When everything stopped in the spring of 2020, musicians found a way to play their music, write new songs, and learn new instruments during this time of uncertainty. Some, like John Martin, picked up an instrument for the first time. "I hadn't really played music before COVID," Martin said. "But I enjoy playing music now and strive to play new things and experiment with new instruments." First teaching himself to play the guitar with Wagon Wheel by country musician Darius Rucker, Martin quickly found himself drawn more to bluegrass music because of his hometown's rich history. The 15-year-old bluegrass musician from Mount Airy, North Carolina, grew up in a musical family singing in church with his mother and sister. Mount Airy is not just like any other small town. It was home to one of America's most beloved television series, the Andy Griffith Show. Mayberry's Music Center on Main Street feels like it could have been featured in the famous tv show decades before. Bluegrass music is embedded into everyday life, encouraging everyone to pick up an instrument and jam. There is also a rich history of bluegrass musicians jamming on every corner. "Mount Airy, North Carolina, is home to the Easter Brother's music store on Main Street and is home to many bluegrass jammers. This had a pretty great impact on my drive to play bluegrass music," Martin said. "My cousin also started dating a bass player for a bluegrass band, and my drive and interest in playing bluegrass became much more strong. He taught me some simple beginner bluegrass chords on the guitar, and I taught myself from there on." As a new bluegrass artist, Martin is just getting his feet wet in the world of performing. Still, he has earned the opportunity to perform on Main Street in Mount Airy, and he plans to perform locally more as he continues pursuing music. "I've only had the opportunity to perform live once so far, but I loved it and didn't have one nerve in my body. So, I'd say that it went fairly well!" Martin said. In his two and a half years playing music, Martin has touched on playing multiple instruments,from guitar to bass and banjo. Influenced in his style of music by Tony Rice on guitar, Ben Marshall on bass, and Earl Scruggs, Sammy Shelor, and James McDowell on banjo, Martin feels that he takes styles he admires with each of these musicians to create a style of singing and to perform all his own. "I sound a little different than other bluegrass musicians due to my singing runs. I tweak songs to fit my voice style, and I sing more modern," said Martin. As a new bluegrass artist, Martin only recently joined the young bluegrass musician group Tomorrow's Bluegrass Stars after connecting with former member and new TBS leader Mary Parker. While he hasn't had the opportunity to meet any of the TBS leaders or members, he is very passionate about what the organization stands for and its mission to create the leaders in the bluegrass music of tomorrow. "It's important for upcoming bluegrass musicians to keep playing and carrying bluegrass on for the next generations to hear. We are a dying breed, but it is crucial that we introduce other young people to bluegrass!" Martin said. As he works toward more local performances and bluegrass conventions, Martin shares his music with the world through singing at church and on his Tiktok, Instagram, and Facebook pages. While only 15 years old, John Martin has the potential to be a truly great musician as he grows in both talent and passion in the days and years to come. "I have such a deep passion for music," Martin said. "My love for music is everlasting."

From as early as she can remember, California native Jenni Charles listened to bluegrass and country music while performing with her family band in the Bay Area. As she got older, she appreciated the camaraderie of playing music. By the time she got to college, she had played independently and wanted to expand into jamming with others, which provided a space for Jenni to find herself as a musician. "The California bluegrass scene allows you to find these pockets of like-thinkers, and that instantly bonds you," Charles said. Charles' life changed in 2009 when she met Jesse Dunn at a music festival. He became her bandmate and husband. "We were in different bands at the time," Charles said. "After each of us had members of our bands who wanted to do their own thing, five of us from Jesse's band and mine came together to start a new band." The band officially started in 2010 with a catalog of songs they wanted to record, and by June, they had recorded an album and hit the road. With Charles on fiddle, and Dunn, on acoustic and electric guitar, they were joined by Dave Lockhart on upright and electric bass, Nick Swimley on lead telecaster guitar, and Brendan Smith on drums to round out their sound as the progressive Americana band Dead Winter Carpenters. Like Sam Bush and Jack White, their genre-bending music didn't fence them into a particular style. "We started as more of a bluegrass band but have started leaning more toward Americana and rock music. We still do covers of bluegrass songs, but on the West Coast, the bluegrass sound is less traditional. It's beautiful. It's constantly changing. We leaned on that and started playing that way, using bluegrass elements in rhythm and style," Charles said. Alongside his wife and other band members, Dunn is a skilled songwriter who has been creating impactful and thought-provoking music for the band for over a decade. "Jesse does about 95% of our songwriting," Charles said. "It's definitely reflective of our lives and personal experiences. He even wrote a song about our daughter titled "Lift Me Up." All of our songs are someone's true stories, we like to say." After two and a half years since their last release, Dead Winter Carpenters is getting ready to head back into the studio to record their next album with a planned release for next year. The band's previous recordings include their self-titled debut album, 2012's Ain't It Strange, 2014's Dirt Nap, and 2016's Washoe. The band's progressive nature shines through loud and clear in the band's most recent release, an EP titled Sinners n' Freaks, released in April 2020. The band initially planned to tour with this EP and record a live full-length album on the road, but COVID-19 altered their plans. Performances take them all over the country for small, intimate venues, huge shows, and notable festivals like Harvest Music Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, Northwest String Summit, and Del Fest. They have shared stages with artists like Jason Isbell and Greensky Bluegrass. "Playing The Fillmore was the highlight of my life," Charles said. "That's the place I went as a kid where I decided I wanted to play music. Being on the same stage 20 years later doing what I love was magical for me." When creating music, Dead Winter Carpenters has found that they don't need to adhere to a traditional style of music unless that is your goal. "We focus on keeping it light and fun," Charles said. "The main goal is to enjoy each other's company. Some say we are bluegrass, and some say rock, but we are just trying to have fun." While Charles and Dunn initially came together over their love for Neil Young, today's band is influenced more by artists who take traditional roots and put their twist on it, such as Tyler Childers, Nicholas Jameson, and Billy Strings. As a genre-crossing band, Dead Winter Carpenters takes value in the element that the fiddle brings to their music. "You don't need a fiddle unless you are playing country, western, or bluegrass music. Even with playing a fast bluegrass rock' n' roll, the fiddle brings more of a bluegrass element. It makes soft songs softer and brings something different to the mix," Charles said. As the Dead Winter Carpenters move toward the future with their upcoming tour dates and album recordings, they reflect on the importance of what they do and why they share it with the world. "We want to keep making music for ourselves and bring people joy," Charles said. "We want to tour as much as makes sense for everyone. The pandemic and coming out of that changed things for us. Our long-term goal is to continue to tour and make music people enjoy." The most rewarding part, she said, was "purely making people happy"… to get them onto the dance floor "to forget their woes and be happy in the moment." Dead Winter Carpenters Holiday Pop-Out: Dead Winter Carpenters Favorite Holiday Traditions - "We always do a big New Year's show and look at December and holiday traditions as food with a big jam session. Every holiday, we gather around the piano to sing songs. That is the best thing about music and gathering together to play music. Playing together is always so special."

