Our friends over at the Bluegrass Blog have posted a lovely conversation with Lynn Morris, who teaches our Clawhammer Banjo Volume 1 and Volume 2. It catches up with what she’s doing these days, a question we get asked often. So if you’ve been wondering that yourself, click here and read the article.
Archive for the ‘women in bluegrass’ Category
Lynn Morris on the Bluegrass Blog
Thursday, October 29th, 2009Murphy Quoted in the Nashville Scene
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009Last week, just prior to the IBMA Awards show, the Nashville Scene ran a piece titled “It’s a Long Way to the Top (if You Wanna Pick and Sing). The article, which is about women in bluegrass, quotes Murphy, as well as Alison Brown and Sierra Hull. Here’s the link.
Granny And Her GANGsters: Murphy Method Student Report
Monday, September 28th, 2009
Murphy Henry
I am always proud when I get an email like the one below, telling me about Murphy Method students getting out there and playing! With Barbara’s permission, I will share:
I remember when I met Murphy at banjo camp and she asked me what I wanted to do with my banjo and I told her that pretty much just wanted to play for my grandkids. Now, several years later, I do play with my grandkids in our little “Granny and her GANGsters” bluegrass band. We play on the street together and have been playing at some community events.
The kids are loving it. It is especially good for the oldest one who is 13 and has Tourette’s. He is on the bass and I am amazed at what he can do. I just ordered Murphy’s two first bass DVDs for him and I told him when he gets through them I’ll get him the slap bass DVD. We have an 11 year old on the mandolin and he has worked up three breaks, “Boil Them Cabbage Down,” “It Takes a Worried Man,” and “Will the Circle Be Unbroken.” Oh, also “Amazing Grace.” Then our littlest one is a 10 year old granddaughter who plays two breaks on her banjo and clogs up a storm. Folks always throw money in the case when she starts dancing when we busk!
In October we are going to play at the opening of a corn maze in town and it will be our first microphone experience. Wish us luck! I bet there are a lot of other women who are using their banjos in interesting ways, too. I’d like to hear about them. Not that you professionals aren’t interesting! Thanks for listening.
Barbara
And as an added bonus, I will tell you that Robyn, one of my Fiddle Sisters (also known as Logan’s mom), and I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail this past Saturday. Since I am just beginning to build up endurance, we only hiked one hour in and then one hour back out. I started limiting my exertions after experiencing digestive malfunctions on several hikes that were too long (three hours), too hot (high 80s and humid), and too dry (only two bottles of water).
Saturday’s hike was a three-bottle hike and was definitely not too dry since we walked most of the way back IN THE POURING RAIN. I amused Robyn toward the end by singing bluegrass rain songs in full voice: “It’s Raining, Raining, Raining Here This Morning,” “Listening To The Rain,” “Little Cabin Home On The Hill” (with the line just listen to the rain beat on my window pane), and the decidedly non-bluegrass “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head” by which time we were at the car. Soaking wet. And yes, we had rain ponchos in our backpacks, but by the time we decided it was really raining hard, we were already wet, so why bother? We were a little chilly, however, but a quick trip to Starbucks fixed that! Soon after, I was back home, showered, pajama’d (can pajama be used as a verb?), and curled up with my new 800-page Diana Gabaldon novel An Echo In The Bone, anxious to find out what’s been happening to Claire and Jamie Fraser. In fact, that’s where I’m heading right now…
Women in Bluegrass
Monday, July 20th, 2009I just finished filling out my second ballot for the IBMA Awards.
Digression about IBMA: That would be the International Bluegrass Music Association for you newbies. The IBMA is a professional trade organization for bluegrass musicians and bluegrass business people (event producers, merchandisers, record labels, songwriters, etc.). Each year the IBMA recognizes those musicians who have done outstanding work in the bluegrass music field with awards in twelve categories.
Anyhow, in years past I have ranted about the lack of female presence on these ballots, especially in the Instrumental Performers category.
Digression about how you get on the first ballot: The first ballot is completely open; any member can nominate anyone they choose. So I had no one to blame about lack of female presence except the whole membership! The most I could do was to quote Abigail Adams and say, “Remember the women!” Which I did regularly in my Women in Bluegrass newsletter.
