The results, just released by the NHCA, suggest that audio engineers are at greater risk of hearing loss than others. The testing also provided some evidence of the effectiveness of hearing protection, as regular hearing protection users had slightly better results than did non-users.

“We were pleased to partner with the NHCA for this important testing at AES,” said Shure President and CEO Sandy LaMantia. “Shure has long been committed to helping those in the music business preserve their hearing, and comprehensive testing like this is a great way to keep people educated about hearing health.”

Exposure to high levels of noise is one of the most common occupational hazards faced by American workers, with an estimated 22 million noise-exposed workers. Because of their potentially high exposure to noise, audio engineers are among those at highest risk for developing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL).

Results Suggest More Hearing Loss Prevention Efforts Needed in Pro Audio Industry

During the screenings in October, 425 AES Convention attendees received a hearing test and answered a hearing history survey on a first-come, first-served basis. All testing was conducted by technicians certified by the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing and supervised by an occupational audiologist holding a Doctor of Audiology degree.

Key findings of the testing included:

• Students had the best hearing levels and those working with audio and other related jobs had the worst hearing results.
• Differences in audio test results were noted among the different job titles surveyed, suggesting that some types of audio engineering work may present a greater risk of NIHL than others.
• Nearly 1 in 4 participants reported difficulty hearing in one or both of their ears, and well over one-third of participants reported experiencing tinnitus (ringing or buzzing) in one or both ears.
• More than 1 in 3 participants reported normally working in a noisy area without hearing protection and more than one-quarter reported having regular noise exposure outside work.
• Average hearing levels among participants who reported using hearing protection during work were 1 to 2 dB better than those who did not use hearing protection.

“The testing results tell us there’s a need for additional hearing measurements and hearing loss prevention efforts among audio professionals,” continued LaMantia. “Noise induced hearing loss is a completely preventable disease, but people need to be aware of the risk factors and the steps they can take to minimize their risk.”

Shure sponsored the AES testing as part of the “Listen Safe” program, the Company’s corporate cause that supports hearing conservation. Shure will continue to provide free hearing screenings and distribute hearing protection devices at professional audio industry trade shows, music conferences, and to Shure Associates, to help reduce the risks to hearing health.

Related Links

• Shure Inc.

The National Folk Festival is the oldest and longest-running multi-ethnic traditional arts festival in the nation. This moveable exposition of traditional music and culture will be presented in downtown Nashville for three consecutive years, with the final year in Nashville marking the Festival’s 75th anniversary. Nashville won this honor in a competitive process involving 40 cities across the nation.

“No city in the United States can match the raw talent, creativity, and long history of making music like we have here in Nashville. You combine that with our growing international diversity and growing recognition and appreciation for the arts, and you have a city that is well primed to host the National Folk Festival and to create an event of a caliber worthy of serving as the celebration of its 75th anniversary,” Mayor Dean said.

The National Folk Festival’s effort in Nashville will involve the entire community and bring together many diverse groups to work toward the common goal of building the festival. An estimated 800 volunteers will work with festival planners, city employees and community leaders, creating an event that will bring the region numerous benefits.

The festival is expected to draw upwards of 80,000 attendees in its first year, increasing to over 150,000 by year three and is expected to have an estimated $10-15 million in economic impact per year. The National Folk Festival’s stay is also intended to lay the groundwork for a new annual festival that will continue in Nashville after the National moves on in 2014.

For over 70 years, the National Folk Festival has provided a way for people to embrace the cultural traditions that define us as Americans. This three-day free, public outdoor event celebrates the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional craft, storytelling, food and more.

With downtown Nashville as the backdrop, audiences can expect a diverse array of continuous music and dance performances by the finest traditional artists from all parts of the Nation, a Tennessee Folklife Area with craft demonstrations, exhibits and stage presentations focused on the heritage of the region and state, a Family Area, regional and ethnic food courts, and a festival marketplace offering fine handmade regional crafts.