Music and food travel hand-in-hand. While bluegrass influences make their way into events and gatherings on the opposite side of the globe, food traditions linger not far behind - if they are not already there. Foods rooted in Appalachia are increasingly found in dishes outside of the region and beyond. Whether it is a naturally grown fruit or a value-added product, these Appalachian foods are finding fans far from their home. Salt Sea salt. Himalayan pink salt. Fleur de sel. There are myriad types of salt, but one particular brand harvested in Appalachia has become a favorite of people near and far. In fact, this salt was awarded the “Best Salt in the World” at the World’s Fair in London in 1851. J.Q. Dickinson Salt Works, located in Malden, West Virginia, harvests all-natural salt by hand from an ancient ocean trapped underneath the Appalachian Mountains. The artisanal finishing salt is coveted for its natural flavor. But it is also sold in specialty flavors, such as Applewood Smoked, Bourbon Barrel Smoked, Ghost Pepper, Mushroom Herb, and Ramps. Ramps Every spring, large green, leafy shoots sprout from the soil as a bulbous garlic-flavored onion grows underground. The wild onions known as ramps are pungent and flavorful, making them the perfect addition to sauces, pasta, and breads. The beloved allium is celebrated at festivals throughout Appalachia and is often found at roadside farm stands along country roads. Messes of ramps are in Eastern North America, specifically in shady Appalachian forests, and demand for them has skyrocketed over the last decade. A version of the ramp - the ramson - can be found elsewhere, like in Germany where they have found their way into mainstream cuisine and supermarket shelves. Pawpaws If you were to cross a mango and a banana, you might end up with Appalachia’s tropical fruit;the pawpaw. The greenish-brown fruit is full of a yellow custard and large black disc seeds. It’s about six inches long and is the largest edible fruit native to North America. Pawpaws are found growing in the Eastern and Midwestern United States, extending up into Ontario, Canada. “It is believed that Indigenous people, including the Erie and Onondaga, introduced the tree to Southern Ontario from the United States,” according to The Canadian Encyclopedia. They unfortunately don’t have a very long shelf life and can bruise easily, so our neighbors to the north may be the furthest the fruit travels for now. Morels Also known as “Molly Moochers,” morel mushrooms are a prized find for foragers in Appalachia. The wild fungi has an earthy, nutty flavor that makes them highly desired in the culinary world, particularly in Catalan and French cuisine. But because morels are difficult to cultivate, foraging is usually the most effective way of gathering the mushrooms. The capped mushroom has a honeycomb texture and are found near trees in the woods; there are other mushrooms that look similar but are toxic so proper identification is crucial. The deep umami flavor lends itself to salads, soups and pastas well - in any cuisine. Or, just sautée them in butter with salt and pepper to get a true taste. Maple Syrup The sticky sweet syrup that comes from Maple trees is perfect on pancakes, waffles and French toast, but in Appalachia, it is also used as a glaze for meat, a sweetener for sauces and a topping for biscuits. Maple syrup production is increasing in the region, but Canada holds the crown for the maple syrup category. And together, the two countries are at the top. Nearly all of the world’s maple syrup production is based in the United States and Canada. Maple syrup from the two North American countries is exported to Germany, Australia and the United Kingdom most frequently. Appalachia is home to a bounty of incredible food - much of which has expanded beyond the borders of the region or has a similar variety growing in other parts of the world. Global dishes are being created with Appalachian ingredients due to their unique flavor profiles and scarcity of availability. When a meal is made with morels or ramps, it is special because those ingredients are not available just anywhere - and, they are delicious. Appalachian foods continue to make their way into the national, and international, spotlight. After years of relative obscurity and being considered hidden gems, these ingredients are now the highlights of meals and bringing attention to the Appalachian region for its culinary diversity. So, be sure to check out these delicacies now or when they are in season; your taste buds will thank you.

