Tag: Lillian Werbin

PREVIEW: Brand New Black Stringband Symposium Set for IBMA’s Conference

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

This year, a new event will debut at the IBMA World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, North Carolina. Presented by IBMA and The Banjo Gathering, Roots Revival: Black Stringband Symposium will explore Black contributions to bluegrass and traditional music over two days of the week-long event with six especially programmed sessions.

On Thursday, September 26, conference-goers, virtual participants, and symposium attendees will engage with sessions like “Navigating Narratives: Being a Black Woman in Folk Music” and “Alive in the Archives.” On Friday, September 27 programming will include “Making Instruments” and “Journey of a Song,” featuring musicians Hubby Jenkins, Amy Alvey, and Mike Compton, as well as two special showcases: “Black Music in Appalachia” and “Beyond Bluegrass.” (See a full schedule with panel descriptions below.) Virtual passes for the symposium are available here, in person passes can be purchased here.

“First of all, I’m extremely excited to be part of this event,” said artist, scholar, and educator Brandi Waller-Pace, who will be participating in the symposium programming. “I’m happy to see something happening at IBMA that provides a platform for black people from a multitude of backgrounds and experiences to talk about all of these key things within these musical forms that we have been excluded and erased from. I really hope that this is the beginning of more widespread recognition and acknowledgment for our contributions in this field and for our own cultural reclamation.”

Other artists, creators, and experts on the symposium’s lineup include Art Bouman, Dena Ross Jennings, Kelle Jolly, Jen Larson, Valerie Díaz Leroy, Waller-Pace, Tray Wellington, Nelson Williams, and many more. Organizers Lillian Werbin, of the Banjo Gathering, Elderly Instruments, and Bluegrass Pride, and Kristina Gaddy, author of Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo’s Hidden History, set out to spotlight the many ways in which Black musicians, builders, and researchers navigate bluegrass and traditional music spaces as they built the event from the ground up.

“We are thrilled to be collaborating with IBMA on Roots Revival,” explains Gaddy via email. “We’ve put together these panels to highlight both the important history and contributions of Black Americans in bluegrass and traditional music, and to showcase how these traditions evolved over the 20th century and continue to be innovated by Black musicians in the 21st.”

“It is a humbling experience to bring these conversations forward,” added Werbin. “I am looking forward to hearing insight and delving into the experiences each panelist brings to the space.”

Sponsors from across the roots music landscape showed up in force to make the symposium happen, with programs supported by organizations and companies like the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention, Bluegrass Pride, the DC Bluegrass Union, Folk Alliance International, Pisgah Banjos, and of course the IBMA Foundation, Elderly Instruments, IBMA, and the Banjo Gathering.

Roots Revival, the first event of its kind programmed in tandem with IBMA, will work to tell a more complete story about the origins and influences that shaped the bluegrass genre as we know it today. Make plans to attend World of Bluegrass and Roots Revival today.

Roots Revival: Black Stringband Symposium

Raleigh Convention Center (500 South Salisbury St., Raleigh, NC) Room 304

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26
1:30PM – Welcome
2:00PM – “Navigating Narratives: Being a Black Woman in Folk Music”

“Navigating Narratives: Being a Black Woman in Folk Music” builds on the “Avoiding Tokenism in Trad Music” panel from 2023, and includes panel of Black women in the traditional music industry explores how they each build upon their experiences and the expectations placed upon them to create authentic representation in the industry.

3:30PM – “Alive in the Archives”

This panel will explore how Black bluegrass and folk musicians use source and archival recordings to bridge the gap in person-to-person transmission of music between Black musicians who were recorded in the 20th century and musicians today. Musicians and scholars will play some tunes and discuss their research methods and limitations.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27
11:15AM – “Making Instruments”

Within the history of American traditional music, Black instrument builders have often been overlooked, from the creators of gourd banjos in early America to contemporary makers today. They will explore how building instruments honors the history of the music while making it more accessible to broader audiences.

12:45PM – “Journey of a Song”

This panel and showcase will explore how songs from the Black tradition became bluegrass standards. Musicians Amy Alvey, and Hubby Jenkins will play some songs and they’ll also be in conversation with cultural historians Valerie Díaz Leroy and Jen Larson, discussing how we can accurately and appropriately bring music’s history into our performances and recorded work.

2:15PM – “Black Music in Appalachia” Showcase

In this showcase, Black Appalachian musicians Dena Ross Jennings, Kelle Jolly, and Tray Wellington will be performing and discussing the influences the region has had on their music.

3:45PM – “Beyond Bluegrass” Showcase

In recent years, Arnold Shultz has been acknowledged as a core figure in Bluegrass history. This showcase features musicians Darcy Ford, Art Bouman, and Nelson Williams and how they build a diversity of styles and bring in other traditional music into their repertoire.

More information is available here and via worldofbluegrass.org.

Artwork courtesy of IBMA and the Banjo Gathering.

