The Blue Stocking Club will present Irving Berlin’s I LOVE A PIANO Sunday, March 8, 2009 at 3PM at the Paramount Center for the Arts.  All proceeds will go to the new Bristol Ministry Mall.

The Blue Stocking Club is sponsoring a program of timeless music for a timely cause, featuring 60 of Irving Berlin’s most popular tunes.

Original", "innovative", "fearless", "ambitious", "propulsive", "a marvel of emotion and razor sharp focus"....these are the words of those that have had a chance to hear the sound that for the past several years has been reverberating out of Texas from one of American music's most compelling bands, Cadillac Sky.

The music of Cadillac Sky has been coined everything from "experimental acoustic music" to "psychobilly bluegrass" but they themselves, simply hope they just make "good" music. They simply choose to believe that there should be only two categories in which music should be placed: good and bad.

The Museum & Center will present "Spirituals to Shout Bands: Virginia's Sacred Music Traditions" at the Jettie Baker Center on Saturday, January 17 at 7pm. This special program accompanies the "New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music" exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution, currently on display at the Clintwood Community Center until January 22nd.

Gregg Kimball, Director of Publications and Educational Services at the Library of Virginia will discuss a number of sacred musical traditions that have strong roots in Virginia and will bring some of his extensive collection of historical recordings to accompany his lecture. Kimball is the Virginia humanities scholar for "New Harmonies".

The second concert at this new venue in Abingdon will be on January 16th.  The Virginia Ballroom at the Abingdon Senior Center is just off of White’s Mill Road in Abingdon.  (Take White’s Mill – right on Summer  - right on Senior Drive – the ballroom is on your left).    The concert will begin at 7:30 p.m.

Sponsored by the Appalachian Cultural Music Association the 13^th Annual Leon Kiser Memorial Tribute returns to the Paramount stage on Saturday, February 28, 2009 at 7pm..  The 2009 honorees are Curly Seckler, Larry Blevins, Clarence “Tom” Ashley, Fey Rogers and Bob Smith.

Their music has been coined everything from "experimental acoustic music" to "psychobilly bluegrasbut they themselves, simply hope they just make "good" music. With an admitted dose of naivety, they simply choose to believe that there should be only two categories in which music should be placed: good and bad. "We try to make music we believe in and would like to listen to".  January 24, 2009, 8pm. Tickets $20

The Ralph Stanley Museum & Traditional Mountain Music Center in cooperation with the Virginia Association of Museums, will explore this and other aspects of America’s roots music as it hosts the local showing of New Harmonies:  Celebrating American Roots Music, a Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition.  New Harmonies will be on view beginning December 12, 2008 and continuing through January 22, 2008.  Hours of operation:  Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 to 5:00 PM and 1:00 to 5:00 Pm on Sunday.

The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail held two press conferences announcing the results of its first Economic Impact Assessment.  A summary presentation of the assessment’s results was held in two locations.  One conference was held at the Rex Theatre in Galax on Tuesday, December 9^th with  a second press conference held at the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons on Wednesday, December 10^th. 

The Crooked Road is an economic development initiative based on the traditional music heritage of Southwest Virginia.  The recent assessment, developed by Sustainable Development Consulting International (SDCI) of Lebanon, Virginia, is based on fiscal year 2008 and indicates a $23 million annual impact of The Crooked Road

The stars come out on January 9, 2009 at Kegley Auditorium located in Harrison Jones Memorial Hall at Virginia Intermont College, Bristol, Virginia. It's a 7:30 PM showtime for Pickin' A Bluegrass Allstar Jam. This is the fourth year for this all star jam and it features some of the brightest stars in bluegrass music and in it's new location. Come join the excitement as the best of the best entertain you.

The cast for this year's show includes the following artists Michael Cleveland, Josh Williams, Rob McCoury, Jason Carter, Terry Baucom, Steve Gulley, Kim Fox, Rob Ickes, Missy Raines, Alan Bibey, Mike Compton, Phil Leadbetter, Kenny Smith and Amanda Smith, Dale Ann Bradley, Tim Stafford, Ronnie Bowman and Mike Bub.

About the artists participating: