IBMA news

The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) has announced the names of those who will be attending its next Leadership Bluegrass course (5-7 Mar. 2018). The twenty-five names include those of Greg Blake, who will be here in January with his star-studded band; Dan Eubanks, who was here last January as bass player of the Special Consensus; Bil VornDick, the legendary recording engineer and record producer who produced the first two albums for the midlands' Carmel Sheerin & the Ravens when they were #1 European Bluegrass Band; and Emma John of the Guardian newspaper, who (like our Uri Kohen in 2016) is the only person on the course from outside North America.

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In many ways the IBMA has had a very good 2017 - greatly increased attendance at World of Bluegrass in Raleigh, NC, is just one of those ways - and among its minor projects on hand for the near future are a new website (spring 2018) and a new membership database. The IBMA however remains a non-profit organisation, dependent on the global bluegrass community to support its own upkeep and its two main beneficial organisations: the Bluegrass Trust Fund (to help bluegrass professionals in time of emergency need) and the IBMA Foundation (to help bluegrass grow through education). Under the slogan 'Support each other. Support this music we love. Support bluegrass', the IBMA takes its place in the rank of 'year-end giving opportunities'. Donations (tax-deductible in the USA) can be made through the IBMA website.