This year I am happy to say that things are much improved. So much improved that I am going to tell you the names of all the women who made this second-ballot, long-list of candidates for nomination on the various instruments. (You’re not a true nominee until the next ballot, on which the five final names will appear.) I am so proud of all of these wonderful, talented, hard-working women! There are EIGHTEEN in all!
IBMA Candidates for Nomination…
For Banjo Player of the Year
Kristin Scott Benson
Alison Brown
Cia Cherryholmes
Donica Christensen
Beth Stevens
For Bass Player of the Year
Beth Lawrence
Missy Raines
For Fiddle Player of the Year
Becky Buller
Molly Cherryholmes
Shelby Hope Gold
Alison Krauss
For Dobro Player of the Year
Sally Van Meter (what would we do without Sally Van?)
For Guitar Player of the Year
Dale Ann Bradley
Rebecca Frazier
For Mandolin Player of the Year
Analise Victoria Gold
Sierra Hull
Lorriane Jordan
Rhonda Vincent
For contrast, in 1999 there were only FIVE women, total, nominated for Instrumental Awards on the second ballot: Kristin Scott [Benson], Alison Krauss, Laurie Lewis, Missy Raines, and Sally Van Meter.
And I wish I’d kept my second ballots from earlier years, when I suspect there were even fewer women nominated, but, frankly, I never thought I’d need them. But now I find I’m wrong. I didn’t realize I’d turn out to be such a raging feminist! I thought I was making a enough of a statement simply by playing the banjo and writing songs like “I Ain’t Domesticated Yet.” Silly me!
So, again congratulations to all these women who are out there hitting the road hard. You go!
Why I Appreciate Picking with Women
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
At tonight’s jam the banjo player, Julie, who is about to have a baby any minute, said this: “If I’m still pregnant Saturday I really want to go to the banjo workshop!” (Ned Luberecki and Tony Trischka are hosting a banjo workshop at the East Nashville School of Music on Saturday, the 28th of February.) You don’t hear that every day!
What Marty Said
Thursday, January 15th, 2009
Below you’ll find part of a longer email from a new student, Marty. He bought one of the last banjos, a Gold Tone, sold out of Brill’s Barber and Musicians’ Shop when he came up for a lesson in November. I’m gonna give you his credentials before I tell you what he said that is blog-worthy. He is an eminent cardiologist who used to be the head of the cardiology department at Bethesda Naval Hospital. He’s still in practice although he’s slumming now somewhere deep in South Carolina. <G> He’s originally from Jacksonville, Florida, (so he’s got little bit of the Southern Gentlemanly good-old boy thing going) and I think he told me he went to the same high school that some of the Lynard Skynard band members did. (Bluegrass content in last remark: Larry Cordle did a whole bluegrass tribute CD to Lynyrd Skynyrd, called “Lonesome Skynyrd Time.” I just adore that song that goes “Give me three steps, give me three steps, mister, give me three steps to the door.” Larry’s CD was the first time I was able to understand the words! I’d always loved the beat!]
Anyhow, when you see what Marty had to say, you’ll know why I am absolutely tickled to post this:
I spent practically my whole adult life raising two girls, so I really like to play Casey’s CD “Real Women Drive Trucks” because they have always been of the opinion they could do just about anything a man could do. They laugh though when I tell them I just want to learn to pick like a girl since I admire so many woman banjo players.
Thank you, Marty!
And just to remind you all of a few of the fabulous female banjo pickers:
Roni Stoneman
Lynn Morris
Alison Brown
Kristin Scott Benson
Gina Britt
Pam Gadd
Robin Roller
Cia Cherryholmes
Casey Henry (!)
Julie Elkins
Janet Beazley
Janet Davis
[Editor's Note: Murphy Henry (duh!)]
I would list more but I’ve got to quit so Red and I can start watching the first volume of the Harry Potter series. Mount your brooms!
