Everybody knows: It’s time to give!
Greetings again from Raleigh, North Carolina, where I am attending the International Bluegrass Music Conference and Wide Open Bluegrass Music Festival. The event includes a large 3-day trade show where vendors offer everything from folding banjos to buffalo straps. There are also several non-profit organizations that support bluegrass music, and this is fundraising time for them. They have a captive audience in Raleigh, and they’re doing what it takes to spread the good word about their organizations.
Every vendor is there to make money, but this post is about all the vendors that stopped their own sales pitches in order to stump for NCPR. Each of them – from all over the US – knows the value of their own public radio station, and they were more than willing to help nudge NCPR listeners a little closer to giving. After all, it’s really a way of helping your neighbors. You don’t want them to have to pay your share too, do you?
I met up with former String Fever host, and old friend, Danny Gotham. Of course NCPR is dear to him – you still hear him on our airwaves when he makes his semi-annual trek back to his native region. Here he is with a timely reminder:
Of course, it’s easy to get sidetracked when you’re surrounded by beautiful instruments and cool new kinds of picks. Here he is, still strumming for the NCPR bucks:
He ended up buying a very cool guitar pick from this guy:
Yes! These picks cost $30 each because a portion of that goes to support his local public radio station! Incidentally, they have a lifetime guarantee. Well, so does NCPR, with just a little help from our friends.
Deering banjos just celebrated their 100,000th banjo! Yes, that’s one hundred thousand. Banjos. Just imagine what that would sound like all together. Well, that’s music to Janet Deering’s ears… and she would LOVE to see NCPR prosper (because she’s hoping for more banjo music on Thursday afternoons!).
The Deering family (makers of the famous Deering banjos) were recognized with an IBMA special achievement award this week, honoring their dedication to the art of making great banjos that everyone can afford…. just like public radio. Your help keeps it affordable for all of us..
Deering banjos is based in California, but NCPR is well known to the Boston Bluegrass Union. Meet Stan Zdonik, former IBMA board member, and Boston Bluegrass Union member. He supports WBUR, but if he lived in Oxbow, he’d be sending his bucks to NCPR!
Stan Zdonik, incognito.
This is Lisa Husted, representing the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival. She listens to NCPR when she’s visiting the Adirondacks.
Check out some of the other public radio believers that I met today in Raleigh:
Bluegrass Today… and every day.
Yes, that’s Ricky Skaggs’ label…. but no, that’s not Ricky! He’s playing a show with Bruce Hornsby here in Raleigh this weekend.
Stelling Banjos are some of the finest made. What do you think they listen to in the shop? Public radio, of course!
Meet Tim Stafford, the 2014 Bluegrass Songwriter Of The Year. He plays guitar and sings with Blue Highway. They were recently in the north country, performing in Clayton a few weeks ago. Tim just released a new solo album of original songs, and one track is named for an island in the St. Lawrence River!
Just so you don’t think this convention is only about banjos, there are many guitar crafters at this trade show, and all of them are top notch. This is one of them…. and he knows the value of public radio.
And… lest you think that bluegrass musicians don’t listen to anything but head-banging banjo music:
Driven is a bluegrass band from the mid-west. Their slogan is “bluegrass without mercy”.
There must be a public radio equivalent to that.
Public radio keeps you company. Keeps you well-informed. Makes you a more interesting person, and we hope NCPR can continue to bring out the best in you and our region. Help us make beautiful music together–
by throwing a few bucks in our case.
Thank you from every one of us.
