Tag: business conference

IBMA World of Bluegrass Arrives in Chattanooga

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

After 11 incredibly successful years of partnership with Raleigh, North Carolina, the International Bluegrass Music Association will holds its World of Bluegrass business conference and Bluegrass Live! festival for the first time in Chattanooga, Tennessee, this week. From September 16 to 20 the biggest week in bluegrass will return to Tennessee, this time nestled between the Tennessee River and the mountains, foothills, and ridgetops surrounding this lovely city rich in art, music, food, and culture. Chattanooga has a long history with bluegrass, old-time, and hillbilly music of all strains, so it’s sure to be a perfect home for World of Bluegrass.

As we like to do each year going into the week of events, music, and jamming we all colloquially refer to as “IBMA,” below you’ll find our preview of World of Bluegrass, Bluegrass Live!, the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, and the move to Chattanooga. You’ll find information on the festival lineup, official showcase artists playing the Bluegrass Ramble, the layout of the festival and conference footprint, and more. Plus, we’ll have a few tips and tricks for local attractions and must-do/must-see activities while you’re in the River City.

Not able to attend IBMA World of Bluegrass this year? Never fear! Select events and programs from the packed-full conference slate will be livestreamed. You can find info on how to tune in – and what you’ll be able to see – below.

We hope that we’ll see you in Chattanooga this week for IBMA World of Bluegrass!

The Footprint

You gotta know how to get around the new host city, right?! If, like us, you had gotten used to the layout and logistics of Raleigh over more than a decade of conferences held there, IBMA wants to give you a head start on getting around their lovely new territory in downtown Chattanooga. The convention center, awards show venue, and Bluegrass Ramble venues may be a bit more spread out than in Raleigh, but there are plenty of excellent bars, restaurants, and attractions to explore above, below, and in between so keep your eyes peeled as you stroll.

Don’t forget that the convention center itself is also a Bluegrass Ramble venue! The other handful of Bluegrass Ramble venues are just a couple of blocks away to the south. Plus, the five stages for the weekend festival, Bluegrass Live!, are just around the corner from the convention center, too, where the exhibit hall, workshop stage, and international stage will all be hoppin’ with activity.

Put on your explorer hat and your favorite step-tracking device, we’ve got ground to cover!

What To Do

The Tennessee Aquarium (Photo by Kelley Lacey).

While in Chattanooga, you simply must take advantage of the many first-rate and world-class attractions that stud the city like jewels downtown, on the outskirts, and on the mountaintops overlooking the city and Tennessee River. The Tennessee Aquarium, situated along the riverbanks just a handful of blocks from the conference and festival, is a beloved and award-winning non-profit institution that perfectly showcases the aquatic ecosystems of Appalachia, Tennessee, and the world. Their work through the Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute directly benefits the habitats you can see just outside their doors – that kind of local impact is something special. From sturgeon and hellbenders that call the waters around Chattanooga home to oceanic species of fish and jellyfish to exotic birds and reptiles, the Tennessee Aquarium is certainly worth a visit while you’re enjoying a week full of bluegrass.

The Lookout Mountain Incline Railway descends from Lookout Mtn. to Chattanooga. (Photo by Kelley Lacey).

There are far too many amazing Chattanooga-area attractions to list here, but your shortlist for off-site, non-bluegrass activities for the week of World of Bluegrass certainly ought to include Lookout Mountain (especially the Lookout Mountain Incline Railway), Ruby Falls, Rock City, the Creative Discovery Museum, the Hunter Museum of American Art, the Chattanooga Choo Choo Historic District, and many, many more.

Ruby Falls, an underground waterfall, on Lookout Mountain in Chattanooga.

World of Bluegrass

Now, don’t forget, IBMA World of Bluegrass is work. (Even if it doesn’t feel like it!) Don’t miss the many opportunities for networking, professional development, education, creative cross-pollination, and more during the business conference portion of World of Bluegrass, held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

The full schedule for the conference – with panels, showcases, luncheons, awards presentations, and much more – can be found here, so you can sketch out your priorities and must-sees.

A few highlights and standouts we see on the schedule that might inspire you: Jim Lauderdale himself leads Tai Chi each day, so you can start your day connecting with your body and warming yourself up after all-night jamming. On Tuesday, learn about ReString Appalachia, a non-profit program helping put instruments back in the hands of victims of Hurricane Helene. Plus, don’t miss the ever-popular Gig Fair that afternoon, too.

