The International Bluegrass Music Association is proud to announce the graduating class of Leadership Bluegrass 2013. Leadership Bluegrass is an intensive, three-day program focused on interactive learning and networking experiences that invite participants to examine the challenges and opportunities facing the bluegrass music industry, along with leadership development issues. This was the 14th year of Leadership Bluegrass, which now boasts over 300 alumni.
Leadership Bluegrass 2013 was hosted at BMI, and Bone McAllester Norton PLLC in Nashville, Tennessee March 7 through 9. Trisha Tubbs was the facilitator. Each year participants are selected through a selective application process and are a cross section of current and future leaders from various aspects of the industry, and come from various regions of the U.S. and the world. Freelance writer and journalist Shannon Turner, a Leadership Bluegrass 2013 graduate, said she will always value being a part of the class. “Leadership Bluegrass is an invaluable program of learning, growth, and even transformation. You leave with a renewed energy and determination to spread the gospel of bluegrass music,” Turner said. The Bluegrass Situation’s Amy Reitnouer, who was also a participant agreed, saying, “I was awed by the fellow classmates, network of alumni, and incredible presenters.”
Congratulations to our graduates:
Darin Aldridge; Darin and Brooke Aldridge; Cherryville, NC Melissa Armstrong; Detour; Sand Lake, MI Andrea Ball; Make Welcome Entertainment; Washington, DC Katherine Coe; IBMA; Nashville, TN Jeremy Darrow; The Erin McDermott Band/Freelance Musician; Nashville, TN John DeMarce; DC Bluegrass Union; Washington, DC Susie Glaze; Hilonesome Music, Susie Glaze & the Hilonesome Band; Burbank, CA KC Groves; Artist & Composer; Lyons, CO Kayla Hotte; Kayla Hotte & her Rodeo Pals; Ardrossan, Alberta, CA Caroline Isachsen; Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival; Delmar, NY Steven Johnson; MerleFest; Wilkesboro, NC Lori King; Bluegrass Music Association of Iowa; Drakesville, IA Jordan Laney; Appalachian State University; Vilas, NC Ron Murphy; Muddy River Band; Wilmington, OH Amy Reitnouer; The Bluegrass Situation; Los Angeles, CA Carolyn Routh; Nu-Blu, Red Squared Audio; Siler City; NC Sheila Selby; Boston Bluegrass Union; Brookline, MA Carly Smith; International Bluegrass Music Museum; Owensboro, KY Erin Stamper; WAMU’s Bluegrass Country; Washington, DC Shannon Turner; Freelance writer/journalist; Hermitage, TN Missy Werner; Missy Werner Band; Liberty Township, OH Jill Wiese; Bluegrass Association of North Dakota; Washburn, ND Kristi Wilcox; Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP; Nashville, TN Courtney Worthen; PineCone – The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music; Raleigh, NC
Thank you to our sponsors for Leadership Bluegrass 2013:
Gold: BMI; The Bluegrass Heritage Foundation; Bone McAllester Norton LLC; Wintergrass Music Festival (Acoustic Sound); Martha Dantzic/Quicksilver Productions Patron: John & Trisha Tubbs LBG Family: Terry & Sharon Alford, Phil Bankester, Nick Barr, Danny Clark, Katy Daley, Regina Derzon, Arnie Fleischer, Lisa Jacobi, Denise Jarvinen, Richard Spratt, Kimberly East Williams Friends of LBG: Claire Armbruster & Jeff Koontz, Mike Armistead, Fred Bartenstein, Janet Brightly, Dr. Richard Brown, Mary Burdette, Paul Byrum, Greg Cahill, Casey Campbell, Nancy Cardwell, Dag Iver Caspersen, Darwin Davidson, Lachlan Davidson, Lynda Dawson, Mary Tyler Doub, Bill Foster, Carolyn Hotte, Lisa Husted, Carl Jackson, Rienk Janssen, Russell Johnson, Bill Knowlton, Kitsy Kuykendall, Dagfinn Pedersen, Tina Potter, Mike Ramsey, Jim Roe, Dana Romanello, Neil & Terri Rosenberg, Stephen Ruffo, Mary Sackmann, Peter Salovey, Sharon White & Rick y Skaggs, Mary Faith Rhoads-Lewis, Sheila Selby, Earle Simmons, Frank Solivan, Jean Spivey, Susan Stewert, Kit Swaggert, Ben Surratt & Missy Raines, Brian Smith, Barry & Holly Tashian, G.C. Teskey, Dana Thorin, Traci Todd, Alan Tompkins, April Verch, Garian Vigil, Lucy Weberling, Bob Webster, Jon Weisberger, Dwight Worden, Stan Zdonik.
The Leadership Bluegrass planning committee this year included: Alan Tompkins (Chair), Joan Kornblith, Amy Beth Hale, Jean Spivey, Emilee Warner, Ben Surratt, Nolan Lawrence, Trisha Tubbs (facilitator), and Nancy Cardwell (staff liaison). Kornblith, Surratt, Gerald Jones, and Chris Stuart served on the Selection Committee. Taylor Coughlin, IBMA, was the facilitator’s assistant.
For information on the next Leadership Bluegrass class, contact Nancy Cardwell at (615) 256-3222 or nancyc@ibma.org.