Bluegrass Music

The appeal of bluegrass music is far reaching. It goes beyond the country music scene or any single special genre. Bluegrass music is a soulful kind of music that has its roots in gospel, work songs, folk, country and blues. It is a truly American music that has grown with the country from the music of the early settlers, combining ballads and dance music brought by the early colonists from Ireland, Scotland and England. When African slaves were brought to North American shores, they brought with them styles known now as gospel and blues. All of these imported music styles were combined in the rural mountain music songs about daily life and struggles.

Bluegrass was so named in the early 20th century when music recordings made it available to anyone. The name is based on Bill Monroe’s Blue Grass Boys band, who hailed from Kentucky, the "Bluegrass State." They played the old time music to a new segment of fans who learned about it through their recordings in the 1930s and 1940s.

Through the following decades, bluegrass music’s popularity has had ups and downs. There has recently been a resurgence in popularity, perhaps because it has reached a wider audience through careful marketing. It appeals to people of all kinds and all places, and all ages participate in playing and enjoying bluegrass music. The art of bluegrass is recognized in music schools. New artists continue to experiment and improvise with new sounds, and bluegrass music continues to change and reflect changes in our life experiences. Bluegrass influences extend into other music genres, and its appeal continues to grow. Between 2000 and 2003, the sales of bluegrass music increased by 104 percent worldwide.