24th Annual
CTBA Bluegrass Band Scramble & Garage Sale - This Sunday, July 10th!
Hosted by Eddie Collins
Sunday, July 10, 2-6PM
at Oskar Blues Brewery Austin
10420 Metric Blvd, Austin, TX 78758

Those with performing experience bring your instrument and join a fun, impromptu band!

Tax-deductible donations received/for sale include instruments, books, CDs, tuners, strings and accessories and much more.

Money raised from the Garage Sale & Band Scramble goes to the Central Texas Bluegrass Association, to help us in our mission to support bluegrass music in Central Texas and to offer scholarships to music camps and workshops for deserving youth.

2PM: Garage Sale begins
3PM: Bands form
4PM til ???: Bands perform their tunes

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
CTBA's 24th Annual Band Scramble & Garage Sale
Sunday, July 10th, 2-6PM
Oskar Blues Brewery, 10420 Metric Blvd, Austin, TX 78758

Plan to join us for the CTBA's annual fun-fund raiser. The garage sale portion of the event kicks off at 2PM. We’ll have donated instruments for sale as well as CDs, T-shirts, instructional materials, and accessories such as strings, tuners and capos, etc.

This is a great opportunity to reconnect with old bluegrass friends, renew your CTBA membership (or join the CTBA for the first time). We are still accepting tax-deductible donations for the CTBA Garage Sale, if you have items to donate please contact Eddie Collins at tuneman@austin.rr.com. working up a couple of tunes to share after a brief rehearsal period.

The performances will be on stage at a new bluegrass-friendly venue, Oskar Blues Brewery in North Austin. Eddie Collins will again serve as the MC and band coordinator with Oskar's providing professional sound. This is a super fun event, so come on by to participate or just cheer on your favorite pickers. We’ll pass the tip jar. All the money raised goes to CTBA to help it with its mission to support bluegrass in Central Texas and to offer scholarships to music camps and workshops for deserving youth. In fact, you likely might hear some past recipients performing at this event. Hope to see you there!

ORDER OF EVENTS:
2-5PM: Buy new/used music-related items, such as instruments, CDs, DVDs, strings, books, etc.
3PM: Up to six new, on-the-spot bands are formed from bluegrass/old-time pickers with stage experience who sign up to join the fun.
4PM-???: Bands perform their tunes

BAND SCRAMBLE & GARAGE SALE

TWO WEEKS AWAY!

The CTBA Band Scramble & Garage Sale - hosted by Central Texas Bluegrass luminary Mr. Eddie Collins - is two weeks away! Please join us at Oskar Blues Austin on Sunday, July 10th, to perform for our friends and raise some money for Bluegrass.

What, you say, is a band scramble? Musicians put their names in hats by instrument (guitar, fiddle, banjo, bass, etc...). Names are drawn to form bands. Bands have an hour to choose and rehearse songs. And then everyone performs! It is a BLAST, and we are thrilled to get it back up and running.

Here's the schedule:

3PM Draw names, form bands

3-4PM Rehearsal

4-6PM Performances!

And, per tradition, we will also have an assortment of instruments and music-related merchandise available at our Garage Sale.

See y'all on the 10th!

CTBA WILLA BEACH-PORTER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

A quick reminder that CTBA Scholarships for 2022 are still available! While we've been thrilled to award a few scholarships so far (more information in the next newsletter), we still have year-long scholarships to ArtistWorks available to any TX resident.

And as the world continues to open post COVID lockdowns, we are also soliciting applications to bluegrass-related music camps! If you are a Texas resident aged 12-18 interested in a CTBA scholarship, get your application in today!

To apply or learn more, head on over to CentralTexasBluegrass.org/Scholarship.

CTBA MEMORIAL FEST 2022

With COVID-19 in sharp decline, the CTBA is thrilled to announce we will hosting our Memorial Fest again this year!

Join us on Sunday, June 5th, at Oskar Blues Austin for an afternoon dedicated to remembering the 'grassers who came before us and making new memories with our friends and loved ones. Here's the schedule:

1PM: CTBA Bluegrass Jam (early start time!)

3PM: Duo performances from...

- Celebrindal Roberts & Chip Bach

- Bo Seamon & Chris Melas

- Chelsea Burns & Simon Waxman

5PM: Randy Collier & Grassland

The jam and performances will all occur outdoors, on the Oskar Blues deck. Of course, we'll be there to sign up new members, renew memberships, and sell CTBA merch - including a special new t-shirt for Memorial Fest! And Oskar Blues will be graciously donating a portion of the day's sales to the CTBA, so drink a beer (or two) for Bluegrass!

SAVE THE DATE: CTBA BAND SCRAMBLE & GARAGE SALE

Speaking of COVID-19 being in sharp decline, we are beyond thrilled to announce that the CTBA Band Scramble & Garage Sale - hosted by Central Texas Bluegrass luminary Mr. Eddie Collins - is back as well!

