Decoding the secret to social media success is something many content creators struggle with, but for Tennessee native Matt Heldman, what started as a Facebook page for teaching bluegrass has become a full-on fan page that’s growing by leaps and bounds. “I was at 87 followers in January of this year, and I think I’m now at almost 125,000,” Heldman told The Bluegrass Standard. Born East of the Tennessee River, Heldman leads Murphy’s Ridge, a family bluegrass and gospel band. Each week, he posts videos in an attempt to draw like-minded musicians and music fans. “It’s just building a little bit of a community and seeing who all is out there,” said Heldman. Heldman uses Facebook Algorithms to reach Bluegrass Fans “I'm not entirely sure; it's kind of luck,” expressed Heldman about his success. Still, he believes social media rewards creators who understand what audiences respond to. “I post the way that I do [as] sort of an algorithmic strategy. “There are some social media tricks, and things that the algorithm likes, Heldman explained. “It's consistency, too; you don't want to have an inactive page. You have to find something that works for you and your page, and then do more of that,” he said. The Facebook page hosts a variety of short videos featuring Heldman with a guitar or banjo in hand, jamming out on songs like Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Other clips involve his band, Murphy’s Ridge. Video tags include catchy call-to-action phrases like, “Let’s see how far Bluegrass reaches,” with comments asking viewers where they’re from. “I made a video of our band, and I was trying to think of captions,” recalled Heldman about his method. “Let’s see who’s out there, and if anybody wants to comment or say ‘hey.’ The first one did so well that I kept doing it, and it just snowballed.” His siblings get in on the action. “None of them played any [bluegrass], so I was the very first person in my family to play it,” recalled Heldman about his musical family. “It all came around COVID time… just getting together, having something to do, and playing as a family.” He taught his brothers. “I have a large family of brothers and sisters, and I bought my younger brother a mandolin and taught him how to play, then I bought my other younger brother a bass, and taught him how to play bass…” Heldman’s wife, Shelby, is also a member. “She plays fiddle, mandolin, cello, guitar, banjo, piano, drums, and quite a few other instruments, too.” He added, "She is also an audio engineer!” “Between that and my other brother, who knew how to play guitar,” explained Heldman, “we started to form our family bluegrass band, Murphy Ridge.” He loves teaching. “My passion really has been in teaching in the last few years,” Heldman shared. “I really like to see other people be able to partake in music.” Heldman finds students who apply themselves rewarding. “The ones that are really good to teach make it all worth it.” As for his own bluegrass education, he almost didn’t get the chance to learn. “I begged my parents for a banjo when I was about fourteen, or fifteen,” recalled Heldman, whose mother and father were reluctant to buy one. “I begged [them] for over a year. “They finally got me one,” said Heldman. “It was decent… not a great banjo, but one that was good enough to learn on and get me inspired.” It became a problem. “I played my banjo so much that my parents grounded me from it. [Heldman laughed] I wasn't doing my schoolwork.” Removing the banjo opened another door. “After they took my banjo away, I started playing guitar. “The one I’ve definitely spent the most time on over my entire life is the guitar.” Explained the multi-instrumentalist. A legendary musician inspired his flatpicking. “Tony Rice was a big influence in getting me into bluegrass guitar,” Heldman explained. The band leader advised guitar players who are trying to figure out the flatpicking style. “You really have to work your right hand out,” he said, referring to cross-picking. “You have to get the back-and-forth [motion] down,” adding, “you can't rely on nearly as many hammer-on and pull-offs” (referring to a common guitar technique). Along with teaching, Heldman is hard at work growing his social media following. “Ultimately, my goal is to build up an audience so I can start going live on Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Showing music appreciation, Heldman wants to share his knowledge with others: “I want [music] to do for others what it has done for me!” https://www.mattheldmanmusic.com/

Despite starting on the violin at an early age, having a bluegrass-loving father, playing in a family bluegrass band, and then touring with a national act, Ellie Hakanson didn’t set out to be a full-time musician. But things happen. Such as layoffs, lockdowns, and the chance to spend cherished time with a music-loving grandmother, who remains an inspiration. “I wasn't really planning on the professional bluegrass thing. But I'm happy it worked out that way,” Hakanson says. The acclaimed fiddler for Missy Raines and Allegheny has moved from her native Portland, Oregon, to Nashville, where she’s busy teaching and touring. There might be some Swedish fiddlers in her family tree, but it wasn’t the strong Scandinavian fiddle tradition that captivated Hakanson. “My grandpa's dad might have been a little bit of a fiddler, but it wasn't really something that got passed down actively. And when my grandma started playing, she wanted to play American fiddle music. She had taken a few lessons as a child and didn't really click with it. And then she started playing again when she was about 47.” Ellie started the Suzuki violin method at the age of six. With a fiddling grandmother and a father who loved bluegrass, Hakanson began playing the music, too. Soon the Hakanson Family Band was on the road, playing festivals in the Northwest. Still, she didn’t see a life in music. After the family band, Hakanson attended Arizona State where she studied sustainable materials and technology. “I worked for a couple years at an environmental company in Portland. And then I got laid off right around the time that I had just started playing with Jeff Scroggins and Colorado. And they had a big Europe tour planned and then just a bunch more touring. And I went with them and then I did that for five or six years.” Mandolinist Tristan Scroggins, Jeff’s son, was also in the band. Through all the touring, Hakanson and Tristan became close friends and now play together with Missy Raines. Tristan also encouraged Hakanson to move to Nashville. “We kind of grew up together,” she says of the time they shared on the road. “We helped each other figure out how to be better adult humans, which is true in a lot of my close friendships. The people who stick around are the people who can grow with you, usually. It was really fun to play with him again in Missy's band.” In 2019 Jeff Scroggins and Colorado released Over the Line, a well-received album that featured Hakanson’s tasteful fiddling and strong singing. But the band decided to take a break from touring due to family health issues and the emergence of COVID. The lockdown reunited Hakanson with her ailing grandmother. “I just moved into her house and lived with her for several months. We did weekly livestreams where we would play music together. It started mostly as a way to keep the family updated and able to see her every week, but also people started watching and would comment, like, ‘We're watching from Ireland. It's good to see you!’ It was really fun, and I got to spend the last few months of her life playing a lot of music with her and spending a lot of time with her, and it was a very important time to me, because she’s the reason that I play the fiddle in the first place, probably. “She really loved the old songs and old fiddle tunes, and I definitely have some of that same sense of nostalgia and history. I want to listen to source recordings and learn from those to some extent. But I think the main thing is that she really loved listening to music. She loved learning about new things, and she really loved playing music with the people that she loved, and that's something that's become a huge part of my life and my social circles and my choices that I make.” Though it took some coaxing from Tristan to make the move to Nashville, Hakanson quickly got the gig with Raines. Recently she’s worked with Shelby Means, Kristy Cox, and Vicki Vaughn, among others. She cites several influences in her inventive and energetic fiddling. “I learned everything off the album Kenny Baker plays Bill Monroe. And as a kid I learned a bunch of solos note-for-note that Stuart Duncan played with the Nashville Bluegrass Band. I just really loved the way that he played. And I think that influence is still there. I love the melody lines that Kenny Baker chooses. It's like the cleanest, purest form of a tune that you can play a lot of the time. And I took lessons from a fiddler named John Melnichuk in Vancouver, and he's been a huge influence on the drive in my playing.” Busy traveling, teaching, and performing, Hakanson seems to be up for anything. For her, the life lessons along the way may be just as important as the music lessons. “You can make all the plans in the world and then you get laid off or you get sick or you find a new passion, and everything is going to change. I think it's good to try and plan ahead and be prudent and set goals and all of that, but, ultimately, it's also important sometimes to just be able to kind of go with the opportunities as they come.” https://elliehakansonmusic.com/

It’s pretty cool to be the son of an icon. When your dad was a pioneering figure in the evolution of a music genre, it’s not hard to come out of that without at least a little bit of inspiration. It’s almost impossible, perhaps, not to try yourself to pick up an instrument and do some pickin’ and strummin’. That’s exactly what happened to Ralph Stanley II, son of one of the patriarchs of the bluegrass sound. As the son of the late Dr. Ralph Stanley, he couldn’t resist learning to play the music that he was exposed to at home. The first instrument that young Ralph ever held was a banjo. However, unlike his father, who famously played clawhammer style, the youngster fell in love with the guitar instead. He’d found one under his sister’s bed, and by age 5, had decided that guitar would be his constant companion. “I focus on good driving rhythm and cross picking style of lead playing,” he said, when asked to succinctly describe his style. “My biggest influences musically were of course The Stanley Brothers, Keith Whitley, and George Jones, just to name a few.” By the mid-90s, he began playing professionally, touring with his father as a member of the Clinch Mountain Boys. He still performs today with Ralph Stanley II & the Clinch Mountain Boys. Even though his father is no longer there onstage, the original spirit of his music certainly is. “It was my father's wish that I keep the Clinch Mountain Boys name alive behind mine,” Stanley explained. “I have carried [the name] into its 80th year this year, and that made 10 years of Ralph Stanley II and The Clinch Mountain Boys. I have been making a living doing this now professionally for 31 years.” While Stanley takes care of lead guitar and lead vocals, his bandmates include Curtis Coleman (banjo/guitar/vocals); Stanley Efaw (fiddle/mandolin/vocals); and, Randall Hibbitts (bass/vocals). The Grammy-winning Ralph Stanley II and The Clinch Mountain Boys have set standards in their own right; they tour internationally and have scored more than a dozen #1 radio hits. “We are playing some of the best festivals in the country all summer and fall,” Stanley said. “And we are always working on new material.” With a year jam-packed with tour dates, it won’t be difficult to find Stanley somewhere on the festival circuit. For instance, on Sept. 3-5, the band is an important part of the Coal Miner’s Appreciation Festival that takes place between Coeburn and McClure, Virginia. On Friday, Sept. 25, Stanley will appear at Covered Bridge Days in Elizabethton, Tennessee. On Oct. 8, catch him onstage at the Blue Highway Bluegrass Festival in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. The list of dates is too long to include in full but can be found at Ralph2.com. In addition to his work with the band, Stanley has received other accolades. He’s been nominated for a Grammy twice for albums he had recorded previously; earned his first Grammy win alongside Dr. Ralph Stanley in 2002 when they collaborated with Jim Lauderdale; and, has six solo albums under his belt, including a record titled “Side by Side” that features father/son duets. Success in this business may partly reside in the genes, but an equal portion of that success comes from hard work and commitment that is individually earned. After 31 years in the business, Ralph Stanley II is paying homage to his father’s legacy while creating a strong bluegrass legacy of his very own. https://ralph2.com/

For some people, finding true friends and gaining acceptance is just a little bit harder. According to Bluegrass Pride Vice Chair of the Board Scott Justus, the perennial issue of “fitting in” is even harder for those who identify as LGBTQ+. Bluegrass is known for its ability to bridge social, cultural and demographic divides, but to Justus and the other board members of Bluegrass Pride, people of more diverse backgrounds and identities need a separate place where they can take a deep breath and truly relax. To that end, the nonprofit Bluegrass Pride is offering its first ever camp for people who have never had a camp to call their own. “Being able to provide space for our queer and BIPOC community is what we’re all about,” Justus explained. He uses his own past as a way to explain why there needs to be a special place for those who might feel a little different within the bluegrass world. He said when he once attended a bluegrass camp, he “felt very isolated and alone in that sphere.” While he and the other campers all shared a love for the music, he said he never felt he could truly be himself. He said creating spaces for performers to relax helps them to connect to fellow musicians and enjoy music while at their genuine best. He said the same holds true for the people leading camp sessions: “The instructors get to be themselves as well.” The Bluegrass Pride summer camp will include instructors who Justus said are “queer or queer allied.” The instructor roster includes bluegrass talents such as Melody Walker and CJ Lewandowski. The inaugural camp takes place June 21 through 26 in downtown Astoria, Oregon. Complete details and registration information can be found at Bluegrasspride.net. Justus said the nonprofit started around 2018. Since then, it has focused on providing education, resources, and materials for the bluegrass community. A main goal is to expand the number of Pride jams held around the country. There are a half dozen or so formed already, he said, including the main jam in Nashville. It’s called the 1st Sundays Pickin’ Party and is held at Canvas and led by Melody Walker. Just as it is with the kids’ camp, he said the jams are open to persons who are “queer or queer allies.” Adults – as well as children who are accompanied by an adult – are welcome to register. He said a jam is where he was first introduced to the organization to which he’d eventually devote time as a member of the board of directors. “There was a Bluegrass Pride-led jam,” he said. “So I felt comfortable to be myself in that space.” He joined the board because he felt his skillset would be useful. He said he had lived in the San Francisco Bay area prior and had done nonprofit development for the legendary west coast roots music venue, Freight and Salvage. Justus said most of the funding for Bluegrass Pride comes from individual donors, but there are various sources of revenue. Support for the first year of camp has come from notable donors, grants, registration, and a list of media sponsors that includes Oregon Public Broadcasting. He said most of the bluegrass organizations on the west coast have shown support by helping spread the word about what Bluegrass Pride is all about. “The response has just been great,” Justus said. He added that the need for the new summer camp is best illustrated in the lyrics to a bluegrass tune by Taylor Shuck. It’s called “Closet in Kentucky” and describes the sense of alienation that Justus hopes the new summer camp aims to help ameliorate. “It really resonates with feeling trapped,” he said, “and surrounded by people you don’t resonate with.” He’s glad to be a part of something that he believes helps people to feel included, and truly “opens doors, opens minds, and opens hearts.” https://bluegrasspride.net/

