Acquisitions Update
by Forrest Roberts
Ronald Stuckey
Ronald Stuckey is a retired professor of botany from Ohio State University. In addition to aquatic and wetlands plants, Dr. Stuckey loves bluegrass music and for years photographed his favorite artists at bluegrass festivals and concerts. He then exchanged his photographs for the artists’ CDs and tapes. Dr. Stuckey also collected programs, articles, flyers and other bluegrass memorabilia. Dr. Stuckey made his first donation to the International Bluegrass Music Museum in 1995 with the donation of a 1947 souvenir program from the Grand Old Opry. In 2009 Stuckey donated the rest of his collection which included hundreds of photographs, tapes, CDs and other items.
Benny Cain
Benny Cain and his wife, Vallie, for many years performed as a bluegrass duet in the Washington, D.C., area. In his later years Mr. Cain gave much of his professional memorabilia to his friend and fellow musician, Andrew Acosta. In 2009 Mr. Acosta donated this collection to the IBMM. The collection includes sheet music, song books, tapes of live performances, historic photographs, music publications and much more.
Henry “Red” Horrocks
Longtime Museum supporter Henry “Red” Horrocks has made several donations of bluegrass memorabilia over the years. His latest donation includes bluegrass related books; discographies; song and photo souvenir albums; newsletters and journals; autographed photographs, vintage albums and other miscellaneous items.
Owen Lawson
Owens Lawson owns an antique store in Owensboro. He had collected historic photographs and newspaper clippings, vintage song books, song folios, magazines and souvenir booklets with the intent to sell them. When it was suggested that such a unique and valuable collection should be donated to the Museum, he readily agreed.
Don Sherburne
Don Sherburne has been sending portions of his extensive record collection to the Museum for years. His most recent shipment included a gift of 62 vintage albums, including 10 of Bill Monroe’s releases.
The IBMM appreciates very much all the donations it receives and thanks all donors, both those appearing above and others, not mentioned here, who will be highlighted in future blogs.
Showing posts with label Bill Monroe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bill Monroe. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Blue Grass Boys Reunion!
The International Bluegrass Music Museum will host a gathering of all living Blue Grass Boys who played with Bill Monroe as part of the Pioneers of Bluegrass Reunion held during its River of Music Party (ROMP) in June.
This will be the third annual reunion event, but the first to include a Blue Grass Boys gathering. To date, more than 60 “pioneers”—those musicians who were working in bluegrass before 1960—have attended the event. ROMP 2010 is scheduled for June 24-26, and museum director Gabrielle Gray says she hopes to attract as many of the 90 or so living Blue Grass Boys to the event as possible.
The Museum will also be making a documentary of the gathering, to supplement its Video Oral History Project that has recorded 175 interviews with bluegrass pioneers. In addition to the reunion events and main stage concert, ROMP features a Pioneers Recognition Ceremony, the Legends Supper, the IBMA Bluegrass Hall of Fame unveiling, a film festival and more.
For information on the reunion, call the museum at 888-MY BANJO or e-mail Gray at gabrielle@bluegrassmuseum.org.
This will be the third annual reunion event, but the first to include a Blue Grass Boys gathering. To date, more than 60 “pioneers”—those musicians who were working in bluegrass before 1960—have attended the event. ROMP 2010 is scheduled for June 24-26, and museum director Gabrielle Gray says she hopes to attract as many of the 90 or so living Blue Grass Boys to the event as possible.
The Museum will also be making a documentary of the gathering, to supplement its Video Oral History Project that has recorded 175 interviews with bluegrass pioneers. In addition to the reunion events and main stage concert, ROMP features a Pioneers Recognition Ceremony, the Legends Supper, the IBMA Bluegrass Hall of Fame unveiling, a film festival and more.
For information on the reunion, call the museum at 888-MY BANJO or e-mail Gray at gabrielle@bluegrassmuseum.org.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Museum-sponsored musical on Kentucky Educational Television
Lincoln in the Land of Bluegrass, an ambitious stage musical produced by the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro has been scheduled to air on Kentucky Educational Television during the first week of November.
