How Bluegrass stays young

Plenty of talented new blood keeps the genre vibrant

Arizona Wildflowers

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Bluegrass stays fresh with plenty of infusions of youthful talent from across America, and especially from the Appalachian and Ozarks regions.

GRIST presents a sampling of that talent with videos showcasing the Ozark Mountain Music Association  [scroll to playlist], which back in May held a competition for youth bands.

I was present for part of that show -- it was great fun! -- but was called away before I could record the winners. Just as well, since I would have found it almost impossible to rank these young players fairly.

I suppose I could ask some members of the Petersens band, who officiated at the Branson, Mo., event to tell me who won, but really it seems better to let you be the judge (though not all competing bands are represented) when you hearken to some of the offerings below.

A medley of clever band names comes to mind: Verdigrass, Twisted Junipers, Tequa Trio, Sophie and the New Relics...

Among the bands was the Arizona Wildflowers, a group of three sisters and their young brother who perform quite often and are expertly managed by their mother, Tiffany.

Bluegrass lovers will surely relate to this band, based in Casa Grande, Arizona. Its "full-time" members are Ranelle, 16;  Brie, 14;  Aspen, 12;  and Sawyer, 10.

For such a young group, these kids can really keep you entertained, as can the other youngsters who performed at the OMMA event.

Arizona Wildflowers playlist:

Young Bluegrassers playlist:

Bluegrass has its roots in the mountain music of Appalachia and the Ozarks, both of which imported much of their musical flare and style from Ireland and Scotland. Bill Monroe put his imprint on this string band style with his Blue Grass Boys. His home state of Kentucky is known for the bluish grass that grows in the state's west. His birthplace of Beaver Dam, Ky., is effectively a part of the Appalachia cultural region.

After Monroe, the Appalachia-Ozarks sound became known simply as Bluegrass.

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BONUS VIDEOS from the Petersens, who are encouragers of young musicians. After all, the Petersens started out as a youth band under the tutelage of their musical parents, Karen and Jon.

Here is a truly excellent performance by a ravishingly beautiful Katie:

And another by the gaspingly beautiful Julianne: