Despair not, all ye who have struggled to learn the banjo. Self-described “ebanjolist” Matt Brown brings good tidings of great two-finger picking joy. He declares anyone can learn to play the banjo using that style. “I had a 100 percent success rate getting people playing two-finger,” says Brown, who has taught all three styles. “With clawhammer, it was never 100 percent. With Scruggs's style, it was never 100 percent. But everyone could do two-finger.” Perhaps you've been vanquished by the intricacies of the Earl Scruggs three-finger roll. Or maybe after months of practice, the unnatural stroke of the clawhammer remains a mystery. On twofingerbanjo.com , Brown offers online instruction in a style that he says anyone--and he means anyone--can employ to make music on the banjo. Brown grew up in West Chester, Pa., in a family that loved old-time music. His parents were at a square dance the night before he was born, and his father played the five-string banjo. Brown grew up going to festivals, and traveling musicians often stayed at the house. At the age of four, Brown took up the fiddle through the Suzuki method. By the age of 16, he was a touring musician and left high school early to study music at nearby West Chester University. And then, he experienced an instrumental change. “I never really fell in love with the banjo until I made my first album as a fiddle player, and the banjo player on that record was Paul Brown,” (no relation) says Matt Brown. “Growing up, I wasn't super impressed with the banjo. It just seemed like a normal thing that everyone did because my dad and all his friends seemed to play banjo. But there's something about Paul Brown’s style that broke through the normalcy of that and just blew my mind. He was very tasteful, and he never just pigeonholed himself into one style. I was just riveted by what he was doing. “I first met Paul at Swannanoa Gathering’s Old Time Week and just fell in love with his sense of humor and then his musicianship.” Matt immersed himself in the banjo, often taking the train to Washington, D.C., to get a lesson from Paul Brown, an NPR journalist and newscaster at the time. Now retired, he lives in North Carolina and is a highly regarded traditional banjoist and fiddler. “I just fell in love with his style and at first, I literally just tried to learn his parts off of our album. And then it became a little bit bigger than that,” says Matt. “That turned into me then taking the two-finger lick that he does in some lead style and starting to explore other tunes in that regard.” In 2011, Matt moved to Chicago to begin teaching at the storied Old Town School of Folk Music. The introductory class he took over offered basic instruction in three styles: clawhammer, two-finger, and three-finger. Matt was becoming more intrigued with the two-finger style and offered to develop advanced classes for interested students. “And so for seven and a half years, I taught hundreds of people in Chicago how to play two-finger thumb-lead, or two-finger banjo in particular. And I somehow stumbled into this niche that I'm into this day. That's kind of the main thing that I'm known for.” The two-finger style was more prevalent before being overshadowed by the three-finger style that Bill Monroe showcased in his band after WWII. Matt has discovered many old-time banjo players who have incorporated various two-finger styles into their vocabulary. And he says there are licks that work in both styles. “There are moments when two-finger and bluegrass people might be doing the exact same combination of strings. It's just whether we're using two or three fingers to produce the sound. As two-finger players, we can kind of live on the line between bluegrass and old-time and hang in both worlds, which is super satisfying.” Now, Matt has embraced online learning and is creating videos, tablature, and other instructional material for his YouTube channel and twofingerbanjo.com . “My focus has turned to how I can teach the most people in the best way and that has led me to hosting a Patreon community where I teach intermediate and advanced arrangements of mostly old time, but not just old-time music to banjo students,” he explains. After years on the road, Matt doesn’t miss performing. When his second appearance on The Grand Ole Opry struck him as “just another gig,” he knew his heart was in teaching. “I'd rather play music in a jam or share what I know about the banjo with the community of people around the world who are also interested in it. That really is much more fulfilling to me than going on a tour and playing the next show somewhere.”

Bluegrass doesn’t have to be a battleground between past and present. Sometimes, it’s a new sprout planted in fertile soil, taking all the earth gives it and growing into itself. That’s where you’ll find On the Trail, a Connecticut bluegrass outfit that knows full well what tradition means but won’t lose sleep over breaking it. Their latest album, Where Do We Go From Here, isn’t asking a question—it’s daring you to come up with an answer. The group—Austin Scelzo (fiddle, vocals), Charlie Widmer (guitar, vocals), Tom Polizzi (mandolin, vocals), and Matt Curley (bass, vocals)—stands at an intersection of tradition and disruption, nodding to Bill Monroe while giving a sly grin to the Punch Brothers. Discontented but relentlessly positive in their quest, they're blessed with intricate harmonies, weaving soul and faith into songwriting structure like hand in glove; they’ve birthed new bluegrass as a living, breathing language. They didn’t just form—they collided like four rogue satellites caught in the gravitational pull of Planet Bluegrass. On the Trail label themselves a group of misfits hellbent on hammering their own dent into the genre’s well-worn rails. Scelzo talked about it like some cosmic accident—four guys from wildly different backgrounds crashing into each other with enough creative energy to spark a whole new kind of bluegrass. They didn’t even have a name at first, just a gig labeled Bluegrass and Beyond, which sounds more like a manifesto than a placeholder. Charlie Widmer still laughs about it, like a guy remembering the moment before a bar fight turned into a lifelong friendship. But they found the thread somewhere in the chaos, in the tangled mess of influences, harmonies, and high lonesome instincts. They weren’t just playing bluegrass; they were on the trail—chasing something old, something new, something bigger than the whole thing. A band name is a promise, a roadmap, and a mission statement all at once. “I think the four of us came together from very different backgrounds and our goal, as is the goal of any new band, is to define their sound and their direction and things like that,” said Scelzo. “We really resonated with the name On the Trail, I think, because we really felt like we were on this path that was in the footsteps of many mentors and bands that we admire, but also this winding road that we were all on together to find – to discover the true north,” Scelzo explained. The image is clear: a trail is both a history and an invitation, something to be followed but reimagined with each step. The debate over progressive bluegrass is as old as the genre itself—how much change is too much? How far can you push before you leave the realm