The production, which presents stories from Abraham Lincoln’s life set to bluegrass music, was directed by Dr. Teresa Wills and features hundreds of area elementary schoolchildren in acting, singing and dancing roles. The students, from Newton Parrish, Country Heights, Catholic 4-6 Campus, and Foust wrote melodies, lyrics and performed the songs they had penned. Lincoln is part of the larger IBMM ‘Bluegrass in the Schools’ (BITS) program.
The Lincoln musical was the brainchild of area mail carrier Rick Miller, who had researched and written the dialogue, as well as words to half of the songs, before pitching the idea to IBMM Director Gabrielle Gray. Miller and Gray enlisted the assistance of BITS volunteer Randy Lanham to compose music for Miller’s songs and to tutor the student actors and musicians in the art of traditional bluegrass songwriting.
Lanham then coordinated with the elementary school teachers who coached their students through the final production. Dance sequences were choreographed by Barry Lanham of the dance troupe Foot Stompin’ Express, which also performed in Lincoln. Students from Foust Elementary choreographed their own dance steps for the original song they had written for the musical.
In her role as producer of the event, Gray, emphasizes that the success of Lincoln in the Land of Bluegrass underscores the importance of educational programs to the IBMM mission. “As our board and staff go steadfastly about the business of nurturing, sponsoring and growing bluegrass from our youth up, it is wonderful to get to see the results of our efforts not only appreciated but ‘limelighted’ by others,” she says.
Educational programs at the IBMM are made possible through donations, grants and sponsorship by various individuals and organizations, including the Michael E. Horn Family Foundation, Kentucky Arts Council, Lester E. Yeager Charitable Trust and D'Addario Foundation for the Performing Arts. The museum plans to mount a similar musical production on the life of Bill Monroe, to be performed at their Centennial Celebration of his birth on Sept 13, 2011.
Lincoln in the Land of Bluegrass airs on Kentucky Educational Television:
Tuesday, November 3, 8:00 p.m. CST
Wednesday, November 4, 12:00 a.m. CST
Wednesday, November 4, 12:00 p.m. CST
Friday, November 6, 11:00 p.m. CST
Saturday, November 7, 1:00 a.m. CST
The production, which presents stories from Abraham Lincoln’s life set to bluegrass music, was directed by Dr. Teresa Wills and features hundreds of area elementary schoolchildren in acting, singing and dancing roles. The students, from Newton Parrish, Country Heights, Catholic 4-6 Campus, and Foust wrote melodies, lyrics and performed the songs they had penned. Lincoln is part of the larger IBMM ‘Bluegrass in the Schools’ (BITS) program.
The Lincoln musical was the brainchild of area mail carrier Rick Miller, who had researched and written the dialogue, as well as words to half of the songs, before pitching the idea to IBMM Director Gabrielle Gray. Miller and Gray enlisted the assistance of BITS volunteer Randy Lanham to compose music for Miller’s songs and to tutor the student actors and musicians in the art of traditional bluegrass songwriting.
Lanham then coordinated with the elementary school teachers who coached their students through the final production. Dance sequences were choreographed by Barry Lanham of the dance troupe Foot Stompin’ Express, which also performed in Lincoln. Students from Foust Elementary choreographed their own dance steps for the original song they had written for the musical.
In her role as producer of the event, Gray, emphasizes that the success of Lincoln in the Land of Bluegrass underscores the importance of educational programs to the IBMM mission. “As our board and staff go steadfastly about the business of nurturing, sponsoring and growing bluegrass from our youth up, it is wonderful to get to see the results of our efforts not only appreciated but ‘limelighted’ by others,” she says.
Educational programs at the IBMM are made possible through donations, grants and sponsorship by various individuals and organizations, including the Michael E. Horn Family Foundation, Kentucky Arts Council, Lester E. Yeager Charitable Trust and D'Addario Foundation for the Performing Arts. The museum plans to mount a similar musical production on the life of Bill Monroe, to be performed at their Centennial Celebration of his birth on Sept 13, 2011.
