Daryl Mosley is like the calm in the storm in a world of conflict and confusion. His reassuring songs, filled with kindness and compassion, are as comforting as they are entertaining. With his honey-tinged voice, thoughtful lyrics, and experienced musicianship, Daryl has created thirteen number-one songs over the past three decades, and he has been presented with three SPBGMA Songwriter of the Year awards (2016, 2017, 2023). He also received three SPBGMA Song of the Year awards (2006, 2018, 2019). Over the years, Daryl has made numerous appearances on the Grand Ole Opry and the stage at the famed Bluebird Café in Nashville. Many television shows feature his songs. And here’s a fun fact: Daryl has sung the National Anthem at many sporting events, including the 1998 White Sox/Indians baseball game in Chicago. Throughout the 1990s, Daryl traveled with The New Tradition. He joined the Osborne Brothers in 2001 and played with them until 2010. He left that group when he formed The Farm Hands. He went solo in 2020, signing with Pinecastle Records. His first solo album, The Secret of Life, was released the same year. His sophomore project, Small Town Dreamer, was released a year later, followed by A Life Well Lived in 2023. Daryl’s newest project is one he is quite proud of. Long Days & Short Stories was released on October 4, 2024. Daryl produced the album with Danny Roberts of The Grascals. With eleven tracks spanning bluegrass, Gospel, Americana, and country genres, Long Days & Short Nights features Daryl’s distinctive voice and showcases his songwriting talents while highlighting the values that have shaped his life and career - faith, family, honesty, and humility. He learned those values growing up in Waverly, Tennessee, where he still lives today. “Music was always a focus in my life,” he says. “My mother, along with Don Williams and Elvis, was the biggest musical influence on my life. She had a Gibson guitar she learned to play on as a teen. When I was growing up, she played guitar and piano at church, and I sang with her. That was my musical foundation. My dad listened to a local AM country radio station, so my songs are a hybrid of what I heard while growing up.” At the age of 15, Daryl went to work at Loretta Lynn’s Ranch, which featured a pool, horseback riding, and a campfire show at night. “They hired me as one of the entertainers, and that’s where I learned to talk to an audience, how to pace a show, and how to make a set list.” He sang in his high school choir, where many of the songs were in Latin. “I learned that you can’t sing in Latin and sound like Willie Nelson.” Daryl never learned to read music, which led him to major in history at Austin Peay State University. “I liked history, but I was miserable because I was so focused on wanting to pursue music.” When he finally began touring as a professional musician, Daryl could see many historic places, thus satisfying two of his passions. As fate would have it, he has three children, none of which are musical. “They are athletes and focused on other things – and my daughter graduated with a degree in history.” His love of history came full circle with a song from his new album released as a single. “Me and Mr. Howard” is a lively bluegrass tune that tells the fascinating story of the outlaw Jesse James and his wife, Zee. James settled in Daryl’s hometown of Waverly under the alias of Mr. J.D. Howard. “The James Gang came to Tennessee in 1877, and Jesse James moved to my hometown where he and Zee were treated like local celebrities. They lived life there as law-abiding citizens and went to church each Sunday. After having stillborn twins, they left suddenly one night, never to be heard from again. The album was recorded at Gorilla’s Nest in Royse City, Texas. “Chris Latham, a GRAMMY award-winning engineer, worked on the album with us. He made it all very comfortable.” Jeff and Sheri Easter joined Daryl on the inspirational Gospel tune “When I Can’t Reach Up,” co-written with Rick Lang. “We write quite a bit together.” Daryl wrote all the other songs on the album. The high-energy Gospel song “Still the Solid Rock” features a New Tradition. “It was our first time together in 25 years.” Daryl says his writing process usually involves driving. “I write a lot on the road. I try to remember the songs I used to know. I’ll do a guitar and vocal demo and put it in a file for later.” He has plenty of time to write, as he averages about 150 shows a year. “I usually travel about 5,000 miles a month.” He says that the subject matter of his songs is primarily rooted in his small-town experiences. “I wrote the song ‘Forever After All’ after seeing that on a sign. “I’ve learned to be aware of low-hanging fruit – that’s a gift in itself.”

It was an exciting night for Alan Munde when he stood in front of a packed crowd in the Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts in Raleigh, North Carolina. He was being celebrated for his induction into the Bluegrass Hall of Fame, along with fellow inductees Katy Daley and Jerry Douglass, during the 35th annual music awards at the 2024 IBMA World of Bluegrass. Friends and fans surrounded Munde as he thanked “my people, my people” during his acceptance speech. “It’s an honor to be a part of such a distinguished group of all my heroes.” Munde was born in 1946 in Norman, Oklahoma, not exactly a hotbed of bluegrass music. “Our family had a record player, and my parents had some 78 records, probably my mother’s doing,” said Munde. “My dad was a fan of the accordion and encouraged my oldest brother, Mike, and my younger sister, Gail, to play. They both took lessons, and afterward, she’d show me what she learned, and I’d try my hand at it. I’m not sure my parents ever noticed she took the lessons, but I also learned to play. So, the accordion was actually my first instrument. Sorry.” Munde’s brother Mike came home from the navy and brought Munde a guitar and a record on how to play it. “It was Pete Seeger’s Folk Singers Guitar Guide. Mike went off to college, and I took up the guitar.” Munde sought out a music store near his home within walking distance of his house. Mike Richie’s Guitar Center became the center of Munde’s life for the rest of his teen years and throughout college. “I wanted to play the banjo, and my neighborhood playmate, Gary McNabb, gave me for Christmas the Flatt and Scruggs Foggy Mountain banjo record. That was it for me, as I’m sure it was for a lot of folks.” Munde met Byron Burline at the record store, who had already recorded with the Dillards. “His dad, Lou Berline, had been to the Newport Folk Festival, where he met and played with Bill Monroe, Bill Keith, Tex Logan, and others. The Berlines became a big part of my life in many ways musical.” Byron Berline and Munde played together while they both attended the University of Oklahoma. “We went to fiddle contests together, listened to the Kentucky Colonels tapes, the Bill Monroe tapes with Bill Keith on banjo, and eventually, we played together in Country Gazette and the Burrito Brothers. He introduced me to my banjo mentor, Eddie Shelton.” Munde also met Ralph Thomas at the record store. “I went to my first and second Bill Monroe bluegrass festivals in Beanblossom, Indiana, with Ralph and his family.” It was at those festivals that Munde met banjo pickers Butch Robbins, Dick Smith, Larr Marshall, Rick Ryman, Al Osteen, and others. While still in college, Munde attended the Arkansas Folk Festival in Mountain