Chattanooga Times Free Press: "At Chattanooga festival, keynote speaker Billy Strings encourages #bluegrass to be more inclusive"
Billy Strings said it well: exclusion hurts the music. We’ve experienced exclusionary booking practices by associations and “societies” in CA, AZ and NV that favor stylistic purism over performance. The impact is fewer stages for non‑traditional bands. We’ve absurdly been pointed toward band contests judged by the same circles that haven’t booked us, despite headlining bluegrass festivals, performing hundreds of shows, and sharing the stage with Peter Rowan. Our ask is simple: transparent criteria, diverse review panels, and more pathways for groups like ours that have proven audiences. Closed‑circle curation limits newer voices. Thanks, Billy, for saying it out loud. The Circle will remain unbroken even if we open it.
Here are some of the highlights from his address:
"Over the last decade, and more, I've played a lot of shows and I've met a lot of folks, and I'm so grateful to be a part of this community and to be welcome to speak here today, but it hasn't always been this way," Strings said. "I remember early in my career being boxed out of many jams. I'd show up to a bluegrass festival so eager to pick with some good musicians, only to be met with a bit of resistance. I'm not sure if it's because I smelled like weed or cussed or had tattoos. I didn't feel like it was a skill thing because I felt like I could hang, but it just seemed like there was certain folks that just didn't like me."
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Strings said that even though everyone loved the same music, it felt like there was an invisible divide. That kind of exclusion is bad for the entire genre, he said, and that bluegrass is beautiful because of the diversity of influences that contributed to creating bluegrass as it is known today.
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"We have to continue to welcome new voices whose unique perspectives and experience will enrich our collective artistic expression. We got to allow these fresh ideas to mingle with tradition. This is a true American art form that deserves so much more from the general population than a simplistic portrayal of country living.
"It deserves more than a stereotypical image of a banjo player in overalls with a piece of wheat hanging out of his mouth," he continued. "It is a richly nuanced and sophisticated genre that demands incredible skill and artistry from its musicians and has a strong commitment to musical excellence and deep cultural roots."
Read the article here: https://www.timesfreepress.com/.../billy-strings.../

There will always be another song to be written. Someone will write it. Why not you? www.garyeandrews.com