entirely? “I think we actually have the flexibility to change our set, like this summer we're playing a more traditional festival in Canada called Shady Grove. Now, we can tailor the set because we have so much variety,” said Scelzo. “I think our true North is eclectic.” “Progressive bluegrass is a good category. I think probably the one that came out of nowhere with a gig that was almost helpful for us to hear was being called a modern acoustic quartet.” The release of Where Do We Go From Here serves as a mainsail on their voyage of discovery. “The song that feels the most complete, and that I wish the whole record had the same essence, is the title track, which is also the last album track,” said Widmer. “It felt like we were getting our groove and figuring it out. Maybe at that point, we had figured out the standard of what the next record needs to feel like.” Scelzo echoes this, the sense of something coming into focus. “Once we heard that track, in its completion, we really, I think everybody in the band agreed that it did everything we wanted it to do and more. We're really pleased with the way that it came out.” “The goal was to try and get our sound onto one record,” Widmer said. “We wanted to try and capture the answer to ‘If you come to an On the Trail show, what does it feel like?’ That was part of the discussion, let's not overproduce so we can't recreate. That’s what we were really trying to do and trying to capture.” The band brought in G Rockwell on banjo, a strategic and deeply personal move. “Charlie's sometimes pretty picky with what kind of sounds he likes, and I remember Charlie always saying G Rockwell's banjo playing just really struck him. And then everybody agreed that he was the guy for the job,” said Scelzo. This band has a more complex mission, not looking to wallow in nostalgia, but not looking to rip up the rulebook just to watch it burn. On the Trail is doing something trickier—cutting a path between the two, where history isn’t a ball and chain but a map with room for detours. The album title might throw out a question: Where do we go from here? But these guys already know. They stick to the trail when it suits them; when it doesn’t, they’ll make their own.

For Stephen “Mojo” Mougin, the name of his label, Dark Shadow Recording, symbolizes a small, passionate company with a big heart. “It was a last-minute decision. But the name stuck, and it represents what we do: shine a light on incredible talent, even in the shadows.” Mougin's journey in the bluegrass world has been as multifaceted as the man himself. From musician to teacher, producer to label owner, Mougin has worn many hats—each with a passion that defines his work. As the founder and head honcho of Dark Shadow Recording, a full-service studio and record label perched atop a hill in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, Mougin has built a creative sanctuary for artists to thrive. The Bluegrass Standard sat down with Mougin to discuss his label, his artists, and the lessons learned along the way. “The studio officially opened at the end of 2019,” Mougin shared as he reflected on the label’s first studio sessions in their new space. “The very first record that we cut in here was Rick Faris’s Breaking in Lonesome. It was his debut solo album. And literally, we started checking wires at midnight, which would be Sunday morning, and the session was supposed to start at 10 a.m. We started just a shade late, but everything worked. Yeah, it was down to the wire.” The timing was fortuitous. “Yeah, it was a true blessing that the studio was finished in 2019 because that's where I spent most of 2020, out there. And it wasn't really doing anything productive. I totally shut down mentally. I just couldn't get any real great work done. I was able to finish my own record, and we released it in 2020. We also had just finished literally the day the world shut down; Becky and Jerry Douglas were cutting whatever song they cut for A Distance in Time.” Dark Shadow Recording’s mission is deeply personal to Mougin, rooted in his background as a musician and teacher. “We’re not a label that signs folks that are massive mega stars already,” he said. “That’s just not …it’s not what we do. What I enjoy is helping people get better. That's part of teaching. And my hope is that each artist learns a little bit more about music and themselves and their own voice in the world with each project that we do.” Mougin elaborated on one of his artists’ journeys, the trajectory of award-winner Becky Buller. “Becky had already made two records years ago before she started with the label. And I'm actually on her second one as a player. But we signed her and put her first record out in 2014, the ‘Tween Earth and Sky album. And she's now a ten-time IBMA winner across a variety of awards. Together, we've won awards for two collaborative events. It's awesome.” When asked about the challenges of running a label during the pandemic, Mougin was candid. “And suddenly I realized that, yeah, I'm diverse, but it's all in the same basket. And suddenly none of that has any value for the 2020 thing. And that was just …that got me pretty hard.” He also reflected on a poignant moment during the studio’s reopening. “I remember cutting the Rick Faris tracks for his second record and just standing here at the door, watching them all park and stand out in the front of the studio here, just giving each other huge hugs because they hadn't seen each other in forever and they, most of them, hadn't played a note with other humans in a long while. And I mean, it was just powerful stuff.” Dark Shadow Recording’s release schedule boasts a vibrant roster, and Mougin excitedly detailed the upcoming projects. “Becky Buller’s next album is particularly exciting. It features songs that influenced her growth as an artist, and the collaborations are incredible—Alison Brown, Molly Tuttle, and others. Rick Faris has new music, the Henhouse Prowlers are dropping singles, and Laura Orshaw’s work is phenomenal.” Mougin’s own projects also make the list. “The duo work with my wife Jana has been really fulfilling. Our single Frozen in Time did well, and it’s nice to create something personal amid all the label work.” When asked about the most profound lesson, the one whose wisdom is front and center in his leadership, Mougin doesn’t hesitate to answer. “Deadlines,” he said. “In the early days, we stressed and stressed about deadlines – in certain ways. But remembering that we're all humans and that our friendship, our interpersonal relationship with our artist, is more important than any deadline that's happening. The fact is, once you've released a bunch of music, which we have now, nobody remembers what day it came out. Nobody remembers what month it came out. You barely remember what year it came out.” Mougin’s vision for Dark Shadow Recording remains steadfast in its clarity. “We’re small, and that’s intentional. I want to keep it music-centric. I am deeply invested in artists and their work. It’s about creating something lasting, something people will want to hear decades from now.” With a thriving roster, a studio that feels like home, and an unwavering commitment to artistry, Stephen Mougin and Dark Shadow Recording are actually lighting the way for the next generation of bluegrass music.