View, Arkansas, where he met Courtney Johnson and a group of bluegrass pickers from Kentucky. Courtney returned to Bowling Green and told his picking buddies Wayne Stuart and Sam Bush that he had run into a banjo player from Oklahoma who played in a newfangled melodic style. “I was probably trying to play “Durang’s Hornpipe” or was inspired by Byron’s playing in all the fiddle contests.” Stuart drove to Oklahoma from Kentucky to visit with Munde, who was in his last year of college. “He had big plans and a passion about a group with himself, me, and Sam Bush to be called Poor Richard’s Almanac. That excited me, and we eventually made plans to meet up at a fiddle contest in Salisbury, Missouri, near Kansas City. I rode to the fiddle contest with Byron’s dad.” Munde spent the weekend with Wayne and Sam. As soon as I graduated in 1969, I headed to Hopkinsville, Kentucky, to connect with Wayne and Sam, who were still in high school.” Munde recalled visiting Lexington with Wayne Stewart to see JD Crowe and the Kentucky Mountain Boys. “The band was JD, Doyle Lawson, Red Allen, and Bobby Sloan. What an evening. I even got up and picked a couple of tunes with the band. Munde jokes, “I sometimes wonder whatever happened to those guys.” He wasn’t in Kentucky long before he got a draft notice and had to return home. Before leaving, Munde recorded “a bunch of tunes” with Stewart and Bush, officially released on the American Heritage label as Poor Richard’s Almanac. The Army turned Munde down, and he spent the summer in Norman working and saving his money. While there, he recorded with a local guitar artist, Harley Wilcox, and his group, The Oakies, which included Carl and Bob Warren, who owned the other local music store. “Harley had a hit record with a tune called ‘Groovy Gloworm,’” said Munde. “You can find it on YouTube. It won a BMI award for the best instrumental in 1969. When it came out as a single, I was on the B side with a song called ‘Moose Trot.’” Munde joined the Warrens and Wilcox on a trip to the DJ convention in Nashville. “I contacted Wayne and Sam, and we planned to meet at the Noel Hotel, where there was a weekend-long jam on the third floor arranged by Tut Taylor. We picked all weekend with Vassar Clements, which was pretty cool for a kid.” While there, Munde ran into Al Osteen, who was playing banjo with Jim and Jesse. “He told me that Chris Warner was leaving Jim and Jesse and said if I would be interested in the job, he would introduce me to Jim, who was coming the next night.” Doyle Lawson was in the band at the time, and he remembered Munde sitting with JD’s band in Lexington. “He put in a good word for me, and I got the job.” That was the start of Munde’s long and illustrious career, one he credits to the people he has met. “The bluegrass community is a village of connections. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this wonderful village.”

Western Chill not only perfectly describes Robert Earl Keen’s personality, but it’s also the title of the album he wrote, recorded, and produced with his band members in 2023. More than an album, the boxed set includes an illustrated songbook and a DVD. Delaying the digital release helped keep Western Chill at the forefront for most of 2024. It’s the kind of project Keen expected to do when he retired. Instead, it re-energized and reconnected him to his singer/songwriter roots. “That project was born out of Covid,” Keen says. “We stayed together as a band throughout the pandemic and rehearsed on my ranch, away from everybody. I wrote Western Chill under the stars – five songs in one night, and other band members brought in their songs. We rehearsed them as a band until they felt really good.” Not long off an ambitious Christmas show tour, Keen is pleased with his most recent holiday-themed production. “We have done fourteen years of Christmas shows, and often we create a theme. One year, it was ‘Out of this World Christmas,’ and we played songs like ‘Space Odyssey’ by David Bowie and ‘Up, Up, and Away” by the 5th Dimension. We did a ‘Country Gold’ themed show one year with songs by Lefty Frizzell and Tammy Wynette.” The most recent theme was “Lights. Camera, Christmas!” and featured famous movie songs. “They weren’t all from Christmas movies, either. There were plenty of songs from popular movies. The band picked some of the songs, and it got everyone in the spirit of Christmas. People had a good time listening to the kind of songs you can sing along with.” The show was pure Robert Earl Keen -- kitschy, quirky, and fun – all the things people have come to experience when they attend one of his shows. “It reminds me of a dysfunctional family Christmas, which is my version of Christmas,” he laughs. “I grew up with crazy Christmases, and now we put a lot into these Christmas shows, from building sets to extra lighting. So when it’s all over, I like to take it easy as much as possible.” Keen was joined on the Christmas tour by Elizabeth Cook and Wayne Payne. “Elizabeth has been a pal for several years. She is one of the most entertaining people I know. A lot of people can sing well, but it’s rare to find great entertainers. For Elizabeth, it’s something that comes naturally. She was born with it in spades. Waylon Payne is the same way, and he’s been a friend for a long time. He was born into music – his father was Jody Payne, Willie Nelson’s guitarist, and his mama was Sammi Smith, who sang ‘Help Me Make It Through the Night.’ He’s every bit as good a singer as his mama was, and he has written many hits for other artists. Both Elizabeth and Waylon bring a lot of joy to the stage.” Keen writes much about Texas, his home state because that’s what he knows best. His lyrics often begin with poems, a practice he started during recovery in 2023. A morning gratitude list turned into poems, which lent themselves to song lyrics. A native of Houston, Keen attended Texas A&M University in College Station, graduating in 1978 with a degree in English. During college, he roomed with Lyle Lovett, an aspiring musician. Keen began writing songs and playing bluegrass music with friends, including Bryan Duckworth, who became a long-time fiddle player in Keen’s band. Keen’s 1984 debut album, No Kinda Dancer, was the first of twenty full-length albums. He always knew that he wanted to share his music with the world, starting with songwriting. Many of his songs have been covered by artists, including Lovett, The Highwaymen, Joe Ely, George Straight, and Nanci Griffith. When Americana was recognized as an official music genre in the late 1990s, Keen was the first artist featured on the Americana Music Chart. Along with producer Clara Rose, Keen launched the Americana Podcast in 2019, with guests including Jim Lauderdale, Billy Bob Thornton, Paul Thorn, Billy Strings, Lori McKenna, I’m With Her, Drew Holcomb, and more - 138 episodes that aired through October 27, 2023. Despite his announcement to retire a while back, Robert Earl Keen is still going strong with his longtime touring band, including Brian Beken, Kym Warner, Bill Whitbeck, and Tom Van Shaik. Western Chill was a genuine team effort, with everyone contributing to the songwriting and lead vocals of the laid-back album. “It was a great bonding experience for us,” Keen says. Now, the band is working on a bluegrass record that borrows from other genres. “We’re going to do some well-known bluegrass songs, but there will be a few surprises.” The album is set to be released in the spring.

