The Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum marked its fourth anniversary in its new facility downtown on Oct. 18.
In those four years, Chris Joslin, the Hall’s executive director, says it has seen visitors from 47 states.
“We haven’t seen any from Connecticut, Massachusetts or New Hampshire,” he said. “They might have been here, but we don’t have a record of them.”
The Hall of Fame has also drawn visitors from 23 countries to Owensboro.
The list includes Australia, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands.
Norway, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Wales.
In February, the Hall’s “Bluegrass in the Schools” program will be 20 years old.
And Joslin said it’s time to expand the program.
So, the Hall has created the “Bluegrass Music Academy: Music with a Mission.”
The Academy is already offering private music lessons with Chris Armstrong.
Randy Lanham, the Hall of Fame’s education director, said plans call for adding more private teachers.
All the education programs are being expanded, he said.
“I can foresee lessons for senior citizens during the day,” Lanham said.
Deb Fillman, director of development for the Hall, said, “We took all of our education programs under one umbrella and expect to reach more people. There’s a place for everyone in the Academy. We’ll even loan you an instrument.”
Joslin said a grant from the Marilyn and William Young Charitable Foundation has made the Academy possible.
Lanham said the Academy is working with Owensboro Health on a Banjolele program for patients in the hospital. A Banjolele is similar to a ukulele, but it’s shaped like a banjo, he said.
It’s simple to play, Lanham said.
“We have four here,” he said. “And Owensboro Health has four.”
Using music to improve health can have a lasting impact, Lanham said.
He said music therapy will be offered to patients at River Valley Behavioral Health, veterans and “troubled youth” and others.
Online music lessons will be expanded to a world wide audience, Lanham said.
He said the Academy will help more people play in groups at nursing homes, hospitals, hospice, churches and other places.
Fillman said the musicians get as much out of playing before an audience as the audience does.
“We have power with the music,” she said. Lanham said plans call for offering songwriting classes, recording and video production.
And merchandise bearing the “Bluegrass Music Academy: Music with a Mission” name will eventually be available to give the Academy more exposure, he said.
