Not everyone likes Bluegrass music. As one friend said to me “There’s too much twang, too much drawling, too much banjo plinking and too much fiddle droning.” Of course since I consider all those things essential I disagreed with him. So I listen to the Bluegrass station on Sirius Radio, listen to Bluegrass CDs and attend festivals and concerts.
This past Saturday my wife and I attended the Washington DC Bluegrass Union festival which featured our favorite band the Gibson Brothers. In addition to that great group there were several other performers, as is the way of these things. Every group on the program was professional, polished and fun to hear. Chester River Runoff, a local band, started the day off. Then an exciting young family group, featuring three harmonizing sisters, Gold Heart, wowed the crowd with two fine sets. Robin and Linda Williams and Their Fine Band, not strictly a Bluegrass group, entertained with a wide variety of country songs. Wayne Taylor and Appaloosa delivered two solid sets of great songs both vocal and instrumental. Claire Lynch and her band struggled with some sound system issues but overcame those to showcase the reasons why Claire was the IBMA female vocalist of the year at the last awards ceremony. And then the Gibson Brothers band did what they always do. They brought down the house.
Every time I attend a Bluegrass show I come away inspired. I’m inspired by the heights that ordinary folks have achieved by developing some extraordinary talents. I’m inspired by the heartfelt performances of songs that have an emotional and spiritual impact. And I’m inspired especially by the quality of song writing that goes on in the field of Bluegrass music today. So after the show on Saturday, as I was driving back to Dover, I started thinking about how different the Bluegrass business is from all other genres of music.
Due to the relatively small audience for Bluegrass music, compared to Pop or Rap/Hip Hop or popular Country, the genre depends a lot on festivals as a way of maintaining a fan base and reaching new listeners. And Bluegrass Festivals have been around a long time. The first multi-band, multi-day Bluegrass event is believed to have been in Fincastle, VA in August of 1965. That’s a long time before Woodstock. Festivals can be small one day affairs like the Washington event or big multi-day productions like Merlefest, Gettysburg or Grey Fox. But all of these festivals have two common features that make them different from other events that feature many performers, and that is the provision for jam session space and the scheduling of workshops.
Workshops are conducted by established professionals in the Bluegrass genre. They might focus on playing techniques on a particular instrument. Or there may be a session devoted to song writing or harmony singing. I’ve even seen schedules that had workshops dedicated to the business side of the music business. Sometimes the workshops are included in the price of admission or, occasionally, there is a nominal fee. But I know of no other genre of music that provides that type of hands on education to developing musicians. In essence the old pros are educating their future competition.
The Gibson Brothers and Claire Lynch were involved in a vocal workshop on the afternoon of the DC festival. One participant told me that she learned more in that session than she did in three years of voice training at college. She said that the workshop leaders didn’t just tell about the techniques they clearly demonstrated them.
The jam sessions are another excellent feature of the festival scene. On this past Saturday there was some fine picking going on in the hallways and other small rooms outside the main auditorium. From youngsters to senior citizens, from novices to highly skilled professionals there was joyous sound being generated by everyone involved. Fortunate listeners got a little extra entertainment for their ticket dollars.
If you get a chance, attend a Bluegrass festival. You may not like every band or every style of music you hear. When that happens you can get up and wander around the area, browse at vendor booths, listen to jam sessions, peek in at workshops or get a cold drink and a sandwich. You’ll meet interesting and friendly people. And, like me, you might just come away inspired.