Imagine playing over 2200 concerts on four continents in 22 years and releasing twelve albums to critical acclaim. Le Vent du Nord, a leading force in Quebec’s progressive “Francophone” folk movement, has done just that. Along the way, they have racked up a trunk full of prestigious awards, including two Junos (Canada’s equivalent to the Grammys), three Felix awards, an OPUS award, a Canadian Folk Music Award, and they were named “Artist of the Year” at the Folk Alliance Annual Gala. The list goes on, and it’s easy to understand why the band is so highly acclaimed. With a broad range of global influences, Le Vent du Nord's repertoire is soulful and rhythmic, drawing from traditional sources, including Celtic and folk music. The band was formed in 2002, and the name translates to “The North Wind.” Oliver Demers started the band in 2002 while studying music in college. He was formally trained as a violinist and guitarist, starting in chamber music and gravitating towards jazz. As it often happens with bands, members came in and out of the band until a lineup clicks. The current lineup of Le Vent du Nord is made up of a cohesive group of seasoned musicians. Demers is joined in the band by his college classmate, Nicolas Boulerice, who grew up in a musical family in Quebec. His dad collected songs, which helped form Boulerice’s repertoire. He learned to play the hurdy-gurdy when his passion for traditional music took him to Ireland and France. Deciding to explore traditional folk music further, Boulerice played with Demers on the album Le vent du nord est toujours fret, which was the beginning of Le Vent du Nord as a true band. Andre Brunet, who started playing traditional Quebec music as a young boy in his village of Lacolle, joined the band in 2016. He played with La Bottine Souriante, touring more than 15 countries in ten years. He has a passion for traditional Quebec music. Andre’s brother, Rejean Brunet, toured for eight years with La Volee d/Castors before joining Le Vent du Nord in 2016. Growing up, Brunet’s parents recognized his musical talent and encouraged him to follow his passion. He first fell in love with the violin and began taking lessons at age nine. He recorded many albums with his brother, Andre’ Brunet, and together they performed around the world. He plays the accordion, bass guitar, and mouth harp with Le Vent du Nord. Until recently, Simon Beaudry was a member of the band. He joined in 2004 and left in February 2024 to pursue personal projects. He was replaced with Andre’ Gagne,’ from the same village as Beaudry. Gagne is a singer and musician who was introduced to folk music and traditional arts in his hometown of St-Come, Lanaudiere. He studied guitar in college, and in 2005, he formed a band called La Giroflee with some of his childhood friends. His warm voice adds to the Le Vent du Nord sound, making him a welcome addition to the band. The band performs around 120 shows annually, mainly in Canada and the United States, with a few side trips to Europe. Their music is somewhat niche -- folk music that is very Quebec-centric yet melds well with traditional folk music. But listen to a few of their songs, and you’ll hear a little pop, funk, rap, and other contemporary genres that surprisingly blend in perfectly with their repertoire. A traditional fiddle reel might be interrupted by a trumpet blast, stomping feet, and chanting – yet the songs work. They are both entertaining and fun. Not a bar band by any means, Le Vent du Nord typically plays concert halls in winter and festivals in summer. In an interview with Rejean Brunet by Jack MacLean in the McKendree Review, the student newspaper for McKendree University, Brunet says, “You start with something, you cross your fingers, you hope it will work, and people will follow. Of course, there is a little bit of magic, but being active is a big, big thing. If you are available to tour and give concerts, people will follow you. It’s funny because there are people we know who met the band 10 to 15 years ago, and they are still following us.” Brunet explained that they respect traditional music but add their twist and style. Everyone in the band listens to all kinds of music, and for the most part, it is mainly acoustic music. But adding harmonies and non-traditional instrumentation shakes things up enough to get the audience’s attention. “We all listen to bluegrass and bands from everywhere, so it’s quite lively,” said Brunet. “There’s a lot of bands that are composing new stuff. Scotland has a lot of bands, but with a lot of drums and electric instruments, and of course the bagpipes. We are closer to tradition when it comes to instrumentation.”