In true Molly Tuttle style, it was wig-off and full tilt as she played to an appreciative crowd at the iconic music venue Tipitina’s in New Orleans. The show in early May was a stop along her ambitious tour that will stretch into the late fall, followed by a Cayamo cruise out of Miami February 26-March 5, 2027. With a new band and a GRAMMY-nominated album, So Long Little Miss Sunshine, Molly is taking her dynamic roots music blend of bluegrass, Americana, pop, and rock to venues across the country and abroad, and her fans are showing up in a big way. The opening act for the show was Maggie Rose, a powerhouse performer in her own right. The Grand Ole Opry regular (over 100 appearances) opened strong in New Orleans, singing a mixture of country covers as well as many of her well-written originals, most inspired by the birth of her son. Joining Maggie Rose on stage was a special guest,16-year-old keyboard phenom River Eckert, who was born and reared in New Orleans. With the crowd appropriately warmed up, Molly Tuttle took the stage with her new band. Golden Highway, her band for the 2022 album Crooked Tree, and their follow-up album, City of Gold, dissolved in May 2025, with many of the band members pursuing solo careers. Molly assembled a new all-girl band soon after. Tipitina’s, located on the corner of Napoleon and Tchoupitoulas Streets in New Orleans, has been a popular music venue since the early 1970s. Nothing fancy, but the venue has a kind of broken-in feel that comes with age and plenty of great music over the years. There are no seats – audiences stand on the floor in front of the stage, and with that comes plenty of dancing. The huge tour buses pulling trailers parked out front were the tip-off that this was going to be a big show. And it was. Molly embraced the Big Easy and performed as if she were playing to a huge stadium crowd. New Orleans turned out, and they loved her. One after another, Molly sang songs from So Long Little Miss Sunshine. From the fast and frenetic “Everything Burns,” with its masterful picking and haunting violin, to the mesmerizing and macabre lyrics of “I Love It,” she sang her way through the album. The single, “That’s Gonna Leave a Mark,” was particularly well-received. (If you haven’t seen the video, now’s your chance.) “Golden State of Mind” is an ode to California, where Molly was born and reared. The album cover features nine photos of Molly, eight in which she is wearing different wigs. The center photo is a more natural photo without a wig. She was diagnosed with alopecia areata when she was three years old, and the condition quickly progressed to alopecia universalis. It’s almost like Molly has a different alter-ego for each song on the album, and the wigs help define the personalities. The wigs range from a punk-style black wig to a Dolly Parton-esqe blonde wig to a red-headed femme fatale. Molly signed copies of the album after the show along with other merch for sale. Throughout the show, Molly’s guitar skills shone. From her incredible flatpicking to clawhammer playing to cross-picking, she showed up and showed out. There is a reason Molly was the first woman to win the IBMA’s Guitar Player of the Year award in 2017, and again in 2018. She was named the Instrumentalist of the Year by the Americana Music Association the same year. Crooked Tree was awarded a GRAMMY for the Best Bluegrass Album in 2023, and Molly was nominated for the Best New Artist award. The album also garnered the 2023 IBMA award for both Album of the Year and Song of the Year, and Molly was awarded the Female Vocalist of the Year. Molly had a solid musical start. Her father, Jack Tuttle, was a multi-instrumentalist and music instructor. Growing up in Palo Alto, California, Molly started playing guitar at age eight, performed on stage at age 11, and recorded her first record with her father when she was 13. She was awarded the first Hazel Dickens Memorial Scholarship by the Foundation for Bluegrass Music. Molly got engaged to Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show in December. The two have written songs together and occasionally perform together as well. Tuttle’s summer and fall tour will take her to many large venues and events, she still fits in more intimate settings where her fans can be close enough to express their admiration for the talented artist. Such was the case in New Orleans in May, and for those who were there, it is a performance they’ll remember for a long time to come. I know I will. https://www.mollytuttlemusic.com/ https://tipitinas.com/

Red, White & Bluegrass—Capital Celebrations Merry Semiquincentennial! I can’t believe it’s been that long since “The Mighty Quinn” topped the British airplay charts! Wait, I’m getting an update. Here in the former colonies, “semiquincentennial” is the much-too-formal way that some folks talk about our nation’s 250th anniversary. But any Independence Day is a real reason to celebrate. According to President John Adams, the nation’s birthday “ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other, from this Time forward forever more.” Our second President nearly nailed that prediction. But he thought the day of celebration would be July 2, when Congress approved the resolution of independence. There were a few more edits and a tavern break or two before the full Declaration was adopted on July 4. Kids in our neighborhood mostly side with Adams and start shooting fireworks early. In my hometown of Farragut, Tennessee, even this year’s “Red, White and Bluegrass Concert” was held before our Independence Day parade. Music on the National Mall For nearly 60 years, “Red, White, and Bluegrass” could describe an important part of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. Some of the music’s pioneers and leading contemporary pickers have performed Bluegrass tunes heard each summer since 1967. This isn’t a comprehensive list, but here are some representative Bluegrass performers who have held center stage in the nation’s capital. Ralph Rinzler, the festival’s co-founder and Smithsonian Folkways producer, also managed Bill Monroe and Doc and Merle Watson. They and other Bluegrass icons played and led workshops on the National Mall. Over the years, performers also included fellow Bluegrass Hall of Fame members Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Del McCoury, and Doyle Lawson and Quicksilver. Local area performers now recognized as Hall of Famers include Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard, The Country Gentlemen and The Seldom Scene. To salute America’s 250th, the area between the Capitol and the Washington Monument will become “The Great American State Fair.” From June 25 to July 10, entertainers and exhibits from every state and territory will attract visitors to the celebration. The Smithsonian also is taking its Folklife Festival on the road, partnering with communities nationwide. Featured festivals included last month’s Fiddle and Fork Festival in Sparta, North Carolina, and