As the year comes to a close, it’s time to look toward what 2024 will bring: Good luck, happiness and lots of delicious food. Be sure to mark your calendars for these upcoming food festivals throughout the year: JANUARY Restaurant Week Various locations Chilly temperatures and unpredictable winter weather prove difficult for outdoor festivals. Instead, many Appalachian cities encourage people to take cover inside at one of their favorite restaurants for Restaurant Week. This weeklong celebration is different for each town but often features restaurant specials, unique dishes, and discount price points. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Charleston, West Virginia; and Asheville, North Carolina, are among the cities participating in January. FEBRUARY Mountain State Maple Days West Virginia Held on the third Saturday in February, Mountain State Maple Days feature sugar shacks across West Virginia that demonstrate the process of making maple syrup, offer maple products for sale and host tours of their farms. Try some unique offerings like maple cream, maple cotton candy and more. MARCH Comfort Food Cruise Logan, Ohio Hocking Hills State Park is hosting a handful of “Comfort Food Cruise” events this month, which take the form of a culinary crawl. This one, though, is all about comfort food. The comfort food cruise features homemade noodles, real mashed potatoes, banana bread french toast, meatloaf, garlic fries, macaroni & cheese, triple berry cobbler, hamburger and pulled pork sliders, and grilled cheese from local restaurants in the town. Plus, enjoy it all guilt-free because a portion of ticket sales goes to support local food pantries. APRIL Feast of the Ramson Richwood, West Virginia This old-fashioned dinner celebrates the ramp, a wild, garlicky onion, along with potatoes, brown beans, cornbread, ham and bacon, desserts, sassafras tea and cold drinks. The plant’s leaves and roots are edible and emit a strong odor when cooked and consumed. The 84th annual event will also feature Appalachian music, arts and craft vendors and more in the self-proclaimed ramp capital of the world. MAY Catfish Festival Scottsboro, Alabama Whether you enjoy fishing for catfish or eating catfish dinners - or both - this Alabama festival has something for everyone. Held annually on the third Saturday in May along the banks of Lake Guntersville, the Catfish Festival includes arts and crafts, a car show, concerts, live entertainment, kids’ inflatables, and more. Bon Appetit Appalachia has also recognized it as a great hometown family, food and fun festival. JUNE Grecian Food Festival Steubenville, Ohio The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church makes homemade Greek food for sale to the public each June. Enjoy their famous gyros, lamb stew, roasted chicken and spanakopita. Don’t forget desserts like baklava, koulourakia, loukoumades and more. Plus, there is dancing, singing and entertainment for the whole family. JULY Tomato Festival Rutledge, Tennessee The Grainger County Tomato Festival was organized in 1992 to promote the Grainger County Tomato and has been named one of the top ten festivals in the United States by Parade Magazine. The Grainger County tomato is known for its great sweet and tart flavor, which is partly attributed to the area's limestone-based soil. The family-friendly event has one request: “Good Southern manners that will make your mamaw proud is all we ask for.” AUGUST Peach Festival Hagerstown, Maryland This annual peach festival in Maryland celebrated the region’s agricultural heritage of peach orchards. Hosted by hundreds of volunteers, the festival highlights the peach in its available desserts: homemade peach cobbler, peach pies and peach ice cream. SEPTEMBER World Chicken Festival London, Kentucky Colonel Sanders, the founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, opened his first restaurant, the Sanders Cafe and Museum, in the 1940s in Laurel County, Kentucky. The Annual World Chicken Festival pays tribute to this chicken heritage and is home to the World’s Largest Stainless Steel Skillet. OCTOBER Hickory Apple Festival Hickory, Pennsylvania Few flavors are as reminiscent of fall as apples. The Hickory Apple Festival, held each October, knows that well. In addition to live entertainment, unique crafters, a petting zoo, blacksmithing and other attractions, there are apple desserts and dishes aplenty. Be sure to try the fan-favorite homemade apple crisp, apple butter, hand-dipped candied/caramel apples, and more. NOVEMBER Fermenting Festival Marshall, North Carolina The Western North Carolina Fermenting Festival brings together local and regional fermenters who sell products like jun, koji, gluten-free sourdough, ciders, fruit wines, chocolates, and vegan cheese. There are also demonstrations, resources and other vendors to create a family-friendly event. DECEMBER Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival Fairmont, West Virginia Feast of the Seven Fishes is a holiday tradition where many families with Italian heritage prepare fish dishes for dinner on Christmas Eve. This festival celebrates the annual tradition in Marion County. This daylong street fair celebrates all things Italian and features tons of food and wine, music, an artisan market, a cooking school, and more. This is just a sampling of the fairs and festivals featuring food in Appalachia. Most expand beyond just the food offerings and incorporate traditional and heritage activities. Be sure to check the websites for more information before traveling to the regions to participate in the festivities.

For over twenty years, Greg Cole has produced records in Nashville. For a kid from Ohio, it’s been a dream come true. Nicknamed “Slaw Dawg” by his childhood friends due to his last name (Get it? Cole slaw), Greg grew up in a family of four brothers and a sister. He had extended relatives who were musical, and Greg played drums and piano. “I was in a few bands in high school.” When he was 21, he moved to Nashville from his hometown, close to Akron. “I traveled with a few country bands playing drums,” he says. Recording music was something Greg enjoyed. “I always had a home studio, and over the years, that expanded into something pretty big.” As his family grew with children, it became harder for Greg to be out on the road. “When I was home from being on the road, I found myself spending more and more time recording and producing. I realized I could stay home and do that all the time. The studio was in our home, so I was more present for my family.” Over the years, Greg’s studio, which he calls Slawdawg Productions after his nickname, has expanded into all sorts of recording and mixing. “I’m working on a television show right now, The Dailey Vincent Show for RFD-TV. I am doing the sound mixing for the show.” Back in 1991, Greg was involved with a short-lived early-morning television show. Jimmy Capps, Stu Basore, Larry Barnes, and Greg were in the band, and Melvin Sloan and Johnny Carver manned the hosting duties, often joined by Leon Rhodes. Greg also does a lot of recording for bluegrass artists. “I am working on Danny Paisley’s album right now. I also do a lot of Gospel work. I worked on Jeff and Sheri Easter’s new album, Treasure, and their song, ‘One Name,’ from the album was the number one recording on Southern Gospel Radio for the month of September.” And, of course, being in Nashville, Greg also works on a lot of country music. “I have worked on five albums for Daryle Singletary.” Greg toured with Singletary from 1995 to 2002. Then, he left the road to run his recording studio full-time. “My daughter was five years old at the time.” Greg says he feels he has seen more of the country since leaving the road. “My wife likes to travel, and traveling with her is much different than touring with a band. We never really saw anything in a town other than the venue we played in.” Slawdawg is a state-of-the-art facility with all an artist needs to sound their best. The assortment of mics alone is impressive: Neumann U87, AT4060, AT4050, AT4033, four AT4041s, Townsend Sphere, four Sennheiser 421s, Royer 121, Royer 122, two AKG D112s, lots of SM57s and others. Greg also has a Neve 1073 DPX, six API512c, UA6176, an Antelope MP32 and others. He has Focal Twin 6 Be, Avantone Cubes and Mackie 824 MKII monitors and Apollo 16x, two Apollo 16 MKII, two Apollo Quad and an Apollo Octo Satellite interfaces. What do all those letters and numbers mean? It means that Greg has invested in his production company over the years to obtain the best results for his clients. While he works to record other artists, Greg keeps his toe in the music world by playing drums on the weekends with a band in town. “We call ourselves Organic Country and play regularly at The Local in Nashville.” The band represents Nashville with a well-balanced lineup of musicians, with Kevin Denney as the lead singer, Joe Spivey on fiddle, Steve Henson on steel guitar, and Rick L. D. Wayne on guitar. In addition to drums, Greg also plays the steel guitar and piano. “I have a good-sized collection of guitars that I enjoy playing as well.” Greg’s children are now grown with families of their own. His son is a fireman who plays guitar, and his daughter is a graphic designer. He says if he had more time, he’d love to spend it fishing and being outdoors. But for now, he’s happy behind the control board of his thriving production company, working with artists to share their music with the world.