We’re especially excited for the keynote address on Tuesday evening, as our own podcast host and CBC broadcaster Tom Power interviews Billy Strings, with a performance by Junior Sisk to kick off the event. We’re excited to bring you the keynote conversation in the near future as a bonus episode of Toy Heart with Tom Power.

On Wednesday, up-and-comers in the IBMA scene will be honored at the Momentum Awards Luncheon, as well as mentors and industry players. It’s always an exciting and energetic event that celebrates talent, skill, and effort at all levels in bluegrass. Elsewhere in the afternoon, archivist, historian, and musician Jen Larson will dive into the legacy and impact of Bluegrass Hall of Famer Hazel Dickens with her presentation titled “Hazel Dickens, A Bluegrass Life and Legacy at 100.”

There will be town hall meetings throughout the week, as well, where IBMA members can voice their feedback, ideas, and concerns and take an active role in the organization’s future. On Wednesday, the DEI Town Hall will be held at 4:20 p.m. and on Thursday the general IBMA Town Hall will be held at 9 a.m.

Of course, Thursday is chocked full of great programming, too, but we’d be remiss if we did not point out Dom Flemons’ panel, “Rooted Rhythms: African American Contributions to Bluegrass Music.” The first panel of its sort at IBMA, there’s plenty to be learned about the true multi-ethnic origins of bluegrass at this presentation. Don’t miss the Industry Awards Luncheon, the IBMA Songwriter Showcase, and the Women’s Council Meeting on Thursday, too. And, of course, the conference all culminates Thursday night with the IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards show, held just up the road at the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium. Hosted this year by Steve Martin and Alison Brown, it promises to be an exciting and engaging celebration of bluegrass music and its makers yet again.

There’s so much more going on throughout the conference, so don’t forget to dive into the full schedule so you don’t miss a thing.

The Bluegrass Ramble

Now, how about some music!? On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, IBMA Official Showcasing artists and bands will descend on Chattanooga for the Bluegrass Ramble, a series of performances held around official conference venues that will highlight the depth and breadth of the bluegrass scene while spotlighting artists and musicians with new albums, new shows, and new opportunities for bookers, promoters, industry professionals – and fans, of course!

Check out the full lineup of Bluegrass Ramble artists below, but here are a few we’re excited to catch while we’re in Chattanooga: fiddler and dancer Hillary Klug, who recently toured with Cirque du Soleil’s country show, Songblazers (watch above). There’s certainly a reason she’s amassed thousands and thousands of followers online. If you haven’t caught her electric and joyful show before, now is the time.

Some of the best bluegrass being made today is actually old-time, so we’re glad to see plenty of old-time, hillbilly, and mountain music represented throughout the week of World of Bluegrass and on Bluegrass Live! – we’re especially excited to catch showcases by George Jackson & Brad Kolodner.

Mountain Grass Unit are all the rage these days and if you haven’t yet had the chance to catch them live, don’t let your Bluegrass Ramble opportunities slip by. The cutting edge of jamgrass’s second (or third?) generation, these are shredders who can and will transport you beyond the bluegrass veil and into new horizons. These guys are going places and Chattanooga is just one stop on their journey to the stratosphere.

And what about the future of bluegrass? Oh yes, it’s in good hands, as nearly everyone declares when they encounter the picking and singing of young Wyatt Ellis and his band. Maybe “prodigy” is a tired description, but it’s certainly accurate in this case. We’ve covered Wyatt quite a bit over the years and always enjoy watching him grow, mature, and find himself in his music and picking style.

There are many more acts you won’t want to miss during the Bluegrass Ramble, of course! Here’s the full list of showcasing artists, duos, musicians, and bands at this year’s World of Bluegrass: Backline, Burnett Sisters Band, Caroline Owens & New Company, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Foggy Mountain Spaceship, George Jackson & Brad Kolodner, Greenwood Rye, Hillary Klug, Jackson Hollow, Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell, Mason Via, Michael Prewitt & CrunchGrass Supreme, Mike Mitchell Band, Mountain Grass Unit, Remedy Tree, Seth Mulder & Midnight Run, Special Consensus, The Faux Paws, The Foreign Landers, The Sentimental Gentlemen, The Sullivan Sisters, The Tennessee Bluegrass Band, The Unfaithful Servants, Under the Rocks, Veranda, Vickie Vaughn, and Wyatt Ellis.