Another Poem
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009
Here’s another banjo poem, this one written by Edward Morris who now writes for CMT.com. He says it was written “some time ago under the spell of Pete Seeger.” Thank you much, Ed, (as we say in the Shenandoah Valley) for letting us post it.
THE BANJO IS A RUBE
The banjo is a rube,
long-necking into town,
slick-headed and
defensively keyed-up
to glib impertinence.
It is the village infidel,
wise-cracking the bowed heads,
plucking from crinkled knees
to tapping toes,
the Sabbath zombies into sin.
It is a guerilla
starved down
to the desperate energy
of stretched nerves,
sniping at fat pianos in full dress.
It is a pensioner,
retired to dusty corners,
pin-striped and stiff,
humming at night
an agile frolic.
Edward Morris
I must tell you that I got acquainted with Ed last year via email when he posted an article about Rhonda Vincent (January 22, 2008) for the CMT.com Blog. Titled “Deep in the Bosom of Bluegrass,” the article quoted something I’d said about Rhonda when I was on a panel about Women in Bluegrass way back in 2003. Ed and I exchanged emails about his quote, that event, and his prodigious memory and from then on have been, ahem, bosom buddies! Ed is a wonderful writer, so check out the article. It’s still online!
NOTE: In case you read the article: No matter what I said back then (and I think I was just popping off without thinking, trying to be funny) I totally support Rhonda Vincent’s attire and her music!
Kristin Scott Benson wins Banjo Player of the Year!
Monday, October 6th, 2008At Thursday night’s awards show one of our favorite banjo players took home the award for Banjo Player of the year: Kristin Scott Benson. Kristin plays with the Larry Stephenson Band and is the second woman to take home the title, the first being Alison Brown in 1991. The other nominees in the category—Earl Scruggs, J. D. Crowe, Jimmy Mills, Ron Stewart— were unbelievably stiff competition.
Kristin was modest enough to think that it was a fluke that she was nominated at all, so when she won, she was very surprised. She gave a great speech, giving lots of credit and thanks to her parents, who were in attendance that night because her husband, Wayne Benson, was taking care of their son Hogan.
Dale Ann Bradley took home Female Vocalist of the Year for the second time in a row.
Kristin and Dale Ann were the only women to take home awards this year, although Gillian Welch and David Rawlings’s song “By The Mark” won Gospel Recorded Performance of the Year.
The before and after parties were great fun. This is FiddleStar/Murphy Method Camp co-host Megan Lynch and myself:
And here is Lynn Morris and Bass Player of the Year nominee Marshall Wilborn, who presented the awards for Vocal Group and Album of the Year:
The dress I’m wearing was made by my grandmother for my mom’s Junior-Senior prom. It was a pretty big hit, I have to say. Last but not least, here is me with my brother and fellow TMM instructor Chris Henry:
Three Women Nominated For IBMA Instrumental Awards
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008From time to time here I’ll be including some posts with feminist leanings. There will almost always be a bluegrass connection, but I realize some of you may not be interested and might rather scoot on over to visit with our buddies at the Banjo Hangout, so I’ll try to remember to give you a heads up. So, heads up!
Today I want to shine a spotlight on the 2008 International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) Awards Final Ballot which I received a few weeks ago and promptly marked and mailed back. It’s rare to see female performers nominated as Instrumental Performers but this year THREE women are nominated and I want everybody to know that this is Big News. (Okay, not as big as Sarah Palin being nominated for Vice President, but still and yet big for the world of bluegrass!)
So, who are these brave and bold women who are carving out new turf?
Kristin Scott Benson—nominated for Banjo Player of the Year, her first nomination.
Sierra Hull—nominated for Mandolin Player of the Year, her first nomination. And she is the first woman to be nominated in this category!
Missy Raines—nominated for Bass Player of the Year. Her 16th nomination!
Congratulations to all of you! You’re doing all us womyn proud!
Now, in case you’d like to put this into perspective, I did a little digging.
Since the IBMA Awards were instituted in 1990, only two women have won Instrumental Awards. Alison Brown was the first, winning Banjo Player of the Year in 1991. Missy Raines became the second in 1998, and has since won six more times. (Go Missy!)