Galax, Virginia, and the ROMP (River of Music Party) Bluegrass Festival in Owensboro, Kentucky. Still ahead are celebrations such as the Festivals Acadiens et Creoles, Oct. 9-11 in Lafayette, Louisiana; the Talbotton Blues Festival, Oct. 24 in Talbotton, Georgia; and the 83rd National Folk Festival, Nov. 13-15 in Jackson, Mississippi. For a complete list and map, go to festival.si.edu. Bluegrass in the White House The Folklife Festival isn’t the first time that musicians with stringed instruments have been in the capital spotlight. Among the early White House performers of “old time” and mountain music were some young women from rural Kentucky. In 1939, the Coon Creek Girls from Powell County, Kentucky, helped President Franklin Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor entertain King George VI and Queen Elizabeth of the United Kingdom. John Lilly, editor of the book Mountains of Music, described the girls “singing about ham and biscuits to the caviar crowd, with the leaders of the Western World sitting just one broken string’s length away.” The Roosevelts and Queen Elizabeth were smiling, Lilly said, but King George “looked dour and dead-pan.” As the show went on, though, “their hearts were put at ease as they glanced to the floor and saw George VI quietly tapping his royal foot in time to the music.” In 1973, the Osborne Brothers were the first Bluegrass stars to perform at the White House. Sonny Osborne said he got the impression that President Richard Nixon “was not overly enthused with Bluegrass music,” but the appearance was a “fun thing . . . and a once-in-a-lifetime deal.” Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys performed several times in Washington. In his book, On the Bus With Bill Monroe, band member Mark Hembree recalled an East Room luncheon in 1979 when his boss made a power move to sit with President Jimmy Carter. Later, at a Ford’s Theater concert, Monroe sang “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” Hembree said Monroe “leaned into that red-hot mike, blowing away the first few rows. I saw Carter’s eyes bug out and it definitely shook up the audience.” Monroe was invited back to the White House in 1980 for a South Lawn concert with Doc and Merle Watson. The Father of Bluegrass also returned for events hosted by Presidents Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The Johnson Mountain Boys and the Bluegrass Student Union (more of a barbershop quartet) also played in the Reagan years, while Ricky Skaggs and the Nashville Bluegrass Band performed during the G.H.W. Bush era. President Bill Clinton was known for playing the sax with jazz and rock stars. But in 1995 he sat with other enthusiastic fans for a “Women of Country” concert by Alison Krauss, Suzy Bogguss and Kathy Mattea (backed by Chet Atkins). Dr. Ralph Stanley, The Grascals and Jimmy Bowen played at the White House during President George W. Bush’s administration, while Bela Fleck, Alison Krauss, Dan Tyminski and Sierra Hull performed for President Barack Obama. Krauss and Skaggs returned to receive the National Medal of Arts from President Donald Trump. The Fiddler On The Hill On the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, the (turn)tables turned in 1978 when a top elected official recorded an album on Capitol Hill—backed by members of a legendary Bluegrass group. Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd regarded his fiddle playing as a key to his long political career in West Virginia. He decided to make an album called “Mountain Fiddler” on County Records. The producer was Barry Poss, who’d go on to found roots-music label Sugar Hill Records. Poss told the Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette-Mail that his first call was to ask Doyle Lawson to head the back-up musicians. “He was just the right person because Doyle is a born leader,” Poss said. Lawson played guitar and recruited fellow members of The Country Gentlemen—James Bailey on banjo and Spider Gilliam on bass. Setting up recording equipment in Byrd’s office put the Senator at ease, and the 14-song album found its audience and is still available on Amazon. One reviewer commented that “what one would expect to be a vanity project turned out to be a genuinely enjoyable performance by one of America's most powerful politicians.”

In a world filled with so much phoniness, simple and honest things often shine. For bluegrass musician and festival creator Caleb Bailey, his new endeavor already shows ample evidence of being one of those rare things. It’s 100-percent genuine. It’s no B.S. The “No Bull…Just Bluegrass Festival” – now in its second year – tells you in its title that it’s about genuine, down-home fun. Bailey and his band – Paine’s Run – host this music fest that will be held this year on July 2-4 in Rockingham, Virginia. “We have an open-air hoop barn with a sawdust floor,” Bailey said, of where the stage is set up. “The idea of ‘No Bull’ spun off of no ‘B.S.’ It’s just bluegrass. There’s no bull$&*t in the barn that day; it’s just bluegrass,” he laughed. “Last year was our inaugural,” he explained. “The first year we had people like Lonesome River Band…Junior Sisk…I go at it full-throttle,” he laughed. He said his goal was to focus the lineup in a more traditional direction. He said last year there were 500 attendees per day, and for this year, “we’re about on target to double ticket sales.” “People are billing it as one of the fastest-growing bluegrass festivals,” Bailey said. A two-day event in 2025, the fest has added a day and 2026 is now a Thurs-Saturday, three-day affair. As any event organizer can attest, that’s pretty impressive results for a first-year fest. Aside from the stellar lineup last year, what other factors explain this level of success? “I think there’s just a general excitement about this festival that was generated organically,” Bailey explained. “There’s good sound…it’s open air, but not in the sun…and there’s so much stuff to do within our area. We’re just about in the middle of everything.” Bailey said not only is it shaded due to the barn, but the seating area also has “A/C cooling fans we set up inside to make a cross-breeze.” The site has 52 hook-up camping sites that are unfortunately already sold out for this year’s event, but Bailey said there is “ample rough camping opportunity” onsite on approximately 7 acres. This year’s lineup is another slate of familiar performers, including Rhonda Vincent and The Rage; Larry Sparks; Lorraine Jordan and Carolina Road; Volume Five; Hammaville; Backline; Larry Efaw and the Bluegrass Mountaineers; Shannon Slaughter Band; Blue Range; Tony Holt and the Wildwood Valley Boys; Blue Ridge Thunder; and Hammertowne. Of course, Caleb Bailey and Paine’s Run will also play a 45-minute set each day of the festival. The main MC will be bluegrass radio personality, Michelle Lee. Once the day is done, for those staying overnight, there’s an additional treat that’s not uncommon when bluegrass friends come together. “Last year we had some really great organic jamming,” Bailey recalled. “That happened every night, and it was really good.” For those coming from out of town, Bailey said there is a lot to do in the surrounding area. He said Rockingham County has caves and caverns, plus multiple Civil War battlefields. He said Skyline Drive is 30 minutes away, and there’s a lot of fun to be had on the George Washington National Forest hiking trails. There are also several vineyards in the area, and hotels located just five minutes away from the festival grounds. “Probably the most people we had were from out of town,” Bailey said, adding that they came from all over: North Carolina, Tennessee, Ohio, and even Florida. “For the first year, I was pretty tickled with it,” he summarized. “I know it’s kind of a dying breed, but I kind of like that we might have kept an art form alive. There’s some kind of reverence in that.” Nobulljustbluegrassfestival.com.