Many communities across Appalachia unite over a celebration of local foods in the form of fairs and festivals. These annual events often have demonstrations, crafts, and tons of celebrated food or drink available to purchase. Some of the most unique, delicious, and fun festivals from throughout the region are listed below. Which ones have you marked off your bucket list? JANUARY International Wine Festival Roanoke, Virginia Celebrate the new year with a selection of award-winning wines from around the world. Sample more than 40 wines ranging from big, bold reds to clean, crisp whites and everything in between. In addition to the souvenir glass, patrons will enjoy paired hors d’oeuvres and live music. FEBRUARY Carolina Chocolate Festival Swansboro, North Carolina Calling all chocolate lovers: This North Carolina festival can cure any sweet tooth. The festival raises funds for local charities while celebrating all things chocolate, including chocolatier vendors, a chocolate pudding contest, and a cocoa 5k run. MARCH Highland County Maple Festival Monterey, Virginia This county-wide festival celebrates all things maple. Tens of thousands of visitors can observe the process of maple syrup making and all the delicious products made from it: maple sugar, maple butter, maple donuts, and, of course, pancakes with maple syrup. APRIL Mountain Mushroom Festival Irvine, Kentucky This festival’s slogan, “where the Bluegrass kisses the mountains,” is reflected in its offerings: mushroom market, mushroom cooking demos, fungus 5K, arts & crafts, and mountain history. If you’re lucky, you may come home with some coveted morel mushrooms from the Mountain Mushroom Festival. MAY Feast of the Ramson Richwood, West Virginia The garlicky wild onion, known as a ramp, is celebrated each spring in Richwood, West Virginia, known as the ramp capital of the world. Festival-goers can enjoy a dinner of ramps, potatoes, brown beans, cornbread, ham and bacon, desserts, and Sassafras tea while local Appalachian music plays JUNE Poke Sallet Festival Harlan, Kentucky Poke sallet is made up of cooked leaves of the poisonous pokeweed plant, making it a delicious - and edible - dish popular in the South. This Kentucky festival celebrates the dish with crafts, a car show, games, and more for a few days each June. JULY Picklesburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania In a celebration of all things pickled, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, shuts down one of its bridges to host Picklesburgh, which features a pickle juice drinking contest, pickle ice cream, pickle beer, and much more. It’s even been rated as USA Today’s #1 Specialty Food Festival. AUGUST Chow Chow Asheville Food Festival Asheville, North Carolina Rather than one week-long event, the Chow Chow Asheville Food Festival takes place over a series of weekends throughout the summer. These weekends feature dinners, hands-on workshops, and conversations around topics that impact the local community. SEPTEMBER Ohio PawPaw Festival Albany, Ohio Celebrate one of America’s largest native tree fruits, the pawpaw, in Albany, Ohio. The pawpaw has a creamy, custardy texture and a tropical flavor; many describe it as a mix between a banana and mango. You can see for yourself by enjoying samples at the festival, workshops, eating contests, and art shows. OCTOBER Apple Butter Festival Berkeley Springs, West Virginia Head over to America’s first spa town to indulge in the delights of fall flavor. The Berkeley Springs Apple Butter Festival features giant copper kettles in the middle of town, and all attendees have an opportunity to take a stir. The festival kicks off with amorning parade and is followed up with a baked goods contest, dozens of vendors selling homemade apple butter, and live entertainment. NOVEMBER Alabama Pecan Festival Mobile, Alabama Whether you say pee-can or puh-cahn, you’re welcome to Mobile, Alabama, to celebrate the brown nut every November. The pecan is the state nut, and festivities feature family-friendly entertainment, fresh pecans, pecan pies, and the crowning of the new Alabama Pecan Festival Queen. DECEMBER Winter Warmer Nashville, Tennessee More than 35 breweries are displayed in Nashville during the Winter Warmer so patrons can sample everything from sours and seasonal to barrel-aged beers and barley wine. Plus, food trucks and entertainment will also be on tap. There are many more festivals and fairs celebrating foods than those listed here. Whether you want to learn more about buckwheat cakes or barbecue, there is a festival - or two or three - to celebrate it. Plan your year ahead with this handy list and add your favorites for a full year of delicious food and drink across the region. And share your photos and stories as you explore the foods communities hold dear.

When choosing a name for their bluegrass band, banjo player Kalle Tuovinen and his bandmates, Johannes Oksanen on mandolin, Benjamin Oksanen on guitar, and Hannu Vanhatalo on bass,looked back to the good ol’ days of the Grand Ole Opry when Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs sang a jingle promoting the show’s longtime sponsor, Martha White. The Tennessee-based company made flour, cornmeal, and baking mixes, but the jingle promoted Martha White’s self-rising flour. “I give Johannes the credit for coming up with the name,” says Kalle. “We all know Martha White’s self-rising flour because of Flatt and Scruggs. We agreed that Self Rising Flour is a fun name, so why not?” The names of the band members are Finnish. While most people don’t think of Finland as a hotbed of bluegrass music, Self Rising Flour is making a name for itself in European bluegrass circles. “I guess most people in Finland are not familiar with bluegrass, but when they come to see our show, they all seem to enjoy it,” Kalle says. “Music-oriented audiences are more likely to have heard of it. They know the movies Deliverance and Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? so we will get requests for ‘Dueling Banjos,’ ‘Man of Constant Sorrow,’ and ‘Cotton Eyed Joe.’ Country music, in general, is more known, so we play some Elvis songs and John Denver’s ‘Country Roads,’ which seems to work well with audiences.” You may be wondering how these Finnish musicians came to form a bluegrass band. “I played electric guitar since I was a child,” recalls Kalle. “In high school, I wasn’t happy with the rock and metal music I was playing. I guess I was looking for something more genuine. Somehow I got the idea to buy a banjo and bluegrass banjo guidebook. At the time, I didn’t know what bluegrass music was. But I found out there was a bluegrass band workshop in Helsinki. Wasel Arar has been running the workshop for over twenty years, and he has become my mentor. I started going there, and within a few months, I was hooked on bluegrass music.” Johannes says he stumbled into bluegrass while browsing through records in the library’s folk records category. The first record he found was from The Greenbriar Boys. Johannes’ love of bluegrass music influenced his brother, Benjamin. Hannu heard bluegrass records from his friend in the early 1980s, but it took a while for him to start loving it. “I guess the drive and rhythm of the music are what makes it so exciting,” says Kalle. “And, of course, the banjo’s sound and singing harmonies. For me, a huge motivation was the social aspect of bluegrass. I like the community and the jamming. I think it is the perfect genre for jamming, with only a few chords and simple song structures.” Johannes was in the same bluegrass workshop as Kalle, and during a festival, in the summer of 2018, the two jammed