Born Again Bluegrass Tallies Another Triumph Marty Falle is on a roll. He's found remarkable success worldwide since beginning his pursuit of bluegrass with his last two albums. His new album, the aptly named Born Again Bluegrass, follows suit. Released on November 18th at 4 am (!), it immediately shot up to the Number One slot on several worldwide album charts of all genres, including the APD Global Album Chart. Bluegrass radio programmers in France, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Italy, and the UK jumped on the new album on day one. Granted, Falle's decision to release a new record so closely on the heels of his last album, My Farm, My Bluegrass, may seem somewhat unusual, especially considering that the previous effort still reigns high in the charts of many major bluegrass and roots publications. To be sure, it defies the usual popular protocol. However, unlike other artists, Falle places his emphasis on writing entire albums rather than focusing solely on singles. He's an extremely prolific songwriter who eschews cover songs in favor of his original material. So, too, he isn't dependent on the major label machinery to share his efforts with the world, ensuring that he continues to produce his music strictly on his own terms. The new album offers ample evidence of that philosophy and finesse. Once again, Falle varies the template while staying true to the cultural components that inform and inspire each of his efforts. All 15 songs match quality with quantity, from the upbeat exuberance and rousing revelry of "Blue Blaze Breakdown, ""Bluegrass Boogeyman'," Hillbilly Stomp," and "Lost Creek Revival," to the sweet serendipity found in such songs as "Colorado," "Ohio" and "Fades." According to Lee Zimmerman, author of Americana Music — Voices, Visionaries & Pioneers of An Honest Sound, a respected book that documents the paths taken by traditional American music, "My Farm, My Bluegrass offers reverence for the roots, while maintaining contemporary credence. Few musicians tap such varied sources so well." Here again, hope and happenstance find equal footing. The measured tones of "Long Long Road" offer an ideal example: "Spread my wings and shatter air, This is where I come aware, At the end of this long, long road… And all my fears and all my sins, I just whistle down the wind, At the end of this long, long road…" The touching, tender "Appalachia Blue" shares similar sentiments." "Appalachia Blue Oh Appalachia Blue Blessings so Bountiful!!! Appalachia Blue" Falle believes that a well-crafted song is an artist's most important asset. He recently told Cashbox Magazine, "I needed to find out who I was as a 100% original artist. Good, bad, or ugly, this is who I am." He's proved his point. Falle wrote, recorded, and produced no less than three top-charting albums in 2023 alone. Yet it's not that he hasn't had his challenges. He was diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, but his faith in God allowed him to persevere. Nevertheless, his struggles continued. He underwent radical surgery, but the cancer returned. He then had to deal with an ensuing series of tragedies — the loss of his college roommate, as well as one of his best friends and his brother-in-law. It all seemed insurmountable, and it left Falle wondering about his own future… and if, in fact, he had a future at all. He wasn't sure if he'd ever record again, yet he continued to write. When he finally got news that his cancer was in remission, he went back to work, recruiting a team of Nashville session players and setting a date for returning to the recording studio. Three albums followed in rapid succession — Kentucky Bluestar, My Farm, my Bluegrass and his latest offering, Born Again Bluegrass. All three have been greeted with the excitement and anticipation that usually accompanies a new release by a veteran superstar. He's taken the bluegrass world by storm and launched a career bringing him the acclaim that clearly suggests his superstardom is all but certain. To be sure, he hasn't accomplished these feats all on his own. His studio standbys consist of a list of the who's who of Americana, Appalachian, roots, and bluegrass. The players he's worked with include producer Jonathan Yudkin playing fiddled mandolin, guitarist Carl Miner, veteran bassist Michael Bub, solo stalwart Rob Ickes on dobro, Josh Matheny only steel, Matt Menefee and Tim Carter on banjo, and multi-instrumentalist Sam Hunt. Falle himself plays guitar, lead and backing vocals. Charts and Triumphs Critics quickly took notice. Falle graced the cover of The Bluegrass Standard Magazine this past June, and he was spotlighted in feature stories in Americana Rhythm Magazine and Bluegrass Today Magazine, which described him as "an artist well worth your attention." The kudos continued from there. He was designated as "Artist of the Month" by Ohio Bluegrass deejay Michelle Lee and featured in an article in Country Music International in Europe. More recently, Falle was singled out in Germany's CountryMusicNowInternational after hitting Number One on its chart. Any number of media appearances followed, including guest appearances on David Pugh's Bluegrass Show, Mountain Bluegrass, with featured guest spots on the popular radio show Annette in the Morning, and on All Around Bluegrass w/ Jos in the Netherlands, and Bluegrass CZ. Meanwhile, the Kentucky Bluestar album reached Number Eight on the Top 50 APD Bluegrass / Folk Albums for April 2023, while the title song itself broke into the Top Ten of the Bluegrass Today singles