<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[The Bluegrass Standard]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Bluegrass Standard is an online magazine for Bluegrass fans everywhere to enjoy! Follow your favorite artists or discover new ones.]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/appalachiafoodies</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 13:16:26 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[The Writer's Room: The Grass Is Greener . . . Ireland’s Influence On America’s Music]]></title><description><![CDATA[Have another helping of Irish stew or corned beef and cabbage. Wash it down with a pint of Guinness, green food coloring optional. Then continue your Saint Patrick’s Day celebration by listening to traditional Irish tunes.More than a few should sound familiar to Bluegrass fans. When it comes to influences on American music, the Grass literally is greener because of contributions from the Emerald Isle. First came the fiddle, easier than most instruments to take on board ship and down the Great...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/the-writer-s-room-the-grass-is-greener-ireland-s-influence-on-america-s-music</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a3724a68ed4778a4ea416d</guid><category><![CDATA[March 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:00:59 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3b8817_6bb3158a945d4e349a7401ad8c0f2d12~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>David Lauver</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Unplugged in the Ozarks: Connecting Old-Time Music to New Generations “IRL”]]></title><description><![CDATA[In a moment when most young musicians are learning through screens—isolated, headphone-deep, and algorithm-directed—the work of the Ozark Mountain Music Association feels almost countercultural. Here, music is taught face-to-face. Instruments are acoustic. Learning happens in rooms, on porches, and on courthouse squares. And the goal isn’t virality—it’s continuity.   “We are event-oriented,” said Wendy Wright, executive director of the Ozark Mountain Music Association. “Most of what we do is...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/unplugged-in-the-ozarks-connecting-old-time-music-to-new-generations-irl</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a370d99d34acb7c43775e5</guid><category><![CDATA[March 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:00:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3b8817_e789e4a37a694ce49d42da5cc7ad649f~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephen Pitalo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dale Ann Bradley]]></title><description><![CDATA[She’s one of the most respected voices in Bluegrass and Americana, yet Dale Ann Bradley is as down-to-earth as your next-door neighbor. From her home in Middlesboro, Kentucky, in the same county where she grew up, Dale Ann walks a line between two worlds. One is the familiar place of her childhood, and the other is on stage in front of her adoring fans. She’s equally at home in either place.  Dale Ann got her first guitar when she was 14, and she began singing in front of live audiences when...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/dale-ann-bradley</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a36467177696dbd35455da</guid><category><![CDATA[March 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:00:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3b8817_518915cfd66d4bd081b0564fae447842~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Susan Marquez</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Sara Bradley: Elevating Appalachian Cuisine]]></title><description><![CDATA[Sara Bradley, the acclaimed chef behind Freight House in Paducah, Kentucky, has become one of the most recognizable culinary voices to emerge from the region in recent years.    Raised in Paducah, Bradley grew up surrounded by family traditions that blended her Jewish maternal heritage with her father’s Appalachian background. This upbringing instilled in her an appreciation for seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, and the resourcefulness that defines Appalachian cooking.    While she has...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/sara-bradley-elevating-appalachian-cuisine</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a36fe532a596f2a27f28f4</guid><category><![CDATA[March 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:00:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3b8817_f2032de5daa946458d55a0dc5230df96~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Candace Nelson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Kurt Lee Wheeler: Bringing It All Back Home]]></title><description><![CDATA[Lathemtown, a small, unincorporated community in North Georgia, is the kind of place where cows outnumber streetlights, and where people grow up knowing every neighbor by name.    This is the place that shaped singer-songwriter Kurt Lee Wheeler — first as the son of a cattleman and homemaker, then as a musician who would one day return to its soil in search of the stories he left behind. When Wheeler talks about his hometown, his voice settles into an easy rhythm, the kind that comes from a...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/kurt-lee-wheeler-bringing-it-all-back-home</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a36a9f32a596f2a27f212a</guid><category><![CDATA[March 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:00:49 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3b8817_f22b0fca60794942948d3ee00098f775~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephen Pitalo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Putting The Music Out There with Fiddlin’ Earl White]]></title><description><![CDATA[No conversation about today's preservationists of Appalachian string band music would be complete unless it included the music and work of Fiddlin' Earl White.    Well-respected as both an educator and a storyteller, White, who was born in Newark, New Jersey, started his music career dancing as a co-founder of the Green Grass Cloggers while still in college studying psychology.   He’s happy to share the story. “I hooked up with some people at East Carolina University who were starting a...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/putting-the-music-out-there-with-fiddlin-earl-white</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a368ea3a2716aeb21a6a67</guid><category><![CDATA[March 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:00:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="http://youtu.be/8X9Cw1JMOBI?si=TfkCOc70XwdMc1cG" length="0" type="video"/><dc:creator>Susan Marquez</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Shelby Means: Shining in the Spotlight]]></title><description><![CDATA[Shelby Means is comfortable performing.    That comes from nearly eight years playing bass and singing harmony with the bands Della Mae and Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway. But now she’s center stage and in charge as she leads her own band after the release of her first album, simply called  Shelby Means .   