleigh is the product of their partnership with The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Raleigh Convention Centre, PineCone—The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, the City of Raleigh and a local organising committee.

Bluegrass Ramble Applications Now Open.

19 Jan, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Here is an opportunity to appear before a host of Bluegrass Music agents, producers, recording companies and other folk providing opportunities to emerging bluegrass artists.

Official showcase performances at the IBMA’s annual Bluegrass Ramble during World of Bluegrass week form the premier platform for introducing talent to the bluegrass community. The Bluegrass Ramble will take place September 24-26, 2019, once again in downtown Raleigh, NC, and all emerging bluegrass bands, as well as established bands with new music or new personnel, are encouraged to apply.

Showcase Package:

Each selected showcase act will perform at least twice during the week—once on a convention center stage and once at a Bluegrass Ramble venue. Convention Center sets will be 25 minutes, and Bluegrass Ramble venue sets will be 45 minutes.

In addition to the two showcase opportunities, the IBMA showcase package includes:

Full conference registration package for performing members of group (value $1000+).
Priority access to “Gig Fair” appointments.
Complimentary booth space during business conference (value $700+).
One organizational membership for group (value $205).
Featured promotion on IBMA channels throughout the summer, ahead of the events.
Featured profile in conference program, WOB app, and printed Bluegrass Ramble schedules.
Inclusion of one mp3 on the 2019 Bluegrass Ramble mixtape via Noisetrade, available for free and promoted to DJs and talent buyers pre-event.
Download the mixtapes from prior years.
Inclusion in the Bluegrass Ramble Spotify playlist, promoted to DJs and talent buyers pre-event.

Eligibility:

All artists playing bluegrass and closely related genres are encouraged to apply. Applicant does NOT have to be an IBMA member.

All non-U.S.-based artists must be legally able to enter the United States and are responsible for acquiring all necessary travel permits including visas when necessary. Learn more.

Official IBMA showcase acts from the 2018 Bluegrass Ramble are NOT eligible for 2019. If the act performed on sponsored showcases during the Bluegrass Ramble or elsewhere during 2018, it IS eligible to apply for an Official IBMA Showcase for 2019.

Application Process:

All applications will be made online, through this page. Up to 30 artists will be invited to participate in the Bluegrass Ramble as Official IBMA Showcase Acts. Artists are chosen through a juried selection process that takes into consideration the applicant’s entertainment value, level of professionalism, potential appeal, quality of work, and potential of act to benefit from the opportunity.

All applicants will receive a response from the IBMA via email by April 15, indicating whether the act has been selected for an official showcase, selected as an alternate, or not selected for an official showcase. Apply Here.

Application Materials:

In addition to general applicant contact information, the following materials will be needed to complete the application:

Name, email, and role (i.e. banjo, fiddle) of each member of the applying act
One studio recorded song (mp3 format only, an optional second recording may be submitted as well)
One Hi-Res artist photo
An artist bio with artist location, names/roles of band members (if known at time of application), description of the artist’s sound, and note of any recently released recordings
A stage plot, indicating locations of instruments, instrument mics, vocal mics, and any other equipment (i.e. amp, pre-amp).
Credit card for application fee.
Application Deadlines & Fees

Online application for IBMA showcases must be submitted by FEBRUARY 28, 2019. All applicants are required to submit a $25 fee to help defray selection process costs. If invited to participate as an official showcase artist, there is an additional fee of $500 to offset costs of services and showcase production.

2019 Blue Ridge Banjo Camp Applications Now Open

15 Jan, 19 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

Applications are now being accepted for Blue Ridge Banjo Camp.

The Blue Ridge Banjo Camp is presented by Béla Fleck and will be held at the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, NC on August 14-18, 2019.

The camp will feature 3 days and 4 four nights of diverse banjo instruction by Béla himself along with a cast of world-class banjo players/instructors. The week will culminate with a finale concert held in the beautiful Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium. The instructional focus will be on the three distinct styles of three-finger banjo playing: Scruggs, melodic, and single string. The Blue Ridge Banjo Camp will provide banjo players with the tools to improve their playing and aims to contribute to the overall growth of the fine art of the 5-String banjo.

The IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) will partnering with the Blue Ridge Banjo Camp again this year. IBMA will be offering a full scholarship to an IBMA member who is accepted into this amazing camp.

More details to come about how to apply for this scholarship. To become eligible for the IBMA Member Scholarship, become an IBMA member here.

For more information, visit Blue Ridge Banjo Camp’s website here.

20198 Leadership in Bluegrass Announced

24 Dec, 18 by Greg McGrath Leave a Comment

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) has announced the 2019 class of Leadership Bluegrass, an intensive three-day program of advanced-level interactive learning experiences designed to build commitment, motivate talents, and instil enthusiasm for addressing the future of the bluegrass music industry. This will be its 20th year since its inception in 2000.

Leadership Bluegrass boasts more than 400 graduates, and each year 25 individuals are invited to take part.