chart, debuting at Number Six. In addition, the song climbed to Number One on the Bluegrass Jamboree Top 100 and charted at Number Seven on the Bluegrass Borderline Top 10. My Farm, My Bluegrass, found similar success. It reached Number One on the APD Global Radio Indicator Chart for All Genres on the day of its release! In fact, an astounding eight out of the Top 10 singles for the APD Bluegrass Global Radio Indicator Chart were born from My Farm, My Bluegrass. The album reached Number One on the APD Global Radio Indicator Chart for all genres the week of 8/20 – 8/27 and entered the Top 20 Album Roots Music Chart at Number 19. My Farm, My Bluegrass continued its reign at Number One on the APD Global chart for over a month, clearing the way for Falle's last two albums to enter the Top Five. At one point, Falle had three records in the APD Top Five. An earlier Marty Falle album, 2021's Virgin on the Bluegrass, hit Number 29 on the APD Global Radio Chart of Top 50 Bluegrass Albums for August 2023. The singles culled from My Farm, My Bluegrass also found continued success. "Praise the Lord and Pass the Gravy" charted at Number 34 on the APD Country Singles chart and then reached Number Six for August on APD's Global Chart, while its follow-up, "The Calling," hit Number Seven. Another song from My Farm, My Bluegrass, "Ode to Ale 8," debuted at Number Eight on the Roots Music Top 50 Contemporary Bluegrass Song Chart and went on to climb to Number Five. It also debuted in the Top 20 — at Number 13 — in the August edition of Bluegrass Jamboree's Top 100. Then, it was singled out on the Mountain Bluegrass radio show, courtesy of David Pugh's weekly Top 12 songs. "Ode to Ale 8" also made the Top 10 on Pugh's program as well. Meanwhile, "Praise the Lord and Pass the Gravy" entered the Top 10 in the APD Gospel charts and eventually hit Number One on the APD Singles Chart, while "The Calling" scored at Number Two on that same chart. "Praise the Lord and Pass the Gravy" also hit Number One on the Mountain Bluegrass Gospel Chart. That led to another round of media appearances, including Bluegrass Breakdown on 88.1 FM, St. Louis, the syndicated Rick Dollar Show, the Danny Hensley Show on 91.7FM Knoxville, and the popular Netherlands radio program Countryland. He was selected for the cover of Americana Rhythm Magazine's October 2023 edition and featured in an article for The Bluegrass Standard that same month. Falle was also the subject of another story in Bluegrass Today in October. Kentucky Bluestar joined My Country, My Bluegrass in the Top 50 APD Bluegrass/Folk Albums for September 2023, one of the two of his albums in the Top 50 for all genres. Falle would finish September with 13 songs in the Top 50 APD Bluegrass/Folk Singles. "Praise the Lord and Pass the Gravy" then charted as the Number One Country single. It also reached Number Three on the Mountain Bluegrass Gospel Chart. Meanwhile, "Ode to Ale 8" continued its climb. It reached number three on the Bluegrass Jamboree Top 100 for September, number six on the Bluegrass Today singles chart, number two on the Mountain Bluegrass chart, and charted at number 16 on the Roots Music Chart. It would eventually hit Number One for October 2023 on the Bluegrass Jamboree Top 100. Two singles charted in the Bluegrass Jamboree Top 50 — "Ode to Ale 8," which climbed to Number Two, and "Praise the Lord and Pass the Gravy,” which hit the Top 50. In addition, another song from the album, "Kentucky Proud," also entered the chart. The latter also made the Roots Chart's Top Twenty. Bluegrass Today went on to rank Falle at Number 20 for the entire month of October 2023. The album scored successfully on the Roots Music Chart, the All Genres Chart and the Bluegrass/Folk Chart on APD. Bluegrass in his blood It could be claimed without any exaggeration whatsoever that this singer, songwriter, and musician has always had bluegrass in his blood. It was infused early on when, after watching re-runs of The Andy Griffith Show as a youngster, he became fascinated by the show's "house band," a fictitious group called The Darlings, who was played by The Dillards, a real-life group responsible for transitioning the archival echoes of mountain music into a sound that could be admired, appreciated, and enjoyed through populist appeal. Falle's fondness for the form was further nurtured while living in Athens, Ohio, where he frequented a local record store that featured live bluegrass on an ongoing basis. Having dabbled in music while in high school, he relocated to Eastern Kentucky after college, and it was there that he immersed himself in the traditional template so essential to the music of that particular region. Much of his music has been rooted in those Appalachian origins, specifically, the various stylistic strains and archival influences in Irish, Scottish, and English folk music. They're sounds that eventually found their way into American country and mountain music through those early pioneers who ventured overseas to resettle in Appalachia. History and happenstance evolved from there. "Kentuckians have been wearing out shoe leather at informal jamborees since the state was settled over two hundred years ago," Falle notes. "A Rosine barn dance helped launch Bill Monroe's career. Even today, Appalachian cloggers and square dance callers celebrate the unique musical culture of Kentucky." Ultimately, Falle digs deep into that heritage and faithfully follows a musical route that combines bluegrass, roots, and Americana music. In the end, his is a journey well worth sharing.

