The ETSU Department of Bluegrass, Old-Time and Roots Music Studies featured three bluegrass bands within their program on Friday, Feb. 24, in the Martin Center Powell Recital Hall.
Dan Boner, director of the program, welcomed Bluegrass Pythagoras onto the show at the start of the night. The group features Joe Henson on the mandolin, Grant Dresnock on the guitar and lead singer, Jake Smith on the banjo, Gracie Grossman on the fiddle and Lexie Wagnitz on the bass guitar.
“I got into [bluegrass] by digging around on the internet. I found music of Billy Strings, he led me to the other players like Flatt and Scruggs, Billy Monroe and all the other important people,” said Smith. “I fell in love with it, decided to come to school for it and now I’m here.”
Smith is a New Jersey native, as many of his other bandmates are strung across the map. The group said that a love for bluegrass can be found throughout the country. Ultimately, this attraction to bluegrass is what brought them together.
“Three of us are first-year students [at ETSU], and Jake and I are both transfer students, and we all kind of got here, and we had auditions right before school started. It was right then and there when we all met, and it was an instant click,” said Dresnock.
The next group on stage was the Bluegrass Vocal Band led by four students in the program. They sang songs paying homage to the religion and faith that fed the melodies of Bluegrass music. The group also performed vocalist Sage Palser’s new single “What Crosses Your Mind,” which will be featured on musician Danny Paisley’s next album. The Bluegrass Vocal Band was unavailable for comment.
The Bluegrass Pride Band was the last group to join the stage. Accompanying them was director Dan Boner on the double bass. The group performed “My Love Never Sleeps,” which is a song written by John Lilly, a family friend of the group’s guitarist.
They ended the night with “So Through With You,” a piece written by the group’s mandolin player in conjunction with Boner. The Bluegrass Pride Band was unavailable for comment.
For more information about the program and events, please visit etsu.edu/cas/das/bluegrass/areas-of-study/bluegrass.php.
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