The Walnut Valley Association congratulates this 
2017 Bluegrass Banjo Champion
1st Place – Kyle Tuttle from Nashville, TN
2017 National Flat Pick Guitar Champion
1st Place – Andy Hatfield from Peoria, IL
2017 Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Champion
1st Place – Tyler Andal from Nashville, TN
2017 National Mandolin Champion
1st Place Winner: Isaac Eicher from Nashville, TN
Held annually each year on the 3rd weekend in September, the Walnut Valley Festival is the home of the International Autoharp Championship, the International Fingerstyle Guitar, the National Mountain Dulcimer, the National Flat Pick Guitar Championship, the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship and the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship.
Other contests held at the Walnut Valley Festival are the National Mandolin Championship and the Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle.
....AND THE WINNERS ARE . . .
The 2014 Monroe-Style Mandolin Camp with Mike Compton as director will be held September 4-7, 2014 at Camp Marymount, 1318 Fairview Blvd. in Nashville, TN.
In prior years the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, KY had hosted the only major camp dedicated solely to the mandolin styles of Bill Monroe.
One of the benchmarks of an artist's success is when a musical instrument manufacturer decides the artist has enough popularity that their signature on an instrument will be a sought after commodity.
Darrell Webb announced on Friday this week that Hook Mandolins, handmade by Chris Shelton, will be licensed to manufacture and sell the Darrel Webb Signature F-Style mandolin.
ArtistWorks and Mandolin Cafe Present
“Banjo Meets Mandolin,”
A Free Live Online Workshop with Banjo Boss Tony Trischka and Mandolin Maestro Mike Marshall
Hangout with two legends of bluegrass and beyond as they play, teach and answer questions about what happens when banjo meets mandolin!
On the 186th anniversary of the death of Ludwig Van Beethoven, we’ve discovered that there may just be some cause for the bluegrass world to stop and remember the famous composer.
According to C. J. Anderson who posted a comment on a social media site, Ol’ Luddy’s . . .“Sonnata in C Major for Mandolin is actually a hornpipe and probably the first bluegrass mandolin tune predating Bill Monroe by 150 years.”
Happy (belated) 83rd Birthday to Bluegrass Hall of Famer Jesse McReynolds (July 9).
Here he is with fellow Hall of Famer and old friend, Curly Seckler, at a birthday party held at the Pick Inn, in Gallatin, Tenn.
Jesse McReynolds, along with his late brother Jim McReynolds, formed the bluegrass band Jim and Jesse in approximately 1947. In 2002, both brothers were diagnosed with different types of cancer. Jesse's battle was successful, but Jim's was not. He died in 2002, ending the longest active professional brother duet in country music history - 55 years.
CHECK OUT SAM BUSH - "FRESHMAN" SENIOR
The legendary Sam Bush recently celebrated his 60th birthday. With his innovative, virtuosic style and youthful energy, it's hard to believe he is 60 years old!
To celebrate entering what he is calling his "Freshman" Senior years, Sam is sharing his sexagesimal adventure by recording new webisodes on Sam Bush TV (Watch them HERE).
This month Sam shares three new episodes of SBTV where he embarks on his first "Freshman" Senior discount shopping day at the Kroger in Bellevue, Tennessee!
Yes indeed! Frank makes the cover of Mandolin Magazine.
There’s a very detailed interview and the tune “Dirty Kitchen” is transcribed into tab and notation for easy learning.
ORDER a copy today!
Joliet, Ill. — Hoffee, makers of instrument cases manufactured in the U.S. have announced the newest addition to their case line, their teardrop shaped Carbon Fiber Mandolin Case.
Asked to comment on the new case, company founder Jeff Hoffee said, "The case is teardrop shaped of course which allows us to fit the case for model F or A mandolins as well as most contemporary instruments.”
Pete (“Dr Banjo”) Wernick's latest project, Wernick Method Jam Classes, got off to a strong start in 2011. By year’s end, the 500th student registration was received, with 38 classes completed. Emailed student evaluations for all classes showed highly positive ratings for "fun", "learning" and "worth the money" -- all Wernick Method goals.
"This year we established the method and our procedures, creating the structure as we went along," says Pete. "A lot is in place now, with classes in over 20 states, and we're ready to grow another step by involving more teachers."
20-year old mandolin virtuoso and Rounder recording artist Sierra Hull will be performing with label mates Alison Krauss and Dan Tyminski as part of “Country Music: In Performance at the White House” – a PBS music special in the East Room of the White House. 
Monroe. Play Like a Legend: Bill Monroe Tunes and Songs for the Mandolin was written by South Plains College (Levelland, Texas) music professor Joe Carr.
His Grandfather Elzie Davis played the fiddle, his Father Danny Lee Davis plays the banjo and sings and traveled with Ralph Stanley playing bass and singing harmony. His brother Wes Davis played the guitar and sang as well.
Level: Beginner
...Chet Akins says Skaggs “single-handidly” saved country music. The singer is too humble to agree with that, but it’s true he picked up where bluegrass pioneer and mentor Bill Monroe left off...
Ricky Skaggs was seen as a rebel for switching from country music to bluegrass in the mid-’90s. In reality, he’s a picker at heart, and according to the Taste Of Country Magazine, country fans were lucky to have him on the radio during his run of No. 1 hits and country music awards.
It also is available as an eBook for Kindle, IPhone, Blackberry, iPad or Android. It has been made available to loan and voice activated so you can listen to it as you walk or drive. 
