Opinion / Humor

Last week I promised to give a few tips for band leaders on how to keep band members longer. Or, if that really isn't a big priority for you (and for some band leaders it isn't), a few suggestions for

What makes some bands stay together for years, and others have perpetual personnel changes?  If you answered, "the one that stays together for years has never taken a current band photo or purchased an expensive vehicle together," congratulations! You’re a regular

I'm no ethnomusicologist. I'm not even a mixologist or any other kind of "ologist," but lyrics interest me, and sometimes I like going a little deeper into some of the mysteries presented in the bluegrass standards we know and love. Many

I just got done teaching at Steve Kaufman's Acoustic Kamp last week (always good klean fun). This reminded me of the column I wrote several years ago about jamming. It was written the year the Night Drivers and I taught

Last week we discussed the blending of bluegrass music with other styles, including some that may not at first listen seem that compatible, like bluegrass and heavy metal, the fusion which kicked this whole subject off in the first place. Some

A number of years ago, I got a message from a musician with a band called Grandpa's Cough Medicine (I was a little hurt that they had rejected my band name idea, Grandpa's Immunosuppressant Rheumatoid Arthritis Medicine, but I got

The world of social media is a pretty tawdry place, as we all know at this point. Sensationalism, misinformation, and division are all rewarded, often with large profits at the expense of all the rest of us.  For the professional musician

I hate being an alarmist, but we may need to start varying the adjectives we use in bluegrass artists' bio material and press releases. The problem arose recently after the official retirement of three heavily-used (until now) adjectives in ceremonies held

On-stage communication between musicians can take many forms, and is required for a variety of purposes, some vitally important, some completely unnecessary but at least amusing. One of the biggest reasons for communication during a show is to assist someone in

In a now-deleted Instagram post, The David Mayfield Parade announced they'd be going on indefinite hiatus, citing "differences in the ring." Tensions had reportedly been simmering for some time. With a source close to the band claiming that frontman David Mayfield,