Official Showcases are considered the prime platform for introducing talent and new music to the bluegrass community during the genre’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. Selected for official showcases during the IBMA Bluegrass Ramble at six venues throughout downtown Raleigh are Carley Arrowood, Breakin’ Strings, Cedar Hill, Chicken Wire Empire, Kristy Cox, Crying Uncle Bluegrass Band, Damn Tall Buildings, Echo Valley, Rick Faris, The Foreign Landers, Frog Holler, Full Cord, Hayde Bluegrass Orchestra, Jig Jam, The Kody Norris Show, Jake Leg, Lonesome Ace Stringband, Lover’s Leap, Mile Twelve, Missy Raines & Allegheny, My Brother’s Keeper, Nefesh Mountain, Nick Chandler & Delivered, Nick Dumas & Branchline, Caroline Owens, Clint Roberts, The Slocan Ramblers, Songs From The Road Band, Williamson Branch, and Zoe & Cloyd.

They were chosen through a juried selection process that took into consideration the applicant’s entertainment value, level of professionalism, potential appeal, quality of work, and potential to benefit from the opportunity. Selected Official Showcase acts will have at least two performance opportunities — typically once during the IBMA Business Conference and a longer set at an IBMA Bluegrass Ramble venue. They also will receive full conference registration, complimentary exhibit hall booth space during the business conference, up to three individual IBMA memberships, and various pre-event promotional opportunities.

Ten talented songwriters/songwriting teams will perform their songs during the IBMA Songwriter Showcase at the Raleigh Convention Center on Thursday afternoon, September 29. This showcase is part of the songwriter track during the annual IBMA Business Conference, September 27-29. Songwriters selected for this coveted opportunity include Aaron Bibelhause (“Long Hill to Climb”], Valerie Smith & Ashley Lewis (“A Dollar Looked Mighty Good”), Ashlee Watkins & Andrew Small (“Finish What You Started”), Carley Arrowood (“Moondancer”), Timothy Scott Williams & Sarah Williams (“Big Table”), Michelle Rivers (“Gone”), Theo MacMillan (“Getting Over”), Lizzy Ross of Violet Bell (I Can’t Say Nothing”), J.M. Clifford (“Slow Rolling Train”), and Buddy Guido & Paul Kelly (“John Dear”).

These songwriters were chosen through a juried selection process based on the applicants’ quality of work and appeal to bluegrass audiences. Songwriters could submit one song per entry and were limited to two entries. Besides showcasing, these songwriters and others participating in the conference’s songwriter track will be provided with resources to help cultivate their craft, develop solid business practices, network, engage in one-on-one mentoring sessions, and pitch material to bluegrass artists and producers.

A Bit About IBMA Word of Bluegrass and the Organization Behind It

The IBMA’s annual World of Bluegrass week has taken place in Raleigh since 2013 – apart from 2020 when the trade and professional association for the global bluegrass community shifted to online presentation of its professional development seminars, artist showcases and awards. In addition to Bluegrass Ramble official showcases and the IBMA Songwriter Showcase, IBMA’s World of Bluegrass generally features a wide array of professional development seminars, meetings and forums; sponsored artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions, plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities; the International Bluegrass Music Awards Show; and the IBMA Bluegrass Live! festival.

Registration is now open to attend the 2022 World of Bluegrass conference, while tickets are available for the IBMA Awards Show on September 29 and ticketed Bluegrass Live! festival performances over the weekend at the Red Hat Ampitheater. A two-day free street festival, September 30-October 1, marks the culmination of IBMA World of Bluegrass and draws throngs of music lovers to downtown Raleigh to enjoy more than 100 acts on different stages set up along Fayetteville Street — from the state capitol to the Duke Performing Arts Center. The StreetFest also includes an arts market, exhibit hall, master workshops, youth performances, food and beverage vendors, and more. The NC Whole Hog Barbecue Championship also takes place downtown that weekend.

IBMA (ibma.org) seeks to facilitate the growth and development of the bluegrass community – for professionals and enthusiasts who share a passion for the music. More information about IBMA’s World of Bluegrass will be posted on AcousticMusicScene.com in coming months and may also be found on WorldofBluegrass.org.