Shelby with Della Mae: Shelby with Molly Tuttle:   “There's a lot more responsibility in fronting my own band,” says Means.  “But the more comfortable I can be on stage, the more...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/shelby-means-shining-in-the-spotlight</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a36be668ed4778a4ea37ca</guid><category><![CDATA[March 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:00:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3b8817_2c9138e21db242b1ba6cf34d14ebdc48~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Brent Davis</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Lesson in Musical Generosity with JERRY DOUGLAS]]></title><description><![CDATA[Long before he was inducted into the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame, Jerry Douglas was a little boy surrounded by music in his hometown of Warren, Ohio.    “My father was from West Virginia and worked in the steel mills in Ohio, and he and some of his co-workers had a band (the West Virginia Travelers) that easily could have gone professional,” Jerry says. “They played in local beer joints, but their main focus was their work at the mills.”    Like many kids, Jerry says he plunked on an...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/a-lesson-in-musical-generosity-with-jerry-douglas</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a369a868ed4778a4ea34f3</guid><category><![CDATA[March 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:00:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3b8817_a2a30b96823046fabad8b4aaba0ce6fe~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Susan Marquez</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Damn Tall Buildings]]></title><description><![CDATA[In a world grappling with artificial intelligence and smartphones, the genre-defying Damn Tall Buildings would like to remind us that we are living, breathing human beings.   Both their latest self-produced album (released in October 2025), and its title track, “The Universe Is Hungry”— equipped with joyous harmony and front-porch playing chops — invite us to look beyond the virtual veil.   VIDEO: “The Universe Is Hungry,” Damn Tall Buildings   Injecting levity into their music, fiddle player...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/damn-tall-buildings</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a3659632a596f2a27f1a03</guid><category><![CDATA[March 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:00:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="http://youtu.be/2Qj5Shb5ShE?si=_h5dTrDRCWBtzM6m" length="0" type="video"/><dc:creator>Jason Young</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Writers are kings again at Tall Oaks Music]]></title><description><![CDATA[Donna Ulisse spent 25 years on Music Row in Nashville, where, she says, writers were kings.    Now Donna’s in a position to make other writers feel that same sense of importance with her newly formed publishing company, Tall Oaks Music.    “When I signed with Turnberry Records, owner Keith Barnacastle told me to dream as big as I wanted to dream,” she says. “I mentioned to him that there was no publishing company under his umbrella, which is something I had always dreamed of doing. He told me...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/writers-are-kings-again-at-tall-oaks-music</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a36d8532a596f2a27f255f</guid><category><![CDATA[March 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:00:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3b8817_66d0065729b1457298a33fbb2f595b9b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Susan Marquez</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Four five decades, Three on a String, has taught Alabama how to love Bluegrass]]></title><description><![CDATA[At the Mentone Fall Festival last October, exuberant Bluegrass melodies floated on the mountain breeze. When not browsing the colorful artist’s booths, visitors to the festival made their way to an outdoor amphitheater with dogs and small children in tow. Three on a String was on stage, and their audience knew they were listening to something special. Few bands or friendships last fifty-four years, but this is what the talented men behind one of Alabama’s most cherished Bluegrass bands have...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/four-five-decades-three-on-a-string-has-taught-alabama-how-to-love-bluegrass</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a36ee468ed4778a4ea3c42</guid><category><![CDATA[March 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 05:00:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/3b8817_707dd288c470416fb3adcb0b8f44ffaa~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Katherine Armbrester</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Water Tower: High on Punk Rock Bluegrass]]></title><description><![CDATA[They began gathering under a water tower in Portland, Oregon, high school kids who were into punk. Twenty years later, after busking bluegrass at freeway off-ramps, overcoming addiction, and navigating Los Angeles' vibrant music scene, the band Water Tower is connecting with audiences of all ages through electrifying performances.   Last summer, the band played the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. It became the first bluegrass band to play the Vans Warped Tour, one of the largest events in the...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/water-tower-high-on-punk-rock-bluegrass</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697b648289cb09c5cdeb2001</guid><category><![CDATA[February 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:38 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/94bf54_346c67ff934d4af1b2f66c47a74f2475~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Brent Davis</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[High River Rising]]></title><description><![CDATA[High River has always been comprised of a group of friends who get together to play bluegrass music. The band got its beginning in 2022 when the Campbellton Bluegrass Festival in New Brunswick, southeastern Canada, needed a band to fill a last-minute spot. “I made a few calls to some jamming buddies, and just like that — High River was born,” says Jason Guimond, who plays banjo and vocals for the band. The ad hoc band sounded great, and they were well received by the audience. “We had so much...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/high-river-rising</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697b745089cb09c5cdeb4082</guid><category><![CDATA[February 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/94bf54_317bbefb921d4a9a856bd60dc90b689f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Susan Marquez</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Building Faith in Song: The Blue Collar Gospel of Rick Lang]]></title><description><![CDATA[There's something deeply satisfying about a life that turns craft into a calling. For songwriter Rick Lang, that's precisely how faith found its shape—through wood, words, and work. Fulfilling a 52-year career in the hardwood lumber business, Lang has spent decades refining two trades that require equal measures of patience and reverence. Whether he's carefully planning Curly Hard Maple or shaping melody, the goal is the same: make something solid, true, and lasting.   