When an event has been around for a long time, it becomes so entrenched in local culture that people couldn’t imagine it not being a part of life. After 78 years, no doubt that is what happened with the Ozark Folk Festival. For the people of Eureka Springs, it’s a yearly music event they plan for, count on, and consider a vital part of local culture. “It’s the largest continuously running folk fest in the U.S.,” explained festival coordinator Nancy Paddock. “The whole town is always involved with it. It’s a tradition in Eureka Springs.” This quaint city in northern Arkansas, known for its unique architecture and colorful history, becomes an even more attractive destination when folk performers descend upon it for one weekend each fall. For 2025, the Ozark Folk Festival is set to happen September 5, 6 and 7; now is a good time to mark calendars and make lodging reservations in advance. While the lineup for the upcoming year isn’t usually announced until late winter/early spring at the earliest, Paddock says, “We’re looking at acts already for 2025, and we’ve got an idea.” Those marking their calendars might want to look at the 2024 festival lineup to get an idea of the types of performers the fest generally books. The website is available at Ozarkfolk.com , which is also the source of tickets for any ticketed concert. Paddock said it’s also a good idea to follow the Facebook page to get updates as things evolve. When Paddock speaks of all this, it’s easy to sense her love for this event. She explained that it was created to bring tourists to town and still serves that purpose today. While the essence of the festival’s purpose remains the same, the offerings have evolved over the years. A most recent addition just happened in 2024. “We had workshops last year that we’re bringing back for 2025,” Paddock said. The workshops focused on musicianship in areas such as guitar or folk percussion. Paddock explained that the fest is a nonprofit organization financed and managed by the City of Eureka Springs's City Advertising and Promotion Commission (CAPC). The lineup's goal is to present the music of the mountains and to celebrate the music rising from the people and landscapes of what is often considered one of the country's most unique and nature-inspired places. “We try to focus on local Ozark musicians,” Paddock said. Examples might be the Springfield, Missouri-based Ozark Mountain Daredevils or upright bassist, singer and songwriter Melissa Carper. She added that while the scene includes all types of folk music, bluegrass is certainly a part of that, and there’s a burgeoning group of youngsters making bluegrass music now in Eureka Springs. Toe-tapping, dancing, and active listening take place in two spaces: Basin Spring Park, where music is presented for free, and the Historic Auditorium, where music lovers can take in additional ticketed performances. In addition to the basic features, you’d expect to find at most folk fests—including a songwriting competition and arts and crafts “Ozark Folk Fair”—attendees are also treated to a unique, longstanding tradition. “The Barefoot Ball has been going on since the 1950s,” Paddock explained, of the yearly concert encouraging barefoot dancing on the original wooden floor in the Historic Auditorium basement. Paddock said she loves that event, but for her, affection for the fest is non-specific. “It’s always just …the music. I love the music,” Paddock said, summarizing why she devoted herself to such a worthy cause for Eureka Springs. “There’s lots of pickin’ and grinnin’ going on.”

Nearly 25 years since his death, songwriter/performer/banjoist/steamboat pilot John Hartford is thoughtfully and candidly remembered in a new book by his friend and bandmate Bob Carlin. My Memories of John Hartford is a revealing portrait of a multi-dimensional man who wrote “Gentle on My Mind,” one of the most recorded songs of all time. “When I began working alongside John Hartford, I thought I knew something about music and performing,” writes Carlin, who’s well known for his clawhammer banjo playing and vast knowledge of the instrument’s complex history. “It turned out that I only knew a fraction of what I was about to learn in his music workshop. I came out the other end a much better entertainer and performer than before my experience with John.” Their first meeting came in 1985 when Carlin interviewed Hartford for NPR's Fresh Air. By then, Hartford, who was raised in St. Louis and had become enthralled with Earl Scruggs's banjo and Benny Martin’s fiddle, was a star, thanks to “Gentle on My Mind” and his appearances on television shows such as The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. As Carlin writes in the book, though, Hartford had relocated from Hollywood to Nashville and had re-imagined himself. “He had successfully transitioned from sensitive singer-songwriter in the mid-1960s to late 1960s folk-rocker to newgrass band leader in the early 1970s and, for the remainder of the 1970s, an electrified wide-eyed hippie prankster. Finally, for his middle age during the 1980s, John distanced himself from these prior images to become a Victorian riverboat pilot.” Though Carlin was not a bluegrass banjo player--his clawhammer style predates the genre and has roots in string band music and minstrel shows--Hartford hired him to play in his band. A friendship grew out of their working relationship. Though he didn’t know Hartford in his Hollywood days, Carlin has insight into those years. “He had a lot of these sayings that he would use a lot,” Carlin remembers “And one of them was, ‘I'm really glad you didn't know me back then. I was a real son of a bitch.’ And the other was, ‘You spend the second half of your life apologizing for the first half.’ Carlin writes that a diagnosis of and recovery from cancer during that time contributed to Hartford’s transformation, professionally and personally. Despite its success, Hollywood has faced frustrations. “I think he was getting a little fed up with people in Hollywood. His managers were trying to make him into something he wasn't. They saw him more as an actor, as a character in, like a detective series. Like a Columbo. He didn't see himself that way.” My Memories of John Hartford explores the many facets of Hartford’s life: piloting steamboats; a rigorous and disciplined approach to songwriting; countless appearances at clubs, festivals, and on TV; jams that had his Cumberland River house nearly bursting at the seams; road life in a bus with intractable mechanical issues; and his obsession with the fiddle that consumed his later years. Carlin witnessed much of it, including Hartford’s decline, when the cancer returned. Savage as it was, it couldn’t keep Hartford from playing his unique music on stages across the country to adoring fans. And working with Hartford, Carlin saw an artist who always followed his passions. “Don’t get famous doing something you don’t want to do,” Hartford is quoted as saying in the very first words of the book. “I do what’s in my heart, and if that works, that’s great. If it doesn’t work, I haven’t wasted my time. If I didn’t do what was in my heart, the worst thing that would happen is that I’d be successful, and I’d have to do it again. It would be awful to be successful at something that I didn’t enjoy doing.” In the final years of his life, Hartford’s heart led him to the fiddle music of Ed Haley. “And he didn't care if it was commercially viable or not,” Carlin explains. “That's what he wanted to be doing. I think at that point in time, he was aware that his days were numbered. The cancer was starting to catch up with him. He loved this particular fiddle music, and he wanted to figure out a way to make it sellable to the American public. And in many ways, he succeeded through the strength of his celebrity, convincing people they should hear it. And, if I may be egotistical and self-centered, I think he put a damn good band together to do it.” As a member of that band who, over time, practically assumed the role of road manager, Carlin’s unique perspective enables him to write an illuminating account of one of bluegrass music’s most creative, enigmatic, and beloved artists. “The main thing I started out to do was create an appreciation of John Hartford. And I show he's human because I talk about some of his flaws as well. But I just want to give the fans an inside view of what it was like and what was going on, at least in that latter part of his life.”