a lot. “We decided to keep playing together regularly, and in 2019 his brother Benjamin joined us on the guitar. After a couple of bass players played with us for a while, we asked Hannu to join the band in 2020. I had played with Hannu before in other bands.” Kalle says their traditional sound is very much influenced by listening to and being inspired by iconic bluegrass artists like the Stanley Brothers, Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, The Bluegrass Album Band, JD Crowe, and Tony Rice. “My favorite lead singers are Keith Whitley and Charlie Sizemore. I think our traditional sound comes from listening to bluegrass so much. I couldn’t play it any other way. The music needs to have a solid beat all the time and enough edge.” Self Rising Flour’s three-part harmonies are arranged and rehearsed with care. “Johannes can easily sing the highest tenor part, and Benjamin usually sings the lower baritone part.” Even their visual style is traditional, with a nod to the 1970s. “Johannes knew of a website in Germany that sells vintage 70s fashions, and we had seen photos of the 70s bluegrass bands and liked the look. We wanted to look as cool as they did, so we bought paisley shirts and bell-bottomed pants. Now our image and graphic designs are heavily fixed in that theme.” The band has played about a dozen gigs this year, mostly in bars, restaurants, and a few festivals. “We do the booking ourselves. We’ll be playing Tiveden Americana in Sweden, which will be our first gig outside of Finland, and we are very excited about that. A well-played show is the best promotion for the band, and that has gotten us new gigs.” The band has released two recordings, both in English. Their debut album, All Original, was recorded in early 2021 and released that summer. A Christmas single, “Santa Gave Me a Banjo,” was written by Kalle and released in November 2021. “I started learning bluegrass in 2013, and I tried writing some songs then, but they weren’t good,” Kalle recalls. “I wrote my first complete song in the summer of 2019 while driving on a long journey home from a folk music festival. That song was recorded on our debut album. When our band got together, that gave me the motivation to write. I wrote ten songs for our album, two of which are instrumentals.” Kalle is in the process of writing songs for an album to be recorded and released next year. While they love music, the band members all have day jobs. Johannes and Benjamin are both acoustic engineers, which helps make the band sound good in the studio and on stage. Hannu is an insurance broker with a business that handles performing artists’ billing, so he handles the band’s finances. Kalle works in a business that builds and repairs boats and works part-time for another company in production. “Most of the gigs we do are on weekends, so it works out well for us,” he says. Kalle also fills in on banjo and guitar for another Finnish bluegrass band, Jussi Syren and The Groundbreakers. Kalle says that he hopes the band can travel to the United States in the future. “It takes a lot of effort to get there, with work permits and such. I guess our best bet will be the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass Event. All bands can apply, and foreign bands can sometimes get a grant to cover traveling expenses.” Until then, Self Rising Flour may possibly be seen at Rootsinpyhtää Bluegrass, a festival held each summer in Finland since 1988. “Artists like Hot Rize, Rhonda Vincent, and James King have all played there,” says Kalle.

Max Wareham is a banjo player. He is also a master researcher, interviewer, and author. His first book, Rudy Lyle, The Unsung Hero of the Five-String Banjo, was released in August to rave reviews. In addition to the banjo, Max plays multiple instruments. A lover of many different music styles, his strong affection for bluegrass prompted his interest in early bluegrass styles. “I like how those old-time styles can offer alternative paths of expression within the bluegrass idiom.” According to Max’s book, Rudy Lyle recorded extensively with Bill Monroe. “More, in fact, than any other banjo player during the early years of bluegrass music,” Max writes. “Yet, Rudy Lyle remains obscure and understudied.” Wanting to go further into the bluegrass tradition, Max began doing research for a book. “The more I learned about Rudy’s playing, the more I realized he had developed a style on the banjo that helped shape the course of the music.” Rudy Lyle was born in 1930 to a musical family in Franklin County, Virginia. His grandfather, Lomax Blankenship, was a well-known fiddle player, and his mother, Elcie Lyle, was a guitar player. He learned to play the clawhammer banjo from his grandfather and how to pick from local banjo players. Snuffy Jenkins, who Rudy listened to on radio broadcasts, also influencedhim. Rudy began playing professionally in 1947 when he moved to Mt. Airy, North Carolina, to play with Uncle Joe Johnson and The Blue Ridge Mountain Boys. Bill Monroe heard his playing on the radio and invited him to join his band in 1949. Rudy was on the road six days a week with Monroe, returning to Nashville once a week for the weekly performance on the Grand Ole Opry. The book chronicles Rudy’s life and includes interviews with people who played with Rudy orwho he influenced. “The hardest part of the project was tracking people down to interview them,” says Max. “Many are giants in the tradition. But after so much time tracking them down, each one was so generous with their time, and I was amazed at how consistently people said,‘this book needs to be written.’ I felt like a detective of sorts, and the truth is that it is very unlikely that the book happened at all. But in the end, I was honored to interview so many of my heroes.” The book project began when Max listened to classic recordings of Bill Monroe from the 1940s and 50s. “The more I listened, the more the music grabbed me. The sound had an energy that I loved.” Max began researching Rudy Lyle but found almost nothing. “There were no Rudy Lyle banjo tabs at all.” Bluegrass music has a strong history; songs and stylings were often passed down from person to person. “I realized there was a niche that had not been filled. I wanted to learn his style and get his energy into my playing.” Looking back on the book project, Max says that if he had thought about it, he might not have done it. “I thought, sure, I can write a book. But the fact is that I have never written a bookbefore now. I had no idea what all went into it.” Max did his research, interviews, writing, and layout. “I was in new territory every step of the way, learning as I went.” He chose to use illustrations of the people he interviewed. “I love the work of Giselle Harrington. She did a beautiful job honoring each person in the book. Her illustrations are wonderful.” The book is also instructional. “I learned from several masters of the banjo, including Bill Keith and Tony Trischka. I also learned from many banjo instruction books. That’s why making this an instructional book was important to me. But it is more than that. There are many layers and dimensions to this book.” Two people Max interviewed sadly passed away before the book was published. Bill Emerson and Sonny Osborne both recalled their memories of Rudy Lyle. “The interviews for the book were likely the last interview either of them did.” The book turned out to be a labor of love for Max, who says he is kicking around a couple of ideas for another book. “I would like to continue this kind of work.” In the meantime, Max will continue playing with the Peter Rowan Bluegrass band and teaching music.