The festival will shine a light not only on the traditional roots of music that has made Middle Tennessee world famous, but also on the musical and cultural traditions of immigrant groups new to Nashville and the region, with the goal of reflecting the increasingly multi-cultural character of the city, state and nation.

Nashville’s National Folk Festival will be operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and will be produced in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville, and the Compass Records Group. A fundraising effort to support the festival is underway and both corporate and private sponsorship are being sought.

Related Links

• Nashville – National Folk Festival
• Compass Records Group

Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie "Southern" (Rural Rhythm Records)

Washington D.C. — Bill Emerson is celebrating two major events this month. On Friday, March 27, Emerson will be honored with the very first Washington Monument Awards presented by the DC Bluegrass Union in recognition of this 50 year career in bluegrass music. The following night, Saturday, March 28, Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie will hold their official CD release party for their new album, “Southern.”

Bill Emerson – Washington Monumnent Award Event

The Washington Monument Award will be presented to Emerson at the DC Bluegrass Festival on Saturday, March 27 at Langley High School in McLean, Virginia. The award celebrates Washington, DC-area musicians who have been instrumental in shaping the direction of bluegrass music nationwide. For more information and online ticketing, please visit www.dcbluegrassfest.org.

Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie CD Release Party details

The Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie CD Release Party will take place at the Jammin’ Java located on Route 123, Vienna, Virginia from 2:00 – 4:00 pm on March 28. The album is receiving critical acclaim. Keith Lawrence with the Messenger-Inquirer stated, “Now, with Sweet Dixie, Emerson is headed back to the top again and “Southern” is an album fans won’t want to miss.”

The album was released on Rural Rhythm Records January 12, 2010 and is now available nationally in the physical and digital formats including: iTunes, Rhapsody, Borders, Barnes & Nobel, Amazon.com, Ernest Tubb Record Shops, County Sales, Music Shed, Elderly Instruments and many more outlets.

More information on Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie including their 2010 tour schedule and new album, please visit bluegrassville.com/billemerson/

Related Links

• Bill Emerson & Sweet Dixie

Corey Congilio (Courtesy fishman)

Andover, MA — Fishman has appointed Corey Congilio as a Marketing/Artist Relations Specialist, focusing on social networking, online content, video demonstrations, sales events and training, marketing promotions, and artist relations.

Congilio, A part time employee based in Pittsburgh, is a working musician, composer, producer and guitar teacher. A graduate of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh in the Music and Video Business program, Corey has an Associate Degree in Specialized Business with an emphasis in audio engineering. During his enrollment, Corey began performing regularly throughout Pittsburgh, Ohio, and West Virginia. As a guitarist and vocalist, he has supported acts in genres from R&B, Country, Swing, Rock, and more.

Corey began doing projects for Fishman in 2008 as a demo artist and clinician before being hired to handle a broader scope of responsibilities this year.

“Corey is not only a brilliant and versatile musician, but is also excellent at explaining Fishman products in a thoughtful and musical way,” said Chris DeMaria, Director of Marketing & Artist Relations. “Anyone who has watched our online product demo videos can immediately connect with him.”

For more information about Fishman, call 978.988.9199 or click to www.fishman.com.

Related Links

Fishman

The Compass Records Group is delighted to announce that Emilee Warner will be joining the label as Director of Publicity and Promotion.

Emilee is one of the most knowledgeable roots music publicists working in Nashville today and her prior experience makes her an ideal addition to the team.

Emilee comes to us from the CMT Radio Network, Tuned In Broadcasting (WRLT Lightning 100), and her self-owned publicity company Big Shindig Media which represented Sarah Siskind, Steep Canyon Rangers, Computer vs. Banjo and others. She also worked for Keith Case & Associates and HollerBack PR in promotions and publicity. Emilee is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University with a degree in Business Administration and is a native of Crossville, Tennessee.

Gold Heart is a real treasure for the bluegrass community. Don’t take my word for it; judge for yourself by giving the group’s latest CD, My Sisters and Me, a listen.

First of all, the album on the Rural Rhythm label is just darn good bluegrass. It also shows the promise that bluegrass is alive and well in the hearts and minds of a new generation and that the genre will be on strong legs for years to come.

As the title suggests, Gold Heart is a sister act, a young trio of siblings who come across on My Sisters and Me as seasoned veterans. Jocelyn Gold plays outstanding guitar and does most of the group’s writing. Most of the songs on the CD came from her pen. Sister Shelby plays much more than adequate fiddle and Analise Gold plays solid mandolin. All three switch off on lead and dead-on harmony vocals.

Young as the group is, their performances and sister Jocelyn’s songwriting suggest a maturity far beyond their years. For the most part, the lyrics are the result of some deep thoughts instead of simply exercises in making words rhyme. As for the CD’s songs that weren’t written by the Golds, the group evidentally was careful to select tunes that matched their own gentle, wholesome psyche. “Chasin’ Lightning Bugs,” for example, written by Ashby Frank (formerly in the Special Consensus lineup), will remind lots of listeners of warm summer evenings in the backyard with its message of family importance. And “Sisters,” written by Nora Jane Struthers, is simply the perfect fit for this trio of musical charmers.

Although Gold Heart music leans heavily toward the traditional, the production by Justin Carbone (another Special Consensus alumnus) gives the album a nice, modern feel.

A lot of the tunes on her are downright gospel songs or at least tinged in that direction. “Heavenly Home,” an a capella track, is a favorite, and it truly shows just how vocally polished this trio is. It’s certainly one more piece of proof that sibling harmonies are hard to beat.

Guests include Aaron McDaris on banjo, Andy Hall on dobro, Alan Bartram on bass and Brandon Rickman. Even though he’s the group’s bass player (and manager) on the road, the Gold sisters’ father Trent shows up to play bass on one cut.

My Sisters and Me is a charmer, a real keeper in anyone’s bluegrass collection. And, as I said from the start, it holds a strong promise that bluegrass will be around for generations to come.

Related Links

• Gold Heart
• Gold Heart on Facebook
• Rural Rhythm Records

New Haven Records in partnership with the Country Music Hall of Fame^® and Museum will release the CD “Sunday in the Country“: 12 Inspiring Hits From Today’s Top Country Artists this month. The project is set for a March launch at Christian retail through Provident-Integrity Distribution, and will be released to mainstream outlets through SONY Distribution.

The landmark new release includes a virtual “Who’s Who” of Grammy, Country Music Association and Academy of Country Music award-winning artists. Artists featured include Trace Adkins, Alabama, Diamond Rio, Vince Gill, Tracy Lawrence, Martina McBride, Tim McGraw, George Strait, Josh Turner, Keith Urban, Steve Wariner and Lee Ann Womack.

Ken Harding, president of New Haven Records, comments, “For more than 20 years, our company has focused on the uniquely American genres of country, southern gospel, and black gospel music. “Sunday in the Country“, the third project in our outstanding partnership with the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, has the potential to be our most successful release in the series.”

“Inspirational songs have always had an important place in the country music canon,” adds Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum Director Kyle Young. “The songs that comprise “Sunday in the Country” uphold this rich tradition, offering hope, fellowship, solace and gratitude. New Haven Records has been releasing meaningful country and gospel recordings for two decades, and we’re pleased to be partners with them on this project.”

Joining successful collections such as “Three Wooden Crosses,” “Amazing Grace,” “Country’s Salute to Gospel” and “Songs for Worship–Country,” this newest, unparalleled compilation of today’s favorite inspirational country songs represents the top-voted selections in a survey sent to hundreds of country radio programmers. The list was then reviewed by historians at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum who developed the final artist/track selection for the project in association with New Haven Records President, Ken Harding.

The twelve tracks presented in “Sunday in the Country” are songs that have individually sold millions of units-they are songs that have become modern country-gospel classics and touched the lives of countless listeners with the message of faith.

Executive producers for the album are Ken Harding, LeAnn Bennett and the staff of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum.

The package includes photos and extensive liner notes. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational organization.

“Sunday in the Country” will be the subject of a major media/promotional campaign in both the mainstream and Christian retail markets.