Pisgah Banjo Company not only takes its name from a national forest in Appalachia but also sources the wood for its instruments from the trees growing in and around its base near Asheville, N.C. Unlike other banjo makers, it uses native woods, including persimmon, cherry, and maple, instead of exotic hardwoods such as ebony. In nearly 12 years, it has become the largest supplier of boutique open-back banjos in the nation. “I pretty much found very early on that people didn't necessarily care about an ebony fingerboard,” says luthier Patrick David Sawyer, the owner of Pisgah Banjos. “They cared about the sustainability aspect. And so that's what I went with. That's what my schooling was focusing on. How local can we source parts? How local can we source hardwoods? If Sawyer’s approach to banjo building is unorthodox, so has been his journey. He began college as a classical and jazz trombone performance major at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., which is close to where he grew up. “I took an intro to Appalachian Studies class as an elective, and we focused on music for a couple of weeks, and I was just blown away,” Sawyer recalls. “I was like, ‘What am I doing with myself? You know, there's this whole other world of music.’ Interestingly enough, my roommate at the time had a banjo, and I started picking around on it just a little bit. I was like, ‘This is fascinating. This is amazing.’” Sawyer built his first banjo in 2005 during his sophomore year in college. He’d had some experience in a wood shop with his dad, who was an amateur woodworker. “And I was probably more interested in building banjos at the time than my studies. I took independent study classes in the woodworking department just so I could have access to the shop. And so that's kind of how it started. I ended up being a geography major and having a minor in renewable energy. My idea was I could be a planner for a sustainable community. I always had sustainability in mind. It was just a marriage of my interest in sustainability and my interest in working with my hands and woodworking.” After graduating in 2008, Sawyer spent six months as a student host at the John C. Campbell Folk School and then hiked the Appalachian Trail. After working as a solar technician for several years, he started Pisgah Banjo in 2012. The company has nine employees and makes a little over 500 instruments a year. “We’re focusing on the mid-to-high-end range instruments in terms of what we offer,” Sawyer explains. “We have 11 or 12 models, but we can customize them pretty much any way you want to. And we also have a design tool on our website. You can click and basically build a banjo from scratch, and it automatically shoots out a quote. You can build it as fancy or as inexpensively, barebones as possible. So our prices range from about $1,500 all the way up to--if you get the custom features and pull out all the stops--currently, it's like $3,000.” Every small business owner faces setbacks, but like many people in the path of Hurricane Helene, Sawyer has had to deal with unanticipated and unprecedented challenges. “We were able to get back up and running pretty quickly after the storm,” Sawyer said during an interview a little more than a month after Helen ravaged parts of North Carolina and the Southeast. “We were one of the few businesses to actually offer work back to employees. Because we have a well, we're not reliant on city water. But a lot of our employees still don't have their basic needs met. And so we’re not back to our capacity because of that. We still have employees that have to go somewhere else, like a FEMA site, to take a shower or wash their clothes because there's just too much silt in the water. “It's kind of hard to go back to work when your neighbors and your friends and other businesses have nothing to go back to. So we're doing whatever we can to help other folks. So, the whole event was very jarring.” Sawyer’s love for North Carolina and the Asheville area is evident as he talks about the natural resources and the vibrant sense of community there. So it’s no surprise he named his banjo company after one of the local landmarks. “We're adjacent to Pisgah National Forest. So, I wanted to name it after the forest because we use native Appalachian hardwoods and because of my love of hiking. I love hiking in Pisgah. I grew up hiking in Pisgah. I grew up an hour from here. I go to Pisgah National Forest all the time and hike around. So, it just checked a lot of boxes. It made a lot of sense.”

Appalachian chefs have been making their mark on the national culinary scene, showcasing the region’s rich food traditions and unique flavors on popular TV shows. From grilling competitions to high-stakes grocery store challenges, these chefs bring a distinct approach to cooking that reflects the heritage of Appalachia—emphasizing local ingredients, traditional techniques, and a deep connection to the land. Their appearances on shows like Guy’s Grocery Games, Chopped: Grill Masters, and Cooks vs. Cons highlight their individual talents and the evolving Appalachian cuisine, inspiring a broader appreciation for the region’s culinary culture. Guy’s Grocery Games Matt Welsch Wheeling, West Virginia Hosted by Guy Fieri on Food Network, Guy’s Grocery Games features four chefs on each episode competing against each other for a grand prize of $20,000. This culinary competition is set in a grocery store where contestants face challenges through a series of rounds, with the ultimate champion receiving an opportunity to shop the market to win the prize money. Welsch prepared a pork entree with potatoes, green beans, portobello mushrooms, roasted red peppers and grilled apple slices for the win. Cooks vs. Cons Brittany Furbee Morgantown, West Virginia Geoffrey Zakarian hosts the Food Network cooking competition, in which talented home cooks compete against pros in a blind taste test to prove who has the best dish. The victorious cook or con will take home a $10,000 prize at the end of two rounds. Furbee’s steak and eggs benedict with a blue cheese mustard asparagus vinaigrette and blue cheese crumble hash browns scored her the grand prize of $10,000! Best Baker in America Jean-Francois Suteau White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia As the executive pastry chef of The Greenbrier Resort, Jean-Francois Suteau has been known for his incredible baked delights for years. However, in Season 2, which aired in 2018, he competed against eight other chefs to win $25,000 through various rounds of baking cakes, pies, and bonbons. While he did not come out victorious, Suteau did make it to the finale and gained a loyal following for his impressive skill and talent. Chopped Mary Brent Galyean Appalachia Known as an expedition chef, Mary Brent Galyean is a bit of a nomad when it comes to settling down in one geographic location. Naturally, she was a perfect fit for a Chopped: Grill Masters episode focused on outdoor cooking. While she didn’t come out victorious, she did create inventive dishes like a bacon granola stuffed hot dog, elk chops with blueberry brown sugar jus and a harvest soufflé made of acorn squash, eggs, bananas, and frosted cupcakes. Is It Cake? Steve Weiss Ashburn, Virginia Steve Weiss is no stranger to food television. He has appeared on a number of Food Network specials, including America’s Best Pastry, $50,000 Pastry Challenge, Pastry Daredevils, Sugar Impossible, Flying Sugar, Sugar Inventions and King of Cones. The chef and educator won the Food Network Series Halloween Wars Season 10 in 2022 and most recently competed in the Netflix “Is It Cake” series in 2022, where he was dubbed “the silent assassin” by host Mikey Day. One of his most notable cakes was a recreation of a grouping of melon, asparagus and cauliflower that consisted of an almond cake with milk chocolate ganache and orange zest that looked so real it fooled the judges. Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown Mike Costello Lost Creek, West Virginia In this show, the late Anthony Bourdain traveled the world uncovering lesser-known places and learning about their food. He traveled to West Virginia, where he enjoyed lunch with coal miners underground, watched on during an extreme sports event and attended a homecoming football game. As part of his culinary adventure, he traveled to Lost Creek Farm to learn about food rooted in place. Lost Creek Farm chefs and owners Mike Costello and Amy Dawson provided an Appalachian feast made from local food, including corn chowder, fried rabbit with chow-chow and paw paw ice cream. Culinary Concerts Marion Ohlinger Morgantown, West Virginia Chef Marion Ohlinger partnered with PBS to create “Culinary Concerts,” which features a farm-to-table dining experience paired with music from Appalachian artists. Marion visits farms in the region to select the ingredients and produce before heading back to his kitchen. While Chef Marion prepares a meal, local bands will play for the audience. The chef combines the two arts in each themed episode to educate viewers. These chefs play a vital role in displaying Appalachia's rich culinary heritage. By participating in food television, they highlight the region's unique ingredients and flavors while inspiring others to explore and celebrate Appalachian cuisine. Their efforts promote local agricultural practices and contribute to a growing appreciation for the diverse culinary traditions found in Appalachia. Their visibility on national platforms continues to significantly contribute to the evolving narrative of Appalachian food culture.