Ever had a string of worrisome things hit in an orchestrated dance? Well, maybe a better visual would be an Olympic track, the biggest there is where all these hurdles are set up in intervals. You come out prancing to music and a roaring crowd, and you’ve had a great night’s sleep, lots of training, and you can’t wait for folks to see your shiny outfit! The starter gun fires, and you’re off at a breakneck pace; in fact, you’re leading. The first hurdle is easy-peasy, and as you sail over the second one, you’re telling yourself very confidently, “I’ve got this”…and then the third one is just a wee bit higher than you had planned, and someone behind you is gaining ground so you start doubting yourself and sabotage the fourth hurdle immediately…your leg clips the hurdle, but you don’t fall…yet…not until the fifth hurdle looks at you like it’s growling and saying “come on, you’re not gonna make it kid,” and you falter for a moment, just enough to throw your timing off and your foot clips and then you…fall…sigh. Yeah, that! What do you do when you’re lying there feeling like you want to give up? The old me would play hurt, maybe even pretend to be unconscious and wait for them to send the medical team out and haul me off the track where I could spend the rest of my life telling everyone it wasn’t my fault; the hurdle was defective and almost killed me. It works! I used to do it! But the older, hopefully wiser me now tries to catch my breath and get back up. I even try holding my arms up in triumph and do a little dance to let the crowd know I’m okay, like somehow, I won as I lost my way and you know what? I start running towards the next hurdle with a little bit of victory in my sails because I got back up. Oh, it’s not easy ‘cause my leg is hurtin’ and my pride has dirt on it, but the truth is…life is messy and hurtful and glorious and worth every bit of the work. Will I make it over hurdle number six? That’s the million-dollar question. I have disappointment in my charmed life all the time. Because of what I do for a living and because I live in a spotlight through social media, people make the assumption my days are filled with rainbows and goats, but the truth is, my days are filled with the same things that fill everybody’s days…lots of choices, lots of anxiety over which ones to make, lots of mistakes, lots of memories causing me sadness and lots of memories that make me smile, lots of disappointments, lots of contemplation and doubt, and lots and lots of love from others and from self. The last one, love… it’s what gives me the courage to get back up and hold my hands in the air, claiming victory. Love constantly helps me choose joy instead of heartache. Love turns sad memories into gratitude. Love has me look at a quandary from the platform of love instead of fear where I make a better choice. If I let love lead, I am a more joyful person, and if I’m more joyful, I am more likely to sail over the next hurdle. Recently, I let a comment rob me of my joy, and who was I the most disappointed in? ME! After this whole tirade you are reading, I am still preaching lessons I need to spend time learning. Years of life under me, and I’m still the student. Go figure. However, in the midst of getting my feelings hurt, I did remember a very important thing while my joy was crashing to the earth - forgiveness. Using this trick helps the person giving it more than the one receiving it. It ain’t easy, folks. The ever-vibrant Italian living inside my DNA always wants to start off slinging meatballs, uh huh, so keeping that in check is a constant battle. When the comment was made, I wanted to light the person up in my best broken English with a host of fiery words, but somewhere (through love) I found the strength to hold my tongue, respond without too much attitude, and remain rational while the Italian within was throwing an all out fit. I might have looked like I was on the verge of passing out (legitimately this time), but I didn’t. I maintained, looked down the track and eyeballed the next hurdle and started jogging. Wait, I might have had to go to the side of the track and lean over, putting both hands on my knees and catching my breath after getting it knocked out of me with the fall before getting back out on the field, but I didn’t give up. I forgave in my heart and let it go. It still stings and might always sting if I dwell on it, so I’m working on not dwelling on it. There are so many things I want to accomplish on this path before it’s all said and done, and spending time on the negative will slow me down, and I will certainly not clear the next hurdle, that’s for sure. The point to all of this is simply complex…Troubles come at you from all directions all the time. You need to train like an Olympic gold medalist to survive the run. But when something trips you up, and it will, don’t let it keep you down because the truth is, troubles can bring you up! Think of it like this: we don’t learn life’s lessons when life is easy; we learn them when it’s not easy. If troubles come along, don’t fall down and play like you’ve been knocked out. Play to win! There, I said it! Donna Ulisse donnaulisse.com

It’s been six years since Chance McCoy last traveled as a member of the Grammy Award–winning band Old Crow Medicine Show. Leaving on good terms, he’s back—bracing for the long road ahead. “You’d think you’ve hit the jackpot—you’re on a tour bus, and everything’s gravy. But it’s far from it. It’s intense,” McCoy admits during an interview. Leaving The Old Crow Medicine Show to pursue his own creative path in 2019, McCoy once again rejoins the band as a multi-instrumentalist. “I just finished up a new record with Old Crow, so I've been in Nashville all week doing music videos for that,” shares the Grammy award-winning solo artist. “They’re promoting the album, and they have a new booking agency, too.” McCoy reflects on a tour that will take him and his bandmates across the United States and then to Europe where they will perform in the Netherlands and Spain. “I feel like the hardest thing about a tour is your health. It is a brutal business. ‘I didn't realize I was signing up for a 60-year bus ride,’” McCoy says, quoting country legend Merle Haggard. Despite apprehension, he knows it’s necessary. “I'm still pretty much a working-class West Virginian; it just happens that my job is music, but I haven't gotten wealthy doing it.” Tonight’s show is at the Grand Ole Opry, then off to MerleFest. “I've been thinking about MerleFest a lot, because we're going to [play there]. That’s one of the first places I went to when I was starting to learn old-time music,” recalls McCoy. “I was 20-something years old and just starting to play mandolin. Seeing people like Nickel Creek and Doc Watson on stage was a really cool experience!” While playing with the country-flavored Old Crow Medicine Show, McCoy remains committed to studying old-time musicians like Doc Watson. “I spend my free time