Preserving The Tradition of Bluegrass Into The Future

Andy Leftwich doesn’t deal in nostalgia, even when his résumé invites it. The four-time Grammy-winning instrumentalist could lean on a lifetime that runs from championship fiddle contests to nearly sixteen years inside Kentucky Thunder, but Aced pushes forward instead of looking back. The album captures a musician who has moved past proving himself and now focuses on saying something that lasts. “This latest record is one that I’ve been working on for just over a year,” Leftw

The audience for bluegrass music extends beyond the United States. Every year dozens of bluegrass bands tour in foreign lands, especially Europe and the United Kingdom. Playing abroad can increase a band’s audience and provide members with new travel, culinary, and cultural experiences. But the travel complications can be unexpected and confounding. The Bluegrass Standard invited several musicians to share their experiences traveling and performing abroad. Unsurprisingly, sim

Blue(Grass) Ribbon Dog Songs Congratulate yourself on making it this deep into summertime. We’ve almost reached the tail end of Dog Days—July 3 to August 11. But it seems to me our four-legged friends deserve more than our taking their names in vain for some of the muggiest days of the season. When they named this stretch of the calendar, the ancient Romans had mapped the path of Sirius, the bright “Dog Star.” Because it aligns with the summer sun, that star was thought to ad

Ask thirty-four-year-old North Carolina banjoist and tractor enthusiast Andy Hunt what a 1947 Farmall H and bluegrass have in common, and he'll show you living history. “Our family farm in Archdale, North Carolina, was bought by my great-great-granddaddy in the early 1900s,” Hunt says. Hunt also raises cattle, including one named Mabel. “Hereford cows are my favorite breed!” “I caught classic tractor fever at a very young age. My dad worked as a farrier. He would put me on a

As an industrial hygenist Steven Moore keeps workplaces safe by carefully monitoring dust, vapor, and noise levels, and reducing exposure to protect employees. But on stage he’s audacious and bold. This three-time national banjo champion plays jaw-dropping, inventive arrangements of contest tunes. As a member of The David Mayfield Parade, perhaps the most animated, eccentric, and exciting band in bluegrass, Moore combines his virtuosity with a sense of humor and humility that

Charlie Worsham has been involved with music for as long as he can remember. Growing up in Grenada, Mississippi, as the son of a banker (his dad) and a teacher (his mother), young Charlie was an accomplished musician by the age of fourteen, honored as such by the Mississippi Senate. In high school, he attended a five-week summer program at Berklee College of Music and fell in love with Boston. By the time he graduated from high school, Charlie was ready to pursue his music d

On a June afternoon in New York, the idea of asking permission to step onto someone’s porch carries a certain weight. It suggests entry, humility, and a recognition that music, like conversation, is something shared rather than imposed. That spirit sits at the heart of Porch Stomp 2026, returning June 20 to Governors Island, where bluegrass and its extended folk family continue their unlikely, but deeply rooted, dialogue with the city. Now in its thirteenth year, Porch Stomp

Ten years ago, when he first began writing code for an app that his music students could play along with, Luke Abbott didn’t realize he was revolutionizing bluegrass music instruction and creating a career for himself. But a decade into Strum Machine, it’s clear that’s what happened. Not only does the subscription-based app allow users to play along with approximately 1300 bluegrass and old-time songs in its catalog, they can, among other things, select the key, set the temp

If you think being a full-time musician isn’t a rewarding job, ask Florida-based banjoist Isaac Taylor. Whether he’s teaching someone how to play “Foggy Mountain Breakdown” or touring with rising Florida band Remedy Tree, he enjoys every minute of it. “Oh my goodness. It’s my dream!” said Taylor over the phone during an early morning interview. In 2014, a newly married Taylor traded his banjo for computer systems and data management. “I was about to graduate from college, and

Perception sure can be sneaky on a beautiful day. Wily clouds and shifty blue skies cannot be trusted to tell your eyes the truth. I knew that pretty lie on some level as I held the perfect cup of coffee while gazing out my kitchen window one morning a few days back. I went so far as to have a “Snow White” moment, wanting to start humming a cheerful melody and twirl around, letting my princess dress swing out as little forest creatures danced around my feet because everything

She’s as hot as Tabasco sauce, and as smooth as a glass of good whiskey. With one foot in South Louisiana and one in Nashville, Sara Douga is keeping her musical traditions intact while running an indie career. Her second album, Woman Out of Me, was released on May 26. She’s a music businesswoman who wrote most of the songs, put together a band of A-list Nashville musicians, and self-produced the album at Starstruck Studios. A Solid Beginning Sara grew up in Lake Charles, Lou

For the young members of the DellaValla Trio, building a career in the biz requires full immersion in the bluegrass scene. For these talented teens, experiencing the recent annual SPBGMA convention for the very first time was a great way to dig deeply into the music and culture they love so much. “We went mainly to support friends, to learn, and to jam our hearts out,” explained Joseph DellaValla, 17-year-old banjo player and vocalist for the family group. “We’ve been genuine