“Leadership Bluegrass has become one of the most impactful programs in the bluegrass music industry to connect and develop professionals who have made a strong commitment to advance both their careers and the ongoing efforts of the IBMA,” says IBMA Executive Director Paul Schiminger. “This year’s class has an impressive collective resumé and demonstrated ability to lead across a broad cross-section of our music. Congratulations to the Class of 2019 for being selected out of such a strong group of candidates.

The members of the class of 2019 are:

Anni Beach	Jam Park ‘n’ Blues Neighbourhood Band	Chandler AZ
David Benedict	Mile Twelve	Cambridge, MA
Andrea Berman	Pacific Pickin’, CiTR (101.9 FM)	West Vancouver, BC
Sam Blumenthal		Charlotte, NC
Philip Chorney	Charm City Bluegrass / Baltimore Management Agency	Rosedale, MD
Michelle Conceison	Market Monkeys	Nashville, TN
Deborah Fillman	Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum	Owensboro, KY
Sophie Galep	Minnesota Bluegrass	Elizabethton, TN
Michele Gourley		Durham, NC
Philip Graham	Ear Trumpet Labs	Portland, OR
Rick Greene	SamJam Bluegrass Festival	Waverly, OH
Katie Hogue	John Hartford Enterprises	Nashville, TN
John Lowell	John Lowell Music	Livingston, MT
Alex Mallett	Folk Alliance International	Kansas City, MO
Mary Beth Martin	Earl Scruggs Center	Shelby, NC
Jana Mougin	Dark Shadow Recording	Goodlettsville, TN
Kali Nowakowski	Straight Up Strings	Atascadero, CA
Forrest O’Connor	The O’Connor Band / Kate Lee & Forrest O’Connor	Nashville, TN
Thomas Pritchard	Rhode Island Bluegrass Alliance	East Greenwich, RI
Gregory Reish	MTSU Center for Popular Music	Murfreesboro, TN
Kim Robins	Kim Robins and 40 Years Late	Worthington, IN
Matt Royles	Man About a Horse / Philly Bluegrass	Philadelphia, PA
John Strohm	Rounder Records	Nashville, TN
Maria Wallace	True North Music	Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK
Melanie Wilson	Wilson Pickins Promotions	Westminster, SC

Leadership Bluegrass 2019 takes place from the 4th to 6th March at BMI in Nashville. The course will be facilitated by Trisha Tubbs for the eighth consecutive year. Leadership Bluegrass is made possible through the generous support of its Platinum Sponsors: BMI, the Bluegrass Heritage Foundation, Williams Mullen, and the Wintergrass Music Festival (Acoustic Sound).

Davidson Brothers Selected for 2018 Bluegrass Ramble

17 May, 18 by Greg McGrath

IBMA Selects Official Showcase Artists for 2018 Bluegrass Ramble

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) has announced its 30 Official Showcase Artists for the Bluegrass Ramble, the IBMA’s innovative showcase series which will take place at select venues throughout downtown Raleigh, North Carolina September 25-27. The Bluegrass Ramble is one element of the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass 2018 event, September 25-29.

The following artists were selected by the IBMA Showcase Selection Committee as Bluegrass Ramble Official Showcase artists:

Amanda Cook – Jay, Florida
Appalachian Road Show – Ellijay, Georgia
Ashleigh Caudill – Nashville, Tennessee
Bill and the Belles – Johnson City, Tennessee
Cedar Hill – Hillsboro, Missouri
Charm City Junction – Baltimore, Maryland
Circus No. 9 – Johnson City, Tennessee
Colebrook Road – Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
David Davis & The Warrior River Boys – Cullman, Alabama
Davidson Brothers – Bendigo, Victoria (Australia)
Flats and Sharps – Brighton, Cornwall (United Kingdom)
Hawktail – Nashville, Tennessee
Jeff Scroggins & Colorado – Parker, Colorado
JigJam – Fermoy, Cork (Ireland)
John Reischman and the Jaybirds – New Westminster, British Columbia (Canada)
Kim Robins and 40 Years Late – Bloomington, Indiana
Kristi Stanley & Running Blind – Coeburn, VA
Lonesome Ace Stringband – Toronto, Ontario (Canada)
Man About a Horse – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Missy Raines – Nashville, Tennessee
Rebekah Long – Nashville, Tennessee
Special Consensus – Oak Lawn, Illinois
The Band of Kelleys – Spring Hill, Tennessee
The Barefoot Movement – Hendersonville, Tennessee
The Honey Dewdrops – Baltimore, Maryland
The Jakob’s Ferry Stragglers – Stockdale, Pennsylvania
The Plate Scrapers – Hagerstown, Maryland
The Trailblazers – Mount Ulla, North Carolina
The Wooks – Lexington, Kentucky
Wood & Wire – Dripping Springs, Texas

These artists were selected from a highly competitive pool of applicants from all over the world, with the goal of presenting the broad spectrum of styles, regions and personalities who represent bluegrass today. Each act will perform at least two times over the course of the three-night Bluegrass Ramble event, at one of five downtown Raleigh clubs plus the Raleigh Convention Center, providing multiple opportunities to see each act.