Considered the genre’s annual industry gathering and family reunion., IBMA’s annual World of Bluegrass week has taken place in Raleigh since 2013. It generally features a wide array of professional development seminars, meetings and forums; sponsored artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions; plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities; the International Bluegrass Music Awards Show, and the Wide Open Bluegrass festival – a two-day event that includes more than 100 free live musical performances on eight stages plus a dance tent, along with arts & crafts and food vendors galore. According to the IBMA, 2019’s World of Bluegrass and Wide Open Bluegrass festival collectively drew more than 218,000 attendees.

Concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the trade and professional association for the global bluegrass community to shift to online presentation of its professional development seminars, artist showcases and awards last fall.

“We’ve heard from many of our members in the past few months, and we share the strong desire to gather in person in Raleigh this year; we wish it were a straightforward decision based on that alone,” said Paul Schiminger, IBMA’s executive director. “We remain optimistic but also have to consider CDC, state, and local guidelines to hold an event like ours. We have a strong partnership with the City of Raleigh, and they want to hold the event every bit as much as we do since it benefits both of our communities enormously.”

In an e-newsletter distributed March 19, the IBMA acknowledged: “While progress is being made with vaccinations and the number of new cases continues to decline, it is still too early to confirm the extent of in-person events. We continue to monitor CDC, state, and local guidelines and recommendations while modeling a variety of scenarios that will best create a safe, worthwhile, and fun IBMA World of Bluegrass experience for all.”

Along with peers from other music organizations, Schiminger took part in a panel discussion on ‘Steering the Ship: New Horizons’ during last month’s Folk Unlocked virtual Folk Alliance International Conference. He reflected on the actions that IBMA felt compelled to take last year in light of the pandemic. “In April,… We held onto the hope that things could open back up in September,” he acknowledged. “By May-June, we came to the realization that we came to the realization that we could not hold the event live, but our community needed it somehow … Just like other organizations, we had to figure it out. Our community was just starved for music.”

Feeling the need to continue to serve both its community and its mission amid financial uncertainties and not sure if folks would dial-in virtually and embrace it, IBMA pivoted towards a multi-day virtual event featuring a mix of pre-recorded and live content last September.

Although not yet certain to what extent this year’s hybrid model may include live, in-person elements as well, and what capacity limits might be at that time, IBMA plans to announce plans for the events later this spring and to open ticket sales and hotel blocks on June 1. The organization has already revealed some upcoming application dates. These include: Official IBMA Artist Showcase (April 5-April 30), IBMA Songwriter Showcase (May 3-28), IBMA Business Conference Call for Proposals (May 3-28), IBMA Bluegrass Live! Street Stages, Youth Stage, University Ensemble Showcase (June 7-30), and Kids on Bluegrass (June 7-June 30).

IBMA (https://ibma.org) seeks to facilitate the growth and development of the bluegrass community – for professionals and enthusiasts who share a passion for the music. More information about IBMA’s World of Bluegrass will be posted on AcousticMusicScene.com as it becomes available and may also be found on https://WorldofBluegrass.org.

Invites to participate as official showcase artists during the Bluegrass Ramble at various music venues in downtown Raleigh, as well as two stages in the Raleigh Convention Center, will be extended to up to 30 acts. Artists/bands will be chosen through a juried selection process that takes into consideration the applicant’s entertainment value, level of professionalism, potential appeal, quality of work, and potential to benefit from the opportunity, according to the IBMA’s World of Bluegrass website.

Selected Official Showcase acts will have at least two performance opportunities — a 25-minute set during the IBMA Business Conference and a 45-minute set at an IBMA Bluegrass Ramble venue. They also will receive full conference registration, complimentary exhibit hall booth space during the business conference, up to three individual IBMA memberships, and various promotional opportunities.

Online applications and additional information may be found at https://worldofbluegrass.org/participate/apply-official-showcase/. All applicants will be notified via email by April 15 as to whether they were selected for an official showcase, an alternate slot, or not. There is a $25 application fee, while selected artists also will be assessed a $500 fee to offset costs of services and showcase production.

World of Bluegrass also features a wide array of professional development seminars, meetings and forums; sponsored artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions; plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities; the International Bluegrass Music Awards Show, and the Wide Open Bluegrass festival – a two-day event that includes more than 100 free live musical performances on eight stages plus a dance tent, along with arts & crafts and food vendors galore. According to the IBMA, last year’s World of Bluegrass and Wide Open Bluegrass festival collectively drew more than 218,000 attendees.

IBMA (https://ibma.org) seeks to facilitate the growth and development of the bluegrass community – for professionals and enthusiasts who share a passion for the music.