This year's event will be held at Oskar Blues Austin on Sunday, July 10th. Mark your calendars, details to come!

But...real quick...in case you don't know what a "band scramble" is... Musicians put their names in hats by instrument (guitar, fiddle, banjo, bass, etc...). Names are drawn to form bands. Bands have an hour to choose and rehearse songs. And then everyone performs! It is a BLAST, and we are thrilled to get it back up and running.

CENTRAL TEXAS REPRESENTS AT BLUEGRASS HERITAGE FEST

The Bluegrass Heritage Festival took place in Dallas on April 8th-10th, and Central Texas came strong this year! Let us count the ways...

(1) CTBA member-band Randy Collier & Grassland performed a really wonderful set on the main stage! Kudos to Randy and his awesome band.

(2) Former CTBA scholarship recipient Riley Gilbreath and his band Lone Star Blue played a great set, too!

(3) Central Texas dominated the instrumental championships! Austin-area residents took six of the nine championship slots (two went to your humble CTBA president...), and Georgetown resident Parker Jensen became the youngest person in Texas state history to win the guitar championship. Congratulations to all the winners!

(4) Lastly, in case it wasn't blindingly obvious, there were just so, so many of us at the festival. Central Texas came STRONG to Dallas. And the festival was a total joy. See y'all next year!

CTBA & OSMF

The 35th annual Old Settlers Music Fest was held in Tilmon, TX, on April 21st-24th. As always, the CTBA was overjoyed to be an OSMF sponsor!

This year, the CTBA sponsored the OSMF workshop series. We hosted four workshops:

- Max and Josh Baca from Los Texmaniacs taught us about the history and tradition of conjunto music.

- Chelsea Burns and Simon Waxman discussed the ways in which we get into bluegrass and build the bluegrass community.

- Ludiker House presented Kailee Ludiker and Brennan Leigh teaching us about Western Swing, past and present.

- And, lastly, Del McCoury and his sons...well, they played some burning 'grass and led a lively Q&A with an eager, rapt audience. It was something else! Check out the video on our Instagram...

In addition to the workshops, we had a table in the non-profit area where we signed up more than a dozen new CTBA members and sold a ton of CTBA merch. People love stickers, let me tell you what...

Thanks to Old Settlers for a great weekend, and for their support of the CTBA. We are looking forward to next year!

Read the newsletter here

2022 CTBA WILLA BEACH-PORTER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The Central Texas Bluegrass Association is committed to the education of young musicians carrying on the bluegrass tradition. We are proud of the opportunities the CTBA Willa Beach-Porter Scholarship Program has provided over the years, and we are especially grateful to those who make it possible through their donations. Please read more about Willa Beach-Porter and the CTBA Scholarship Program at CentralTexasBluegrass.org/Scholarship.

For the 2022 CTBA Willa-Beach Porter Scholarship, the CTBA will be offering two types of scholarship. The first is for tuition and room and board to attend Camp Bluegrass. Camp Bluegrass and CTBA have been proud to offer this scholarship in the past, and we are very pleased Camp Bluegrass is on for 2022! Camp Bluegrass will be held July 17-22 in Levelland, Texas, at South Plains College. More details may be found at CampBluegrass.com. (Please note all expenses associated with travel to and from the camp shall be the responsibility of the scholarship recipient.) Applications and letters of recommendation for scholarship to Camp Bluegrass must be received by May 1st, 2022.

In addition, the CTBA and ArtistWorks are offering a number of online scholarships. Each online scholarship recipient will receive a one-year ArtistWorks membership to the study track of their choice from the 30+ courses offered through ArtistWorks. We are very happy to be able to offer these scholarships to folks wanting to further their music explorations in a safe, socially-distanced, and very fun manner!

All scholarship applicants must be aged 12 or older and currently live in Texas. If you would like to apply please visit CentralTexasBluegrass.org/Scholarship where you can submit (1) an application and (2) two letters of recommendation. These can be submitted online or in the mail. The applications will be reviewed and recipients selected by the CTBA Scholarship Committee for approval by the CTBA Board of Directors, all decisions final.

Get your application in today!

The CTBA Board is pleased to offer these opportunities to our members as well as the community we serve. We hope everyone who qualifies will take advantage of this wonderful opportunity. Head on over to CentralTexasBluegrass.org to learn more and apply today!

SMALL BATCH BLUEGRASS AT MADRONE COFFEE CO.

There’s some new weekend bluegrass on the scene and it smells of fresh roasted coffee! Salt Spring String Band is playing a series at Madrone Coffe Co. near the "Oak Hill Y," presented by Ludiker House.

The first show in the series featured Devin Canady on guitar, Hunter Hollingsworth on mandolin, Dennis Lloyd Ludiker on fiddle and Matthew Medford on bass. They played on Madrone’s new stage in their beautiful beer garden, which is adjacent to a playground (so bring your kids!).