“Sunday in the Country” Track Listing

• Long Black Train — Josh Turner
• I Believe — Diamond Rio
• But for the Grace of God — Keith Urban
• Blessed — Martina McBride
• Drugs or Jesus — Tim McGraw
• Muddy Water — Trace Adkins
• Go Rest High on That Mountain — Vince Gill
• Holes in the Floor of Heaven — Steve Wariner
• Up to Him — Tracy Lawrence
• Angels Among Us — Alabama
• Get Up in Jesus’ Name — Lee Ann Womack
• I Found Jesus on the Jailhouse Floor — George Strait

Music City Roots online.

Nashville, Tenn., — Music City Roots, with what is shaping up to be the best live-music radio show to hit the WSM airwaves since the inception of the Opry, returns to the Loveless Barn and the airwaves this week with a lineup that includes two noteworthy Bluegrass groups.

Cadillac Sky, known for their highly energetic stage shows, will get a chance to showcase their brand of Bluegrass / Newgrass that seemingly knows no bounds. The other notable bluegrass group on the bill will be The Gibson Brothers. Their “Ring The Bell” CD made the 4th slot on our “Best CD’s of 2009,” list with writer Dan Tackett noting “The entire CD is chalk full of good story songs – and I’m a sucker for good story songs…”

Music City Roots will also feature Pokey Lafarge, Band of Heathens and The Apache Relay on the same show.

If you’re in and around the greater Nashville metro area, Music City Roots is broadcast live from The Loveless Barn on Highway 100. Tickets to attend are $10.00 general admission ($5.00 with a college ID).

You can listen to Music City Roots live as it goes down on WSM 650 AM on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm (CST) or online at WSMOnline.com.

Below is Craig Havighurst’s note that went out on the Music City Roots newsletter announcing this weeks guests.

Musical innovation is a slippery, ill-defined concept. Does it live in novel melodies, or mash-ups of styles? Is it something made by fingers on frets or in the minds of the audience? I suppose it falls in the I-know-it-when-I-hear-it category. Or I could just point you to a Cadillac Sky show. Ostensibly a “bluegrass” band, the five C-Sky guys are an ever-changing ensemble of artists who absorb top flight influences but who make sure that what comes out the other end of their creative black box is always searching and never derivative.

The first things many of us heard from this Texas-born band was “Born Lonesome,” the first track off their debut album on Skaggs Family Records. It had significant bluegrass pedigree, with superior instrumental chops, the strong, high vocals of Bryan Simpson and, of course, that title and the lonesome lyrics that went with it. Since then we’ve heard them venture far out of Bill Monroe-approved territory into experimental rock and a viciously effective cover of “Video Killed The Radio Star.” And this spring they’ll be releasing a new album produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys that sounds nothing like what they’ve done before. More ambient and less formal, it’ll surprise old fans and win new ones. Innovation, for sure.

This episode of Music City Roots should be plenty special. Because not only do we have Cadillac Sky, we’re fortunate to be visited by the Band of Heathens, which may sound to the uninitiated like being ransacked by Visigoths, but not at all. These guys became virtual overnight sensations in their tough hometown of Austin TX by putting on one of the best live shows in the biz. Born when three individual singer / songwriters who shared a night at Austin’s Momo’s club began sitting in with each other, and named when a local paper mis-billed them as The Heathens, these guys were named best new band at the Austin Music Awards in 2007. They’ve won the love of Austin musical royalty for their stripped down, classic approach, eerily reminiscent of The Band or Little Feat. It’s pure music for purists.

Also on this super-sized bill, some bluegrass that doesn’t bother with innovation so much as integrity. The Gibson Brothers have captured the market in the classic sibling harmony duo sound that made the 1930s and 40s so important to country music. Eric and Leigh have been working the circuit over a dozen years or more, releasing nine albums and just getting better all the while. Their current release is Ring The Bell on Compass, and it’s gorgeous. Better yet to hear them sing live with their five piece band. It’s a jolt of deep tradition, made fresh through their insightful and enthralling songwriting.

