News/Thoughts

Monthly Archives: November 2016

The Coteries; Livin’ The Dream

By Greg Tutwiler – Festivals, carnivals, county fairs, and outdoor gatherings have always been one of this country’s ways of relaxing and getting away from the routines of life. In recent years, for various reasons, there has been an increase in music festivals. Used to be, there was a good chance you’d have to travel several hours to find a ...

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Holly Norman

Americana Music Profile – Nashville, TN based singer Holly Norman’s newest CD, Taking Care Of Bluegrass, is a tribute to one of the world’s favorite, iconic singers, Elvis Presley. Her first single, “Moody Blue,” a tasteful interpretation of one of Elvis’s last hits, is already gaining national attention. Holly grew up in East Tennessee, just outside of Knoxville in a ...

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Recipe For A Song

By Donna Ulisse – My taste buds are gearing up for my favorite time of year! Holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas are guaranteed to tempt my appetite with all of the most delicious, hearty, fattening foods. I will not be able to help myself. I am bound by some code knitted into my DNA to consume the scrumptious holiday fare ...

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Annie Savage

Americana Music Profile – Violinist, Annie Savage grew up learning to play via the Suzuki method from the age of two. By age 10 she was jamming in bluegrass circles in southeastern Iowa, and Missouri. She went on to attend the Interlochen Arts Academy and eventually pursue an active classical music career on the east coast. After years of recitals, ...

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Americana Outsells Country Music

For several years now, dissatisfaction has been growing over the musical direction the genre’ called country music has been taking. To many of us baby boomers, what is now called country music sounds quite similar to the 70s AM rock music we grew up with. It’s certainly traveled far from George Jones, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard. While the younger ...

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Michael And Jennifer McLain Band

Americana Music Profile – Husband and wife, Michael and Jennifer McLain, have performed in 27 states from New York to California. They’ve appeared on the Grand Ole Opry, Kentucky Educational Television, Iowa Public Television, The Nashville Network, Country Music Television, RFD Television, National Public Radio, and the PBS show, Song of the Mountains. Michael and Jennifer both grew up in ...

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Robert Mabe

Americana Music Profile – After relocating to West Virginia in 2006, Robert Mabe (Banjo) joined the bluegrass band, Drymill Road, in 2010. There, along with band members Sean Loomis (Guitar), Doug Ross (Mandolin), and David Hurt (Bass), they became an international touring band, mixing old and new sounds with surprising twists and turns of musicality and phrasing. They’ve performed at ...

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Road Trip

By Greg Tutwiler – There’s nothing more intriguing to me than to watch musicians investing themselves into their craft. It’s one of my fondest memories, as a young kid, to have been able to play music in a high school and college rock band. We were never that great or terribly successful, but we were living the dream just the ...

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Eddy Mann

ReverbNation Feature – The Eddy Mann today wasn’t always so secure in who he was. “I was brought up in a faithful home,” he recalls, “but I wandered as young people tend to do, just trying to find my way. It was during that time of searching that I looked in the wrong places for direction, for purpose and for ...

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About That Banjo

By Edward Tutwiler – All God’s creations have voice. The mountain speaks in silent grander, the flower in radiant beauty, and folks sing and shout. Stringed musical instruments have voice as well. The fiddle cries, the mandolin rings, and the guitar hums with soul. But the banjo, oh the banjo—he is so filled with joy he can’t help but laugh. ...

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