Lamont Pearley, of Bowling Green, Kentucky, received an Arnold Shultz Fund grant in 2023 to help purchase a banjo and take five months of banjo lessons with local banjo teacher Jordan Riehm. “We covered multiple ways to play ‘I’ll Fly Away,’ added more tunes to our regimen, and incorporated bluegrass music theory that assisted me in transferring my blues guitar experience to the bluegrass banjo style of play,” Lamont said. “My goal isn’t only for stage performance but to continue communal practice in the relevant spaces of blues, bluegrass, African American traditional expression, and diverse ..read more

The Neil Rosenberg Bluegrass Scholar Award annually recognizes the best bluegrass-related paper accepted by a juried academic conference during the previous year. Developing academic scholars eligible for this award include graduate students in MA or PhD programs and recent PhDs (within five years of degree completion). The award’s name honors Bluegrass Hall of Fame member Neil V. Rosenberg, PhD, a noted bluegrass author and historian.  The objective of this award is to grow the academic awareness of bluegrass music by encouraging developing academic scholars to present research of high q ..read more

The IBMA Foundation offers five different college scholarships. Students interested in applying for the 2024/25 school year are invited to fill out and submit their applications at the following links: Click HERE to apply for the Rick Lang Music Songwriter Scholarship. Click HERE to apply for the J. D. Crowe Banjo Scholarship, the Katy Daley Broadcast Media/Sound Engineering Scholarship, the Sally Ann Forrester Scholarship, and/or the IBMA Bluegrass College Scholarship. Scholarships offered: J. D. Crowe Banjo Scholarship ($1,000) *fall semester Katy Daley Broadcast Media/ Sound Engineerin ..read more

The IBMA Foundation’s 4th annual Strings for Dreams Bluegrass Raffle will kick off April 1, 2024. The prize is a 2011 Golden Era Deering banjo with a hardshell case and other accessories, valued at $4,000. Longtime IBMA Foundation supporter Casey Henry donated the banjo. Previously owned by Casey’s student Betty Fisher, the instrument is in very good condition and has a powerful tone. Tickets will be offered at $20 for one or $100 for six tickets. There is no limit to the number of chances each person may purchase. Raffle tickets are available at this link from April 1, 2024 (9 a.m. ET)&n ..read more

The IBMA Foundation has awarded a total of $19,650 for 16 Arnold Shultz Fund grants to programs and individuals in 12 states, Kenya, and Nepal. The Arnold Shultz Fund was established in 2020 to encourage participation in bluegrass music by people of color. “We’re proud to announce a continuing pattern of strong support for Arnold Shultz Fund grants in 2024,” said Dr. Richard Brown, co-chair of the Arnold Shultz Fund advisory committee along with Neil Rosenberg, Ph.D. “The Shultz Fund committee has awarded over $70,000 in grants since the program began in 2020, plus an additional $10,000 in eac ..read more

The winner of the Louvin Brothers-tribute cowboy boots designed by internationally renowned boot maker Lisa Sorrell of Guthrie, Oklahoma, was selected randomly by the RallyUp.com computer software program on March 1. The lucky recipient of this truly unique pair of boots is Kim Tilly, of Flemington, New Jersey. Tilly describes herself as “a fan of all genres of music,” and says she has been a fan of Sorrell Custom Boots for years. “I saw the post on their Facebook page for the raffle and decided to make my donation to the Foundation,” she said, “never ever expecting to be the winner of the ..read more

Are you thinking about taxes this time of year? If you are 70 ½ years of age or older, we thank you for considering a qualified charitable distribution (QCD) donation to the IBMA Foundation. The SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 includes some good news for individuals over age 70 ½ and the charities they choose to support. Specifically, there is an expansion of the rules for qualified charitable donations. A QCD is a direct transfer of funds from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) to a qualified charity. QCDs can be counted toward satisfying required minimum distributions (RMDs) for the year if certa ..read more

By Lani Way The California Bluegrass Association’s Bluegrass Bridge initiative began in the summer of 2021 as a way to expand delivery of CBA’s goal to reach more potential bluegrass fans. One such community is incarcerated individuals, and CBA was aware of other programs that brought various arts programs to prisons. So why not bluegrass?  To learn more, then Board Chairman Pete Ludé contacted nonprofit organizations that have successfully launched projects relating to music in prisons, including Jail Guitar Doors, a well-established group providing guitar instruction to incarcerated fol ..read more

By Tom McNally, treasurer & Tim Gundlach, president, RVA Bluegrass Jam, Inc. The 2023 RVA Bluegrass Jam was a great success.  The funds received from the IBMA Foundation were vital, as our outdoor music event was faced with significant storms.  A few days prior to the event, the board made the call to add a permanent large tent, which was a significant unplanned expense.  We knew the tent would ensure a safe, dry place for bands and the audience.  With the help of the IBMA Foundation and corporate sponsors, we were able to afford the tent and still provide meaningful do ..read more

By: Belle Mickelson Dancing with the Spirit connects Alaskan youth and elders through school music camps as a way to bring joy, happiness and hope to villages; encourage healthy living; and prevent suicide, alcoholism and drug abuse. We teach guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bass, singing, dancing and culture in week-long trips to remote Native villages with primarily Native staff. Over the past 17 years, we have traveled to 56 villages, most of them many times. We use a color-coded system so that, by the end of the week, students are able to sing and play for a community concert and dance. During t ..read more