Applications will be accepted through February 28 for the 2017 Bluegrass Ramble, a series of artist showcases slated to take place September 26-28 at select venues throughout downtown Raleigh, North Carolina during the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s World of Bluegrass 2017.
From an anticipated 150 or more applications, up to 30 acts will be selected to showcase their talents at least twice during IBMA’s World of Bluegrass week — once on a Raleigh Convention Center stage and once at one of the nearby Bluegrass Ramble venues. Applicants will be evaluated based on entertainment value, level of professionalism, potential appeal, and quality of work. Opportunities are available for both emerging bands and established ones with new music and/or personnel. Preference will be given to those who have not been selected as official IBMA showcase acts within the last two years.
Bands can apply online at www.ibma.org/world-of-bluegrass/bluegrass-ramble. There’s a $25 showcase application fee, while selected groups must pay an additional $500 fee to offset costs of services and showcase production. Selected bands will receive full conference registration for all their members, complimentary booth space during the business conference, an organizational membership in IBMA, a featured profile in the conference program, and more.
Both IBMA Business Conference attendees (with ID) and the general public (with wristbands that can be purchased online) will be admitted to the Bluegrass Ramble showcases. Although the IBMA will include afternoon showcases this year at its business conference from Tuesday-Thursday, these will be open only to conference registrants — affording artists an opportunity to showcase their talents before talent buyers, labels, agents and “tastemakers” in the bluegrass community.
IBMA’s World of Bluegrass is considered bluegrass music’s annual industry gathering and family reunion. This is its fifth year in Raleigh. IBMA has partnered with The Greater Raleigh Convention & Visitors Bureau, PineCone – The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, the City of Raleigh, and a local organizing committee to extend its outreach to the roots music community and local bluegrass music fans in the Carolinas.
The business conference portion of World of Bluegrass will feature a wide array of professional development seminars, meetings and forums, a keynote speaker, artist showcases and late-night hospitality functions, an exhibit hall, and plenty of networking and relationship-building opportunities. The 28th Annual International Bluegrass Music Awards, a centerpiece of the week, will be presented on Thursday evening, Sept. 28, while Wide Open Bluegrass, an urban bluegrass music festival featuring both ticketed main stage performances and a free street festival, closes out the week on Friday-Saturday, Sept. 29-30.
Established in 1945, IBMA is a trade association that connects and educates bluegrass professionals, empowers the bluegrass community, and encourages worldwide appreciation of bluegrass music of yesterday, today and tomorrow.
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