Celebrating 25 years as a bluegrass band next year, Higher Ground Bluegrass is a group we rarely see in music today. Founded in 1998 by banjo and guitar player Duke Wellington, Higher Ground Bluegrass established itself as a premier bluegrass band in New Mexico, a significant challenge since New Mexico is not known for its bluegrass community. Although the band members came and went over the years, the integrity, sound, and mission of Higher Ground Bluegrass never changed. "Since the band got together almost 25 years ago, we have found that some parts work better than others," Wellington said. "Everyone knows their role in the band and each song. We know how to communicate non-verbally to present a song in the best way possible." The founding band members remained together for only one year, with band member Ron Lujan passing away unexpectedly in the fall of 1999. With that, Wellington wrote a spiritual tribute to Ron titled "Higher Ground" (a nod to their band name), which was released on their first album, Black and White - Faded and Torn, in 2001. Their music included a combination of traditional, authentic, and progressive styles of bluegrass—something they pride themselves in and still embody today while also building upon that sound. Today, Higher Ground Bluegrass performs original material penned by members of the group that are both traditional and contemporary, inspired by folk, bluegrass, Celtic, country, and even rock n roll music. Their main priority in creating new material is adding something new and dynamic to what would typically be a traditional sound, making it their own. Alongside founder Duke Wellington, current band members include Dave Devlin on mandolin and resophonic guitar, Fred Bolton on guitar, Pat Mahoney on fiddle, and Laura Leach-Devlin on bass. Today's band members have been together since 2010, with the addition of Mahoney on fiddle after the band had been without a fiddle player for years. "When I first came in, they had an established band," Mahoney said. "I moved from California,where I was playing with three bands at the time and in the California Bluegrass Association. Little did I know in moving to New Mexico, I'd still get to play with some talented folks. Duke and I have collaborated and written songs that have become very successful. We are truly a family that happens to play together. We've enjoyed it and plan on many more years." Coming from northern California, Mahoney said it seemed like everyone was into the classic bluegrass sound. "There wasn't a lot of progressive bluegrass sound when I was growing up. Now that I'm older, I think we are lucky that our taste has evolved. Bluegrass isn't a narrow genre of music anymore. It incorporates everything. If we hear a song that sounds fun, we will pick it up and put our twist on it." Higher Ground Bluegrass prides itself in offering its interpretation of bluegrass music, extending boundaries into other genres. This different take on their music made them stand out and created a name in bluegrass in a state where bluegrass is not highly popular music. "New Mexico is not what you would call full of bluegrass bands," Wellington said. "Bluegrass is huge in Colorado, just north of us, but some established bands in the state have been around for quite a few years. The opportunities have evolved over the years, from bar gigs to festivals. Bluegrass is well-received here, but it's not massive like on the East Coast." "In New Mexico, it's harder to find where to jam than it was when I was in California, but once you get in the circle, it's a bit easier," Mahoney said. "It's about knowing who to talk to to get your foot in the door." While more progressive, they prefer a traditional bluegrass performance on stage, sharing one microphone. "It's more of a show where you get the opportunity to move around like in other genres of music," Mahoney said. "It brings more movement where it's more stimulating for the audience. We are smiling and can't help but grin the whole time. We always say the worst day playing music is better than the best day at work." With eight independent albums under its belt and the most recent album, Auburn Sky,nominated for five New Mexico Music Awards, Higher Ground Bluegrass serves as the host band for the Southwest Pickers Annual Bluegrass and Traditional Music Festival and opens for bluegrass icons like Peter Rowan, Frank Solivan and Dirty Kitchen, and The Infamous Stringdusters. "The Southwest Pickers Annual Bluegrass and Traditional Music Festival has been a big supporter of Higher Ground Bluegrass since the beginning. In 2016, we were asked to be the host band to help with the execution and become the resource for new bands. Our involvement has been more from an execution standpoint—donating our time and fundraising to help them bring in big national acts," said Wellington. "It's been so rewarding because people are so approachable in this genre of music. That's what is so special about bluegrass music," he continued. "If you hear our music, you get a good feel of who we are as people," Mahoney said. "We take a lot from life experiences, and you feel that in what we write. You get a good feel of who we are as musicians and people. We like to brainstorm the personal side and bring it out in our music, so other people relate to it and feel like you've written a song just for them. That's what I enjoy about the writing side, but it takes time to learn how to do it." While Higher Ground has had incredible success together as a band, they pride themselves on their original music. "Our upcoming album will be for our 25th anniversary, and it will be all original songs," said Wellington. "We have gotten even better as songwriters and at relying on each member to bring their special talent to the song. Pat and I spent a lot of time arranging these songs to maintain the impact we want them to have." In closing, Mahoney and Wellington reflect on their time together in Higher Ground Bluegrass. "For the band, we will keep writing and enjoy performing," said Mahoney. "What we are doing now is what we hope to keep doing for decades." "We are a family, and that's demonstrated by how long we've been together as a band. We genuinely enjoy each other's company," Wellington said.

