State Museum celebrates bluegrass

May is International Bluegrass Music Month, and the S.C. State Museum will be celebrating with history interspersed with live performances on Sunday, May 17, at 3 p.m.

Palmetto Blue, an award-winning bluegrass band, will pick and strum, interspersed with a presentation by bluegrass historian Pat Ahrens.

Ahrens is a writer who has authored biographies of many bluegrass musicians. She is also the founder of the South Carolina Bluegrass and Traditional Music Association.

Ahrens said her talk will focus on the life and influence of Bill Monroe, the Kentucky musician who is known as the Father of Bluegrass. Monroe, who lived from 1911-1996, described his music this way:

“It’s Scottish bagpipes and old-time fiddling. It’s Methodist and Holiness and Baptist. It’s blues and jazz and it has a high, lonesome sound.”

Ahrens said she also will talk about the five traditional bluegrass instruments – fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, and upright bass – and the sound each one makes.

Palmetto Blue will make Ahren’s talk come to life with both traditional and more recent bluegrass selections.

Based in the Midlands, Palmetto Blue is a five-member bluegrass band whose members represent both veteran musicians who have been playing for some 30 and 40 years, as well as two younger musicians who are sisters and both accomplished musicians.

The Bluegrass program will be held in the Palmetto Gallery on the museum’s 4th floor. It begins at 3 p.m. and will last about an hour. The presentation is included with State Museum general admission or membership.

Bridget Winston, Special to The State

This story was originally published May 16, 2015 at 5:36 PM.