We’re also delighted to welcome relative newcomers Pokey LaFarge, a vintage-toned artist out of Kentucky who inhabits the 78 RPM past and sings like there’s no tomorrow, plus The Apache Relay, a more progressive Americana/’grass band that came out of the youthful musical ferment at Belmont University. I haven’t heard either group live yet, but word is both are sensational.

I suppose the only possible knock on the impressive diversity of this lineup is it’s an all-male affair, with plenty of beards. But we’ll be balancing that out the following week with Maura O’Connell, Alison Brown and our own Aly Sutton.

Come out early for this one. We’re pretty sure it’s going to draw a happy mob.

Craig Havighurst – Music City Roots

Related Links

• Music City Roots
• WSM 650 AM
• Cadillac Sky
• The Gibson Brothers

Granville, Tenn., — Davis Greer & Mike Compton Profession will appear on the March 13, 2010 edition of the Sutton Ole Time Music Hour. The show runs from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm and a 1-hour portion of the show is taped for a radio broadcast.

In addition to great bluegrass music, the Sutton Ole Time Music Hour also features an all-you-can-eat family style dinner every Saturday night consisting of a meat & three along with bread, salad and home-made deserts.

The Sutton Ole Time Music Hour can be heard on WTKY 101.5 in Thompkinsville, Kentucky, and 102.7 from 10:00 a.m.  until 11:00 a.m. on Saturday mornings. It also airs on WANT 98.9 in Lebanon, Tennessee on Sunday evenings starting at 6:00 p.m. and on WHUB AM 1400 in Cookeville, Tennessee, on Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

To attend a taping of the Sutton Ole Time Music Hour, call for reservations – 931-653-4151

Directions to Sutton’s

From I-40 take exit 258, Gordonsville/ Carthage, turn north onto Hwy. 53, go Several miles to 70N/53E, turn right and go about 7 miles to Chestnut Mound. Turn left onto Hwy. 53 (70N keeps going straight). Go 5 miles turn right on Hwy 96 on left 1000 yrds

Coming Soon to the Sutton Ole Time Music Hour

• March 20- Catosa
• March 27- Hub City Bluegrass
• April 3- The Villas
• April 10- The Bilbrey’s
• April 17- Mavis Hughes
• April 24- Barry Scott & Second Wind

Related Links

• Sutton Ole Time Music Hour

The afternoon workshop is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. at The Paramount and will consist of an hour long presentation illuminating the fascinating bit of cultural history known as the “singing cowboy”. Part lecture, part audiovisual, and showing musical clips of the major players in the cinematic flowering of the style, the workshop will be supported by live performances by their lead member, “Ranger” Doug Green and other members of the Riders in the Sky.

The lecture will cover the historical background from the rise of the cinematic singing cowboy, the arc of popularity in the 1930s and 1940s, and the reasons for the inevitable decline in the 1950s, going up to the renaissance of the style in the 1980s and 1990s, and continuing with Riders in the Sky. It is a bit of American history, popular culture, musicology, and folklore, presented in a relaxed and enjoyable manner. A question and answer session will follow the presentation.

About Riders in the Sky

For thirty years Riders in the Sky have been keepers of the flame passed on by the Sons of the Pioneers, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, reviving and revitalizing the genre. And while remaining true to the integrity of Western music, they have themselves become modern-day icons by branding the genre with their own legendary wacky humor and way-out Western wit, and all along encouraging buckaroos and buckarettes to live life “The Cowboy Way!” Riders in the Sky are exceptional not just in the sense that their music is of superlative standards (they are the only exclusively Western artist to have won a Grammy, and Riders have won two), but by the fact that their accomplishments are an exception to the rule as well.

