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.