learning new music. You can't give up on that, or else you die as an artist.” He rediscovered “Shady Grove.” “I'd heard Doc Watson's version, and I was like, man, this is so cool—this is the version I want to learn. “He's doing these licks that I've never really thought about before,” explains the native West Virginian. “I'm thinking about folks like Doc and thinking about his story and his buddy Clarence ‘Tom’ Ashley,” shares McCoy. “How much would we have missed if these guys didn't have the longevity they had? “The most important thing in my life is to go study with the generation that's left,” explains McCoy. “People like Gerry Milnes and folks like that. I want to document them and learn as much as I can from them before they go so I can be the next person to pass it on.” As a solo artist, McCoy wants to tell the stories behind the songs. “How cool would it be to get a banjo, sit down, and play a show focused on Appalachian music, storytelling, and ballads? Part of that experience is listening to the performer tell stories about his life, or the history behind the tunes.” Says McCoy. “My biggest touchstone for this is the Hammons Family recordings. Half of the record is songs, and the other half is stories—and the stories are absolutely amazing!” He’s building a fan base. “I am in phase one of a multi-phase career revival,” explains McCoy. “I just announced my first solo show in five years.” Like most artists, McCoy stopped performing during COVID. “I took a step back from live music during the pandemic, built a studio, and became a music producer for five years.” “The idea is that at the end of that year, I will have rebuilt a fan base that is sustainable enough to start releasing solo music again. If everything goes right in 2027, I'll start releasing a single every two months. I know it's good not to have expectations," says McCoy, keeping a realistic attitude, “But I need dreams. I absolutely have to have something to look forward to. I'm a dreamer, 120 percent.” McCoy believes there’s a bright future ahead. “I feel very good about reigniting my career as a traditional solo musician. I want to make my own music; Joining Old Crow gives me the space to do that.” Going on, “I'm at a time in my life, [when] if I can grab an opportunity by the horns—I'm going to!” https://www.chancemccoy.com/

Bluegrass continues to prove fertile ground for artists like Izaak Atlas Schwartz, whose debut album, Black Oak Ridge, is creating a buzz—not just for its virtuosity but also for its originality. A classically trained musician from Bartonsville, Pennsylvania, Schwartz first cut his teeth at the Wind Gap Bluegrass Festivals. “I started learning bluegrass at the youth academy,” the fifteen-year-old recalls. He discovered The Ruta Beggars. “When I saw them play, I really liked them immediately! “I wanted to see if I could get lessons from someone in the band,” remembers Schwartz, who had already played a few instruments. “I just kept [adding] on … and learning new ones, like mandolin and guitar.” The Ruta Beggars’ Trevin Nelson stepped up to teach the aspiring teen. “I happened to have a banjo that my uncle gave my family that I never played. I took lessons on it, and immediately it became obvious that it was my favorite instrument. I listened to some Earl Scruggs stuff,” recalls Schwartz. “I was really obsessed with the 'Dueling Banjos' recording—it was the only thing I knew at the time that I could consider as bluegrass.” He leaned hard into Ralph Stanley’s music. “I probably got a little too obsessed with his music. I didn't want to play any other style except his.” Schwartz adds different ingredients to his bluegrass. “I listened to Dixieland jazz. There is some of that on my album Black Oak Ridge. Classical music is also a huge influence,” explains Schwartz, who’s trained in the Baroque style. “I also like old-time Appalachian folk music.” His album features originals, says the banjo picker. “I write a lot of my own music,” offers Schwartz. “I actually started [writing] back when I was playing piano. I apply some of the stuff from classical training to bluegrass by adding more music theory and chords.” His song “Icy Holler” was a stroke of luck. “I was just noodling around with some melodic lines until I accidentally thought of a G minor descending arpeggio,” explains Schwartz, using musical terms. His parents help keep him in the creative zone. “Both support me in different ways,” shares the homeschooled musician. “My dad gives me guidance on financial and legal matters, and my mom is more directly involved in the festivals and events.” His mom, Amanda Schwartz, helped secure a contract to record Black Oak Ridge. “My mom reached out to Tom Mindte, owner of Patuxent Music, asking him for advice on how to promote my single, ‘Icy Holler.’ I had self-released [the song] earlier in 2025,” Schwartz recalls. “Tom suggested that we meet in person. When we did, he brought up the idea of making an entire album, and it just steamrolled from there.” His dad, Andrew, handled the financial details. “My dad got pretty involved with the legal aspects. It was just cool to think about releasing an album on an actual record label,” says Schwartz. “We recorded in Chambersburg at Tom’s home studio,” recalls the young artist. “The recording took three days, and we did some overdubs.” To help with the album, he assembled a studio band with local musicians. “I already knew all of them pretty well because they go to our local festivals.” Besides enjoying the studio, Schwartz loves to play live with other musicians. “Danny Paisley invited me up on stage multiple times. I played with him at the Delaware Valley Bluegrass Festival and the Chesapeake Winter Bluegrass Festival,” recites Schwartz, whose favorite shows have been with Paisley. The IBMA helped sharpen his performing skills “They gave me a lot of band experience with their kids programs, and they’ve helped with being able to attend bluegrass events!” The young banjoist is more comfortable off stage. “Sometimes I honestly feel like I play better in a jam circle than on stage. Probably has to do with the fact that there's not as much pressure.” He’s free to experiment. “You can just try whatever you want and see if it works, but on stage, you have to have everything planned. “Now that the album has come out, I'm sure it's going to be a lot easier to find musicians to join with in a band,” says Schwartz with an air of confidence. Looking ahead, “Hopefully in the future I'll be making more albums. I definitely want to have a music career.” https://www.tiktok.com/@izaakatlasschwartz