While many sibling bands are found in bluegrass, The GillyGirls Band claim a rare status: They’re a group featuring two sets of twins from the same family. “Being two sets of twins in a band is unique, but it’s also a lot of fun,” explained 16-year-old Jillian Gillingham, who plays bass, mandolin, and banjo. “Being with your best friends 24/7, and getting to perform shows, is a life we would never trade.” She is joined by Savannah (age 19), who bows the fiddle and picks banjo; Morgan (age 19), who plucks bass and strums mandolin; and Hailey (age 16), who rounds things out by jamming on the guitar. This quartet of musicians –proud to have won first place in the Youth in Bluegrass Competition at Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri – is currently performing locally in central California. The GillyGirls recently performed in Oregon and participated in a month-long tour of Wyoming with the “Concerts in the Park” series. In addition to the live shows, the girls have an impressive discography considering their youthfulness. “We have four albums, with the fourth being newly released as of spring 2022,” Gillingham said. That record is called “Home.” For these musicians, “Home” was where they honed their skills starting at an early age. Gillingham said they all sang around the house as little girls, and learning instruments was soon to follow. “Before we started on stringed instruments, we all started on piano,” she explained. “We begged our mom to let us start taking music lessons.” The older set of twins was age seven when the lessons began, and the younger was age six. Gillingham said they all caught on so quickly that their mother soon found a local folk musician, Evo Bluestein, to get them started on stringed instruments. All four started on the mandolin but eventually landed with their instruments of choice. “In Evo Bluestein’s music room, he had every stringed instrument you could possibly imagine,” Gillingham reminisced. “When we would do our lessons, he would let us take whatever instrument we wanted and just experiment.” After two years of lessons, he suggested the talented sisters start their band. “He got us our very first concert, which was at the local harvest festival in our hometown of Prather, California,” Gillingham said. “That was seven years ago, and it’s been going strong ever since.” She said being two sets of twins is unique, but the siblings’ backstory is “even crazier.” “We are adopted embryos,” she explained, saying they were all adopted and born into the same family through a program that places cryogenically frozen embryos with infertile couples through an adoption matching process. She said the program is called “Snowflake Embryo Adoption.” “Just like no two snowflakes are alike,” she said, explaining how each embryo is unique and a gift from heaven. “There are over a million embryos-in-waiting who are defenseless and without a voice, but we four sisters – once frozen embryos – have been blessed to use our voices in song, sharing hope, joy, and the love of Jesus.” She said that is their goal in “this whole musical endeavor, but to also raise awareness about this wonderful program and all the frozen embryos waiting for a chance at life. All life is precious and valuable, and because of God and our amazing parents, we are all here today!” It was a good thing that these musically inclined sisters were adopted by parents who value music. “Our mom loves bluegrass, and she would play her favorite bands when we were little…The Quebe Sisters, The Isaacs, Dolly, Doyle Lawson. We would also attend bluegrass festivals around the state of California and join their kids’ programs. I think listening to her favorite music and being surrounded by musicians while growing up is part of what has instilled in us a love for bluegrass as well as country and western swing music.” They met Ken Burns when “playing for an event for his documentary on country music,” Gillingham said, adding that the wording on the cover of his film “sums up” how the girls see the type of music they play. It referenced the country genre but also applies to all ‘roots’ forms. It reads A story of America. One story at a time. “To us, this statement really sums up Americana music and how it’s able to speak to so many people,” she explained. “The music is steeped in rich history and incorporates so many different styles. Like a giant tree with many branches…folk, jazz, blues, country, bluegrass, old-time, and gospel.” Gillingham explained how a single song tells you so much about someone’s life, history, dreams, relationships, and sorrows, showing a depth of wisdom that goes well beyond her sixteen years, adding, “It’s our heritage and story.”

John and Frances Reedy are considered by many to be early pioneers and major influencers of the bluegrass genre. Known for classic songs such as "Somebody Touched Me," their "backwoods" traditional country and bluegrass began making an impact as far back as the 1930s; their work influenced recordings of greats ranging from Ralph Stanley to Bill Monroe. A newly released collector's set recalls this contribution to traditional music. "The Legacy of John and Frances Reedy and Their Stone Mountain Band" is a 2-CD set of 1960s sessions, available now via Shanachie Entertainment's historical imprint, Yazoo Records. Accompanying the music is a 20-page booklet that includes rare photographs. Someone who can speak at length about the influence of John and Frances Reedy is their granddaughter, Timi Reedy, who performed as a small child on some numbers that appear on the new release. "I think my grandparents and many other local bands of their era are some of the greats of music;they just were not recognized as such in their time," Reedy said. "As is the norm in eastern Kentucky, a lot of goodness happens on people's porches. So, of course, virtuoso performers recognized quality when they heard it. My grandparents are the tip of the iceberg of music that is hidden and yet to be discovered from that era." "When my grandmother went into the studio to record, she would collect as many different recordings as she could," Reedy continued. "The diversity of her collection was outstanding and is currently housed in Berea College Special Collections." She easily described what made the music special. "They were prolific songwriters, and I do not think enough can be said about their accompaniment," she explained. "Usually [there were] a lot of family and friends around, playing music together for the sheer joy of it. Listening to the CDs, you can hear different friends and family taking lead vocals, taking lead on their different instruments." "They were so good," Reedy added, "because they were so tight with each other." She has great memories of learning from such talents. "[There was] almost daily music at our house in one way or another if they were not performing somewhere," she said. "One of the most important things I learned from them