How To Livestream

Tune in from afar, if you can’t be in Chattanooga with us! You can catch several events from World of Bluegrass streamed online for free! The keynote address with Billy Strings in conversation with Tom Power, the IBMA Momentum Awards, and the IBMA Industry and Distinguished Achievement Awards will all be livestreamed on IBMA’s Facebook page and YouTube Channel. Like/follow or subscribe now so you don’t miss a single stream: IBMA Facebook; IBMA YouTube.

The IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, one of the most exciting nights of the year in bluegrass, will be carried exclusively by Volume.com. But don’t worry, livestream tickets are free! Tune in for once-in-a-lifetime performances, Hall of Fame inductions, and all of your favorite bands and instrumentalists taking home awards – as voted on by their peers and colleagues!

These livestreams are a great way to participate from afar while you plan your journey to join us in Chattanooga next year.

Bluegrass Live! 

On Friday and Saturday, September 19 and 20, IBMA Bluegrass Live! will bring the best in bluegrass, old-time, Americana, and beyond to the downtown streets of Chattanooga, superlative roots music wafting throughout the River City. Though you may be disappointed by the last minute headliner swap – Sierra Ferrell recently announced she wouldn’t be able to perform at IBMA – you should not despair, as this lineup boasts the absolute best in bluegrass from top to bottom and bottom to top. Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, direct from their Americana Honors & Awards win of Duo/Group of the Year, will be stepping in to fill Sierra Ferrell’s slot – what a pair of pinch hitters! Attendees will also enjoy performances by the Wood Brothers, Sierra Hull, Alison Brown, Sister Sadie, Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter, East Nash Grass, Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, and so many more.

Overwhelmed by your options here, too? We don’t blame you! There’s so much you won’t want to miss, so here’s the full schedule for IBMA Bluegrass Live! to help make your plans:

Tennessee Sounds Perfect Stage, located in Miller Park – Friday, September 19

2:05PM – 3:20PM Alison Brown
4:30PM – 5:45PM Jim Lauderdale & The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys
7PM – 8:15PM Sierra Hull
8:45PM – 10:15PM The Wood Brothers

Saturday, September 20

2:05PM – 3:20PM AJ Lee & Blue Summit
4:30PM – 5:45PM Michael Cleveland & Jason Carter
7PM – 8:15PM The Infamous Stringdusters
8:45PM – 10:15PM Gillian Welch & David Rawlings

Pinnacle Financial Partners Stage, located in Miller Plaza – Friday, September 19

1PM – 2PM DownRiver Collective
3:25PM – 4:25PM Mason Via
5:50PM – 6:50PM Trey Hensley

Saturday, September 20

1PM – 2PM The Often Herd
3:25PM – 4:25PM Wyatt Ellis
5:50PM – 6:50PM Mountain Grass Unit

Visit Chattanooga Stage, located in Patten Square – Friday, Saturday 19

1PM – 2PM Kids on Bluegrass
2:30PM – 3:30PM Peter Rowan Bluegrass Band
4PM – 5PM Missy Raines & Allegheny
5:30PM – 6:30PM Woody Platt & The Bluegrass Gentlemen
7:15PM – 8:45PM East Nash Grass

Saturday, Saturday 20

1PM – 2PM Kids on Bluegrass
2:30PM – 3:30PM Authentic Unlimited
4PM – 5PM Unspoken Tradition
5:30PM – 6:30PM Bronwyn Keith-Hynes
7:15PM – 8:45PM Sister Sadie

Don’t have your tickets yet? It’s not too late! Click here to purchase single and two-day tickets to Bluegrass Live! The festival will also include free programming on several stages, too, so there are options to enjoy for fans and audience members at all levels.

In fact, it’s not too late to line up admission for any part of World of Bluegrass, from the conference to the Bluegrass Ramble to the awards show to Bluegrass Live! You do want to join us in Chattanooga for the first year in this brand new beautiful host city, right? Get all the info on World of Bluegrass here and make your plans to join us – the fun gets officially going tomorrow, September 16, in the Scenic City.

Photos courtesy of Chattanooga Tourism Co., photo credits as marked. Lead image: Downtown Chattanooga by Kelley Lacey.

Graphics and logos courtesy of the International Bluegrass Music Association.

Folk Alliance International Brings Musical Alchemy to Kansas City

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

From February 21 to 25 the global folk music community will descend on Kansas City for Folk Alliance International’s 36th annual conference. This year, the event’s theme is Alchemy: A Transformative Force, as the non-profit organization puts it: “Showcasing the power of music to provide the change needed in the world.”

