Dear Festivirgins,
We want you to know that your life is about to change, forever. First, a little story, which will make sense later...
About 20 years ago my Grandma's best friend died. I took her to the service, which was sweet, but on the way out Grandma looked up at me and said, "That was my last friend." My heart broke for her.
This doesn't happen in the bluegrass world, as was evident on Sunday, April 1, 2012, when the Memorial Service was held for Mr. Earl Scruggs at The Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. Among those that gathered was 92 years young, Curly Seckler. You see, Mr. Seckler was with many, many firends that Sunday, even though he was the oldest musicain in attendance.
In the Bluegrass world we love openly and forgive easily. Take for instance one Irishman a few years ago that laughed at the warnings to not mix altitude and alcohol too soon at festival. Well, needless to say, it didn't turn out very well for him, and you have to admire an Irishman making a public apology to 10,000 of his newest best friends. We forgave all and ended up having a great time with this particular Irishman. He's actually coming back to join in the celebration this June, and we can't wait!
You see, this is our beloved Festivarian Family Reunion. The perfomers are known as "musician's musicians", because in one form or another, we are all musicians in attendance. We appreciate the form that live music takes in this box canyon that we call home each and every Summer Solstice. We honor the live music format presented to us each June. We honor it on the stage, in the picking circles of the camps, we honor it at the Elk's Park Workshops, and we honor it at the Nightgrass Shows.
We want you to honor the live music with us.
So please, be mindful as you prepare for your first, or perhaps second, trip of a lifetime in June. Be with us to honor the live music, to honor the luthiers that craft the instruments that bring us such joy, to honor the truth in the sounds that touch our hearts and encourage children, and likewise adults, to learn to play and sing along to the live music.
Be with us for the sustainable practices, by bringing solar systems instead of generators to have electricity for your camp, to our Mother Earth by unpackaging your products before you pack them up and bring those products to camp, by bringing reusable items for general use, and help us foster our love for Festivarian Family and Friends.
Help us honor the practice of not buying or selling tickets for anything other than "face-value".
Do this with us and I promise you, you will never, ever, say good-bye to your last friend.
If this doesn't sound like a good time to you, please, oh please, return your tickets to Planet Bluegrass now. Then, some day in the future, come back and join our Festivariain Family. We'll be waiting for you with loving, open arms.
All the Best,
Auntie Hope
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