I started playing bluegrass completely by accident. For a number of years, I spent time each week sitting in the lesson studio area of Harry’s Guitar Shop in Raleigh, NC, waiting for my daughter to have her guitar lesson and listening to about 6 people take their lessons on the various stringed instruments that you’d find in a guitar shop. People of all ages would come for lessons, and I finally decided one day (while sitting at Harry’s) that maybe I should do it too.
The next decision–what to play? Guitar was out, since my daughter wouldn’t want her mom to play the same thing she was playing, so that left banjo and mandolin. I realized that the mandolin was tuned like a violin, and I had spent a few years in my early 30’s learning to play classical violin, so mandolin it was! I booked some lessons, bought an instrument and got started!
For a couple of years, I just took lessons, and I played a good variety of music from the Beatles to bluegrass. I knew that there were jam sessions, but I was totally intimidated about going and jumping in. One day, I discovered Pete Wernick’s MerleFest Camp on the web. I signed up, and attended for the first time in 2014. That camp was a life-changing experience. The whole camp experience was amazing, but the playing by ear, learning how chord shapes and keys fit together, and remembering that I really loved to sing were the things that all came together for me that year and had me hooked on playing bluegrass.
One of the first things I did after getting home was to tell my friend Leslie Dare all about it. I think I said something like, “you would love this and you have a whole year to learn enough guitar to be ready for next year.” She gave it a try and here we are.
Music was a big part of my childhood–music was just a part of daily life as far back as I can remember. I played piano (not very well) and flute (marching band geeks unite!) but classical singing was where I felt most at home. I did not continue to participate in music ensembles once I went to college, and I missed it but also didn’t know how to get back into doing music with other people. I spent a few years in my 30’s playing classical violin but then set that aside–finding time to practice violin was not much of a priority once I became a parent.
Bluegrass has been the ticket to get me back into playing music with other people. I have made great friends, I’ve had amazing experiences and I’m having a great time exploring the rich history of this music. Along the way, I have started learning other instruments–I am having great fun playing bass and am learning clawhammer banjo. I continue to work on my bluegrass skills by attending a number of jams in the Raleigh, NC area, and attending a few camps each year. With Leslie, I co-founded the Wolfpack Pickers jam at NC State University, and I’m very excited about Raleigh’s new chapter of the Handsome Ladies.
I’m originally from eastern North Carolina, and I’m a graduate of NC State University, where I spent my career working in Information Technology. I retired in 2020. After spending my career helping people navigate complex IT processes, I’m now enjoying applying my teaching skills in a new area.