Preserving The Tradition of Bluegrass Into The Future

Photo Credit: Wes Hobbs Better Focus Photography Amanda Cook works all sides of the music industry, stepping in and out of various roles with ease. She is a talented musician, engineer, and label executive. But in the end, it's all about the music. Growing up in Pensacola, Fla., Amanda was surrounded by music. "My mom was always playing music – in the car, in the house, and she loved to sing. I listened to strong female singers like Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie of Fleetwo

If you've attended the IBMA awards over the past several years, you've heard Katy Daley's voice. She announces the nominees for the annual awards show. But last year, she stepped from behind the microphone to the spotlight when she was inducted into the IBMA Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame. When she started working on the radio, Katy had never dreamed of such accolades. The Washington, DC native went to college in Brevard, North Carolina. "Everyone there was born with an instrum

From the Blue Ridge ridgelines to the Ohio Valley and the eastern Kentucky hollers, Appalachia’s brewing scene pours history, place, and personality into every pint. The region’s mix of deep-rooted tradition and creative independence shows up in its beer, its breweries, and its people. These eight breweries illustrate how craft beer in Appalachia is rooted in land, labor, and local storytelling — each one offering a glimpse into how communities across these mountains celebrat

Happy 2026!  This year marked the latest in an unbroken string of midnight countdowns that I wasn’t invited to perform on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve With Ryan Seacrest.” I was in good company, though, since not many Bluegrass entertainers were featured on TV specials welcoming the New Year. But maybe that’s because a good number of pickers and fans were just hours away from kicking off the first festivals of 2026. Before most of us had finished our first

Crooked Still, Punch Brothers, and Hawktail fiddle player Brittany Haas continues to push creative boundaries. Her latest is pairing with Dallas/Fort Worth native guitarist and composer Ben Garnett on his new album Kite’s Keep . Haas, who appeared on Garnett’s debut album Imitation Fields , says the pair have agreed to form a trio. “We just kind of developed a friendship,” Haas points out. “There is that moment where we thought, Shouldn’t we also play together professionally

“I grew up in Union, South Carolina,” she recalled, “and the first banjo I got, I was about nine. We’d only had it a month or two, and our house burned down.”   It’s the kind of memory that could have ended a childhood dream, but for Kristin Scott Benson, it simply began another story.   “The first thing that I remember well — you know, small towns can be so special. I remember how sweet the town was to us when it happened. I remember going back to school, and all these kids

Along with a recent engagement to her guitarist and producer Eric Julio Carranza, St. Paul, Minn., singer-songwriter Molly Brandt shares that she and Carranza—who work famously together—have a few treats in store for their fans. For those just getting familiar with Brandt’s music, she has come a long way from writing her first songs during the COVID-19 lockdown. Since then, she has released thirteen singles and two albums, including the critically acclaimed American Saga . Ta

Some photographers frame shots. Laci Mack frames moments — and in bluegrass, that’s the difference between a picture and a piece of history. You can spot her in the shadows at the Grand Ole Opry, in the corner at the Ryman, or tucked against a wall at the Station Inn, silent as a prayer until the shutter cracks like a snare hit. Then she’s gone again, already hunting the next frame.   “Patience is everything,” she says, and you believe it, because in her photos you can see th

For a 20-year-old, old-time banjoist, Nora Brown already has quite the resume.   She’s toured the United States, Japan, and Europe. She’s recorded four albums. She’s appeared at the Newport Folk Festival, on NPR’s All Songs Considered , and has performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert . Twice.   Oh, and she’s a full-time college student, where, among other things, she’s an American Studies major and leads a Slavic choir.   “It's a little bit difficult to coordinate, but I mostly

While she’s half of the award-winning duo Kenny and Amanda Smith, Amanda is a powerhouse on her own. A native of Davisville, W. Va., she has been singing since she was eight. “I sang in church. My mama always sang, so I sang with her. My daddy got me an autoharp that I played and sang to, and my mama encouraged me to sing in church, so I did.” By the time she was in junior high, Amanda had won talent competitions and was singing at local events. “I learned to play guitar in h

She’s an award-winning singer, songwriter, teacher, and bluegrass ambassador. The multi-talented Donna Ulisse has had a career in music that has spanned decades, and her talent, perseverance, and passion have earned her respect in the world of bluegrass and country music. Born and raised in Hampton, Virginia, Donna grew up surrounded by music. “My dad loved the Osborne Brothers, and I have vivid memories of him flying down country roads when I was very young, singing at the t

Almost nine years after recording her Grammy-nominated album North by South , Claire Lynch, a three-time IBMA Female Vocalist of the Year Award winner, is back with new songs. “This project is all original. I have either written solo or co-written every song on the album, which is something I have never done,” shares the singer during a recent interview. “I started co-writing when I signed with Polygram Music Publishing on Music Row, and later on with Universal Music Publishi

When Missy Raines is playing on stage, she doesn’t just want people to hear her songs; she wants them to feel them. Each song she plays has special meaning, from the songs she has written or the ones she has carefully chosen. Love and Trouble , her most recent album, with her band, Allegheny, is described on her website as “views from the highest peaks of her native West Virginia and from the deepest hollers of heartbreak. The ten songs come to life with people, places, and s

If you happen to pick up a copy of the album Ghost Stories  by the indie-country group The Whitmore Sisters, brace yourself for some soul-stirring sibling harmony! Three years after their debut together, Eleanor and Bonnie Whitmore say they are still recording, writing, and playing venues together—despite having no plans for a follow-up album. “We have this bi-monthly residency at Gold Diggers here in Los Angeles [venue] called Mastersons & Friends, ” explains Eleanor. The si