U-pick farms have become an increasingly popular attraction in the rolling hills and winding valleys of Appalachia, where farmland stretches between dense forests and mist-covered ridges. These farms offer visitors the chance to pick their own fruits and vegetables while experiencing the agricultural traditions that have shaped the region for centuries. Families visit to pick apples in the fall, strawberries in the spring, or pumpkins for Halloween, often making a day of it with hayrides, corn mazes, and farm-to-table markets. Beyond being a family-friendly activity, U-pick farms also help preserve small-scale farming, encourage agritourism and strengthen local food systems. Appalachia’s diverse landscape is home to numerous U-pick farms, offering visitors the opportunity to harvest their own fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Here are some notable U-pick farms in the region: 1. The Folk Collaborative – McCaysville, Georgia Nestled on a hillside in southern Appalachia, The Folk Collaborative is a family-owned apple orchard that offers U-pick experiences. Visitors can enjoy wagon rides, indulge in fried pies, and explore the mercantile. The farm also offers organic herbs, teas, salves, and workshops that share traditional Appalachian knowledge. 2. Snow Farm Blueberries – Vilas, North Carolina Located near Boone and Appalachian State University, Snow Farm Blueberries is a family-owned farm offering U-pick blueberry experiences. Visitors can enjoy the serene countryside while picking fresh, delicious blueberries during the season. 3. Jeter Mountain Farm – Hendersonville, North Carolina Spanning over 400 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Jeter Mountain Farm grows a variety of fruit in its U-pick orchards. “From mid-July through the end of October, we are proud to be able to offer a variety of fruits for your family to enjoy picking together. Peaches, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, pumpkins and over 20 varieties of apples are among the fruits that you can look forward to selecting from our orchards before taking them home,” reads the website. 4. Sunset Berry Farm – Alderson, West Virginia Sunset Berry Farm in Alderson, West Virginia, is best known for its U-pick strawberry fields and family-friendly atmosphere. The farm hosts seasonal events, including a popular strawberry festival, and offers fresh, locally grown produce in a scenic Appalachian setting. 5. Doe Creek Farm – Pembroke, Virginia Doe Creek Farm in Giles County, Virginia, offers a U-pick apple experience in its historic orchard, allowing visitors to harvest various apple varieties each fall. The farm provides a scenic and family-friendly setting where guests can enjoy the crisp mountain air while picking fresh apples straight from the trees. “Apples have been grown on Doe Creek Farm for over 100 years. We have transformed from a large commercial orchard to a pick-your-own apple orchard. Our dwarf trees make picking easy for guests of all sizes,” reads the website. 6. Family Roots Farm – Wellsburg, West Virginia Family Roots Farm welcomes visitors to their farm from late May until the end of June to walk among over 10,000 strawberry plants and make a memory or two. On the website, the farm promises that “whether you are cultivating a young family or a young love, our strawberry fields will provide a day you'll love and a new tradition to usher in the summer.” U-Pick farms are essential to preserving Appalachian agriculture. They offer a hands-on way for people to learn about farming, sustainability, and the importance of supporting local food systems. For many families, visiting a U-pick farm is an annual tradition, connecting them to the rhythms of the land in a way that grocery store shopping never could. As interest in local food and farm experiences continues to grow, U-Pick farms in Appalachia are well-positioned to thrive. With creative adaptations, including online reservations, expanded farm stores, and collaborations with local artisans and chefs, these farms can continue to attract visitors while sustaining Appalachian agriculture. The economic boost extends beyond the farm gates as well. Visitors stopping at a U-pick farm are likely to explore nearby attractions, eat at local restaurants, and stay at bed-and-breakfasts, contributing to the broader tourism economy. In regions where coal and manufacturing jobs have declined, agritourism has provided a new source of income for many Appalachian communities. For those looking to support small farmers, visiting a U-Pick farm offers more than just a fun day outdoors—it’s a way to invest in the region’s agricultural heritage, strengthen local economies, and ensure that Appalachia’s farmland remains in the hands of those who know and love it best. Whether picking a bushel of apples, gathering fresh blueberries, or selecting the perfect pumpkin, every trip to a U-Pick farm is a small but meaningful way to celebrate the land and the hardworking farmers who cultivate it.

