Followtravelin’ for tunes – Bluegrass!
today i’m happy to share a guest post from a fellow music lover, Bryan, all about Bluegrass. this topic interests me as i grew up in Texas & am a fan of Bluegrass & Country music. Bluegrass festivals have become as popular for people to travel to as following the Grateful Dead. enjoy learning more about the Bluegrass movement.
The sound of the banjo set to back-country folk tunes has excited audiences for generations. Bluegrass is rooted in the hollers and hills of Kentucky but has been embraced by music lovers worldwide. Yet, the style speaks of America in a way that few other forms of music can. It is down-home and unpretentious, much like the musicians that play it. Many destinations around the US welcome lovers of bluegrass from around the world.
This writer has a long history with bluegrass. First introduced to it by a country music loving mother, I found that I had a desire to take up the banjo. As I grew to adulthood, I found that I was drawn to states like Kentucky to experience the music first hand. These destinations are on a must-see list for me as I travel around the USA and bath in the bluegrass culture.
International Bluegrass Music Museum, Owensboro, Kentucky
The world’s only museum dedicated to the preservation of Bluegrass has been in operation for over twenty years. Originally founded in 1991, the museum has gained international fame for helping spread the word about the music. The museum is open six days a week from March through December. The facility hosts interactive activities, a weekly jam session, and a yearly bluegrass festival. Bluegrass luminaries like Ricky Skaggs and Ralph Stanley helped raise funds to found the museum and regularly perform there.
Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Telluride, Colorado
This festival has been gracing the world with the sounds of bluegrass for over thirty-five years. First held in 1974, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival has grown to become an international event. The festival features bluegrass musicians and groups from around the world mingling with fans of all ages. Although bluegrass is the focus of the festival, there have been other types of music featured in recent years. The festival is held every year on the third weekend of June.
The Station Inn, Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville may not hold the record for all-inclusive resorts in the US, but there is at least one destination that every bluegrass fan should visit. It’s a local venue where Nashville bluegrass musicians and fans gather.
The Station Inn has hosted the best local, national, and international bluegrass acts since 1974. The venue opens at 7 pm with acts coming on stage at nine. The Station Inn is open seven days a week, providing food and drink to go along with the bluegrass music. Nashville has many spots dedicated to bluegrass, but The Station Inn is a venue that shouldn’t be missed.
American Banjo Museum, Oklahoma City, OK
Few interments are so associated with a specific form of music than the banjo. First created by slaves brought over from Africa, the banjo has been a part of American culture since before the revolution.
Many bluegrass musicians use the banjo in place of a drum, helping the other musicians keep rhythm. Founded in 1998, the American Banjo Museum mission is to preserve the vibrant history of the instrument. The museum hosts over three hundred banjos and dedicated exhibits charting the history of the instrument.