was if you do something you love often enough and are passionate about and lose yourself in it, you will become a master of whatever that is. Learning that one thing has served me my whole life. They were so good because they loved it and lived it daily, and poured their entire beings into the music …and it shows." Reedy's musical contribution to "The Legacy of John and Frances Reedy and Their Stone Mountain Band" appears on some tracks of the collector's set. She said she was four to six years old when she played washboard for those tracks. "You can hear me play loudly and then stop and come back and pick it up again," Reedy said. "They were always teaching me chords, giving me percussion instruments, saving old harmonicas we could play with. We had small guitars and all manner of instruments we were allowed to touch." "I think it is important to note that the reel-to-reel recorder was always on," Reedy explained. "About half of my grandparents' commercial recordings are on this release. The rest were on independent labels, or they bought studio time to record their own, so they were always recording themselves and practicing." Reedy said recording themselves was a way of honing in on the right formula while keeping costs low. It allowed them to "work the kinks out" without spending as much on studio time. "Interestingly, my grandmother saved all of these reel-to-reels, and they were falling apart,"Reedy explained." It seemed as if they would not be retrievable." She said Harry Rice, sound archivist at Berea College Special Collections, "warmed them in a kiln overnight and somehow they were made available for a brief time after that. I think we only lost one reel-to-reel out of many." "The second CD would not be there if it weren't for Harry and Berea College Special collections," she said. "Also, Harry knows more than anyone I have ever met about that era of music in eastern Kentucky. He accompanied us for an oral history at a recording studio in Knox County that belonged to David Lundy, where my grandparents recorded later in their careers. As Harry and Dave conversed, I realized how deep and tangled the roots and history of this music were in eastern Kentucky." Despite not being active as a professional musician herself, Reedy is certain her creative grandparents have made a large imprint on her, the same way they did for so many others who are artists at heart. "I am a prolific writer and poet," Reedy explained, "and I perform mostly for friends. I always loved the harmonica and can play that a little. I definitely picked up the songwriting gene. It just bubbles up and comes out of me and does not stop until I express it somehow. I found songs my grandparents had written on napkins, envelopes, old bills, whatever they had handy at the moment." Reedy said she is happy to help promote the legacy of her grandparents. "I am so grateful for how this has unfolded and cannot stop listening to the CDs," she said, describing it as a dream-come-true to harvest "the fruit of many years of effort to have my grandparents' music recognized."

F. Warren Hellman was a wealthy entrepreneur and philanthropist in the San Francisco area. He co-founded Hellman & Friedman, a multibillion-dollar private equity firm in San Francisco, and Hellman-Ferri Investment Associates, now known as Matrix Partners. A big fan of bluegrass, he started and funded the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival as a gift to the city of San Francisco. While Hellman passed away in 2011, his legacy lives on with the festival, held annually at Golden Gate Park and funded by the Hellman Foundation. “When it first began 22 years ago, the festival was called Strictly Bluegrass,” says Chris Porter, the festival’s music curator in charge of programming. “The festival planners wanted to expand the festival with acts like Steve Earle and The Flatlanders. It became a very Americana-leaning festival, so, on a whim, they renamed it the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. That kooky name has stuck since 2003, and over time, the festival has expanded to six stages.” The free concert has no sponsor. “We have a few vendors on site,” says Chris, “otherwise, it is all about the music.” Chris has been in the music festival and live music business for many years. He was with the Bumbershoot festival in Seattle for 18 years before leaving in 2014. “I love to network, and over the years, I have met a lot of people. I formed my own company, Porter Productions, and I had the opportunity to meet Sherry Sternberg, the executive producer of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival. I have been here ever since. I have always wanted to work in a job that gives back and have never worked on a more magical event.” Chris says the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival and the Helman Family Foundation have been very philanthropic in helping bluegrass artists. “During Covid, there was a lot of fundraising, which continues to be an ongoing thing. Over $4 million has been distributed so far.” This year’s festival was from September 30 through October 2. In addition to the day’s festival is an organized “Hardly Strictly Out of the Park,” where local restaurants and bars host music events into the night. “We ask each venue to donate $1 to $2 per ticket to go towards the Music in the Schools Today program,” says Chris. The festival is also broadcast live on HSB TV. “That’s a whole other spin-off of the festival,” says Chris. Acts on the Swan stage and the Towers of Gold stage will be live-streamed during the concert. “The station runs full-length videos of the festival and programming, such as Come What May, which was filmed in New Orleans and San Francisco in 2021 with six artists from both cities. Viewers can also watch programs, including Let the Music Play On & On and Live from Pier 70 sets. Chris says there is also a documentary about Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in the works. It takes a lot to put on a festival of this magnitude. When you add vendors and security, there are twelve departments with a staff of 350 people, or up to 1.000 workers. Trailers are set up in Hellman Hollow of Golden Gate Park, in the shadows of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge. Workers are dispatched in 70 golf carts, and the sound of walkie-talkies fills the air before the sound of banjos, fiddles, guitars, and basses take over. “The venue is simply beautiful,” says Chris. “It has an otherworldly feel to it. It is a large meadow, and everyone is happy. This event is always such a joy. We get great feedback from the performers about the festival. We treat them right. And this time of year, the weather is almost always really nice.” A “festival etiquette” list is on the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass website, and it seems the festival staff has thought of everything, from bringing low-backed chairs to not selling drugs.