Back in 1986, a bluegrass fest gave the locals of Conway, Missouri, a way to connect over old-fashioned music and culture. A few years later, a similar festival by the same organizers was added to the calendar. These two events remained an important focus of local life for decades. Even for something so beloved, however, the saying “all good things come to an end” seemed an inevitability…until Aaron McDaris and his family stepped up. Just as the Starvy Creek Bluegrass Festival was set to shut down last year, these lifelong event fans took up the mantle of keeping it going. When they intervened, there was an outburst of joy that they’d saved something so important to this community. “I grew up coming to this festival,” McDaris explained. “I grew up about 30 minutes from here.” The people who had owned the fest for decades – the Day Family – had announced via Facebook that they were closing it down due to the burden of a family illness. The feedback people left in the comments section emitted a tone of communal grief. “When it shut down, you could just feel the sadness and the air deflating out of everyone who commented,” McDaris said. In reaction to this, he “met with the [Day] family, and prayed…and the rest is history.” There are two Starvy Creek festivals: One in July and another in September. After reviving it all, a new weekend was selected for July: The second weekend of the month, instead of July 4th when it had always happened. That’s the only big change that was made. Now is the time to mark calendars for Starvy Creek 2024; it’s a great option for any bluegrass fan who wants to experience this slice of genuine American life. McDaris said the reason people loved it all so much – and the reason he and his wife and kids decided to pour their hearts and resources into keeping it going – is because festivals such as Starvy Creek are in short supply in this day and age. What makes this one special is how old-fashioned and family-oriented it still is. “There’s no alcohol. No drugs,” he said. “We fry catfish succotash and have a pie shack. It’s a family-run festival with one stage and a beautiful campground. The stage area has shade…there’s a lot of shade in there. It’s one of the old-school family-style festivals.” With a focus on the simple things – comfort food, family, and music that enlivens the soul – McDaris clearly has a grip on everything people had always loved about the Starvy Creek festivals. He wants to make sure it retains the same vibe under his watch. “As for now, I felt it was best to keep it like it was,” he explained. “I think people come there for that very reason because it still is traditional.” This event sounds quite different from the massive, corporate-owned festivals. Those events fill a need and have their place, but they don’t offer the understated, natural Starvy Creek vibe. The way McDaris described it, the scale and feeling sound oh-so genuine. It’s a community thing. McDaris guesses that 2,500 to 3,000 fest-goers attend each year. McDaris had a great lineup of notable acts for his first year at the helm in September. There was The Grascals. High Fidelity. Joe Mullins. Lonesome Road. Rhonda Vincent. He promises a lineup of similar quality for the 2024 fests. Speaking of Vincent, McDaris said the well-known bluegrass musician was a driving force behind him taking the Starvy Creek leap. He said he had always wanted to start his own thing and even still owned land locally he might someday use for that purpose. He’d moved away some time ago to Nashville, but the siren song of music in his home state always called out to him, and the dream of running his own fest never died. He jumped when the opportunity came to take over two events that had shaped his life. It seemed…right. “God opened that door for me, and I believe he pulled us back to our home state for that purpose,” he said. “Rhonda [Vincent] was truly a big help to me. Her family did festivals,” McDaris explained, of how she gained such a breadth of knowledge about music and event planning. “She basically led me through all this.” He’s a professional banjo player and knows her well due to pickin’ and strummin’ as a Rhonda Vincent & the Rage member. He’s also quick to credit the many people involved yearly. Once he took over, that didn’t change. “The people that attend are like family,” he said. “People are so willing to jump in and do anything to help.” McDaris said bluegrass and its associated festivals have been near and dear to his heart since childhood. “It’s my life,” he reminisced. “It’s truly been my life since I was 12.” It all started with his first, the bluegrass festival in Dixon, Missouri. He had just begun to play banjo himself, and seeing all of that happening onstage significantly impacted him. “Other kids my age were playing, and from that moment on, I went to every bluegrass festival I could.” His experience reflects why he sees his work with Starvy Creek as valuable. “It keeps kids out of trouble,” he said, “when they have something they can pour their hearts into.”

Twelve-year-old Teresa Romans was sitting in math class in West Plains, Missouri, when she received a note from Ethel Willard, an elementary school teacher. Willard spent her summer vacations traveling around Missouri and playing bluegrass festivals with her husband, Jim. Willard had caught wind that Romans came from a family of bluegrass players and pulled her out of class to compile a list of local musicians and invite them to a jam night at the Howell County Courthouse. Shortly after, they began hosting regular gatherings and laying plans for their own festival. But that was in 1979. Over forty years later, Heart of the Ozarks Bluegrass Association (HOBA) has grown into an educational nonprofit dedicated to preserving and celebrating bluegrass music in West Plains. These days, HOBA hosts biannual 3-day festivals on their property in addition to their weekly jam sessions. Attendees can camp overnight during the festivals. Located in the center (or “heart”) of the Ozark Mountains, West Plains has an active music scene that is well aware of its historical roots. Settlers from Southern Appalachia came to the region in the early 18th century, bringing their music and storytelling traditions. As years pass, traditions like these tend to be lost or otherwise forgotten. Communities lose sight of what once brought them together. HOBA’s mission is to keep the bluegrass tradition in the Ozarks alive and bring people together to celebrate the region’s history. The key to preservation, according to HOBA, is investing in the youth. HOBA offers a variety of workshops that focus on teaching the history of bluegrass alongside musical lessons. The latest iteration of these educational projects is the Bluegrass in the Schools program. Several association members visit nearby schools where they perform small concerts, followed by an “instrument petting zoo,” as Teresa Romans calls it. “The kids touch, hold, feel, and play on the instruments,” Romans says. “Then they pick what they think they might be most interested in and sit down with some of the board members, and they have the very extreme beginner’s lesson. They are open to new ideas and learning and soak it up like a sponge.” For many students, it is their first time interacting with any instrument. Providing this avenue into the bluegrass world is the first step in HOBA’s mission to expose the musical tradition to a new generation of potential players. HOBA currently has programs in two high schools, one of which has produced a band that went on to compete against musicians from across Missouri. “I’m not sure the judges knew exactly what to do with them, but they were impressed,” Romans remarked. The association aims to take this introduction one step further by loaning donated instruments to kids to allow them to see if they are interested in pursuing music. HOBA partners with local music store West Plains Music to make necessary repairs to donated instruments. “Instruments are expensive, and a lot of parents can’t afford them, especially if the child isn’t going to keep playing,” Romans explains. HOBA’s origin story and objective speak to the intergenerational, family-centric nature of bluegrass customs. “Most of our volunteers are second and third-generation pickers,” Romans says of the workshop instructors. “Most of them were raised with bluegrass in the home and even church. Hardworking, kind, decent people who get excited to share with the kids.” Vice President Sharry Lovan, who runs the Bluegrass in the Schools program, believes that appealing to the younger audience is vital to sparking their interest in the association. Teaching kids how to play mainstream songs they are already familiar with, such as Old Crow Medicine Show’s “Wagon Wheel,” opens the door for conversation about the genre's history. “If we can teach these children that this type of music is worth preserving, that it is our heritage and their heritage, then we can rest assured the music will go on long after we are gone,” Lovans elaborates. Romans also sees music as a cornerstone of the human experience. “Much in the way our Daddy taught us how to change the oil on the car, or how Momma showed us how to make bread. It’s part of our heritage and upbringing, and I would hate to see it disappear.” Preservation is crucial for a community that is built on music and storytelling. From the 1979 courthouse jam sessions to today's festivals, HOBA ensures that the heart of the Ozarks keeps beating for years to come.

