Bluegrass: it’s friendly and it’s fun.
For nearly 50 years, the CTBA has been fostering musicianship, human connection, and good times in Central Texas—one jam, one event, and one concert at a time. CTBA membership is how it happens.
The CTBA is the hub for Bluegrass in Central Texas
New picker in town, or just visiting? We’ll help you find your people. Looking for a show? Our calendar and seasonal guides offer the most comprehensive listings in the region. Want to learn an instrument? We give scholarships to young students, and we connect community members with talented local instructors. And if your wedding, bar gig, or other event calls for bluegrass—let’s be real, it definitely does—we send every one of those requests straight to our member-bands.
Most importantly, on pretty much every Sunday since the CTBA was founded in 1978, we’ve hosted jams where players of all skill levels gather to play the music they love. We host a jam for beginners only, too, so there’s always a place to begin, no matter where you’re starting from. Making music with friends is the core of bluegrass and of the CTBA.
None of it runs on its own
There’s no sponsor behind our Sunday jam. No corporate money funding the scholarship that sends a young picker to their first camp. There’s just us: a few hundred people in Central Texas who decided this music is worth supporting, and who put a little money and time behind that decision. Your membership is what pays for all of it. Become a member today.
Where your dues go
- Bluegrass jams that are free, accessible, and open to everyone. The CTBA Sunday Bluegrass Jam, a 2026 Austin Chronicle Best of Austin Critics Pick, is free for pickers and listeners alike. The CTBA Beginner-Intermediate Jam at Wildwood Terrace is free too. It’s a low-pressure opportunity for newer players to find their footing. Your membership covers the costs of both.
- Scholarships. Each year the CTBA sends young musicians to instructional music camps and helps cover lessons, locally and online. These funds go directly to the students in our area and the teachers who train them.
- A thriving music scene. We produce at least three events a year: the Band Scramble & Garage Sale, Memorial Fest (featuring local bands), and the Annual Meeting & Show (often featuring a national touring act). All events are free and open to the public, and they stay that way because members cover the tab.
- Bluegrass beyond the back porch and center stage. The CTBA sponsors local institutions like Strictly Bluegrass on Austin’s KOOP 91.7FM and has represented Central Texas in the International Bluegrass Music Association since 1992.
- Outreach. The CTBA maintains the most comprehensive calendar of bluegrass events and jams in Central Texas. Our newsletter, seasonal guides, and social media channels reach thousands of fans and supporters. We love hearing from fans and players all over the world via Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
- A community built on bluegrass. The CTBA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization operated by volunteers. Any member is encouraged to commit their time and skills; any member can be elected to the board and determine the organization’s future. And all of our resources are invested exclusively in celebrating, promoting, and creating bluegrass music, musicians, and community.
Pick your membership
Individual
$25 / year
The classic. One card-carrying CTBA member, one vote, supporting the whole of Central Texas bluegrass.
Family
$35 / year
Two memberships/one household, twice the bluegrass. Big savings for your spouse, partner, or whoever else picks at your place.
Student
$10 / year
Reduced pricing, plus priority consideration for CTBA scholarships to camps and workshops as applicable.
Band
$35 / year
Get your music in front of the most engaged, obsessed fan base in Central Texas. All the benefits of membership plus a listing on the CTBA Bands page and in each CTBA newsletter, first consideration for stage time at CTBA events, referrals when people come to us looking to hire bluegrass, and a personal welcome from a CTBA board member to get your band plugged in.
Business
$50 / year
Support the scene and reach a highly targeted, motivated audience. All the benefits of membership plus a listing on the CTBA Business page and in each CTBA newsletter, license to use the CTBA logo and membership information in your marketing (tell everybody!), and a personal welcome from a CTBA board member.
Lifetime
$300, once
Never think about it again. All the benefits, forever.
All memberships are annual (with optional auto-renew), save Lifetime.
You’re probably already one of us
If you’ve sat in on the Sunday jam, caught a set at Memorial Fest, or tuned into Strictly Bluegrass on a Sunday morning, then you’ve already been part of what the CTBA does. Membership just makes it official, and makes sure we’re still here next year.
The practical stuff
Join online in about two minutes: centraltexasbluegrass.org/membership
Prefer paper? Print the membership form and mail it with a check. Details are on our contact page.
Not ready to join? Come to a jam anyway. They’re free and open to everyone. You can also volunteer or make a donation.