Lang didn't come up...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/building-faith-in-song-the-blue-collar-gospel-of-rick-lang</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697b6e68ccf6db790cb03902</guid><category><![CDATA[February 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/94bf54_05d7b4a186e74fbbb699a89ab29bc106~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephen Pitalo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Hillberry: The Harvest Moon Festival 2025 – 10 Years of Tradition]]></title><description><![CDATA[The monumental Hillberry Bluegrass festival recently reached a milestone decade year, offering a five-day bluegrass festival at The Farm, just a few miles outside of historic Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Each year's atmosphere creates a unique persona of welcome, relaxation, and the indulgent appreciation of a grassroots movement that has been entertaining audiences for years. 'Happy Hillberry' was uttered on multiple occasions. It was almost as if this five-day bluegrass festival, with loyal...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/hillberry-the-harvest-moon-festival-2025-10-years-of-tradition</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697b7283619dd458eae433a6</guid><category><![CDATA[February 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:35 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/94bf54_05990a94ef9f49469fb7d0a3d04d8500~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Amannda DeBoef</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Workman’s Way: Crafting Sound, One Note at a Time]]></title><description><![CDATA[It’s late in Oak City, Utah, and Jake Workman’s house is quiet. His kids are asleep. The room hums faintly from the last ring of an open-G chord. Guitars lean against the wall, their finish dulled by fingerprints and years of work. Workman is still at it — six, sometimes eight hours a day — chasing sound, chasing feel, chasing that invisible thing that makes one note matter more than another.   “Oh, thank you,” he says when told his playing “Rawhide” with Ricky Skaggs in a YouTube video is...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/the-workman-s-way-crafting-sound-one-note-at-a-time</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697b6d6c2c80129225d3baaa</guid><category><![CDATA[February 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:32 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/94bf54_18236d6fb18e4a289801be92e0121b47~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Stephen Pitalo</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Taste of Appalachian Creameries: 6 Artisanal Dairies That Are Truly Regional]]></title><description><![CDATA[Appalachia isn’t just a landscape of rolling mountains and deep traditions — it’s also home to a small but vibrant network of creameries and dairies producing high-quality, locally made cheeses. While large-scale dairying dominates much of the country, these artisan operations keep alive a tradition of farmstead cheesemaking tied to their land, animals, and communities. From goat milk yogurt to aged cow’s milk cheeses, the region’s creameries demonstrate a commitment to craft, care and...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/a-taste-of-appalachian-creameries-6-artisanal-dairies-that-are-truly-regional</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697b6c45b3cf8ba2384877cd</guid><category><![CDATA[February 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/94bf54_f1ac8f31ab58443e833b250968b5693b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Candace Nelson</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Barn: Mississippi’s Backyard Stage]]></title><description><![CDATA[When Steve and Kay Ellis built a barn on their land outside Columbus, Mississippi, they had no idea how to produce and promote concerts. Yet today, The Barn is one of the most popular music venues in the area. “We’ve learned a lot over the past few years,” says Steve. “It’s not just about the music. We are committed to creating a great experience and making lasting memories.” Steve and Kay bought their home 25 years ago. Next to the house was a pole barn that they turned into a playhouse for...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/the-barn-mississippi-s-backyard-stage</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697b6b86619dd458eae4259e</guid><category><![CDATA[February 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/94bf54_b1b729364b4f4f1785c441129e7b1fba~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Susan Marquez</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Salt Lick Incubator: Helping Emerging Artists Thrive]]></title><description><![CDATA[For many new artists, making music is the easy part. They have grown up mastering their instrum ent, perhaps honing their craft at a well-regarded bluegrass or roots music program at a college or university. The hard part is getting noticed and navigating the complicated and ever-changing entertainment landscape. How does one turn musical talent and ability into a successful career?   Salt Lick Incubator may be the answer. It's a non-profit artist development organization that supports...]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/salt-lick-incubator-helping-emerging-artists-thrive</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697b60d2ccf6db790cb01cb1</guid><category><![CDATA[February 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/94bf54_9067f7e123214a84abaca9de200fba92~mv2.jpeg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Brent Davis</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A Bright Star in Bluegrass Performing and Instruction]]></title><description><![CDATA[A shed in the shadow of Black Mountain near Brevard, N.C., is not only the studio where an acclaimed banjoist creates albums, does session work, and scores shows such as the television series Poker Face . It’s also where an entrepreneurial educator devises innovative new online music instruction methods.   It’s not that two individuals are sharing this space. It’s just that Bennett Sullivan wears many hats.   “I've never looked at performing as my sole way of making an income,” says Sullivan....]]></description><link>https://www.thebluegrassstandard.com/post/a-bright-star-in-bluegrass-performing-and-instruction</link><guid isPermaLink="false">697a3bc9d8141148d401dd4d</guid><category><![CDATA[February 2026]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/94bf54_1c9341a1ec594e7c80295ea6fe3446a5~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Brent Davis</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>