Rory Hoffman sees the world in a different way. He loves to reimagine familiar songs with unexpected musical arrangements, such as his gypsy jazz version of the Star Wars Theme or his bossa nova treatment of the country song Oh Lonesome Me by Don Gibson. He has even done a bluegrass version of the Cole Porter standard: It's Alright With Me. A seasoned performer, Rory has been on the stage since he was three years old. "I started singing and then began playing drums in our family's band. I ended up playing drums, harmonica, and singing." The band was Roland Hoffman and the Believers, which included his father, Roland Hoffman, his older twin sisters, and his younger brother. "Mom sold merchandise in addition to making sure we had clean clothes. She was also our road manager." The family lived in rural South Dakota. "I grew up on a small ranch on the border of North Dakota and South Dakota," Rory says. "We had a North Dakota telephone number and a South Dakota address." In addition to the drums, Rory learned to play guitar early on. "I have a unique style of playing. At the age of three, I couldn't fit my hand around the neck of the guitar, so I figured out how I could make it work. I play overhand. As a child, I flopped the guitar on my lap and learned to play chords and licks. As I grew older, I kept playing that way because it worked for me. I didn't want to learn a new way of playing." Today Rory's brother works as a drummer and bass player in Austin, where he lives. Rory's sisters still play music for fun. Rory lives and works in Nashville. "Being in Nashville was a turning point for my career. I started visiting several times a year starting in 2000 and made the move in 2008." Rory always knew he would be a musician. "It's been a crazy career for me. When I was playing with our family band, I wasn't sure what I would be doing later in life, but I never imagined some of the things I have had the opportunity to do." Rory's career was slowly taking off from starting a recording and production company with a friend back in South Dakota to having a television show on the Christian Network. "There just wasn't enough opportunity for me in rural North Dakota," Rory says. Rory has a musical versatility that is awe-inspiring. He currently plays in jazz trios and a polka band with Alex Meixner. "We are in our busy season," he laughs. "I like the variety of what I do. I recently played with an old R & B singer by the name of Swamp Dawg. We did a bluegrass record of all his old R & B hits. I played banjo, guitar, and mandolin on the album. I look forward to that record coming out. It is always fun to be in the studio." Rory has also played with John Cowan (formerly with New Grass Revival). "That's what got me on the Grand Ole Opry for the first time. I also played piano and harmonica for Ricky Skaggs when he was doing a resurgence of his country stuff." Rory enjoys "statement-making" music. "I have my feet in a lot of different worlds." Rory is looking forward to performing with the Nashville Symphony soon. "You'll never believe what instrument I'll be playing." Rory plays many instruments, including guitar, saxophone, clarinet, accordion, bass, harmonica, mandolin, drums, piano, and banjo. But when he performs with the Symphony, he won't have to arrive with anything but himself and a tube of ChapStick. "I'm going to whistle," he laughs. "No kidding. They needed someone to whistle in the Symphony's performance of Into the Woods Suite by Stephen Sondheim, so they called the Nashville Musicians Association and asked for the best whistler in town. Turns out I'm one of the few professional whistlers in this area. It's just another part of the weird, cool stuff I like to do." With all that Rory does, it may be hard to realize that he is blind. "I was born with no sight, as were all my siblings," he says. His parents were both sighted and reared their children to be independent. Rory has a girlfriend who is legally blind. "I met her online during the pandemic," he says. "She moved to Nashville, and we get along well together."

Doc Watson has influenced many, but few have achieved the legacy of this inimitable traditional musician who continues to inspire. The impact of his life as an artist and demeanor as a personality will soon be celebrated through a concert series, "Doc at 100," commemorating the seven-time Grammy Award winner's birth in 1923. The concert series is co-produced by musician Jack Hinshelwood and music scholar Ted Olson and includes performers Hinshelwood, Wayne Henderson, T. Michael Coleman, and Jack Lawrence. Hinshelwood said the concert series idea came about after Olson wrote the book that accompanies last year's release of the 4-CD box set titled "Doc Watson—Life's Work: A Retrospective." Olson recently received the IBMA 2022 Industry Award for Best Liner Notes for the book. "We thought it would be a good time to put something together to celebrate Doc's legacy,"Hinshelwood said, adding they thought the presentations/performances should be "humanities rich." The result is a series of concerts that offer music, storytelling, analysis of Watson's impact, and more. "There are four of us playing the music Doc put his mark on," Hinshelwood said, adding that two of the show's performers have backgrounds playing with the legend. "T. Michael played bass,and Jack Lawrence was side-man on guitar, so obviously, they have great insights into Doc and great stories. Wayne and Doc also became pretty good friends." Hinshelwood said music history plays a big role. "Ted will be talking about Doc's legacy," he said. The first hour will be individual presentationswhere Hinshelwood and the other three artists will each play short sets "of three songs or so."Then all four will be out together onstage. "The second half of the show will be Doc's 'best loved' repertoire, which is huge," Hinshelwood said. Hinshelwood expects to add more dates, but right now, four shows are on the slate: Roanoke, VA, on November 5; Alexandria, VA, on February 26; Asheville, NC, on March 25; and Emory, VA, on May 8. Tickets and updated information about added performances are available at Docat100.com. "Doc at 100" also aims to familiarize new fans with the music and persona of Doc Watson. "He was very authentic and genuine, and that really connected people with him," Hinshelwood said. "He had opportunities he could have pursued in places like Nashville, but family and community were important to him, so he stayed in western North Carolina." Hinshelwood said the man's character is summed up succinctly by the words engraved on a Doc Watson statue in Boone, North Carolina. "Just one of the People," it reads. "It's one thing to say, 'I love this artist's music,' and it's another to say, 'I love this artist as a person.' And many people would say both about Doc," he suggested. "Any time you're a pioneer, you're gonna garner people's attention," he continued. "He was a pioneer of the flatpicking on the guitar." Hinshelwood said one plus in getting new fans onboard to appreciate the Doc Watson legacy – and something that "catches a lot of people by surprise" when they first begin delving deeply into Watson's discography – is the cross-genre breadth of his recordings. "He was firmly rooted in traditional music, in gospel and old-time string bands," Hinshelwood explained, "but he was learning show tunes and all kinds of music that his contemporaries in traditional music just weren't doing. He was like a sponge. He learned the popular music…he learned the show tunes." "Eventually," Hinshelwood continued, "he came to record things like 'Knights in White Satin'...it's pretty far from things like 'Cripple Creek' on the banjo." He sums up nicely the reasons he enjoys Doc Watson so much. "His blues is amazing, his gospel, his bluegrass…he was an Americana guitarist before Americana was cool."