Mahalo (Thank You!)
Officers & Board of Directors
Memories of Our First Jam
BLUEGRASS HAWAI`I is a traditional and bluegrass music society dedicated to connecting fans and musicans all over the Hawaiian Islands, and supporting events and concerts which help promote and perpetuate bluegrass and traditional music!
On behalf of the Bluegrass Hawai`i community, I'd like to welcome you to bluegrasshawaii.com! My name is Caroline Wright, and I'm a freelance writer, publicist, and marketing consultant on the Hawaiian island of O`ahu. I am also the founder and president of Bluegrass Hawai`i.
You may be wondering how I ever learned about bluegrass & traditional music all the way out here in the middle of the Pacific. Well, I was raised by two of the founding members of the Adirondack Bluegrass League in upstate New York, so the music is in my blood! I'm also a bluegrass music journalist, presently co-writing the authorized biography of flatpicking guitar pioneer Tony Rice with Tim Stafford from Blue Highway, and I've recently become the new editor of a wonderful national magazine, Bluegrass Now. You'll probably see me at jams and events with my husband, Matt Campbell--that's us over there on the right. Please feel free to come up and say howdy if you see us!
I lived on O`ahu from 1990-1997, and during that time, I met perhaps a dozen bluegrass musicians. After a four-year absence, I returned to the islands in 2001, and began wondering what had happened to all those pickers. Surely there could be more I didn't know about! I decided to test the waters with an open, free jam session at Thomas Square, a lovely park in the heart of Honolulu. I didn't do a lot of promotion--just sent a couple press releases to the local daily papers.
Our first jam was held on Sunday, May 11, 2003, and drew music lovers from all over O`ahu, including many amateur and professional musicians. Bluegrass Hawai`i's mailing list has grown to almost 750 people all over the Hawaiian Islands, and even in other states and countries! Since our first jam, Bluegrass Hawai`i has made Hawai`i news several times. Follow the links below to check out the articles:
- A Honolulu Star-Bulletin article about Twang Jam
- A Star-Bulletin photo-essay of one of our jams
- A Honolulu Advertiser article about Bluegrass Hawai`i
Recently, new jam groups have sprung up on the Big Island of Hawai`i and on Kauai, so our society is growing! We elected our first Board of Directors in April 2006 and our first officers two months later. We are moving towards non-profit status and hope to finalize our 501(c)3 in 2007, so we can start producing some very exciting events. Please come and join us at one of our events and jams... and don't forget to come up and say HOWDY!
Warm aloha from Caroline Wright
Founder and President,
BLUEGRASS HAWAI`I Traditional & Bluegrass Music Society
MAHALO (THANK YOU!)
A number of O`ahu pickers and grinners have made significant contributions in time, effort, enthusiasm, and music to Bluegrass Hawai`i, which could not exist without them. Mahalo nui loa to Rene & Teresa Berthiaume, Paul Sato, Angelika & Joel Veach, Doug Toews, Lisa Gomes, Kilin Reece, Lesley Kline, Alex Morrison, Gordon Freitas, Sam Hayakawa, Chris & Carmen Cerna, George Massengale, Neal & Jan Snyder, Bob & Mary Schornstheimer, and Bob Schacht. Special thanks to Matt Campbell and the rest of Caroline's family for graciously supporting her bluegrass habit!
Finally, Bluegrass Hawai`i wishes to gratefully acknowledge Mike Kear, who hosts www.bluegrasshawaii.com on his servers, and the late Mabel Trent, a faraway friend of bluegrass and traditional music who made a generous donation when it was most needed. Warmest aloha to you both.
OFFICERS AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Elections for Bluegrass Hawai`i's first slate of officers were held at our Board Meeting on June 24, 2006. The following officers were elected:
We held elections for Bluegrass Hawai`i's first Board of Directors at our jam on April 23, 2006, and the following slate of directors was approved unanimously:
Mahalo to ALL of our new board members and officers! If you'd like to get involved, please contact caroline@bluegrasshawaii.com.
Our first Pickin' In The Park jam session was held on Sunday, May 11, 2003 at Thomas Square in Honolulu. Scroll down for photos, and move your cursor over each image for captions!
Please bookmark this page and come to the next jam if you can. Better still, add yourself to our mailing list! Click here.
* If you're interested in assuming this office for a one-year term, contact caroline@bluegrasshawaii.com.
Over three dozen musicians brought banjos, fiddles, mandolins, guitars, resophonic guitars and upright basses to the all-acoustic jam session. The "pickers" took turns improvising breaks on instrumentals such as "Salt Creek", "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and "Jerusalem Ridge", and harmonizing on tunes like "Angel Band", "Paradise", and "Roll In My Sweet Baby's Arms."
Two bluegrass bands on O`ahu, the Down Boys and the Wild Orchids String Band, contributed their talents to Sunday's jam session. Musicians from local traditional jam, contra dance, and hootenanny groups also played at the event.
Since then, we've had plenty more jams, each more wonderful than the last! Check here for the next one!
Questions or comments? Email caroline@bluegrasshawaii.com.