Some festivals pass through your life, and others stay with you. The High Sierra Music Festival earned that kind of loyalty over more than three decades, drawing people back each July for something that feels both familiar and new. It stands as a place where music, community, and discovery come together in a way that keeps people returning. This year, that experience moves to a new setting. The festival relocates from Quincy to the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, a site known for its shaded grounds, scenic lake, and walkable layout across nearly 90 acres. Festival director David Margulies made the decision with a clear goal, which was to keep the festival thriving while improving access, lodging, and overall comfort for attendees. “It was a very difficult decision,” he says. “Quincy will always hold a special place in our hearts, but we have to be in a location that offers patrons a variety of lodging options.” Margulies frames the move as necessary, as he faced the limits of the Quincy location and then acted to secure the festival’s future. The Grass Valley site sits adjacent or close to nearby hotels, short-term rentals, expanded camping, RV hookups, and more convenient access to and from major airports. “We just couldn’t sustain it any longer in a place where there were no places for people to stay,” he says. “Our only way to survive was to move it.” Margulies approaches the new site with a focus on continuity. He longs for attendees to recognize the festival they love the moment they arrive, even as the environment offers more shade, space, and amenities. He seeks to keep the familiar flow intact while improving comfort and accessibility. “We’re not missing a beat at all,” he says. “We’re actually adding another stage.” The 2026 festival will feature five daytime stages and three nighttime venues, including the troubadour sessions where songwriters perform in a circle and trade songs. Late-night sets, expanded viewing areas, and improved stage layouts give artists and fans more room to move during the event. The grounds will support signature experiences like parades, yoga, vendor villages, and late-night performances that will stretch well past midnight. Festgoers can celebrate a band list that keeps High Sierra Music Festival connected to today while giving respect to the elders. Major acts like Steel Pulse and The Word sit at the top, alongside Don Was & The Pan Detroit Ensemble performing The Grateful Dead’s Blues for Allah. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe will deliver a Jimmy Cliff tribute, while Dumpstaphunk anchors the New Orleans contingent with a Sly Stone tribute, as both bands will also play late night funk sets. Groovers will embrace both Cymande and Eggy, two bands bringing their funk and soul sounds to the fest. Bluegrass and roots music keep their traditional position of prominence on the festival lineup. Mountain Grass Unit returns with a fast-rising profile, while Magoo brings a newer edge that reflects the genre’s next wave. Hot Buttered Rum adds a longtime West Coast presence, and Lebo & Friends features George Porter Jr. alongside players from across the jam and roots spectrum. “We feel like we’ve built trust with our audience,” he says. “That they can come to High Sierra year after year and they’re gonna leave with a handful of new favorite bands that they’d never heard before.” And beyond the headliners you’ll find worldwide talent. Artists like Anders Osborne, The Rumble, Holly Bowling, Scott Pemberton, Pink Talking Fish, The Breaks, Judith Hill, Marty O’Reilly, Steve Poltz, and River Eckert fill out a schedule that rewards movement between stages. Acts such as Rose City Band, Cassandra Lewis, Dylan LeBlanc, Boy Golden, and Minor Gold extend the Americana thread, while bands like Steely Dead push toward more experimental territory. The crowd makes this thing go, plain and simple. People come back every July like it’s a standing date and bring someone new with them each time. Margulies knows that’s the engine, not advertising, just people pulling more people into it with the promise of a good time and a memorable weekend. “We have lifers, we have people who’ve been coming for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 years to High Sierra,” he says. “We need those people to be ambassadors to the High Sierra Music Festival and bring their friends.” That sense of community extends beyond the stages. High Sierra offers daily parades, yoga sessions, sunrise kickball, craft vendors, food and beverage offerings, and immersive programming that fills the entire weekend. The expanded grounds in Grass Valley give these elements more room to grow, including a larger Family Village and additional gathering spaces. “These are all programs that have just become more and more refined and honed over the years,” he says. “They all just happen really organically.” Families remain a core part of the festival’s identity. The Rockin’ Nannies program provides professional childcare, allowing parents to move freely between sets while their children take part in structured activities. These features reflect how the festival has evolved alongside its audience while maintaining its core identity. Margulies also points to the playshops as a defining feature. These sessions bring artists together for collaborations, tribute performances, and unique interpretations that happen only once. They give audiences a chance to see musicians step outside their usual roles and create something new in real time. “The play shops are these like one-of-a-kind performances that are either collaborations or tribute sets or album recreations,” he says. “And they’re all one of a kind.” As the festival enters this new phase, Margulies focuses on maintaining balance. He wants to welcome new audiences while preserving the experience that longtime attendees expect. That balance guides how he allocates resources, builds programming, and shapes the overall event. But Margulies understands that the festival’s identity depends on more than its lineup or location. It comes from the people who attend, perform, and contribute to the experience. That shared energy defines what High Sierra continues to be. “Everybody at High Sierra brings the best of themselves to the event,” he says. “And that’s what makes High Sierra really special.” As July approaches, Margulies looks ahead to the new event location with a clear sense of responsibility to both the festival and the fans. The move to Grass Valley improves access, comfort, and infrastructure, but the true measure of success will come from how the festival feels once it begins. He wants attendees to continue to embrace the experience that delivers on its promises, with this year's promise of conveniences raising those expectations. But Margulies isn’t worried. He’s looking forward to the familiar smiles. “I’m excited to see how much people are gonna enjoy this new facility,” he says. “They’ll experience High Sierra in a new way but with the same sort of familiarity.” https://www.highsierramusic.com/

“SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUEGRASS” Choosing Tunes for Wedding Playlists As spring turns into summer, weddings in city churches, country chapels, and the great outdoors are echoing with tunes familiar to Bluegrass brides and grooms. “If a June night could talk,” said English writer Bernard Williams, “it would probably boast that it invented romance.” When those romances lead Bluegrass fans to the altar, they have a wide selection of songs for ceremonies and receptions. And while June has long staked its claim as the leading month for marriage, a couple’s favorite music is appropriate for tying the knot at any time of the year. In fact, two of my favorite Bluegrass wedding stories took place in the fall. “Bluegrass Royalty” and Lifelong Love October, which recently passed June in wedding popularity, was the marriage month for Donna Ulisse and Rick Stanley. Donna always says she “married into Bluegrass royalty,” and their guests in Norfolk, Virginia, could understand what she meant. Traveling to the Tidewater region from Virginia’s Blue Ridge was Rick’s cousin, Ralph Stanley, and the Clinch Mountain Boys (Junior Blankenship, Charlie Sizemore, Curly Ray Cline and Jack Cooke). When “Dr. Ralph” and the band played at the reception, guests were treated to an up-close concert of favorite Stanley tunes. In the years since their wedding, Donna and Rick have written and recorded plenty of their own songs suitable for ceremonies and anniversaries. “I Want To Grow Old With You” affirms “There’s a Higher Power who’s always known/That we weren’t meant to go through life alone.” “You and Me” follows up that belief: “We walk on through this life, knowing we are right where we should be/We keep each other strong, so nothing much goes wrong/As long as you are holding me.” The title line to a third song confirms that lifelong romance: “He and me, we make a perfect us/Tailor-made for each other, no doubt/We act just like mushy movie stars/He and me, We Got This Love Thing Figured Out.” A Bluegrass/Jamgrass Wedding At another fall wedding, Billy Strings and Ally Dale were married on the grounds of Michigan’s Hoxeyville Music Festival. That September ceremony combined Bluegrass melodies and a Jamgrass feel. The processional included traditional tunes such as “Forked Deer,” “Cherokee Shuffle,” “Clinch Mountain Backstep,” and “Home Sweet Home.” Leftover Salmon was the house band for the reception, and an all-star jam featured Billy, Bob Weir of The Grateful Dead, Trey Anastasio of Phish, and Les Claypool of Primus. The couple’s first dance was to the John Hartford song, “No End Of Love.” Several Billy Strings songs are becoming new wedding standards. “In The Morning Light,” written by Billy and Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass, expresses hope and awe for redemptive love. “She’s a wonder to behold/I’ll love her ‘til I’m growing old/And that’s the plan . . . And it seems so easy now/I can’t believe it but somehow/I made her mine.” Billy and Jon Weisberger wrote another song assuring the object of the singer’s affection that she’ll never find another “Love Like Me.” The song promises, “Darlin’, if you’ll walk beside me/I will be a steady hand/If you need a rock to stand on/Honey, I will be your man.” Building a Bluegrass Wedding Playlist As I began looking at songs for a Bluegrass wedding playlist, I thought . . . who better to ask than members of the IBMA Songwriters’ Committee? This is Bluegrass, though, so I made it clear that I was seeking “happily ever after” song plots. No characters named “Willie”—whether from Knoxville or “The Banks of the Ohio”—are on this musical guest list. They’ll get their due in a “haunting melodies” column for Halloween. I appreciate all the writers who contributed, starting with Chair Mike Mitchell. He and co-writer Dawn Kenney had Zoom session conversations with two friends who were getting married and wanted an original wedding song. The writers used real-life stories of how “Love Came True” for their friends, and that authenticity proved to be relatable to other couples. Mike included this song on his new Love Songs, Torch and Bluegrass album. He also wrote “Jenny Lynne,” a song for his wife that fits this category. It’s on his Small Town album, with Mark Schatz, Jarrod Walker and Claire Lynch. Among other songs Mike recommended are Volume Five’s “Forever’s Just a Start,” expressing the optimism of new marriage; Authentic Unlimited’s “The Vow,” which he called, “a perfect modern ‘Wedding March’”; and Rick Faris’ “Walking on Air,” a happy tune that “captures that ‘newlywed’ feeling—light, joyful and rhythmically driving.” Melodies and Memories Songwriter/artist Caroline Owens said her pick would be “I Was Meant To Love You” by The Whites. She said she first heard it played at a friend’s wedding “and it has stuck with me all these years later.” In the song, the singer confides that, “It might have been that very first touch . . . Remember when you took my hand and wouldn’t let go?/ It’s crazy, but I’ve known ever since/That I was meant to love you.” Johnny Williams of Shelton & Williams chose “Your Love Holds The Key” . . . “a song I wrote many years ago that we have performed at weddings and receptions.” The upbeat tune on his Last Days Of Galax album features great harmonies by Johnny and Jeanette Williams. The singers play it cool at first but reveal in the chorus . . . “My heart’s on fire with desire for you/When we’re far apart, I don’t know what to do/I believe in you and you believe in me/There’s a lock around my heart/Your love holds the key.” “Walk Beside Me” is a song that Kevin Slick wrote and performed with the Orchard Creek Band. “We sang this one at a wedding and, even though it was a new song that I had just written, the crowd was singing along by the end of the first chorus,” he said. “Everyone asked for an encore at the reception.” The song builds throughout, adding voices and changing keys in an upbeat invitation to “Walk beside me, my love/Hold my heart, my hand/As we follow the sunrise/Across this promised land.” “Love Enough” (and Good Advice) Songwriter Nancy Posey remembered the wedding of Ella Allman, a friend from the Swannanoa Gathering, and her new husband. The newlyweds got a great response at their reception when they sang the classic “How Mountain Girls Can Love.” Nancy also shared a father/daughter dance song that she and Jeff Walker wrote called “Love Enough (To Go Around).” It begins, “Everybody’s eyes are upon us/The father and the beautiful bride/I’m dealing with a big ol’ mess of emotions/Folks are betting on whether I cry . . .” Somebody needs to cut this beautiful song! And if it ends up on my daughter’s reception playlist, I’ll remove any suspense about whether I’ll be blinking back a tear. Finally, Nancy cautioned brides and grooms to think about the meaning of songs they select, however beautiful the melodies may sound. She said, “I recall a college friend who had an instrumental version of ‘Yesterday’ played at her wedding.” The implication: do you really want wedding guests singing along in their heads to “Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away. Now it looks as though they’re here to stay . . .”