The Petersens are first and foremost a family. They also have a family band. And, they all have a hand in running the family’s music business. The band was officially formed in 2004, but they started performing more when they moved to Branson, Missouri, in 2007. As they performed at local churches and festivals, the band gained recognition for their faith-based music, beautiful harmonies, and their instrumental skills. Their music has opened doors and taken them around the w

It’s an unlikely musical love story. Jon and Marina Lindblom took a sidestep from symphonic music to bluegrass, and the result has been something they never could have imagined. Jon, a native of New York, pursued his musical ambitions at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where he earned a degree in Trumpet Performance. While in college, he met a violinist, Marina, from Michigan. She was also at Eastman to study Violin Performance. Marina has played in symph

A songwriter, composer, and neo-traditional Americana musician, Kate MacLeod seems to be a pro at turning lemons into musical lemonade. Not that taking care of her elderly mother is a “lemon,” but it did uproot Kate somewhat, as she left her home in Utah to return to her eastern roots in West Virginia. Kate grew up in the Washington, DC, area, where both of her parents worked in the sciences, but there was always music in the house. “My father’s side of the family was very m

It’s been six years since Chance McCoy last traveled as a member of the Grammy Award–winning band Old Crow Medicine Show. Leaving on good terms, he’s back—bracing for the long road ahead. “You’d think you’ve hit the jackpot—you’re on a tour bus, and everything’s gravy. But it’s far from it. It’s intense,” McCoy admits during an interview. Leaving The Old Crow Medicine Show to pursue his own creative path in 2019, McCoy once again rejoins the band as a multi-instrumentalist. “

In a world filled with so much phoniness, simple and honest things often shine. For bluegrass musician and festival creator Caleb Bailey, his new endeavor already shows ample evidence of being one of those rare things. It’s 100-percent genuine. It’s no B.S. The “No Bull…Just Bluegrass Festival” – now in its second year – tells you in its title that it’s about genuine, down-home fun. Bailey and his band – Paine’s Run – host this music fest that will be held this year on July 2

Red, White & Bluegrass—Capital Celebrations Merry Semiquincentennial! I can’t believe it’s been that long since “The Mighty Quinn” topped the British airplay charts! Wait, I’m getting an update. Here in the former colonies, “semiquincentennial” is the much-too-formal way that some folks talk about our nation’s 250th anniversary. But any Independence Day is a real reason to celebrate. According to President John Adams, the nation’s birthday “ought to be solemnized with Pomp an

In true Molly Tuttle style, it was wig-off and full tilt as she played to an appreciative crowd at the iconic music venue Tipitina’s in New Orleans. The show in early May was a stop along her ambitious tour that will stretch into the late fall, followed by a Cayamo cruise out of Miami February 26-March 5, 2027. With a new band and a GRAMMY-nominated album, So Long Little Miss Sunshine, Molly is taking her dynamic roots music blend of bluegrass, Americana, pop, and rock to ven

It’s pretty cool to be the son of an icon. When your dad was a pioneering figure in the evolution of a music genre, it’s not hard to come out of that without at least a little bit of inspiration. It’s almost impossible, perhaps, not to try yourself to pick up an instrument and do some pickin’ and strummin’. That’s exactly what happened to Ralph Stanley II, son of one of the patriarchs of the bluegrass sound. As the son of the late Dr. Ralph Stanley, he couldn’t resist learnin

For some people, finding true friends and gaining acceptance is just a little bit harder. According to Bluegrass Pride Vice Chair of the Board Scott Justus, the perennial issue of “fitting in” is even harder for those who identify as LGBTQ+. Bluegrass is known for its ability to bridge social, cultural and demographic divides, but to Justus and the other board members of Bluegrass Pride, people of more diverse backgrounds and identities need a separate place where they can ta

Bluegrass continues to prove fertile ground for artists like Izaak Atlas Schwartz, whose debut album, Black Oak Ridge, is creating a buzz—not just for its virtuosity but also for its originality. A classically trained musician from Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, Schwartz first cut his teeth at the Wind Gap Bluegrass Festivals. “I started learning bluegrass at the youth academy,” the fifteen-year-old recalls. He discovered The Ruta Beggars. “When I saw them play, I really like

Despite starting on the violin at an early age, having a bluegrass-loving father, playing in a family bluegrass band, and then touring with a national act, Ellie Hakanson didn’t set out to be a full-time musician. But things happen. Such as layoffs, lockdowns, and the chance to spend cherished time with a music-loving grandmother, who remains an inspiration. “I wasn't really planning on the professional bluegrass thing. But I'm happy it worked out that way,” Hakanson says.

Decoding the secret to social media success is something many content creators struggle with, but for Tennessee native Matt Heldman, what started as a Facebook page for teaching bluegrass has become a full-on fan page that’s growing by leaps and bounds. “I was at 87 followers in January of this year, and I think I’m now at almost 125,000,” Heldman told The Bluegrass Standard. Born East of the Tennessee River, Heldman leads Murphy’s Ridge, a family bluegrass and gospel band. E