Bluegrass is a music genre that cannot be defined by a region. With roots in Ireland and Appalachia, the music has spread like wildfire across the country and worldwide. The Bluegrass Journeymen are doing their part to expand the footprint of bluegrass while building cross-cultural connections through music. The Journeymen accomplish that goal by traveling the world and taking bluegrass across borders to perform and collaborate with other musicians. They also provide musical outreach and support to schools along the way. The mission is the brainchild of the band’s founder, Patrick Fitzsimons. “He wanted to take a bluegrass band to India,” says Elliot Siff, “and I told him I’d love to be their photographer.” The first trip was in 2017. “We contacted the U.S. Embassy in India as well as a good friend of Patrick’s with connections in New Delhi and took a group of musicians to India. The band did shows at schools and played at jazz clubs and embassy gigs. I assumed the role of manager.” Siff was a perfect fit for the Journeymen. “I have always been a hobby photographer and am passionate about music and travel. In my role as manager, I’ve learned new skills, including how to book tours, be a travel agent, and a band manager.” Fitzsimons is a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College. “I am from San Antonio, where I grew up in a musical family. My dad was a mandolin player, and he played with Robert Earl Keen and Lyle Lovett.” Fitzsimon’s love of bluegrass came from listening to compilation albums and attending festivals. “No one around me knew bluegrass. I discovered the jam sessions at the campground at RockyGrass, and I was hooked.” After graduating from college, Siff did some traveling. “I have always wanted to visit new places. I traveled to New Zealand after college. After that, I took my Volkswagen van and moved to Austin, where I lived at the Radical Dixie Ranch and drove bike taxis. I made friends with Patrick at the ranch, and we connected through our mutual love of bluegrass.” Fitzsimons first traveled to India in 2011. “I had a mandolin and played with anyone who would play with me. I knew I wanted to return with a band someday.” Siff says Fitzsimons has a heart of gold and a desire to spread music beyond its traditional borders. Through meeting with local musicians and conducting workshops at schools, the band has been able to bring bluegrass to India. “I learned there was a longstanding folk tradition in Kolkata,” says Fitzsimons. “Artists like Pete Seeger and Tom Paxton played there in the 1950s and 60s. Some of their folk songs have since been rewritten with Bengali lyrics.” The Bluegrass Journeymen launched their educational non-profit at IBMA. “Performing is still a thing,” says Siff. “But now we are able to sponsor schools we have connected with, creating an ongoing relationship. We now send instructors to Katmandu, Nepal on two-month teaching residencies. There are more schools in India we are reaching out to.” During one of their trips, The Bluegrass Journeymen met Nabanita Sarkar in Kolkata, who joined them at IBMA this past year. “She is an attorney who was playing bluegrass music with a band called No Strings Attached. We have developed a musical relationship with her – she is an amazing person. We are excited to feature her and so many other great players on our latest release, HMV Sessions.” In addition to playing bluegrass music, Nabanita spends her time, energy, and money to save animals in Kolkata. Although The Bluegrass Journeymen have played on big stages in major cities to a shack in a village, their main focus now is on the educational component. “We can make a much bigger impact, and it’s more enjoyable for me,” says Fitzsimons. “I love to teach people to jam, along with jam etiquette. We love doing instrument distribution and providing lessons. We have committed to this work, and we are currently working with three schools. It’s a real privilege to have the opportunity to do this.” The Bluegrass Journeymen are currently seeking applicants for paid opportunities to teach music abroad. Click here for more information.

Asleep at the Wheel is expected to bid adieu to the road. The nine-time Grammy award-winning Western swing band from the Lone Star State has embarked on a lengthy three-year tour that will wrap up in 2026. “Putting the eight-piece band on the road will eventually be one-offs here and there,” explains founding member Ray Benson, who has spent five decades traveling on a bus. The Baritone singer says that Asleep at the Wheel will be hitting the studio to record. “We’re gonna do an album of all Texas songs. There will be some western swing and some country and western also.” Benson, who turned seventy-three last March, assures his fans that his decision to stop touring wasn't due to health or burnout. “Just the traveling aspect, which includes the regulations, the department of transportation- it’s just totally different from it was. I had to have a full-time office staff just to keep up with the paperwork.” “Expect the music to be the reward,” says Benson when advising those who are looking to make a career out on the road. “That’s how it was when I was young. Back then, it was jump in a van, get out there and do it!” Benson gives a word to the wise. “Don’t expect any money till you have success of a certain level. Do it because you have to. It’s the only thing that makes you happy, and it’s the only thing you’re good at. I tell this to a lot of young musicians. You’re gonna hit thirty-one or thirty-two years old, and either you’re going to be satisfied with what you’re doing, or you’re going to say, ‘I can’t keep doing this, I want a house, I want a family, I want cars!’” He laughs. As a band leader for over half a century, Benson has a list of things he looks for in a musician wanting to join his band. “I want them to be proficient on their instrument and have the ability to improvise,” explains the tall Texan. “All of our solos are improvised. The main thing is, can you jam?” One of the perks of his years traveling is the friends he has made, which includes fellow Texan Willie Nelson. Benson, who formed the band in Paw Paw, West Virginia, says Willie talked him into moving to Austin. “Asleep at the Wheel moved down [to Austin] in ‘73 and started playing shows with Willie, Doug Sahm, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Michael Murphy. It was wonderful!” Benson recalls when Willie and Kris Kristofferson almost canceled their performances on his behalf. “We were in Nashville doing a CBS television special that featured Willie, Kris, The Gatlin Brothers, and Johnny Cash,” Benson says. CBS wanted to drop Asleep at the Wheel from the show to make room for the first lady. “The studio told us Mrs. Reagan is going to do a ‘say-no-to-drugs’ speech. I went on the bus with Willie and Kris and told them, ‘Hey guys, they just bumped us from the show, so I’m going home.’ But according to Benson, Willie and Kris wouldn’t have it. “They said, ‘If you’re going, then we’re going!’ When the studio heard that we were all leaving, they decided to let us play.” Benson says the band’s break came during a Rolling Stone interview with R&B singing legend Van Morrison. “We were only around for two years and Van Morrison hears us and invites us to play shows with him-- then mentions us in a Rolling Stone magazine! All of a sudden, all these record companies wanted to make a record with us. Van was the impetus for us getting a record deal.” Besides playing music, Benson has also enjoyed acting over the years. He remembers the phone call from Dolly Parton that led to him co-starring with The Queen of Country in the movie Wild Texas Wind. “We were doing the Tonight Show, and I’m in the green room, and they say, ‘You got a call from Dolly Parton.’ I didn’t know Dolly! She said, ‘I think you’re great and love your music. Do you want to do a movie?’ That’s how that all went down!” Benson, whose long career includes acting, driving buses, singing in Budweiser commercials and playing shows with Alice Cooper, insists that he could continue playing music forever. “The only thing that will stop me is health. I used to say ole’ Willie Nelson is my canary in the mine,” adding, “We still text something to each other every week. He’s just an incredible force of nature! That’s what I hope to be doing: playing ‘til I just can’t play no more.”