And, while you’re there, you can enjoy fresh roasted coffee from Madrone, beer from Beerburg Brewing, food from Frida’s Cocina, and an artisan market from Plaza de Rosas. Upcoming dates are Saturday, March 5th, from 1-4 and Sunday, March 20th, from 11-2. See you there!

BLUEGRASS WEDNESDAYS RETURN TO TILLERY STREET

And starting March 2nd, Bluegrass Wednesdays are back at Tillery Kitchen & Bar! Join some of the city's finest pickers for a riverside show every Wednesday night from 6:30-9:00PM.

Hey y'all! My name is Jon Lundbom, and I'm proud to be serving the Central Texas Bluegrass Association as President for 2022. Many thanks to the membership for electing me to serve on the board (again), and many thanks to the CTBA board for entrusting me with the responsibility.

2022 stands to be a really great, super-fun year for Bluegrass in Central Texas. The CTBA will have our Sunday jam (outdoors, weather permitting...), Memorial Fest, and our Annual Meeting. COVID-permitting, maybe a return of the CTBA Band Scramble, even. In addition to all that, we have some exciting new scholarship opportunities for 2022. Oh, and t-shirts! Definitely some new t-shirts this year.

And that's just the CTBA! Check out our Jams and Events calendars at CentralTexasBluegrass.org to stay on top of everything Bluegrass happening in our area. And, while you're at it, mark your calendars for Old Settler's Music Fest. It's right around the corner, coming back April 21-24th.

If you are a member of the CTBA - thank you! If you have yet to join, click on over to CentralTexasBluegrass.org/Join to find out what you get with your membership (individual, band, or business) and join today.

Lastly, if you have any questions whatsoever, don't hesitate to drop me a line at President@CentralTexasBluegrass.org or the organization at CTBA@CentralTexasBluegrass.org. Here's to an awesome year!

2022-2023 ELECTION RESULTS

Thanks to all of the CTBA members who voted in the 2022-2023 Board Elections! The CTBA membership elected the following members to serve for the 2022-2023 term:

- Jon Lundbom

- Kyle Kline

- Lenny Nichols

- Julian Root

In addition, the CTBA Board has elected Cody Mabe to serve the final year of our former President Libby Brennan's term. The full lineup of your CTBA Officers, Directors, and Committee Chairs is available at CentralTexasBluegrass.org/Board-of-Directors.

If you see any of our new board members out there in the wild, please say hello and and congratulations!

TEXAS INDEPENDENCE JAM

Save the date! The Rising Sun Vineyard in McDade, TX, will be hosting the Texas Independence Jam on March 4-6th. Three days of bluegrass jamming and shows. Mark your calendars, and swing on over to RisingSunVineyard.com for more information!

The CTBA 2021 Annual Meeting and Show will take place at Independence Brewing (3913 Todd Ln, Austin 78744) on Sunday, November 14th. We will be jamming from 2-4PM, after which we will have performances from CTBA members and member-bands. Here's the rundown...

• 2-4PM CTBA Jam

• 4PM Mike McKinley & Quackgrass

• 5PM MoPac Traffic Jams

• 6PM CTBA Election Results

• 6:15PM CTBA "Mostly Board Band"

In addition, we'll have merch for sale and CTBA leadership on-hand to help you renew your membership or cast a ballot in the 2022-2023 Board Elections. And if you can't join us in person, we'll be livestreaming the event on our Facebook and YouTube pages, so please tune in!

2022-2023 BOARD ELECTIONS

Speaking of which, the CTBA 2022-2023 Board Elections are underway!

If you have yet to cast your vote, please do! All CTBA members in good standing can vote until 6PM on Sunday, November 14th. If you have not received a ballot, now would be a great time to check your membership status! Swing on over to CentralTexasBluegrass.org/Login and make sure your membership is active or just shoot us a line at CTBA@CentralTexasBluegrass.org, we'll be happy to help.

Old Settler's Music Festival (OSMF) returns this weekend! OSMF was postponed last year due to COVID-19, but they are back and ready for a festival October 21st-24th at their venue in Dale, TX. Those attending can expect to hear and see an all-star lineup, including Sam Bush, the Travelin' McCourys, Della Mae, the Cleverlys, the Po' Ramblin' Boys and Austin's own Tony Kamel.

As in previous years, the CTBA is proud to sponsor OSMF and will also be sponsoring the OSMF Youth Talent Competition. The competition will be held on Saturday morning at the Bluebonnet Stage from 10:30AM-1PM. We encourage you to come out and support these young and talented musicians.  

The CTBA will be on-site during the festival with a table to say howdy and to reach out to our friends in the bluegrass community. We'll have lots of information and CTBA swag for sale. And if you're a member or interested in becoming one, feel free to join or renew your membership right there!

If you are a CTBA member interested in volunteering at OSMF, please get in touch with us at CTBA@CentralTexasBluegrass.org.

OSMF has announced COVID-19 health and safety protocols will be in place during the festival, for information on this or updates re: lineup, tickets, volunteer opportunities, etc please visit the OSMF website. You can also connect with OSMF on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

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