Annual Bluegrass Festival Returns

Denison’s annual Bluegrass Festival returns this month to the Swasey Chapel stage. The festival kicks off with a Friday night concert featuring The Price Sisters, a professional folk duo performing alongside the Denison University American Roots Ensemble.

The festival continues with band mixer-style workshops in the Denison Museum at the Eisner Center on Saturday. Coordinator of the American Roots program at Denison and the festival, Adam Schlenker, described the time together as “hands-on” workshops to teach both technical and qualitative aspects of bluegrass music. The Boston-based string band Mile Twelve will join the workshop. “Instead of the classic lecture or Q&A style workshops, these are going to be hands-on ‘band mixer’ style workshops where the students and guests will form pop-up bands with the members of Mile Twelve and work up a short set of music,” Schlenker said.

Mile Twelve wraps up the festival Saturday evening. As winners of the 2020 IBMA New Artist of the Year award, Mile Twelve has been making waves in the acoustic music community with their seamless blend of expertly-crafted songs, creative arrangements, and virtuosic execution. They too will be performing with Denison University American Roots Ensemble.

The two groups invited for the festival will provide mentorship opportunities that will help students grow as musicians. “I wanted our students to get a glimpse at what the next phase of their musical lives could look like,” Schlenker said.