For Grammy Award-winning songwriter and guitarist Dave Alvin, music is more about commonalities than differences. He said his favorite music style – the Blues – inhabits the same space as all roots genres, including everything from bluegrass to rockabilly. “Whether you’re Ralph Stanley, or Robert Johnson, or John Coltrane…it’s all the same notes. It’s all in how you arrange them,” Alvin said. “Bluegrass …blues …rockabilly …as long as you are interacting with those roots, to me, you’re part of the folk tradition.” Alvin’s own highly regarded work draws from these traditions but also weaves in a network of wild threads that give him a cool, almost rebellious edge. It’s that edge of coolness and originality that no doubt appealed to Dwight Yoakam, who recorded one of Alvin’s songs – “Long White Cadillac,” about Hank Williams's death. Alvin shares a fiercely independent vibe with Yoakam, a fellow native Californian. It’s almost a “punk” undercurrent. In Alvin’s case, it probably came from his early experiences as a musician, when he briefly played in the scene with the well-known punk-rock outfit X, featuring Exene Cervenka. He also played with The Knitters, a country-folk-style band that was an offshoot of X, and gigged a little with the punk band The Flesh Eaters. “I was always looking for the connections between sounds,” Alvin said, in explaining the breadth of his work across genres. “More than anything, I’m a blues guitar player,” he said, with the caveat that he always asks himself: “Where can I take this?” Over the decades, he’s taken it …well …everywhere. Some of his earliest work was with his brother, Phil, with whom he formed the roots-rock group The Blasters. Eventually, however, he wanted to do his own thing. From age 11 to 13, Alvin “got to see a lot of great music.” In L.A., he lived in the perfect spot for music exposure: “Out here, you hear everything!” He mentions that the influences range from Jimi Hendrix to the Flying Burrito Brothers to “West Coast blues” guitarist T-Bone Walker. Alvin told the story of one of his favorite musical memories: “I used to live in Nashville around 1989. Every Wednesday night at The Station Inn was Peter Rowan and Jerry Douglas. That’s where I’d be every Wednesday night,” he said. “The first set would be straight bluegrass …and the second set, they’d do bluegrass-reggae and bluegrass-rock n roll.” He laughed. Interest in those special sets echoes Alvin’s thoughts on drawing inspiration vs. getting stuck in an imitation rut. He said he learned early on that there’s a temptation—especially among people who play blues or other traditional music—to copy their favorites so closely that they essentially “ape” what they’ve seen. This keeps them locked into a genre and a style and keeps them from breaking into originality. That being said, he explained that “the really great ones can’t be aped.” When he was young, he remembers wanting to be Lightnin’ Hopkins. “It didn’t take me long to realize I could never be. You have to be your own person.” Over the years, Alvin has made a number of solo records and collaborated on projects. He’s done quite a bit of gigging and recording with longtime friend and country singer-songwriter Jimmie Dale Gilmore. “Our roots are kind of similar in that our roots are in blues,” Alvin said, “but he has a harder honky-tonk edge than I have.” The most recent project is a new release by his supergroup of Californian psychedelic rockers, The Third Mind. Live Mind is an hour of improvisational music featuring Alvin plus Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven, Monks of Doom, Eyelids); David Immergluck (Counting Crows, Monks of Doom, Camper Van Beethoven); Michael Jerome (Richard Thompson, Better Than Ezra, John Cale); and vocalist Jesse Sykes, from Jesse Sykes and the Sweeter Hereafter. Additional contributions come from Mark Karan (Bob Weir’s Ratdog, Phil Lesh) and Willie Aron. While Live Mind may be different than what most bluegrass fans are used to, Alvin’s more open and less defined idea of what roots music can include might come as a refreshing – maybe even rebellious – idea. “There are acceptable ways of electrifying roots music, and there are unacceptable ways, and we were walking a fine line,” he laughed. That line seems to be the precise place where Alvin feels most at home and where music comes alive as something completely new.