Out Now: Lillian Werbin

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

If you’ve met Lillian Werbin before, you know that they possess a radiant energy and a deep love for community while working tirelessly to create a more inclusive music industry. Lillian is a behind-the-scenes star of the queer music industry. They are the Chair of the Board for Bluegrass Pride, they volunteer to support LGBTQ+ events, and they sit on the boards of International Bluegrass Music Association’s Foundation and the Rhapsody Project. In addition to all of this, they are the co-owner of Elderly Instruments and co-direct Midwest Banjo Camp, Midwest Ukulele Camp, and The Banjo Gathering. 

Lillan and I spoke together on a panel presented by Bluegrass Pride in 2023 at Folk Alliance International. The panel examined on a systemic level how the music industry can adopt more socially sustainable models of business, especially for folks who have been historically marginalized. Lillian works hard to promote inclusivity. They are a pillar of the queer music industry, a gem of a human being, and someone who isn’t often found on stage, but holds up the community from behind the curtain.

What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is having my intentions misunderstood. Being responsible for others and making decisions on their behalf can be nerve-wracking, and I like my reasoning to be clear.

What is your current state of mind?

Anticipatory! I feel I should state that my mother died earlier this year, so my “current state of mind” fluctuates regularly. In a year, there is so much to celebrate and mourn that I find myself generally in a state of anticipation of the next moment.

What would a “perfect day” look like for you?

My current ability to balance work/life can come down to the hour, as my personal and professional lives blend 7 days a week. A “perfect day” is when I’m able to accomplish what is needed professionally without sacrificing my personal relationships. Ideally, I’m awake before the sun, there are only a few tasks/meetings to accomplish, there’s at least 5 bouts of big laughter, and some time spent outside in the fresh air.

Why do you work in the music industry?

I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I find those who work in the music industry are a more serious type of authentic and genuine. Working from behind the scenes, I’m lucky enough to meet new people regularly. From the big smoke shows to hometown heroes, I find music lovers prefer to be unapologetically themselves. Which is interesting and entertaining most of the time!

When working on a project, what’s more satisfying to you, the process or the outcome?

The planning process is most satisfying and I enjoy the outcome more if I’ve helped execute. The process of taking a few ideas and elements, and building them into a project, can be magical for me.

You are the Chair of the Board for Bluegrass Pride. What drew you to getting involved with BGP? What do you like most about it? Are there any new projects that you’re excited about?

Yes, I’ve been Chair of Bluegrass Pride for a little over a year. I had been a board member and found I had more interest than my regular term. I enjoy developing programs and maintaining welcoming events for LGBT+ musicians. I’m most excited about our Rainbow Book initiative, which seeks to create a network of vetted venues to play and homes to stay. We launched the application process in early fall of 2023.

What has it been like for you to hold a behind-the-scenes role supporting queer music?

Being behind-the-scenes supporting LGBT and queer music allows me to revel in my own queer joy, which often takes a backseat to how I’m often perceived. When I’m able to fulfill these supportive roles, I feel more connected to the community.

In 2022, you won the IBMA Momentum Award for Industry Involvement. You are someone who is extremely involved. Could you share with us some of the great work you’re doing that led to this recognition?

My job by day is CEO and Co-Owner of Elderly Instruments, where I manage the overall business. It’s Elderly’s consistency that allows me to assist in other events and businesses in the U.S. I co-direct Midwest Banjo Camp, Midwest Ukulele Camp, and The Banjo Gathering. Aside from Bluegrass Pride, I sit on the boards of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Foundation – where I am a committee member of The Arnold Shultz Fund – and the Rhapsody Project.

Photo courtesy of Lillian Werbin.

Black History Month: Music Industry Leaders

Posted on by Shelby Williamson

While the entire industry surrounding roots music ratchets up its awareness around social justice issues and attempts to create a more representative and inclusive community, it’s apparent that, now more than ever, we need industry leaders of diverse cultural, ethnic, gender, and identity backgrounds. As we cap off this year’s Black History Month, BGS wants to spotlight not only the Black artists, songwriters, musicians, and instrumentalists who make these genres and this industry great, but also the writers, thinkers, leaders, and stakeholders working behind the scenes to craft a better, more just reality for all folks in roots music. Here are just a few of the Black industry insiders and community builders who inspire us and are leading the way.

Marcus Amaker

Charleston, South Carolina’s first poet laureate, Marcus Amaker, is also a musician, author, performer, and designer. Oh, and he’s also composed an opera! A true multi-hyphenate, Amaker’s visual art has anchored No Depression’s print journal since 2017, just after its rebirth. He has released an impressive thirty-five albums of electronic music and his latest book, Black Music Is, is a “poetic love letter to Black music and history” through the eyes and ears of Bebop the cat, who spins vinyl records and listens to all sorts of genres – from bluegrass to hip-hop.