Carl Goldstein has been promoting and presenting bluegrass music for most of his life. The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) has recognized his efforts with a Distinguished Achievement Award, presented at the IBMA 2023 World of Bluegrass Awards luncheon. For over fifty years, he has demonstrated passion, determination, and integrity in presenting bluegrass music as Chair of the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music. In addition to helping coordinate or oversee hundreds of bluegrass and old-time shows, he has maintained a radio program at WVUD on the campus of the University of Delaware for the past 46 years. Carl has been interested in music since his days in high school in Chester, Pennsylvania and on through college. He followed Ralph Stanley and Bill Monroe and got to know the musicians personally. In 1972, they approached Carl about starting a festival in the Northeast. Carl formed the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music to get the ball rolling on the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival. “It started as an all-volunteer, non-profit organization,” he explained. Carl did the work as the founder, chief executive officer and festival director when he wasn’t busy at his job as a Superior Court Judge in Wilmington, Delaware. The Delaware Bluegrass Festival, as it was then called, was a hit from the start. Like many festivals, the audience became family, jamming with the other festivalgoers and the musicians playing at the festival. “It is like a reunion each year,” Carl says. “The fans return year after year, and many artists return every other year or so.” In 1990, the festival moved to the Salem County Fairgrounds in Woodstown, New Jersey, and became the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival. For many artists, the festival is a place to start on their rise to success. “Alison Krauss played here three times before the year 2000. She played here when she was just 17 years old.” Others who have played the festival in their early days as musical artists include the Colorado-based band Front Range and Laurie Lewis of California. “Ours was the first festival she ever did east of the Mississippi,” says Carl. Plans were made to celebrate Carl’s fifty years at the helm of the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival in 2022. “I think fifty years is the term limit,” he jokes. But the celebration didn’t happen because Carl ended up in the hospital. Still, he turned the reins of the festival leadership over to Debbie Durant and Brian Duffy of the Tuesday Mountain Boys. “They have done a really good job,” Carl says. Carl continues to play music for fun. “I played with a band called Southbound for a few years, and I play a little old-time music. My wife, Judy, is a wonderful old-time fiddle player and plays with a band called Tater Patch. She is on the board of Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music, and through the years, she always assisted me in my duties.” The couple met at a concert forty years ago. Debbie Durant started going to the festival in 1995. “I found some people to go with me. I didn’t grow up listening to live music, but I listened to the Will the Circle Be Unbroken album, which was my gateway to bluegrass. It was an album that other kids at school listened to, so it was cool.” Debbie first went to one set a day at the three-day festival, and by 2000, she was camping at the festival. “I was asked to be on the board in 2004 or 2005,” Debbie says. Brian Duffy is now the Brandywine Friends of Old Time Music chair, and Debbie serves as vice chair. They co-direct the festival. “The quality of the music is different from a lot of other festivals. Many have a big headliner band, a few OK bands, and some local bands. Almost all of our performers are national quality performers. We have a good selection of bluegrass, old-time and traditional American music.” One of the distinctive features of the festival is that all the workers are volunteers. “We do that to keep our ticket prices reasonable compared to other festivals with similar quality acts,” says Debbie. The festival also introduces musical artists from different related traditional genres. “We have had French Canadian and Cajun music and related country acts like Patty Loveless and Kathy Mattea,” says Carl, “but our strength has always been traditional bluegrass and old-time music. We have had Tuba Skinny from New Orleans and the Red Stick Ramblers from Baton Rouge. Folks enjoy the variety.” As the festival grows, new things are added. The Kid’s Academy has been very popular, and this year, they added a songwriter workshop with Vincent Cross. “We also have a jam class and clogging class. We also have a better vendor selection. We want to build community. We are known for our excellent campground jamming, and anyone can go into the campground and jam. The Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival is like Christmas for me, seeing all the people I’ve gotten to know over the years.” Even though Carl is no longer running the show, he is making himself available to answer questions and troubleshoot. According to the IBMA, Carl Goldstein “is one of the most impactful individuals in the history of bluegrass music in promoting, preserving, and presenting our beloved music for all to enjoy.”

Like many kids who grew up on The Beverly Hillbillies, Terry Baucom was drawn to Earl Scruggs and his banjo-playing skills. In 1962, when he was ten, Terry asked his parents for a banjo in 1962. “He still has that banjo,” says his wife, Cindy Baucom. “Instead of trading up like many musicians do, Terry kept each of his instruments. He says they were like his children.” Terry first played on stage with his father’s band, The Rocky River Boys. “They played local festivals and fiddlers conventions near his hometown of Monroe, North Carolina. When he was 14, Terry began playing the fiddle. After graduating high school in 1970, Terry played fiddle professionally with Charlie Moore and the Dixie Partners. “They played the Grand Ole Opry and for Ernest Tubb’s Midnight Jamboree radio program on WSM in Nashville. That was a pretty big way to start his music career,” says Cindy. In 1975, Ricky Skaggs formed Boone Creek and recruited Terry to play fiddle. Jerry Douglas played Dobro, and Wes Golding played guitar. Marc Pruett was slated to play banjo, but he and his brother had recently purchased a music store in Ashville. “Marc said he couldn’t go on the road and leave his brother alone to run the store, so he backed out,” Cindy explains. “Terry stepped up and said he could play banjo.” The plan was to let Terry play banjo until Ricky found someone else. “Once they heard Terry play banjo, that’s where he stayed. They did the Holiday Inn circuit,” Cindy says. “Six days a week, they would play in a Holiday Inn lounge, and on weekends they would play festivals.” Terry played on Boone Creek’s first album, a self-titled LP on Rounder Records. He also played on Boone Creek’s second album, One Way Track, on Sugar Hill Records. “It’s the first number in the Sugar Hill catalog,” says Cindy. Terry was a founding Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver member in 1979, playing banjo and singing bass in the quartets. He stayed until 1985 and appeared on Quicksilver’s first five full-length albums. He then formed The New Quicksilver with Alan Bibey, Jimmy Haley and Randy Graham. The New Quicksilver album from the mid-1980s was later released as Baucom, Bibey, Graham and Haley on Rebel Records. In the early 1990s, Terry joined Russell Moore, Mike Hartgrove, Alan Bibey and Ray Deaton to form IIIrd Tyme Out. He was on the first two releases that included some of the band’s signature songs like “Erase the Miles” and “Lower on the Hog.” Immediately following his departure from IIIrd Tyme Out, Lou Reid, Terry Baucom and Carolina was formed. Two more ground-breaking albums followed, as well as the first-ever Emerging Artist Award presented by the International Bluegrass Music Association. The band BlueRidge followed a partnership with Alan Bibey. Terry taught banjo and fiddle in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area when he wasn't touring. As a freelancer, he worked with Kenny and Amanda Smith, Dale Ann Bradley, Mashville Brigade, Mark Newton Band, Mountain Heart with Tony Rice, Josh Williams and more. Terry met Cindy at various festivals. “My dad played, and I was in his band. Terry and I just got to know each other over the years. It has been so nice that we both have a passion for bluegrass in common.” The couple married on March 21, 2003. “It was the first day of spring, and Terry says that was the ideal day for new beginnings.” Due to health concerns, Terry was forced to leave the stage and road in May of this year. For the last decade of his career, he led his band, Terry Baucom’s Dukes of Drive and has six recordings on his own Driving Duke Record label, with multiple songs reaching number one on the Bluegrass Today weekly, monthly, and year-end charts. Well recognized for his musical abilities, Terry has been inducted into the Blue Ridge Music Hall of Fame and has a dozen IBMA awards on his shelves. He was presented with the Distinguished Achievement Award at the 2023 IBMA Awards Show. “Terry is just the most laid-back, likable person,” says Cindy. “It is such a pleasure for me to be his wife and to have helped him with his career for the past twenty years.”

