Bluegrass Nation: an overdue update

Last Spring, I described here that the International Bluegrass Music Assn. was working on Bluegrass Nation, a new social platform for bluegrass music and media, and then last Fall, we sketched some details for attendees at World of Bluegrass. At that point, we had just identified a developer, but it took  more time to nail down the plan and the budget and truly get started. Now, I’m happy to say, it’s on. We’re meeting weekly to structure and refine the idea so that it can do the most good for the most people. We’ve had many conversations with interested parties about what they’d like to see, and we’ve gamed scenarios for what the page/news service/sharing tool will look and feel like. Our guy is Ryan DeRose, web guy out of the fascinating and dynamic Charlottesville, VA music community, recommended to us by banjoist and bluegrass uh, activist(?) Chris Pandolfi of the Infamous Stringdusters, who are sporting a new DeRose-designed, socially-enabled website.

The very latest is that we’ve launched a logo contest for the site through Creative Allies.

The official brief is HERE, and we’re hoping for a range of ideas and perspectives. I’m as excited to see proposals from folks outside the bluegrass community as those from within. Maybe this will be a controversial move. We’ve already heard from at least one IBMA member/graphic designer who thinks this is a cheap, unprofessional way of landing a good logo. But I respectfully disagree. Once we get the structure in place, Bluegrass Nation will be a heavily crowd-sourced effort, so crowd-sourcing the identity is appropriate and budget-friendly for a shoestring operation. Moreover, Creative Allies is dedicated to spreading the word about the contest in a way that will jump-start conversation about the BN idea and awareness that it’s even coming soon. Please spread the word about the contest and encourage folks to submit ideas. Creative Allies is a fascinating concept in any event and a fun browse for those who love graphic design. (And believe me I know how the protesting designer feels, having had my own professional crafts – journalism and filmmaking – revolutionized and devalued by the internet and the scarcity economy. But we’ve all got to adjust and seek different competitive advantages.)

The development of BN comes at a times at a time of huge flux for IBMA. The trade association (of which I’m a board member, by the way) is just now reviewing resumes for a new executive director, and its ED of 21 years, the popular Dan Hays, is preparing to leave in February for a new job running the historic Franklin Theater. The choice of the new ED is probably the biggest decision any of us will make during our terms on the board. It will definitely set a tone for the next ten years in our music industry. Some really solid people have applied, with varied backgrounds in and out of bluegrass, as well as in and out of the non-profit sector. I’ll be voting for somebody who understands that bluegrass music will be best served by supporting all styles of the music and cultivating the pathways into bluegrass for new fans. Pathways which most often I think lead from quite far afield, including jam band and jazz. I hope we find somebody who’s media savvy and who is a charismatic spokesperson for the music’s roots AND branches and someone who can take our story to major new sponsors and benefactors. I want to see bluegrass music’s story told to members of Congress who are skeptical of public funding for the arts and who might see the connection between bluegrass education and a robust bluegrass economy with healthier communities and better schools. I want to see bluegrass on major networks in contexts that are authentic and not stereotyped, much the way that the series Treme treats New Orleans jazz and R&B – with respect and appropriate awe.

These are potentially great times for bluegrass music. More young folks know about it than ever, but legions more do not. Newcomers who hear great bluegrass live and for real usually come away changed in some way. The business needs more managers, more venues, more documentarians and promoters. Artists need more revenue streams, including film and TV publishing money. The re-forming IBMA and its new Bluegrass Nation platform will, I very much hope, help pave the way.