“The power of alchemy can manifest, for example, when an artist processes their individual pain into words and vibrations that connect and comfort listeners,” FAI continued via press release. “The alchemy theme invites us to lean into processes of discovery and experimentation and to think about how we nurture the sparks of creativity that light fires of change…”

Over five days at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center the conference will feature a variety of panels, keynote addresses, networking events, education, and – of course – limitless music. Between official and private showcases there will be reportedly more than 2,000 performances by folk musicians from across the genre spectrum. This year, there will also be a handful of summits held during the conference including a wellness summit, a legal summit, The Black American Music Summit, and the Indigenous Music Summit. The event’s keynote speakers include Noel Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul and Mary), singer/composer and Grammy-winner Lucy Kalantari, and David Israelite (President and CEO of the National Music Publishers Association).

BGS will be on hand for FAI 2024, as well! With our friends from Good Folk we’ll be hosting “The Good Room” (#717 at the Westin) featuring three nights of music celebrating Good Folk, BGS, and Good Country. See artists and performers like Nat Myers, Willi Carlisle, Kyshona, AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Humbird, and many more Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights at the conference. (Full schedule below.)

To prepare for the big week, we want to share a few events, artists, showcases, and highlights we’ve got on our schedule for next week’s Folk Alliance International in Kansas City. You can still register for the conference and join us as we celebrate and learn from folk music alchemy!

The International Folk Music Awards

On Wednesday, February 21, the opening day of the conference, the International Folk Music Awards will be handed out in an evening ceremony. Based on members’ votes, the organization will hand out awards for Album of the Year, Artist of the Year, and Song of the Year, as well as a handful of Spirit of Folk awards, several Lifetime Achievement honors, and inductions into the Folk Radio Hall of Fame. Plus, FAI hands out three very special, activism- and impact-geared recognitions as well: the Rising Tide Award (recipient Sara Curruchich), the People’s Voice Award (recipient Alynda Segarra), and the Clearwater Award (recipient LEAF Global Arts Festival).

Not attending FAI or able to make the IFMAs on Wednesday night? Do not worry! Like years prior, you will be able to stream the awards via Folk Alliance’s YouTube Channel.

The Indigenous Music Summit

For the first time since FAI 2020, the Indigenous Music Summit will return to the conference for an Indigenous Community Gathering. It’s something of a precursor of the organization’s banner 2024 event, to be held in what’s now called Toronto at the beginning of June. Though the gathering on Friday at Folk Alliance 2024 is open only to Indigenous delegates, there will be an IMS showcase also on Friday from 11:30pm to 2:30am in the Pershing Place ballroom that’s open to all attendees. Be sure to catch showcase performances by Mikhail Laxton, Ila Barker, Nimkii and the Niniis, Andrina Turenne, Olivia Komahcheet, and Shauit.

The Good Room

Good Folk LA, BGS, and Good Country combine to bring you three evenings of excellent roots music in room 717 at the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. See the full schedule for our private showcase above. The first night, programmed in partnership with Abby Litman of Good Folk LA, will feature Humbird, Hannah Connolly, and many more. Our BGS geared night will include bluegrass (AJ Lee & Blue Summit), country (Mary Bragg), blues (Nat Myers), and so many more styles and sounds. The final night, celebrating our new brand and email newsletter Good Country, will culminate with a rowdy and fun Hootenanny Jam, preceded by our current Artist of the Month Willi Carlisle, Kaïa Kater, Malachi Graham, and more.

We hope you’ll stop by room 717 while you’re at Folk Alliance to say hey, have a beer or seltzer, and enjoy some first class folk, bluegrass, country, and beyond.

Keynote Addresses

Folk Alliance always boasts a jaw-dropping slate of keynote addresses – as well as panels, discussions, affinity groups, and more. This year’s conference will continue that excellent track record with keynote addresses and conversations that feature five-time Grammy Award-winner Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary; two-time Grammy Award-winner and Latin Grammy nominee, Lucy Kalantari; and President and CEO of the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA), David Israelite.

Hear Stookey in conversation with Deana McCloud on Thursday, February 22 at 2:00pm, as the pair chat about “Alchemy Through the Years.” Folk Alliance had this to say about the session in their official schedule: “Noel Paul Stookey has been altering both the musical and ethical landscape of this country and the world for decades – both as the ‘Paul’ of the legendary Peter, Paul and Mary and as an independent musician who passionately believes in bringing the spiritual into the practice of daily life.”