Multi-instrumentalist Charlotte Carrivick has discovered that it takes a strong woman to balance motherhood with being a touring performer. This flatpick guitarist from South West England proves it’s possible to juggle the dual demands of caring for others while crafting a creative life around music. “I would say being a woman in bluegrass, or music in general, has its advantages and disadvantages,” Carrivick said. “Certainly, over here, there's a big movement – at least with festival organizers – to ensure a strong female presence in programming.” However, it gets difficult when a performer becomes a mom. According to Carrivick, other women who choose a life in the business understand this balancing act well. “The brilliant flatpicker/singer/songwriter Courtney Wis putting out an album of songs that focuses on this,” Carrivick said of the introspective folk artist inspired by appreciating life's simple beauties. For sure, children fit the bill. As Carrivick explains, women often overextend themselves if they’re not careful. “There's no denying the difficulties in continuing a career that demands relatively long periods of time away,” she explained. “With the current fashion for social media and the importance of keeping a constant presence going, even the shortest maternity leave period is hard to come back from.” She said if you choose to be the primary caregiver after maternity leave is over, “you have to factor in traveling around with a baby and childcare. Then, beyond that, the commitments just stack up, and it gets to be really hard to find time for music, let alone any of the background admin that goes with choosing to make it your living.” “That said,” she summarized, “I wouldn't swap my children for anything, and I certainly can't think of a good solution!” It seems, however, that Carrivick IS making it work. She’s active as a solo artist, teacher and member of several other bands. Although one of the groups she used to perform with – Midnight Skyracer – has been on hiatus since the pandemic, she still performs as half of The Carrivick Sisters, a duo including her twin sister. “Our music is very much influenced by bluegrass, but I would never call it that…I play the wrong kind of banjo, for one thing!” she explained. “A lot of it is original songs based on old stories from where we live in the South West of England. We've played together for as long as we've been playing so that always feels lovely and natural.” She also appears in another duo where she presents mostly banjo work alongside fiddle player, Kieran Towers. Carrivick’s work has reached a new height with the November 2024 release of her debut record, Sensible or Otherwise. Aiming to be reminiscent of “great 80s and 90s instrumental albums,” she said the tracks are influenced by work such as Béla Fleck's “Drive,” Matt Flinner's “The View From Here” and John Reischman's “Up In the Woods.” The 12-track record is all-instrumental and all-original. “I got in touch with some of my favorite players over here in England, and we recorded with Josh Clark at Get Real Audio,” she said. “Josh has the best ear, is brilliant to work with, and his studio in a castle just happens to be ten minutes from my house.” The record features musicians Evan Davies (mandolin), Kieran Towers (fiddle), Eleanor Wilkie (double bass), her sister, Laura Carrivick (dobro and fiddle), and her husband, John Breese (banjo). Somehow, this woman of music finds time to fit into teaching. “For the past few years, my teaching has been mostly in workshops and camps,” she said. One example is the Blue Ridge Guitar Camp in North Carolina, spearheaded by respected Grammy-winning session guitarist Bryan Sutton. She also offers lessons for fiddle tunes for both guitar and clawhammer banjo, available through the Patreon platform. Carrivick said her instruction technique centers on “the spirit of exploration.” To her, that means “taking a small idea and seeing where it might lead you.” The idea is that learning should be fun: “If you’re simply following notes in a book, you’ll get those wonderful moments of excitement far less often than you might by taking a simple phrase, playing around with it in as many ways as you can think of, and in doing that, finding some entirely new idea that may then lead to the next idea.” Carrivick’s trajectory was informed and inspired by having a great experience with capable teachers. Her exceptional learning experience happened at Sore Fingers Summer School. Her teacher – and that of her twin sister as well – was Matt Flinner, who she said remains “a musical hero to this day.” “As we were writing and singing songs together, it seemed sensible for one of us [sisters] to play guitar,” Carrivick reminisced. “Laura was primarily just playing fiddle at that point, and so it fell to me to learn to flatpick.” “It's a music camp for bluegrass and old-time where they bring over some of the greats from the U.S. to teach for a week, and it's utterly brilliant,” she said. “My sister and I had our 14th birthday there, and that was probably the end of us doing anything sensible with our lives!” Carrick’s comment is humorous, but she certainly proves it’s possible to live a “sensible” life as a “woman of bluegrass” if family and work are balanced with care.