 

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Kyshona Armstrong

Songwriter, recording artist, and community builder Kyshona is well known in Nashville and in the folk and Americana scenes for her grounded, embodied songs that explore themes of agency, justice, mental health, healing, connection, and growth. Her career began in music therapy and she brings sensibilities from that expertise with her into every avenue of her professional life. She founded and runs Your Song, a non-profit, collaborative songwriting program that connects performing arts centers, musicians, and artists with vulnerable communities to promote healing and community connectedness. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, she also began holding events and meet-ups for music professionals seeking to move through this extractive, punishing industry more healthfully and mindfully and joyfully.

Marcus Dowling

Writer, thinker, fashion icon, and Tennessean columnist Marcus Dowling has been publishing writings on dance music, food, hip-hop, Nashville, and country music for more than fifteen years. In 2021, he was awarded the Rolling Stone Chet Flippo Award for Excellence in Country Music Journalism. Just about everyone who has ever been anyone in the modern country scene has spoken with and been written about by Dowling, who brings vibrant, artful descriptions as well as thoughtful perspective and context to his interviews and features. But, it’s not just the Shania Twains, Kelsea Ballerinis, and Tyler Hubbards of the world that he covers, he connects the dots between past generations and the future, highlighting new artists, forgotten or underappreciated legends, and creators too often relegated to the shadows, as well.

 

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Holly G & Tanner D

Holly G and Tanner D are the co-founders and co-orchestrators of Black Opry, a touring collective, showcase, revue, and community that re-centers Black musicians, songwriters, and instrumentalists in country music. Black Opry rose to notoriety rapidly in the wake of the social unrests surrounding race, police brutality, and state-facilitated murder of Black folks in 2020, but the groundwork for this trailblazing group had been laid long before that pivotal year. Both Holly and Tanner began their work as fans of the music, giving them a particular perspective on how to create spaces in country music that truly feel inviting, receptive, and open to all, while still focusing their mission on the historic and current factors that continue to channel Black fans out of country and toward other genres.

Benjamin Hunter

Benjamin Hunter is a speaker, musician, educator, and organizer perhaps best known in roots music circles from his duo with Joe Seamons, but his work extends far beyond his expertise in the primordial musical ooze that became blues, bluegrass, old-time, and country. He’s founded and co-founded multiple organizations with artistic purviews: Community Arts Create (with a mission to break down social barriers through cross-generational and multi-cultural arts programming, especially folk art), Hillman City Collaboratory (a social change incubator), Black & Tan Hall (a venue, restaurant, and gathering space), and many more. Based in the Pacific northwest, Hunter was Seattle’s Music Commissioner from 2014 to 2020. And his resume continues, these being merely the tip of the iceberg of his experience.

Brandi Waller-Pace

Brandi Waller-Pace is an educator, academic, and musician who founded Decolonizing the Music Room, a non-profit with a mission of re-centering Black, Brown, Indigenous, and Asian voices in music education, complicating and subverting endemic colonialism and classism in Western European classical music, its history, and its instruction. She’s also a board member for Folk Alliance International and with DTMR founded the Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival, which will be held this year on March 18. BGS first met and collaborated with Waller-Pace in 2020, when she and DTMR curated our virtual Shout & Shine Online showcase as part of IBMA’s annual business conference. Her approach to the work of anti-racism and decolonization is grounded and realistic, while offering models for how to move into the future with justice and representation as keystones in our musical spaces.


Lillian Werbin

Elderly Instruments in Lansing, MI has been a beacon of roots music for now more than fifty years. It’s a true community center, not just a purveyor of fine instruments, and Lillian Werbin recently took the reigns of this folk-, old-time-, and bluegrass-hallowed ground from her father, Stan Werbin. Lillian is not only CEO at Elderly, but also chairs the board of Bluegrass Pride, a non-profit with a mission of uplifting LGBTQ+ folks in bluegrass, and also serves on the board of the IBMA Foundation and advises its Arnold Schultz Fund, which strives to increase participation of people of color in bluegrass music. In Lillian’s free time, you’ll often find this musical workaholic running music camps, facilitating online events, and saying yes to just about every mission-minded project that comes across their desk.

Pat Mitchell Worley

Pat Mitchell Worley is the president and CEO of Stax Soulsville Foundation in Memphis, which oversees the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Stax Music Academy, and The Soulsville Charter School, all with a mission to perpetuate the soul of Stax Records. Worley was just awarded the Spirit of Folk Award by Folk Alliance International earlier this month. She’s also a veteran radio host in Memphis, where she’s hosted the Beale Street Caravan, a weekly show that has run for more than twenty years and is the most widely distributed blues radio program in the world. She began her career as writer in her late teens, then went on to work at the Blues Foundation before starting on the radio in the early 2000s. While as a child she may have dreamed of becoming an astronaut someday, her work in music has always reached for the stars.

Photo Credit: Diana Deaver (Marcus Amaker); Nora Canfield (Kyshona); Phil Eich (Lillian Werbin)