Susan West

Kickin’ It Off!

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Kickoffs can be scary.

You are with a group of people who are all waiting for you to start your song, and you have to kick it off to get things started.  Your kickoff will determine whether everyone stays on the right tempo, and it helps everyone know what song you’re singing and how it goes.

I’m still learning to do kickoffs, and sometimes they just don’t work and I have to start a second time.   When that happens, I try again and off we go into the song.  The important thing is that somebody has to just go for it and get things started.

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Why I (Still) Go to Bluegrass Camp

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I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I pulled my car up to the cabin at Camp Harrison, site of Pete Wernick’s pre-Merlefest Jam Camp.  It was in April 2014, and since that time, the “Boomer Camp” has become a regular fixture of my year.

I have added one other major camp to my current schedule–I also really enjoy Leigh and Gilbert Nelson’s Abingdon, VA camp that takes place before the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Festival.  Both of these camps are about 4 days long, the campers eat and sleep on-site, and both have become my favorite ways to spend my vacation time.

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Why Learn a Second (or Third) Instrument?

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After I had been playing mandolin for a few years, I found my eye wandering to other bluegrass instruments.  I decided to give the banjo a try, and I’m really glad that I did–not because I have become a great banjo player, but because it changed the way I think about the music that I play.  When I decided to give the bass a try, I found my world broadening even more, and I realized that there are benefits to playing multiple instruments, even if you don’t become proficient on all of them.

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