When fiddler and mandolin player Despina Pafralides had an idea to start an all-female band, she called on Cassie Lynn Wright, who played banjo and dobro. They put together a group with Allison Branch on guitar and Beth Earl on upright bass. It wasn’t long before Fox Crossing Stringband made a name for themselves on the Chicago bluegrass scene. Despina was born and raised in Chicago’s suburbs. She started playing music when she got her first instrument – a bass guitar at age 17. She bought it herself, and she was primarily self-taught. Her friend also had a bass guitar, and their plan was to start a band. But the reality that you can’t have two bass guitars in the same band led Depina’s mom to buy her an inexpensive electric guitar. With her blue sparkly guitar and a pink mohawk, she was ready to rule the world. Her first band was a punk-rock trio called Missing in Action. They gained popularity locally by playing local parties. All good things must come to an end and when Missing in Action disbanded, Despina returned to her bass guitar and helped found a jam grass group called The Sweetwater Meltdown. While in that band, Despina learned how to write songs and sing bluegrass harmonies. She also learned how to present herself onstage as the group played shows, festivals, and venues around the Midwest. Other bands followed, from top 40 pop country to a Jerry Garcia tribute band. She picked up the fiddle and began sitting in with a few other bands, but her true desire was to start an all-female bluegrass group. Cassie Lynn Wright’s passion for bluegrass music comes naturally. She was born in Woodstock, New York, and raised in Raleigh, North Carolina. Cassie attended the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago, where she learned to play the banjo and dobro. After playing in a few bluegrass bands, Cassie formed Fox Crossing Stringband with Despina, allowing her an opportunity to write music for the band. Today, Cassie and Despina are the only remaining female members of the band, although Cassie says they play music with a strong female perspective. Rounding out the band are Roman Niziolek on upright bass, Michah Vogel on fiddle and vocals, and Caleb Peters on mandolin and vocals. With two full-length studio albums under their belt, Fox Crossing Stringband has been able to share its music beyond its home base of Chicago. “We wanted to lean into each other’s songwriting abilities,” says Cassie. “These albums have allowed us to bring more songs from a female lens to the bluegrass canon.” The band released their debut album, Box of Memories, in 2019, followed by their sophomore set, Bluegrass on My Mind, released in 2022. The album features a mix of seasoned standards such as “You Don’t Miss Your Water” and “Act Naturally,” as well as the Doobie Brothers’ “Black Water.” An equal number of original tunes rounds out the LP, highlighting their songwriting skills and vocal harmonies. “Despina and I really lean into each other,” says Cassie. Cassie and Despina are inspired by other female vocalists, including Molly Tuttle, Missy Raines, Emmylou Harris, and Sierra Ferrell. Their most recent recording is the Bluegrass Prom EP, released in 2023. To celebrate, they held an epic bash that has become an annual event. “We have hosted it twice so far,” Cassie says. “We sing prom songs with bluegrass stylings, and everyone wears prom attire,” says Cassie. “I wore my old prom dress my mom made for me. I struggled to get it from my niece’s closet – she uses it to play dress up.” They play dance tunes at the prom and even crown a prom king and queen. “It’s a great way to connect with people.” The EP includes prom classics such as “Sweet Dreams are Made of This,” “Time After Time,” “Take Me Home Tonight,” and “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” all in bluegrass instrumentation. “We are looking forward to recording this year,” says Cassie. “We’re due. We don’t have dates scheduled yet, but we are making it a key priority to record and share our new sound.” Fox Crossing Stringband mostly plays festivals and shows in Chicago and around the Midwest. “We play at a lot of wineries, distilleries, and beer gardens,” Cassie says. The band went to IBMA in 2023, where they played a showcase at the Bluegrass Standard booth.

Starting as a (semi)traditional bluegrass band, Boston, Mass.-based Twisted Pine has evolved over the years into something more open than that and delightfully more difficult to define. It’s not quite bluegrass anymore, but it’s not quite anything else you’d be able to pin down, either. “I guess if you had to name our music, it could accurately be described as fringe Americana,” explained Twisted Pine bass player Chris Sartori. “But when we create, the process is organic and unrestricted by genre parameters. We try and liberate ourselves of boxes and labels as much as possible while still honoring the traditions and communities we draw inspiration from. “Does it groove?” he added. “Does it have soul and real emotion connected to it? That’s what we care about.” An interesting feature of Twisted Pine is the inclusion of a flute. It’s not every day that the flute shows up in bluegrass, folk, or most roots genres. Anh Phung is the bandmate who provides that wholly unexpected sound. “I’ve always had an interest in a wide range of music genres,” Phung explained. “Because the flute isn’t always a part of certain genres – bluegrass, for example – I try to emulate characteristics of that genre as best I can. In the context of Twisted Pine, I try to play a wide range of roles depending on what the sound needs. Sometimes it’s as simple as playing hooks and melodies, sometimes I’ll play chords with my effects pedals, and sometimes I’ll chop – like a mandolin or fiddle – and keep time/play a rhythmic role. It’s fun and interesting to incorporate the flute into a context that wouldn’t necessarily include it,” she added. “It’s uncharted territory that I love exploring.” The group’s most recent release is “Love Your Mind,” released in October 2024. Mandolin player Dan Bui said it is an “important” record for Twisted Pine. “It felt like an arrival, one where we were able to see all of our influences and years of experience touring together coalesce into something that was unique and undeniably us,” he said. “It’s diverse but still feels organic and coherent, at least to us. We're especially proud of the songwriting and the collaboration that went into this record! With this album released, we're mostly focused on bringing these songs to our live show and developing them onstage.” Kathleen Parks carries the lead vocals and fiddle for the band. She explains how the group's music comes together and what inspires it. “A lot of the songs start from melody and groove,” she explained. “Sometimes I can hear a certain artist singing the song in my head, and I find my lyrics and story through whatever lens I’m seeing the song through.” For instance, she said for their song “Lonestar,” she was really inspired by the “Ancient Tones” that “Peter Rowan and Bill Monroe have spoken about in songs like ‘Walls of Time’ or Monroe’s ‘My Last Days on Earth.’” Parks said she found that “drifter, howling sound” in the melody and lyrics, and eventually, the band found it, too. “The song started as a fiddle tune at the start of the band’s writing career, and in time – after eight years in the vault – became the expansive journey we play now.” She said another inspiration resulted in their song, “Chanel Perfume.” “Aretha Franklin was a big inspiration for how the verse melody would sit and for finding themes of power in the lyrics. This was a really fun one to channel, to try and step in those shoes as a soul singer and give your best shot at finding a way to make this type of groove sit in this acoustic setting. R&B, funk, and soul are a style we all love from every era of it, so we had a lot of fun putting our spin on this style and paying homage to artists of these genres.” The band’s been busy recently. In February, they wrapped up a run of shows in Florida and performed as part of the String Break Festival aboard the Sky Princess Cruise Ship. They’ve got a list of performance dates that are still growing for this spring and summer, including a May 4 appearance in Morgantown, West Virginia, on the Mountain Stage at the Canady Creative Arts Center of WVU; a June 21 show at The Lariat in Buena Vista, Colorado; and an August 15 appearance at Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots 2025 in Manchester, Vermont. For more information on Twisted Pine performance dates, visit Twistedpineband.com/tour .