Penni McDaniel with Carrie Hassler Penni McDaniel may not be in the spotlight, but she spends her time making sure her clients are well-known. It’s her job as the owner/agent for Hope River Entertainment, a career she fell into thanks to her cousin. “My cousin played in a band called Pine Mountain Railroad. In 2001, he invited us to a festival. I wasn’t familiar with bluegrass music and was amazed at the talent. My cousin said he needed help booking the band and thought I’d be good at it.” Penni had three kids in school, and she thought it was something she could do from home. “My cousin told me about IBMA and how to research festivals. The band wanted me to book as many dates as possible.” Penni booked 200 dates in the first year. The band also needed press releases and bios, which was no problem for Penni, who was educated as a writer. “When I went to my first IBMA World of Bluegrass in Louisville, KY, the band had a single out, ‘Don’t Stop Believing.’ They created a great buzz.” While there, she met Mark Holliday, who introduced him to his son, banjo prodigy Ryan Holliday, who played on the Grand Ole Opry at age five. As a publicist, Penni could book Ryan on Oprah Winfrey’s show, World’s Most Talented Kids. She booked many other promotional appearances for artists throughout the years and witnessed some incredible performances. One of the most memorable was the late Tim Hensley’s performance with Kenny Chesney and Buddy Cannon at the Grand Ole Opry. She met other artists at IBMA as well. “I met Donna Hughes, who introduced herself as a songwriter and asked me to listen to her CD. I listened to it on repeat all the way home to Atlanta from Louisville. I called her immediately.” Penni started working with Donna, and soon, other artists came on board. By 2002, Penni had formed a full-service music entertainment agency. It was an enormous leap of faith because she didn’t have a background in that industry. “I worked for General Electric for years, then for an architectural firm.” So many people were helpful in the beginning of Penni’s Atlanta-based firm, Hope River Entertainment. As she learned more about the industry, Penni got to know the promoters, people in the press, radio, and others who helped drive the world of music. As she worked to promote artists, she learned the importance of her role. Over the years, she has streamlined her operation. “I know where to put my efforts to make the biggest impact–right now, I’m in my comfort zone.” Over the years, Penni has worked with artists, including Lonesome River Band, Balsam Range, Carrie Hassler, Melonie Cannon, Jeanette Williams, and more. Her clients include Russell Moore and IIIrd Tyme Out, Volume Five, Special Concensus, Greg Blake, Dave Adkins & Mountain Soul, Larry Cordle, Shannon Slaughter, Crandall Creek, and Caleb Bailey. “I enjoy the interaction with the artists the best,” Penni says. “I’m a big supporter of songwriters and I’m always so honored when an artist calls me to sing me a song they wrote or want to record. I think it’s truly the biggest perk of my job.” Penni says that artists often ask for her opinion. “I get to know my clients’ personalities and what their specific music goals might be, and then personalize their services.” Penni has also handled event promotion and served as a record label publicist for Rural Rhythm Records and other labels. Penni has achieved media success for many albums, garnering magazine covers, feature articles, and reviews in mainstream media outlets. Many of the albums she has promoted have appeared on Billboard’s Top 10 Bluegrass Chart and have received awards and nominations from IBMA and GMA Dove Awards to SPGBMA, Grammy®, and more. Hope River Entertainment has been involved with many albums and worked with many talented women in bluegrass. One of the highlights is Donna Hughes’ 2007 release, Gaining Wisdom. “She wrote all the songs on the album, and Tony Rice produced it,” says Penni. Guest artists on the album included Alison Krauss, Sonya Isaacs, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rhonda Vincent, Sam Bush, and Carl Jackson. Penni has two college degrees, the most recent being in creative writing and English. She and her husband, Brian, live in Ellijay, North Georgia. “We live in a wildlife sanctuary and have regular visits from black bears and other wildlife. We love it here.” They have three grown children, Ashley, Brent, and Kerri.

Spend time with Courtney Hartman, and the conversation turns to journeys and paths. The musical journey for this accomplished guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer includes a stint with Della Mae, a groundbreaking bluegrass band; collaborations with accomplished musicians from widely varying genres; a solo, 500-mile pilgrimage by foot across Spain that led to an exploration of awakenings and discovery; and many opportunities as a sought-after instructor where she’s influencing and nurturing the growing number of women studying flatpicking guitar. The journey sometimes takes Hartman to unexpected places, but she’s confident of the path she’s on. “It's an ever-growing evolution of what it looks like for life today and what it looks like for life this year,” Hartman says. “But since I was like 14, I don't think I ever really wholeheartedly considered other paths. And it's what I love to do.” Hartman grew up in Colorado with nine siblings. Five of them played music together. She started on the fiddle and then took up the piano and mandolin before switching instruments yet again. “Well, we needed someone to play guitar,” she recalls. “But more than that, I think I saw my mom taking lessons, and that was inspiring. Then, I was teaching myself how to play fiddle tunes on guitar. I was hearing Doc Watson and Norman Blake, and that was immediately inspiring to me as a kid.” Another influence was Rebecca Frazier. “She was in Colorado with a group called Hit and Run, and at the time, the bass player and banjo player were kind of like mentors to my siblings, and they had given us band lessons and stuff. So that band was a group that we admired a lot. And Rebecca played guitar.” (Frazier recently released an album called Boarding the Windows.) As a teenager, Hartman played the bluegrass festival circuit. When it came time for college, many of her peers were headed for the roots program at Berklee College of Music in Boston. A friend arranged an introduction with faculty member John McGann. “He just took me under his wing that very first visit to Boston. And he championed me in a really loving way. I felt so lucky. He passed when I was in my third or fourth year there, very unexpectedly. All of us who got to study with him felt very, very lucky for our time with him.” After Berklee, Hartman spent seven years with Della Mae, a Boston-based bluegrass band formed in 2009. Seeing a stage filled with women playing bluegrass music was a revelation for many people. Hartman hadn’t experienced anything like that growing up. “I would be like 14 years old, and I would be the only woman in classes or whatever. I noticed, but I didn’t really register how imbalanced it was. And so then, being that for other girls felt really important to me. And there's nothing that I loved more than having a group of young girls or just young kids in general being at the front of a stage when you're playing. That means the world to me.” Some of Hartman’s collaborations have kept her close to her flatpicking bluegrass roots, such as Dear John, a loving take with guitarist/singer Robert Ellis on John Hartford songs. Other projects demonstrate the breadth of Hartman’s range as a songwriter, singer, and guitarist. Ready Reckoner is an ethereal, evocative, and introspective album Hartman created after walking the Camino de Santiago, a trek across Spain that has drawn pilgrims for centuries. It was an intentional disruption of everyday life that allowed her to explore the connection between walking and writing. It also allowed her to incorporate a wider palette of sounds, styles, and musicians in the studio, including renowned jazz guitarist Bill Frisell. Despite her bluegrass roots, Hartman often crosses boundaries. “We want to put boxes and labels on things,” Hartman observes. “But in reality, the community is much more fluid and amorphous than that. We're all inspired by playing with people from all over the world. It just makes me want to learn from other people and collaborate with other people even more.” Hartman has been on the faculty at Bryan Sutton’s Blue Ridge Guitar Camp in North Carolina for the last three years. She strives to teach students more than the mechanics of playing the instrument. “If instead of just going home with a new tune, if they have been vulnerable enough to learn something new or displayed the courage to be imperfect in front of a stranger--if they can take that into their life and family and work, that would be my goal. That would feel like my work had been true.” Now, her journey has taken her to Wisconsin, and becoming a new mother has affected her touring, recording, and writing. “It makes it more difficult to do anything in life, but it’s also better and brighter, you know?” she says. “So, I am just loving it. It's been such a total gift and a privilege to have a little one. It changes everything. And yet, we're still the same people. So, I have a new album coming out that I've been working on for the last couple of years. So, I feel extra excited about that.”

Growing up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, Cindy Baucom was surrounded by music. “My dad played and made instruments.” And Cindy listened to the radio—a lot. While still in high school, she listened to a local bluegrass radio show. “I always paid close attention to detail,” she says. “I wanted to be sure the facts were straight.” One day, she was listening to the DJ announce a new album by Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. The album was on the Sugar Hill Records label. “Apparently the DJ looked at the turntable and announced, ‘here’s a new band called Sugar Hill.’” Cindy couldn’t let that one get passed her. The station’s owner had served as master of ceremonies at some of the shows and pageants Cindy was in. “My first job was as a receptionist and switchboard operator at a local hospital. After I heard that fiasco on the radio, the station owner came into the hospital when I was working. I told him about it, and he said he needed someone to produce and host that bluegrass show.” While she had been on stage, Cindy had no idea how to run a radio board, but she was a quick learner. “I have had an interest in radio since I went to a career day at my school in the seventh grade. I went straight to the radio station table. I was a kid who always had a transistor radio with me and was intrigued by listening to stations in different cities and their on-air personalities.” She learned every department of WKSK and the radio station she listened to growing up. “I did a live bluegrass show for three hours every Monday and Tuesday called The Bluegrass Spectacular. I recently found my playlists from 1983, and looking down the list, I was impressed with my song selections even as a teenager.” She did that show her whole senior year of high school, and after graduation, she was offered a full-time job at the radio station. She worked during the day and attended Wilkes Community College at night. In 1988, she was offered a job at an AM/FM combo, WKBC. “My dad’s band, The Tarheel Travelers, used to record a half-hour show there when I was young,” she said. While working there, MerleFest started, and for over thirty years, Cindy has hosted the main stage at the festival. “The original director of MerleFest, B. Townes, used to bring Doc Watson into the studio to sit in on my show. Doc shared stories about Merle and performed songs in our tiny studio.” Cindy was also called upon to sing the National Anthem for four events at the Winston Cup races at the North Wilkesboro Speedway, covered on ESPN. From there, she moved to Statesville, NC, in 1996 to work at WFMX, a powerhouse 100,000-watt station that covered a 60-county area. “It was a coverage area focused on the Charlotte, Greensboro, and Hickory, NC radio markets.” She co-hosted a morning and classic country show and did remote broadcasts for clients and special events. Cindy spent eight years at the station, and then the opportunity to syndicate through the John Boy & Billy Network in Charlotte presented itself in 2003. “Ed Lowe was their CEO, and he had seen me on stage at MerleFest.” He also listened to her on the air. “It didn’t hurt that he was taking banjo lessons from Terry Baucom.” The Knee Deep in Bluegrass show launched on 28 network affiliates. The reach has grown to 100+ network affiliates throughout the United States. "It’s so fun knowing there are FM stations in major markets that have never played bluegrass, and they report that their listeners love it.” Cindy met Terry Baucom at various festivals over the years. “We got to know each other and found we not only had a passion for bluegrass but so many other things in common too - and we fell in love.” They married on March 21, 2003. “He picked the date - it was the first day of spring, and Terry says that was an ideal day for new beginnings.” Sadly, Terry, known as “The Duke of Drive,” passed away in December 2023. While losing the love of her life has been difficult, Cindy continues to be energized by the music community. In late September, she spent two evenings as MC on the Red Hat Amphitheater stage in downtown Raleigh, NC, during the IBMA World of Bluegrass event. It’s obvious she loves what she does. Her strong desire to share great music with as many people as possible drives her always to be the best she can be. “Life is like a road map,” Cindy says. “There are lessons to be learned along the way. There are sometimes gravel roads and hardships, the struggles we need to get us to our destination. I’ve had to do a lot of staying the course to do what I have a passion for.” Cindy recently wrote a children’s book about Terry and their dog, Simon. “He was a shelter dog named Soloman, but Terry renamed him several times.” Proceeds from the book will be donated to Lewy Body Dementia research and dog rescue. “It’s a great career,” she says. “I love the opportunity to interview so many talented people and share the stage with them as well. I am a firm believer in ‘if you dream it, you can do it.’ I look back at the things that have prepared me for this – from the cassette recorder I got from Santa Claus to reading articles from my dad’s copies of Bluegrass Unlimited. I don’t know what additions to my career my future holds, but I always keep my options open. I can travel and continue to broadcast the best music and share interviews. I’m open to challenges in the music world I haven’t explored yet. I don’t wait for the phone to ring and be reactive – I’m always looking for ways to be proactive.” And, of course, she’ll always find time for her children and her grandson, who was twelve when Terry died. “He had a very special bond with Terry. I had three children under the age of ten when Terry got together. That worked for 23 wonderful years with lots of beautiful memories.” Photo: Cindy with her children, Hunter, Houston and Molly, after receiving the IBMA Distinguished Achievement Award and Broadcaster of the Year (for the third time)