andipantz

I was in Calgary, Canada for a week.  I returned home and then drove out to Central PA a few days later to go to a bluegrass picnic with my grandpa and cousin.  Bluegrass was often in my life as a kid.  I have fond memories of going to family picnics at my great uncle’s farm, roasting corn on the cob over a fire pit, and family members would bring their instruments and a small bluegrass concert would erupt out of nowhere as everyone sat around on their lawn chairs chowing down on lots of food.  Those same family members still play in bluegrass bands in central PA to this day.  My grandparents (on the same side of the family) were big fans of bluegrass.  They’d always go to bluegrass concerts and jam sessions in fire halls and picnic areas.  When my grandma started to become ill, my pap didn’t get many chances to go to the concerts anymore.  Since my grandma’s passing last month, pap has been a busy bee with a schedule that makes ME feel lazy!  He even bought a new car and has been driving all over the place.  What can I say–I think I inherited my travel bug from them. I’m so happy that he’s been busy and active.

My grandparents have been members of Seven Mountains Bluegrass Association for about 20 years.  The purpose of the Association is to preserve and promote bluegrass music.  They have an annual picnic in the summertime, but my grandpa hadn’t gone to it for several years.  My cousin and I both expressed interest in going with him this year.  So this past weekend we drove to Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania for the picnic, set along a creek, inside of a pavilion.  It was an all-day event of non-stop bluegrass jam sessions and tons of food.  If anyone had an instrument and could play bluegrass, they were welcome to join in.  Of course, the only instrument that I brought along was my camera and I somehow ended up being the event photographer.

There were hundreds of people in attendance, but my cousin and I were two of the youngest people there.  I’d guess that most of the people in attendance were ages 60+.  I really hope that this isn’t a sign for the future of bluegrass music.  There are some young people here and there who still play it, but as the current bluegrass musicians pass away, will the music as well?

Anyway, the picnic was awesome!  If you like bluegrass music, but you’ve never been to a small town bluegrass concert, you’re really missing out.  Seeing a bluegrass concert in a large venue is no comparison to the true thing of seeing it in a small town venue that epitomizes traditional bluegrass music and the people who have always and continue to make it what it is America’s music history.  It was so great to see a bunch of people who were my grandparents’ age get up and jam away on a guitar or sit and clap their hands to the music.  This was one of the best things that I’ve seen in Pennsylvania in years.  My words can’t even describe how awesome it really was.  It’s something that I’ve been wanting to do for years and it exceeded my expectations.