Leadership Bluegrass 2014 Class Roster Announced

The International Bluegrass Music Association announces the Leadership Bluegrass class of 2014.

Leadership Bluegrass is an intensive, three-day program focused on interactive learning and networking experiences that invite participants to examine the challenges and opportunities facing the bluegrass music industry, along with leadership development issues.

Each year participants, who are invited through a selective application process, represent a cross section of current and future leaders from various aspects of the industry, coming from various regions of the U.S. and the world.

Congratulations to the following new class members: 

• Alane Anno, Alane Anno Photography (Hendersonville, TN)
• Richard Bicknell, Bluegrass Music Association of Maine (Windham, ME)
• Sherrill Blackman, the sdb music group (Nashville, TN)
• Seamus Brady, G7th Ltd (Peterborough, UK)
• Lizard Thom Case, Bobby’s Idle Hour/ Songwriter (Nashville, TN)
• Taylor Coughlin, IBMA (Nashville, TN)
• Jamie Deering, Deering Banjos (Spring Valley, CA)
• Mark Dillon, University of North Carolina Greensboro (Randleman, NC)
• Pam Gadd, Songwriter & Musician (Nashville, TN)
• John Curtis Goad, East Tennessee State University/ Bluegrass Today (Rogersville, TN)
• Pattie Hopkins, Kickin Grass (Winterville, NC)
• Nate Lee, Chuck Lee Banjo Company/ Alan Munde Gazette (Nashville, TN)
• Ted Lehmann, Ted Lehmann’s Bluegrass, Books & Brainstorms (Keene, NH)
• Chris Luquette, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen (Alexandria, VA)
• Cameron Matthews, AOL Music/ The Bluegrass Situation (Astoria, NY)
• Patrick McAvinue, Audie Blaylock & Redline (Parkton, MD)
• Matt Merta, Songwriter/Artist/Manager/Freelance Writer (Dearborn, MI)
• Daniel Perry, Belmont University (Nashville, TN ), Student Monitor
• Claire Ratliff, Laughing Penguin Publicity (Nashville, TN)
• Cass B. Scripps, Agency for the Performing Arts/APA (Nashville, TN)
• Matthew Slocum, DC Bluegrass Union (Falls Church, VA)
• Amanda Smith, Kenny & Amanda Smith (Lebanon, TN)
• Anna Sommerville, Northern Bluegrass Circle Music Society (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
• Rick Sparks, Northern Nevada Bluegrass Association (Reno, NV)
• Ashlee Jean Trott, Music City Roots (Nashville, TN)
• Vickie Vaughn, Vickie Vaughn Band (Nashville, TN)

This will be the 15^th year of Leadership Bluegrass, which now boasts over 350 alumni.

Leadership Bluegrass 2014 will be hosted at BMI and Bone McAllester Norton PLLC in Nashville, Tennessee March 20-22.  Trisha Tubbs will return as facilitator.

The Leadership Bluegrass planning committee this year includes Alan Tompkins (Chair), Louis Meyers (vice-chair), Joan Kornblith, Jean Spivey, Emilee Warner, Ben Surratt, Nolan Lawrence, Trisha Tubbs (facilitator), and Nancy Cardwell (staff liaison).

For information on the Leadership Bluegrass program, contact Nancy Cardwell at (615) 256-3222 or nancyc@ibma.org.