Don’t try to put Melissa Barrison in a box. “Bluegrass folks say I play the violin. Symphony folks say I play the fiddle. I don’t really fit in anywhere.” The truth is Melissa fits in everywhere. From bluegrass and country to jazz, rock, gypsy, blues, and reggae, she owns the stage no matter what kind of music she is playing. And she has earned her spot honestly, through dedication and hard work dating back to her childhood in California. Born in the Bay area of San Francisco, Melissa was raised by her mother. “We didn’t have much, and my mother thought music would be a way for me to go to college one day.” The manager of the apartments where they lived played with the San Jose Symphony, and Melissa began taking violin lessons. “I was also taking lessons in jazz and ballet.” At age ten, Melissa moved with her mom to San Diego, where she still lives. “We couldn’t afford lessons in San Diego. I got involved with the elementary school music program, and I was pretty much self-taught.” In high school, she was put in the back section of the orchestra. “It was humiliating for me. The instructor put clothes pins on either side of my bow and told me to play ‘bunny ear to bunny ear.’” Most of Melissa’s peers took private lessons, but she had to find another way. “I practiced at home and checked out books and VHS tapes from the library.” By her senior year, she was concertmaster of her high school orchestra and the Civic Youth Orchestra. She played for a professor at Point Loma Nazarene College, the summer after high school. “He asked to hear my audition pieces. I was so unprepared. We worked out a deal where I would clean house for him and his wife in exchange for lessons.” Melissa got a partial scholarship to the small Christian college that overlooked the ocean. Soon, she was playing in area rock bands, city ballet orchestras, and for parties and weddings. “Music became a major part of my life.” To make ends meet, she began doing financial care planning for senior adults and people with disabilities. She also teaches music lessons. “My first job out of college was working for a non-profit, Rock ’n Roll San Diego. I worked in the office and as a camp counselor. Five years into it, I was COO of the company.” Melissa began learning the business side of the music industry, including scheduling rehearsals and performances for bands and production while still performing. While Melissa says she is inspired musically by her friends and others she sees in the music industry, she has always been inspired by French jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli. “I studied him a lot in college. The first video I saw of him, Grappelli, was in his 90s in a wheelchair, and he was shredding. He started out busking in Europe before playing on stages around the world. He is so timeless and cool.” Melissa has done her fair share of busking as well. “I started doing it to help get over stage fright. I would go to the Gaslamp district of San Diego, pull out my violin, open the case, and practice my college pieces. Restaurants would give me food to thank me for playing in front of their business.” Her busking paid off when a band at a restaurant bar invited her to play a few songs. “A week later we played at Casbah and then won the award for the Best Americana Band at the San Diego Music Awards.” Melissa describes her music as “Charlie Daniels and Lindsey Stirling having a baby.” Melissa has met Lindsey and played with Charlie Daniels’ drummer, who told her that if Charlie heard her, he would be proud. That meant the world to me.” Melissa, a big country music fan, moved to Nashville for a few years to be close to the action there. “I played Broadway and all the big venues – except for the Ryman.” She has played for artists such as Rihanna and opened for Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bently, Cee Lo Green, POD, and The Killers. She has appeared on television on CMT, the Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Marie Osmond Show, and Clash of the Cover Bands. She has also performed for multiple NFL, MLB, and NHL games and the NBA All-Star Game Half-Time Show. To watch Melissa play is electrifying. She is a ball of energy, and she never stops moving. Melissa loves to dance and creates fun outfits to wear when she performs. “I am always adding fringe or bedazzling something in my closet. I think I play better in shorts or a dress so that I can move better. My energy goes to a whole different level.” She has different themes for corporate events, from a 10-foot-tall goddess to a bright LED-lit dress. There’s also “A Night in Paris” and the DJ and Violin, where she can be paired with your favorite DJ for an unforgettable experience. When she has time, Melissa also enjoys writing music. “I’ve become passionate about that.” See more at melissabarrison.com .