David Israelite will speak on the Value and Creativity of Creators on Friday, February 23 at 3:30pm, “[speaking] on the value to society of creativity and creators, addressing the needs of those benefiting from the use of music to support and respect the contributions of the folks making music.” The event description continues: “The importance of staying vigilant in the protection of our cultural contribution and providing for sustainability is key. We can’t allow for a ‘scorched earth policy’ that has become of the approach of certain music users because songwriters and music publishers, many of which are small businesses, need certainty and reliability on knowing what their income is and will be, in order to keep creating and providing society with the impactful alchemic process that it advances in communities globally.”

Finally on Saturday at 10:30am, Lucy Kalantari will speak on “Producing Alchemy” with Austin-based musician and activist SaulPaul facilitating the conversation. “Lucy Kalintari [will speak] on transforming creativity while helping artists transform stories and sounds. Explore the alchemy of an idea transmitted to an audience. She will [be] discussing the alchemy of collaboration, when artists work within a genre to push its conventions, and when artists cross ‘genres’ to collaborate.”

If you’re ready for an alchemical week, these Folk Alliance keynote speakers will equip you for getting the most out of this year’s conference, programming, and theme. Find a current schedule of conference events, panels, and sessions here.

Showcases, Showcases, Showcases!


Folk Alliance proudly advertises their conference as gathering more than 2,000 showcases under one roof and, in the pantheon of music festivals, conferences, and the like they certainly stand out in the quality and efficacy of their showcases. Whether official or private, there are truly countless opportunities to hear the most buzzed about newcomers, true living legends, and newly discovered talents, too. Besides our own lineup for our private showcase in room 717 (see the schedule above), here are a few official and private showcasing artists we’re excited to catch at Folk Alliance.

See the full list of showcasing artists and schedule of performances here.

Liv Greene

We love Liv Greene’s music, especially this almost four-year-old number, and are really looking forward to their upcoming, yet-to-be-announced album. We’re hoping to catch some of that new material during Folk Alliance, so when you encounter this heartfelt, poetic songwriter during the conference, keep your ears open for new songs – we hear they are coming. (Read more about Liv in a recent Out Now interview.)

ISMAY

ISMAY’s pastoral, Northern California country is effortlessly raw and real – they did make it onto our “Three Chords and… Authenticity” Good Country playlist, after all. We’re excited to hear some of their just released album, Desert Pavement, at their Folk Alliance showcases as well as catching the screening of their new film, Finding Lucinda, on Friday at 3:30pm. Our own managing editor, Justin Hiltner, will lead the Q&A following the screening of the film, which tells a story of Lucinda’s remarkable path as a legendary artist through the eyes of ISMAY (AKA Avery Hellman.)

Mikhail Laxton

From Australia via Ottawa, soul-folk singer-songwriter Mikhail Laxton is a don’t miss showcase artist at this year’s conference. We already mentioned his set as part of the Indigenous Music Summit showcase, but he’s posted his full FAI schedule for addition to your day planner, as well.

Nat Myers

Have you heard modern bluesman Nat Myers’ music? This PBS News Hour episode is the perfect introduction to this Easy Eye Sound recording artist. (That’s Dan Auerbach’s label, by the way.) Myers’ brand of timeless, gristly, warm, and charming blues will be on perfect display in the halls of Folk Alliance, for sure.

Rainbow Girls

Fresh off their brand new album release late last year, folk-rock trio Rainbow Girls will be ready to welcome you to whatever in Kansas City. They’re a chosen family band that’s as charming as they are biting, sharp musicians and songwriters. Check out Rachel Baiman’s interview with the group ahead of their FAI appearances.

Viv & Riley

Viv & Riley are true old-time musicians, but their songs are always forward-looking, too. They’ve been a notable old-time, bluegrassy, string band duo for more than a few years, but we recently featured them on our column One to Watch because, well – you oughta be keeping an eye on ’em! Do so at Folk Alliance, you’ll thank us. Want more? We had them on Basic Folk recently, too!

Willie Watson

Our old pal Willie Watson will be at FAI this year!? Sign us up!! How is this iconic session nearly 10 years old, already? Good memories with Watson, for sure, and we’re just about ready to make some new ones in Kansas City.