We all have our favorite places to hear live music, but a music venue is occasionally more than just a building. Sometimes – and these are rare– the PLACE ITSELF changes the experience. Sometimes, the location adds a new dimension to the performance by magnifying and enhancing what it already is or providing contrast. This sound-place-atmosphere alchemy might be difficult to pinpoint, but these places are undoubtedly easily recognized by audiences. Concert-goers fortunate enough to take in an event held in a beloved physical space with an almost mystical atmosphere come away from a show noting not just the music but the SPACES that momentarily embraced that music. Some say Red Rocks Amphitheatre near Denver, Colo., is just that kind of magical place. For others, it’s the Sydney Opera House, Radio City Music Hall, or Royal Albert Hall in London. Another landmark offers a unique sonic experience and should be added to that list: The Caverns in Pelham, Tenn. Those familiar with the PBS Series “The Caverns Sessions,” filmed there, will already be familiar with what makes it special. Just as Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a venue created out of the earth itself, this hidden gem in Tennessee uses a cave system to elicit mystique – and atmosphere – for many of its year-round music offerings. Some events, such as large fests, are held “above-ground.” Other, most intimate shows are “underground.” "What makes an underground concert so special is that the guests and the artist have a shared experience that's amplified by the subterranean setting,” explained the marketing director for The Caverns, Jeff Meltesen. “This contributes to the energy at the shows. We often hear artists say, ‘I can't believe we're playing in a cave!’” He added, “It's special, and that's not lost on anyone, whether you're in the audience or on stage. What's more, we get lots of compliments on the acoustics of the cave, which are very alive with natural reverb. By no means is The Caverns your typical night club, from the sound to the surroundings." General Manager Joe Lurgio seconds those sentiments about this unique performance space. "We are the only cave venue in the world focused on presenting touring artists regularly, with world-class audio, lighting and production,” Lurgio said. He also stresses that the caves are not solely for music; they’re first and foremost for exploring. “While we are focused heavily on presenting high-quality concert experiences, we also have wild cave tours that take people deeper into the cave system to learn about subterranean ecosystems, geology, history, cave lore, and to take a behind-the-scenes look at the music venue,” Lurgio explained. "Humans have been connected to caves since the beginning of time, with some of the first art ever drawn found inside a cave,” he continued. “The section of limestone our cave is in stretches all the way up into Kentucky, and folks in these areas have a deep connection to caves, including playing music in caves.” One of those people was a foremost bluegrass patriarch. “Bill Monroe was so enchanted by the sounds of bluegrass in caves that he actually recorded a record inside a cave not too far from ours,” Lurgio explained. “There is something magical about hearing the ‘high lonesome sound’ deep inside a cave, almost a connection to the ancient tones that Mr. Monroe often spoke about.” He added that many on the crew are bluegrass lovers at heart, “and we strive to present bluegrass shows every year, both traditional and newgrass." In addition to the underground space, The Caverns has a 6,000-person capacity outdoor amphitheater, an on-site campground, and a yurt village. In addition to daily cave tours and “caving expeditions,” a kid’s camp – Camp Caverns – is held in the summer for children aged eight to 14. While there’s a regular schedule of performers from various genres (check the website at Thecaverns.com for current offerings), two big yearly events are sure to interest bluegrass fans. Now is the time to mark calendars and start making plans. The Big Mouth Bluegrass Festival date has not yet been decided but is expected to happen during the summer of 2024. CaveFest will take place on October 11 through 13, 2024. "As a destination venue in rural Tennessee, The Caverns is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the suburbs and the city – it's even an escape from the Earth's surface,” Meltesen said. “Perhaps that's why the venue resonates with fans of bluegrass, folk and Americana." Those who can’t plan a trip to The Caverns can get a taste of the experience by taking in an episode or two – or three – of the PBS series shot onsite. "Formerly known as Bluegrass Underground, The Caverns Sessions is the longest-running music series on American television after Austin City Limits,” Meltesen explained. “With 12 years of episodes, many Grammy winners have appeared on the show, which airs nationwide on PBS stations, on the PBS website, and through the PBS streaming app. New episodes are available on Wednesdays this Fall, and we're hard at work on the next season."

