I'm not going to make any friends in the Canadian bluegrass community with these comments but they're worth saying nonetheless.
Canadian bluegrass music is performed, promoted and supported by a small group of aficionados, existing on the fringes of pop culture. It's been like this for all of the 35 years I've been involved as a bluegrass musician, promoter and manager. I doubt it will change any time soon.
The members of this small group bemoan the poor coverage and lack of respect their beloved music receives in the entertainment industry and society at large. They've been bemoaning for ever and I'm certain this will not change any time soon. The fact is, it's a fringe music played to devotees who are drawn to it in some cases for the music but often for the lifestyle. It's a peer driven life with a strong social component. The fans like motor homes and blue jeans. They likely support the Canadian military and seldom question the status quo. Some are devout Christians (more prevalent in the U.S.). Many of them are hobbyist guitarists, banjoists etc.
In recent years, the music has become more mainstream than it's ever been before thanks to Oh Brother Where Art Thou, Alison Krauss and lately, Steve Martin.
I learned many years ago that in the entertainment industry, PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING. If it's a play, the set is as important as the script. If it's music, the sound system and staging are as important as the hot tunes and fancy licks.
This is where bluegrass music falls off the wagon, at least in Canada.
I attended the American bluegrass music convention a few weeks ago and witnessed a few thousand fans and music professionals honour their own. It's a relatively well-to-do group so the venue in Nashville was excellent, the production and presentation of all of the music was first class and the music itself was simply the best bluegrass music in the world. For American bluegrassers, the music is their life. Many of the bands make their living exclusively playing bluegrass music.
Yesterday, I drove to Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville to visit the Canadian Bluegrass Music Convention and witnessed first hand why bluegrass will remain an insignificant style of music in this country. For Canadians, it's a hobby. It's virtually impossible for a band to make a living playing bluegrass in Canada. I did it with Whiskey Jack over 30 years ago but times were different then. There are Canadian bluegrass players who live the music as they do in the U.S. Their kids are brought up with mandolins and banjos in their hands and they become amazing players. But, it's not their life.
This doesn't mean the festivals couldn't be better attended or that there couldn't be more successful bluegrass concerts. The music could indeed appeal to a much larger audience than the select few who presently support it.
But, this will not happen as long as it's presented in an amateur way like it was in Huntsville yesterday. The fans today are much more sophisticated and are accustomed to PA systems that sound like their iPod in the car. Anything less is unappealing.
I watched a guitar workshop hosted by one of the best bluegrass guitar players anywhere, Marc Roy. The location and sound system provided to him was embarrassingly bad. Being the pro that he is, he made the best of it.
This was followed by the banjo workshop and again, the players hositng this event did the best they could under trying circumstances. Larry Miller and David Jack are two great Canadian banjo players but I simply couldn't watch them struggling with the situation. The PA was excruciatingly bad - their excellent banjos sounded like nails scratching on a sheet of glass.
The sound on the main stage was no better. Visually, the staging was excellent but again, the PA was brutal. The booming guitar noise was unbearable. The bands I watched were likely pretty good. They would have sounded much better with no sound system at all.
Given the PA technology available to us today, there's no excuse for this. It makes me sad to say this. I love this music.
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