Each year, there is a great deal of anticipation to learn who was selected as Official Showcase Bands for the upcoming World of Bluegrass out of an incredibly competitive field. Once again, the Showcase Selection Committee faced difficult decisions but did a terrific job. It is fun to see a mixture of well-established bands with new material along with bands who are achieving success in the earlier stages of their careers. There is no better opportunity for talent buyers and other industry professionals to connect with new music and new talent than the showcases at IBMA’s Business Conference and Bluegrass Ramble – Paul Schiminger, IBMA Executive Director.

Access to Bluegrass Ramble shows is included with an IBMA Business Conference registration. Those not attending the conference may buy a full-access wristband to all Ramble venues for $75.00 or a single-day wristband for $30.00 on the World of Bluegrass website. Members of the IBMA receive a discount on regular registration fees. Early Bird registration for the Business Conference is just $225 for IBMA members and $265 for non-members. Conference attendees have until May 31 to take advantage of ALL that the Business Conference has to offer at this discounted rate.

The Bluegrass Ramble showcases will be held in the following venues:

Pour House Music Hall
Vintage Church
Raleigh Convention Center

The Architect Bar & Social House
Kings
Lincoln Theatre

More info about World of Bluegrass and the Wide Open Festival
IBMA’s World of Bluegrass, whose principal sponsor is Chiesi USA, is a five-day annual bluegrass music homecoming and convention. World of Bluegrass encompasses four events: the IBMA Business Conference, September 26-28; the Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of showcases, taking place September 26-28 in downtown Raleigh and at the Raleigh Convention Center; the 28th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for Thursday evening, September 28; and PNC presents Wide Open Bluegrass, September 29-30, a two-day festival. The ticketed Wide Open Main Stage features the best of the best in bluegrass today, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the Bluegrass Trust Fund, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that assists bluegrass professionals during financial emergencies. The free Wide Open StreetFest brings bluegrass into the community and introduces the music to thousands of new fans every year.

The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau reported that last year’s World of Bluegrass events generated $11.7 million in direct visitor spending for that region, with total attendance for the week’s activities estimated to be a record-breaking 221,000 people. Over 220 acts performed throughout the entire week of World of Bluegrass.

As in years past, events during World of Bluegrass will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center, the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, the Red Hat Amphitheater and at various venues in town.

About Chiesi USA
Chiesi USA, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company committed to research, development, and commercialization of innovative products in the areas of cardiovascular, neonatology, respiratory, rare disease and special care therapeutics. Our primary focus is on people: the people we serve in the healthcare community; the people whose lives are touched by our products and services; and the people who work at Chiesi USA, as they strive to build their company, their family and their community. Chiesi USA, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A.

About IBMA IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the nonprofit professional organization for the global bluegrass music community. The organization’s six-year run in Raleigh is the product of their successful partnership with The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Raleigh Convention Center, PineCone—The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, the City of Raleigh and a local organizing committee.

2018 Blue Ridge Banjo Camp Scholarship

1 Feb, 18 by Greg McGrath

The IBMA has partnered with the Blue Ridge Banjo Camp to offer a full scholarship to one lucky IBMA member for this first-ever banjo camp.
This scholarship, valued at $1,100, will cover cover tuition, lodging and meals at the idyllic Brevard Music Center in North Carolina.

Students will have a chance to study with Béla Fleck, Tony Trischka, Kristin Scott Benson, Mike Munford and Steve Cooley. The instructional focus will be on the three distinct styles of three-finger banjo playing: Scruggs, melodic, and single string. Designed with intermediate and advanced students in mind, this camp will feature three days and four nights of diverse banjo instruction as well as a a finale concert held in the beautiful Whittington-Pfohl Auditorium.

Indeed this is a rare opportunity. World-class banjoist Béla Fleck has never taught at a banjo camp. Yet this August at Blue Ridge Banjo Camp, in addition to teaching, he is hand-picking the teachers and hand-crafting the course work. He is tailoring it, he says, “to students who are just as excited about the banjo as we are, and that are banjo nerds to the core!”

How do you apply for a scholarship?

First, you apply to the camp. Blue Ridge Banjo Camp is taking a new approach: they are looking for intermediate and advanced players, and they ask all potential students to submit an audition video. There’s no fee for submitting. Béla will then select this year’s camp students, and design the curriculum taking into account their styles and levels of ability. All students selected for the camp will be sent instructions on how to apply for this full scholarship. There is no fee for the scholarship application.

You must be an IBMA member in good standing to be considered for this scholarship.

Learn more about Blue Ridge Banjo Camp here.

Learn about the application process here.

Blue Ridge Banjo Camp
Brevard Music Center
North Carolina
August 15-19, 2018.