Lincoln in the Land of Bluegrass airs on Kentucky Educational Television:
Tuesday, November 3, 8:00 p.m. CST
Wednesday, November 4, 12:00 a.m. CST
Wednesday, November 4, 12:00 p.m. CST
Friday, November 6, 11:00 p.m. CST
Saturday, November 7, 1:00 a.m. CST
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Monroe-Style Mandolin Camp preserves bluegrass history
The International Bluegrass Music Museum established the Monroe-Style Mandolin Camp in an effort to preserve the unique, historic performance art of Bill Monroe, “The Father of Bluegrass," by teaching his style of mandolin playing and songwriting to a new generation of players. A faculty consisting of some of the greatest ambassadors of Monroe-style mandolin are assembled each fall to examine issues related to the development and execution of Monroe's mandolin style. The fourth annual camp was held in September 2009, welcoming 45 participants and 12 guests to the program held at the Museum. All of the campers, including four or five who are repeat students, became Museum members.
As arguably the most well-respected purveyor of Monroe’s style, it was no surprise that the Museum tapped Mike Compton to head the mandolin camp. “The primary goal of the Monroe Mandolin Camp is to preserve and further the mandolin art of Bill Monroe,” he says. “In order to achieve this goal, we have sought the most accomplished and knowledgeable practitioners of the art from coast to coast, most of whom have highly respected musical careers of their own.”
The Camp was a great success this year, Mike says. “Rave revues from this year's student body, as well as comments from the instructor staff, confirmed the progress we have made in focusing the curriculum. There were a number of students who made this year's event their fourth in a row and there is every indication that many of them will be returning next year,” he says.
“The classes were designed to offer something of value to all skill levels. Pertinent subject matter was presented using lectures, sheet music in standard notation/tab, audio samples and ‘call-and-response.’ There were also short individual sessions that offered the students a chance to address questions ‘knee-to-knee.’” Looking forward to next year, Mike plans to incorporate more multimedia to enhance the experience, as well as appeal to those with more visual learning styles. “Hopefully, we will be able to include some of the video footage available on Monroe's various bands as another angle to convey the information.”
Together with knowledgeable instructors and a strong curriculum, campers delve deeper into the Monroe sound, as well as partake in a healthy dose of jamming each night. Jamming is vital to any good camp camp, according to Compton, because “the music is the vehicle towards an end.” And the nightly jam circle means just as much to the instructors as to the campers, he says. “It is pure joy, sometimes even ecstasy, to be able to play Bill's tunes with other people that love the form as much as I do. It's just being able to interact and make the sound, to find other people who share a common interest.”
As arguably the most well-respected purveyor of Monroe’s style, it was no surprise that the Museum tapped Mike Compton to head the mandolin camp. “The primary goal of the Monroe Mandolin Camp is to preserve and further the mandolin art of Bill Monroe,” he says. “In order to achieve this goal, we have sought the most accomplished and knowledgeable practitioners of the art from coast to coast, most of whom have highly respected musical careers of their own.”
The Camp was a great success this year, Mike says. “Rave revues from this year's student body, as well as comments from the instructor staff, confirmed the progress we have made in focusing the curriculum. There were a number of students who made this year's event their fourth in a row and there is every indication that many of them will be returning next year,” he says.
“The classes were designed to offer something of value to all skill levels. Pertinent subject matter was presented using lectures, sheet music in standard notation/tab, audio samples and ‘call-and-response.’ There were also short individual sessions that offered the students a chance to address questions ‘knee-to-knee.’” Looking forward to next year, Mike plans to incorporate more multimedia to enhance the experience, as well as appeal to those with more visual learning styles. “Hopefully, we will be able to include some of the video footage available on Monroe's various bands as another angle to convey the information.”
Together with knowledgeable instructors and a strong curriculum, campers delve deeper into the Monroe sound, as well as partake in a healthy dose of jamming each night. Jamming is vital to any good camp camp, according to Compton, because “the music is the vehicle towards an end.” And the nightly jam circle means just as much to the instructors as to the campers, he says. “It is pure joy, sometimes even ecstasy, to be able to play Bill's tunes with other people that love the form as much as I do. It's just being able to interact and make the sound, to find other people who share a common interest.”
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