Photo by Jamie Plain
Some years ago, I attended a Saturday morning bluegrass lesson session at the old bluegrass museum in order to write an article about the program. Dozens of children sat perched wherever they could find a spot, and parents crowded the perimeter. Randy Lanham stood at the front of the room, conducting the class. With nothing but his voice, he directed the students to play the first few notes of “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Little bows screeched across strings at different pitches and lengths all over the room. I don’t think I had ever experienced a more jarring cacophony. I nearly fled the space. What kept me was the presence of Lanham. He didn’t wince. He didn’t look at the parents and make a face that conveyed “whoo whee – there’s a long way to go.” He didn’t even exhale. Instead, he calmly said, “Good, good…that’s a start…now listen to me play it.” I knew then that music wasn’t just a gift this man had been given, it was a gift he was determined to give.
For over twenty years now, Randy Lanham has been the face and the force behind spreading bluegrass music to the next generation. In fact, Lanham was also the face of the first ever cover of Owensboro Living in 2013. To celebrate our 10-year anniversary, Owensboro Living caught up with Lanham to see what has changed, what has not, and what is next.
Since its inception, the Bluegrass Music Academy has been offering group lessons in fiddle, mandolin, guitar, and banjo every other Saturday. However, this fall, they are trying something different. For eight weeks in September and October, the group lessons will take place on Tuesday evenings, providing more flexibility for students and teachers alike. But that’s not all the academy is introducing this year. Responding to the growing demand for personalized instruction, they have expanded their offerings to include one-on-one private lessons for guitar, fiddle, mandolin, banjo, and bass. These private sessions are led by skilled musician and instructor Chris Armstrong, with plans to add more teachers in the future.
The new facility has been a game-changer for the academy, providing more space for group lessons, live music performances, private sessions, field trips, open mic nights, jam sessions, and more. The expansion has also brought in new staff members whose unwavering support and dedication have been vital to the academy’s success.
Moreover, the academy is embracing technology and the digital age by launching its website, www.bluegrassmusicacademy.org. This new platform will host online videos that allow students to learn songs and play along with other instruments. The online lessons aim to make bluegrass music accessible to a wider audience, reaching beyond the local community.
However, the heart of the Bluegrass Music Academy still lies in its commitment to education and community engagement. The “Bluegrass in the Schools” program, which has been running alongside the group lessons, takes music education directly into the classroom. Through BITS, Randy Lanham brings up to 30 instruments into local third, fourth, and fifth-grade classrooms, providing an introduction to fiddle, mandolin, or guitar.
Beyond BITS, the academy offers schoolwide assemblies and field trips to the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame and Museum, providing interactive and immersive experiences for students to discover the beauty of bluegrass music. These events foster a deep appreciation for traditional music and ignite a spark in the hearts of young learners.
Extending the offerings, Randy’s brother, Barry, is now teaching clogging classes at the bluegrass museum, too. “That adds a whole new element to what we do,” he says.
The impact of the academy extends even further, with Randy Lanham intentionally seeking to bring more people together to play music and take it out into the community. His vision is to use music as a tool to address the mental health crisis, a challenge that has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Through group performances, teaching, and leadership, Lanham hopes to create a network of musicians who can bring the healing power of music to nursing homes, hospice facilities, hospitals, mental health centers, shelters, and more. He envisions a “wildfire of healing” brought to communities via small bands and groups that use banjoleles and percussion instruments to spread joy and healing through music, setting an example for other communities to follow suit. The goal is to create a template that can be replicated in various regions, forming a network of world-changers united by their love for music and their dedication to others’ well-being.
For Randy Lanham, the “aha” moments he experiences are constant reminders of the profound impact music can have on people’s lives. From teaching a young girl with no arms to play the Banjolele to guiding a refugee with limited English language skills to play the fiddle, he constantly witnesses the transformative power of music in action.
“The biggest misconception is that a musician thinks they have to be a certain level of good player to get out and do anything. I want to make it so easy that anyone can do it, and we will train you and do this by example,” he says. OL
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