To showcase the culture and lifestyle of the region, some folks in far West Texas decided to start a new bluegrass association. Part of that involved firing up a new fest. Now that the second year of the two-day Big Bend Bluegrass Festival has successfully come and gone, organizers are looking forward to year three of what will hopefully become a flagship bluegrass event of the region. The most critical of those organizers is Cyndi Perdue, a musician with a lot of heart invested in this event. “My relationship with this festival goes back many, many years,” Perdue explained. “My family and I played and performed bluegrass. My dad started a small festival in Wickett, Texas, because he loved the music and wanted others to experience the same. He held the festival for many years and passed shortly after the 19th year. Dad had wanted to see the festival have a life of at least 20 years.” Perdue said she and her mother decided to keep that event going in his memory and were able to do so for two more years “until Covid shut everything down.” “I moved to Alpine, Texas, during that time, and you can say that the Big Bend Bluegrass Festival is a spin-off of my dad’s festival in Wickett,” she said. “I formed the Big Bend Bluegrass Association and haven’t looked back.” As a 501C3 charity, the association and its fest are tasked with perpetuating the bluegrass genre. This is in an effort to preserve bluegrass music while introducing bluegrass to new audiences and working to grow the interest in the genre in far West Texas,” Perdue said. In those parts, Perdue said there is no lack of talent. She mentions performers hailing from that region, such as Lynn Morris and banjo player Alan Munde. She also notes Joe Carr, who “had a music store in Levelland, Texas, that I visited now and then. I bought some of Joe’s books and CDs to teach myself mandolin and guitar.” At first, she wasn’t too interested in making that music a big part of her life, but it just…happened. “Playing bass in a band was not something I dreamed of doing,” she recalled. “I wasn’t real crazy about being in front of people. My parents came to me once asking if I would play bass for their band since the bass player they had quit. I said, nah…not interested.” About a month later, they asked again…only the asking had turned to begging. Okay, she said. Okay. “I took three lessons. I was put on stage, and the rest is history,” she said. “We initially played for country dances but migrated into the bluegrass/gospel scene. You can say that I’ve played music my entire life, starting out with piano, school band, and then our family band.” After losing her dad, she said she hasn’t played or performed much. “When I moved to Alpine, I had the opportunity to start playing again and saw an opportunity to rekindle the bluegrass festival scene. Playing and performing bluegrass has been one of the best things I have done! It brought our family closer and eventually boosted my self-confidence.” Perdue said one of the reasons she wants to be a part of keeping the genre alive is she had worried it might be waning. “When I was younger, bluegrass was being played much more than it is today in our region,” she explained. “I would like to see bluegrass grow more and thrive in my immediate and surrounding areas, which is what we are working hard to do!” Even with the inaugural event, Perdue could already see that her work was making a difference. “For the first year, it was surprising to see a younger group in attendance, which is awesome,” she said, describing the first year as “a breeze.” For the second year this past October, they homed in even more on promoting and raising volunteer involvement. Both years, the performers were well-received, and the fest will continue to include local talent in the lineup. Perdue said they will look at “rotating” bands/acts yearly “to keep the lineup from getting stale.” She also said they “want to showcase young groups to get them exposure.” Now is a good time to mark calendars and plan transportation and lodging for the next Big Bend Bluegrass Festival on October 4 and 5, 2024. The event is held indoors, where various artists performing at the fest also host free songwriting, guitar, fiddle, and mandolin workshops. Perdue said it is simply two days of “jamming, food and fun.” “There are several lodging facilities, Air BNB rentals, and RV campgrounds in Alpine and the surrounding area,” Perdue said. “Our area boasts the Big Bend National Park and many other outdoor activities to do while you are here to participate in the festival. Downtown has several art galleries and shops to visit, too.” Once all is said and done, Perdue spearheads this labor of love because it sounds like she … well …LOVES everything about the traditional ways of bluegrass and its people. “Bluegrass fans are different and fiercely loyal in their following,” she said. “Friendliest people one can meet! You become part of a tight-knit community, and they all know who you are. They do have old-time or traditional values, and it is refreshing to see and experience.”

Most people don’t associate the state of Maine with bluegrass music. For Cliff Gelina of Breakin’ Strings, however, New England seems the perfect home for the pluckin’ and strummin’ his band is known for in that region. The roots of Maine’s bluegrass scene run deeply through generations of his family. “Maine bluegrass is strong in my eyes,” Gelina explained, “but that's because I grew up in the Maine bluegrass community ever since I was born. I am a three-generation bluegrass musician from both sides of my family. My mother, Lois Gelina, was in a band with Dan Tyminski when they were kids,” he said. “Dan and his brother, Stan Tyminski. David Bevins also played dobro.” He said Maine is also the home of Al Hawkes, who he called a “bluegrass legend” of New England. He said the performer was “like family to most of us.” Gelina – a guitarist, mandolin player, lead vocalist and songwriter – said his career started with a family band: The Gelina Family. That’s no surprise since he attended his first big music event when he was only a babe. It was the Thomas Point Beach Bluegrass Festival. “I was ten months old,” he said. “Thirty-two years later, in 2022, I was playing on that main stage for the first time with Breakin' Strings. Throughout my whole life, I had watched my music heroes on that stage. It all came full circle when we were one of the main acts.” He said Maine has a lot of great bluegrass history and connections. “It has all become one big giant New England bluegrass family…a family I have been so proud to be a part of for all these years. I don't know if I know a better community of people,” Gelina said. “Also, The Bluegrass Music Association of Maine is an incredible association; they are set up at most every bluegrass festival or bluegrass event.” But…Maine? How could that compare to the scene in Virginia, Tennessee, or other places more closely connected to the Appalachian culture that initially gave rise to these sounds? “It's all perspective,” Gelina said. “Someone from down south may come up to Maine and not think our bluegrass is as blue as their grass. But we play our hearts out either way.” He said Breakin' Strings wants to represent Maine bluegrass in the best way they can. “Last year, we did it in a big way,” he explained. “We went to IBMA last year for the first time ever as an IBMA showcase band, part of the IBMA Ramble. It was incredible. Such an awesome experience.” The band is putting the finishing touches on its second album, Homegrown, which features all new songs. It will follow the band’s 2022 release, Hangovers & Heartaches, recorded at Nashville’s Blackbird Studios in Studio A. “This time,” Gelina said, “it's all recorded here in Maine, at Dawg-House Studio. We are thrilled to bring this new album to life. We have so many great new songs we are looking forward to sharing with the world.” In addition to the change of studio to something closer to home, Gelina said the makeup of the band is different for this record. Cody Howe is the new lead guitarist, songwriter and vocalist, and the newest member, Steve Peterson, performs on banjo. “We also have Shawna Bell playing bass now,” he said. She takes on the deep underbelly of the music and offers up vocals. “Shawna was one of the original founding members of Breakin' Strings when we started the band all those years ago. The new music that will be on this album has been played at all the shows this year, and we have received so much love for the tunes. It has been a great year,” Gelina said. Bluegrass fans in New England can take in a show happening at one of the band’s “favorite spots,” One Longfellow Square in Portland, Maine, where they’ll be appearing on December 2. “It is such an awesome location for music,” Gelina said. “A true music lover’s venue.” While most of their appearances happen up north, he said they “would love to play down south more. This band has an itch to travel. We want to break some strings in a field near you!” Gelina has many positive comments to share; he expresses gratitude for all the good things that have come to the band. He said they are thankful for “our fans, our family, and our friends. They have been so supportive,” he added. “It has been an amazing journey, and we couldn't have done it without everyone's support, love and friendship.” He said this included “the people no longer here in this world who supported us 20 years ago” and the “new friends and fans we make at every show. We are also very thankful to the musicians who have paved the way through the years and have inspired us to do what we do. Inspiration feeds inspiration.” Lastly and most importantly, he said in closing, “We are thankful to God, the creator, for giving us a world full of music, for giving us the ability to sing, play and write music. Who gives us the strength to go out and play our music and keeps us safe on the road. We are truly blessed.”