Larry Sparks It’s a rarity to be able to speak to a musician with ties to old-time bluegrass, such as Larry Sparks. The one-time Stanley Brothers and Clinch Mountain Boys guitarist, now 77, still hustles for gigs like a young man in his twenties. Sparks and his band, The Lonesome Ramblers, care about preserving the old-time bluegrass legacy for future generations. “There were three names that really put this music on the path,” says Sparks, a Bluegrass Hall of Fame inductee, “and of course, that was Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers and Flat and Scruggs—and we all come after that.” The bluegrass legend hopes younger musicians start their journey by learning from the past. "You have a lot of young people getting into bluegrass, which is good. We need it!” explains the elder musician, who says learning the music’s roots is important. “I hope they will learn the old ways and old paths and stick to them.” Sparks is happy that a younger generation of musicians is discovering his music. “I think they’re taking to it, but it has to be presented in the right way. We need to teach them where the music originated.” Sparks went on to name blues, country, and gospel music as essential ingredients to bluegrass. Sparks admits the younger generation of fans is growing. “If you have one hundred people at a show, you’re probably going to have fifty percent of those who are middle-aged and up with some a little younger. Then you’re going to have a percentage of an even younger generation. A lot of kids are catching onto this music and learning it.” Sparks values being one of a kind. “Originality is important. After you learn the basic stuff, you have to have your own voice.” Along with Jim and Jesse, The Osborne brothers, and Jimmy Martin, he explains, “We all have different sounds. We don’t sound like nobody!” He describes himself as a guitarist who chooses melodic notes over flashy licks: “I play words on the guitar more than notes,” he adds, “Ralph Stanley said that I have a talking guitar.” Spark’s fans may also recognize him by his trademark Martin guitar. “I was with Ralph Stanley at the time, and we were playing at the Ken Mill Tavern in Cincinnati, recalls Sparks. “The guy that owned the tavern had the guitar and wanted to sell it. I bought it in 1967, and it’s a 1954 model guitar. I have been playing the same guitar for fifty-seven years.” Still drawing crowds, Sparks doesn’t care about the size or kind of venue. “It doesn’t matter if it’s a chicken house, I’ll make it work. You have to be a scout and route things out.” Going on, “Fill-in dates are important. You can’t drive a thousand miles for one show. A lot of shows I do myself. In this business, if a show isn’t booked and I need it booked, then I book it myself. I have a bus to take care of, fuel to take care of, and motels to take care of. I have a company to pay-- a lot of expense out here!” Sparks has a new album coming out soon. “I should have it done sometime in February. It will be released in April on Rebel Records.” The bluegrass legend says he plans to name the release Way Back When. It kind of relates to years ago and how people lived back in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s,” adding, “When a buck was still silver, not paper. I think it’s gonna turn out pretty good!” The musician shares the secret to his longevity. “I’m a believer in my God and Jesus Christ, and I follow that. I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I don’t want to indulge in anything when I go onstage—no alcohol—no nothing else. I want to be clear-minded with everything.” Sparks jokes about his age, “I tried turning it around backward, but I’m still seventy-seven!” He laughs. He feels the power to promote bluegrass is in the hands of radio stations. “You gotta have program directors for it. I want to see it played on all the big stations that play modern country and rock. Give bluegrass some respect. Let it have some time on there, too. It would help our music so much —I want to see that happen!”

How to be Elderly in the modern era? Surely, that’s the question that’s always on the mind of Lillian Werbin, CEO of Elderly Instruments, one of the nation’s best-known sellers of fretted and stringed instruments. At any time, there are upwards of 1600 guitars, banjos, mandolins, and other instruments at the store, which fills a rambling, repurposed Masonic lodge in Lansing, Mich. And while a pilgrimage to purchase an axe at Elderly is on the bucket list of many a devout acoustic musician, about 14,000 online orders are fulfilled each year. More than 50 years ago, Stan Werbin, Lillian’s father, began collecting and bartering vintage and using string instruments along with a partner. “They got good enough at it that they felt like they should open a store. So, they found a spot that was eight by ten feet,” Lillian Werbin explains. “In ’75, we started a catalog that went worldwide. We got a website in ’94, and we kind of just kept growing, building our expertise, and building our workforce.” That workforce now has forty-some employees, including a sales team, luthiers, shippers, video producers, and social media experts. Though she was in and out of the store growing up, Werbin didn’t really get to know the operation until later. “I started at Elderly in 2014 part-time in the warehouse. And I just fell in love with the products and the people and the way we interact with the music community. So, after a year, I went full-time, and I split my time in the warehouse and in the sales department. After maybe another year of that, I tried my hand at purchasing and marketing and from there, I found myself in management and kind of restructured the workforce. My role here now is to really foster community and to make sure that the whole ship is sailing smoothly.” And then the pandemic hit just as Elderly was about to reach a milestone. “We hunkered down and made it through, and I think we came out better for it,” Werbin says. “And so, we had a 50th birthday party in 2022 to celebrate not only the current Elderly but also the former Elderly. We had two different stages and bands playing from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and they were all staff bands from all throughout the decades.” Elderly Instruments was named America’s Top Small Business by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce last year. Werbin believes the store's several qualities distinguished it among the 14,000 applicants. “What they really liked was our community involvement and the longevity of the business. It certainly helped that I am a Black woman. But ultimately, it goes back to people. We really pride ourselves on not only our current employees but our past employees and on the hard work that they've put out to get us to this point. So, our application really focused on our camaraderie and our operations and how we work together to get the job done.” The metrics Werbin tracks reflect the staff’s dedication. “We respond to online chats within four minutes. The average of the top 10% of the industry is 46 minutes. There’s a ‘net promoter score,’ which, on a scale of one to ten, asks, ‘How likely are you to recommend this business to a friend?’ That’s a one-question survey, and Amazon has a 69, and Costco has a 70, and we are sitting at 90.” Besides being responsible for all aspects of the store, Werbin plays an active role in many organizations, including Bluegrass Pride and the International Bluegrass Music Association. Werbin is a recipient of IBMA’s Momentum Award. At last year’s IBMA conference, Werbin was an organizer for Roots Revival: A Black Stringband Symposium. “The goal was to amplify and highlight the Black contributions to bluegrass and old-time music,” Werbin explains. “We managed to bring in 20 experts from various backgrounds--scholars, musicians, historians--to really speak to the overlooked contribution of Black musicians.” Now, after years of organizing festivals, serving on panels, and coordinating countless activities on-site, Werbin has expanded with Sturdy Roots, an event planning and consulting business. “It allows me to support the community through my own work rather than Elderly's name,” says Werbin. “I'm able to do work that might not represent all of my staff or our customers but work that I feel really passionate about.” In recent years, Werbin has helped direct The Banjo Gathering, The Midwest Banjo Camp, the Midwest Ukulele Camp, and community events. Many music stores began over 50 years ago when Elderly Instruments was launched, but only a handful are thriving. Werbin says the company stays true to its roots while embracing new technology and internet sales. “I really think the secret sauce for us is the way we ‘people.’ Sometimes, we joke around and say that it's the people’s music store. It's a fine line on how to be Elderly in the modern era because we're not gonna sacrifice the way of old-fashioned service. So, it's a delicate balance modernizing without losing that old school feel.”