As a classic cowboy quartet, the trail has led them to heights they could have never predicted. Riders in the Sky have chalked up over 5,400 concert appearances in all 50 states and 10 countries, appearing in venues everywhere from the Nashville National Guard Armory to Carnegie Hall, and from county fairs to the Hollywood Bowl. Their cowboy charisma and comedic flair made them naturals for TV, and landed them their own weekly show on TNN, as well as a Saturday morning series on CBS. They have been guests on countless TV specials, documentaries and variety shows, appearing with everyone from Barney to Penn & Teller. And their animated likenesses have shared the screen with Daffy Duck on the Cartoon Network, and the Disney Channel’s Stanley.

If you consider their compositional credits, one might call them “Writers In The Sky!” In addition to penning award winning songs for their own albums, they wrote the score for Pixar Animation’s 2002 Academy Award-winning short “For the Birds.” They composed the theme song for the internet cartoon show “Thomas Timberwolf” by renowned Bugs Bunny creator Chuck Jones. But the animated character that history will most certainly link to Riders in the Sky is the loveable cowboy Woody, as they performed “Woody’s Round Up” in “Toy Story 2,” with the album of the same name garnering their first Grammy Award in 2001 for “Best Musical Album for Children.” Two years later, Riders in the Sky roped their second Grammy in the same category, for “Monsters Inc. – Scream Factory Favorites,” the companion CD to Pixar’s award-winning movie.

“Ranger” Doug Green is a yodeler of breathtaking technique, an award-winning Western music songwriter in his own right, and a distinguished music historian. His 2002 Vanderbilt University Press book “Singing in the Saddle” was the first comprehensive look at the singing cowboy phenomenon that swept the country in the 1930s.

Equally as exceptional, but of greater significance, is that in 1982, Riders in the Sky became the first, and to date only, exclusively Western music artist to join the Grand Ol’ Opry, the longest running radio show in history, and thus began a love affair with radio as well. In 1988, they recorded comedy skits for the album “Riders Radio Theatre” and launched the long-running international weekly radio show of the same name on public radio. And keeping pace with the ever-changing technological landscape, in 2006 “Ranger Doug’s Classic Cowboy Corral” debuted on XM Satellite Radio, heard weekly on Channel 10.

Ultimately, exceptional careers do not go unnoticed, and throughout theirs, Riders in the Sky have been honored regularly. In addition to being inducted into the Grand Ol’ Opry, Riders in the Sky are in the Western Music Association’s Hall of Fame, the Country Music Foundation’s Walkway of Stars, and the Walk of Western Stars (in Newhall, CA near Melody Ranch Studios) along with Gene, Roy, John Wayne and other cowboy legends. No less important than their two Grammies, they have been the Western Music Association’s “Entertainers Of the Year” six times, and won “Traditional Group of the Year” and “Traditional Album of the Year” multiple times. The Academy of Western Artists has named them “Western Music Group of the Year” twice in 5 years, and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum has bestowed Riders in the Sky with their Wrangler Award statuette three times. It comes as no surprise then that Billboard magazine’s Jim Bessman counts them as one of “the most historically significant acts in the history of American music.”

Yes, it would be “The Easy Way” to call it a career after 30 years, but it wouldn’t be “The Cowboy Way!” And so, the never-ending trail drive continues. The ponies are rested and watered, and America’s Favorite Cowboys are ready to saddle up and ride, bringing good beef to hungry people wherever they may be. Yes, Riders in the Sky are truly an exception to the rule.

This show is sponsored by Alpha Natural Resources, Bristol Virginia Utilities, City of Bristol Tennessee, Fox Tri-Cities, WETS, WOPI, Virginia Commission for the Arts, Tennessee Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ticket Info.

Ticket prices are $25, ($15 students) and may be purchased at The Paramount Center for the Arts box office at 423.274.8920 or visit www.theparamountcenter.com or www.etix.com

About the Birthplace of Country Music Alliance

The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of the living musical heritage of the Appalachian mountains and the cultural traditions that sustain it. The Birthplace of Country Music Alliance is funded in part by grants from the Virginia Commission for the Arts Tennessee Arts Commission and National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, call (276) 645-0111 or visit online at www.birthplaceofcountrymusic.org

Related Links

• Riders in the Sky
• Birthplace of Country Music Alliance
• Get Tickets