Sometimes, hardship or change can bring a wellspring of new creativity. For the Americana-steeped Band of Heathens, that lemonade-from-lemons dynamic came to the fore with their album release of this past spring, “Simple Things.” “This record came from the shift in perspective after all the things we’d done in our entire career were taken away,” said Jordi Quist, one of the band’s founding members. He’s referencing the period of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, during which most performing artists came to a required halt in touring. He said the band took a “fresh look” at things during those times. “We found a part of our lives that we’d never explored after being on the road for 20 years,” Quist explained. He said they had time to explore the “simple things” of life. “There was a personal introspective aspect to the record,” he said. Still, the idea of a supporting tour also brought a “playful energy” about getting back into the fray and hitting the road again, renewed. What they’ve delivered over almost two decades is clearly appreciated; Band of Heathens has received some high-profile opportunities and accolades. They’ve appeared on TV shows – including Austin City Limits – and have been nominated for awards by organizations such as the Americana Music Association. They’ve charted highly on the Americana charts. Quist said it does not get old for them or fans because they frequently change things. “There’s a different set list every night; you’ll never see the same set twice,” he assured. “The backbone of our band is playing live, and each night, there’s lots of improvisation.” Over the past 18 years, they’ve kept delivering music “directly to the fans.” “We’ve been out of the mainstream our entire career,” Quist said. Band of Heathens created a value-added place for their biggest supporters to ramp up this direct contact further. It’s an online community on the Patreon platform, where the band does special live streaming, online chats, and more. It’s called the Good Time Supper Club. Quist calls it “kind of a cool space for the hardcore fans.” They’ve toured widely this year to support “Simple Things,” including a fall outing in the western U.S. that they’re just wrapping up. It ends mid-November with three shows Quist said he’s looking forward to. They’re all in Texas, near the band’s home turf of Austin. They see those gigs as a celebration of 18 years. Quist is also looking ahead to 2024 when Band of Heathens heads out to sea to perform aboard a “Sandy Beaches” Caribbean cruise in January. That same month, they can also be seen at events such as MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado and Mile 0 Fest in Key West, Florida. However, the band will promote an additional special release before the year finishes. Quist and bandmate Ed Jurdi decided to re-cut the entirety of “Simple Things” as a duo. It was stripped down and all-acoustic. It started with one song, and then…they just kept going. It was a bare-bones reimagining of the same tracks. “It turned out so cool, we decided this needs to be an actual release,” Quist said. As a result, fans are treated to the duo record “Simpler Things,” a companion recording that offers a fitting, clever title. Just when it seemed the introspection couldn’t possibly get more pared-down and bare…it does. “In some ways, we can’t believe we’re still doing this after all these years, and we’re feeling as creative as we ever have,” Quist assured. “All of us in this band are very fortunate to have families that give support. Our lives strike a balance between being present with our lives and families and also with the band. “We have no idea how it ever happened, but we’re grateful that it has."

Scott Vestal wears many hats and enjoys every aspect of his life and career. He is a banjo player, a luthier, a songwriter, and a recording engineer. And that’s only his day job. He is also husband to jazz singer Alice Newman Vestal and father to a 20-year-old daughter in nursing school and a 14-year-old son who flies drones and works on RC cars. It’s a full and fulfilling life, and Scott is accomplished in many areas. In his musical family in Meridian, Oklahoma, Scott learned to play the guitar from his grandfather, Famon Self, a country fiddler. It wasn’t long before Scott played and sang with his grandfather at bluegrass festivals, rodeos, and other area events. He fell in love with the banjo and got his first five-string banjo when he was 13. “I sat in on a lot of jam sessions and watched people play. I never took lessons, but people helped me along the way.” At 15, he began playing with T. J. Rogers’ family band. By the time he was 18, he had moved to Richmond, IN, to tour and record with Larry Sparks. He moved back to Texas when he was 19 and formed Southern Connection with his brother Curtis, Russell Moore, and Marc Keller. The band toured the Midwest and East Coast for three years. “We joined Doyle Lawson’s band in 1985, touring and making five albums before I moved to Atlanta, touring with my band Livewire and recording one album for Rounder Records, and then a year in Japan working with Dave Peters before connecting with David Parmley in Nashville to form Continental Divide.” Clay Jones asked Scott to play on an album he was making for Pinecastle. That became a series of instrumental albums for Pinecastle Records that Scott not only played on but produced and engineered. The series was produced from 1995 to 2001, with the 1996 album winning the IBMA Recorded Event of the Year in 1996. That same year, Scott was awarded the Banjo Player of the Year by IBMA. “I love engineering,” he says. “I have always been into recording -- I always had a couple of cassettes going. I think it goes hand-in-hand with the music. I’ve always been a ‘Mr. Gadget’ kind of guy, recording and capturing sounds.” His engineering talents led him to his own recording studio, Digital Underground, where he engineers, produces, and performs on projects. The list of performers he has worked for is impressive: Bill Monroe, Ricky Skaggs, Tony Rice, Vassar Clements, Chris Thile, Hank Williams III, Kenny Chesney, Del McCoury, Dierks Bentley, Billy Ray Cyrus, Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, Dwight Yoakum and even David Lee Roth. “I get to see a who’s who of musical greats without leaving my house,” he says. “I have a studio set up with seven isolated booths, a drum room, and a control room. It has a real homey feel to it.” Not just a banjo player, Scott is also a builder of banjos. His company, Stealth Banjos, sells instruments he designed and developed. “I had an idea in 1989 to come up with a design based on a banjo I got from England. It had a tunneled fifth string, like instruments in 1700s England. I had an idea for a wider neck and taller bridge. The shorter scale gives it a deeper sound. I had met Phil Davidson in Bristol, England, who built the first neck in 1989 while touring with my band Livewire. He finished it while I was there, and I played the last show of the tour with it. After returning home, people were asking where they could get one. Dave Perkins and Keith Medley, who worked for Gibson in Nashville, made the first few necks for me; then Robin Smith continued from there. It’s kind of a niche thing for me.” Still going strong in the business, Scott was awarded the IBMA Banjo Player of the Year for 2020 and 2021, with nominations in 2022 and 2023. He was awarded the Duncan, Oklahoma Hall of Fame Award for 2023. Scott says he is motivated by the music. “I love playing it, and I love working with other people. I play on a lot of people’s records, which I really enjoy. I’m so grateful to God to have been blessed with a little bit of talent so I can do what I do. I am also grateful for my family and all who love music. I couldn’t be happier with the way my life has been.”