Bluegrass Week Introduces Saskatchewan to Unique Music

In a generation of iPods, live stream music and YouTube, it is increasingly difficult to bring people out to listen to live music, let alone a style of music like Bluegrass.

But the Northern Lights Bluegrass and Old Tyme Music Association is working hard to turn the tide with events like their youth camp and festival in August and Bluegrass Week which just ended in Saskatchewan.

“We are the only Bluegrass and Old Tyme Music Association in the province and through the years we have found that people didn’t know what they didn’t know; that when people are exposed to this music they are like, ‘Wow!’,” says Tracy Lalonde, President of the Association.

Bluegrass Week ran from April 30 to May in Saskatchewan, celebrated with a tour of well known Bluegrass band Jeff Scroggins & Colorado along with two local bluegrass bands that are products of the Northern Lights Bluegrass Camp: In With The Old and The Hart Boys, who had a recent appearance on the 2014 Telemiracle.

The group traveled to Saskatoon where they performed at four schools, Mayfair Church and the well-known music stage of the Bassment, before finishing their tour in Tisdale.

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“Bluegrass week is designed to give young people and other audiences the idea they can make their own music,” says Lalonde. “Through the concerts they see different kinds of instruments being used like upright bass, mandolins, banjoes, fiddles and dobro, fitting our mandate to raise awareness for our music camp and festival in mid August.”

According to Lalonde, Jeff Scroggins & Colorado accompanied by In With the Old and The Hart Boys were a rousing success. This was evident in the final concert in Tisdale where there was tremendous applause accompanied by standing ovations through the concert as both bands introduced their own new music along with old time favorites.

For more information on the Northern Lights Bluegrass and Old Tyme Music Association go to their website.

kcay@panow.com

On Twitter @KarenspaNOW