Posted on 02/24/2021 3:50:37 PM PST by nickcarraway
Kaye Watson is not a demanding parent intent of strictly imposing her will on her children. Instead, she tries to gently nudge them in the right direction.
Watson comes from a family of music lovers. Not professional musicians, these are folks that just love listening to all kinds of music (though predominately traditional country) and singing along, sometimes to the top of their lungs.
As she was home-schooling her two youngest boys a few years ago while living in Marissa, she wondered if the siblings would be interested in taking their musical intrigue to the next level, causing her to post a simple question on social media, “Does anyone know who gives music lessons?”
Little did she know, the answer was right under her own nose.
The immediate and overwhelming response was Chris Talley, owner/operator of The Bluegrass Shack, a popular business located in the same little community in southern St. Clair County where Watson was living.
The Bluegrass Shack has been an iconic location for Metro East bluegrass fans for two decades. Talley has won statewide fiddle and banjo championships in Missouri and Illinois. She gives lessons and can repair anything with strings. The site is legendary for pop-up jam sessions.
On their initial visit to the store in 2017, 8-year-old Rivers said he wanted to learn to play guitar and 10-year-old brother Ryder was attracted more by banjo. Little did they know at the time, but they would become import parts of Southern Illinois youth bands that are preserving the heritage of bluegrass music for future generations.
A single mother of four, Watson has moved to Benton and is completing an online nursing program through Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 13-year-old Ryder and 12-year-old Rivers both attend Benton Middle School, where football practice just started. Social media, video games and homework gobble up much of their free time, but time is carved out each night for music practice.
“It’s so hard to keep them motivated because they are so many other things competing for their time,” Watson says. “All I can do is encourage them and try to point them in the right direction.”
After nearly a year of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the isolation has been stifling on passion and creativity for the youngsters, but that all changes every Monday when they pile into the car and make one-hour drive to The Bluegrass Shack for lessons, practice and marathon jam sessions.
“They have so much fun up there,” Watson says. “Chris is an amazing person and incredible teacher. She is just a wealth of knowledge and can play 26 instruments.”
Under Talley’s supervision, Watson says there is always noticeable improvement, purpose and direction.
“They play so many songs, it’s always something new that pushes them to a new level. It’s a constant learning process,” Watson says. “She just shows them if they are willing to put in all the hard work, it is possible that they can earn a living with their music and maybe turn it into a career. Getting paid to play music would be a dream job.”
Rivers is a member of The Half Notes. The five-piece group includes banjo, mandolin, fiddle and twin guitar. They can be seen flawless picking classic “Soldier’s Joy” on a high-definition video posted by Talley on YouTube. Their classic repertoire includes: “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” “Rocky Top” and “Old Joe Clark.”
With members between the ages of 12 and 14, the band was hired locally to play festivals, churches and in nursing homes. For their efforts, they earned a little pocket change and invaluable musical experience.
“Chris is always there playing stand-up bass for the band and coaching the kids on stage etiquette and stage presence,” Watson says.
Ryder is in Hand Picked, the older band under the tutelage of Talley ranging in ages 13 to 18. Their sound is more sophisticated and polished. A typical set list would include: “Steel Rails,” “Power in the Blood, “Ashokan Farewell,” ”I’ll Fly Away” and “Foggy Mountain Breakdown,” plus a version of “Kentucky Borderline” that would make Rhonda Vincent smile with approval.
In October, they were featured at the Arcadia Valley Music Festival in Ironton, Missouri.
“The band had them dancing in the street!” Talley exclaimed on Facebook.
Watson said the foundation of Ryder’s style was formed through endless hours of listening to records by Flatt & Sruggs, Bill Monroe and The Stanley Brothers.
“We learned from scratch the Scruggs method,” she says.
Hand Picked is normally invited each year to compete in the Youth in Bluegrass competition at Silver Dollar City in Branson, but the event was postponed in 2020 due to virus concerns and will be held May 28-29 this year.
Good on em.
Bluegrass rocked before rock, rocked!
I got hooked on Bluegrass a few years ago, but my local group has not been able to jam together for almost a year now. I’ve only been able to attend a couple of outdoor jams at a nearby county park. It’s great to see the younguns get into the bluegrass scene.
One of the hottest Bluegrass entertainers right now is Billy Strings. Plenty of youtube concerts. Enjoy
How cool. With that level of talent they can always have some sort of side gig.
A friend of mine paid her way through college in a chamber music group she was in.
Her husband moved a lot for work. Wherever they went she’d pick up a couple students.
She taught my daughter in exchange for babysitting.
We’ve got banjo, fiddle, guitar, and bagpipes in our immediate family. Fun times! New Salem, settlement where Lincoln spent his youth has a big bluegrass week. Moved out of state. Miss it!
Will the circle be unbroken?
L
On top of old Rocky Top?
Great story!
I love that these youngsters are moved by old-time, classic American music.
The woman sounds like an amazing teacher.
The Watson name has some cred
These kids are inspiring....
https://youtu.be/gezPgvMkXlI
This stupid lockdown is killing me. I’ve been involved in the local bluegrass scene for the last ten years and even co-hosted a weekly jam. The genre is (was) surprisingly vibrant with festivals all spring and summer long.
Now it’s all dried up. Everyone is afraid to play and no venues will allow sessions. I invited a dozen players to my home for a backyard jam last summer and only one showed up. They’re all scaredy-cats around here.
In the meanwhile, while waiting for sanity to return the only thing left to me is to practice...and irritate the neighbors.
Nice story.
This writer needs to learn how to proofread, however.
Hope this crap ends soon!
While they’ve all done growed up now, when Nickel Creek was formed they were all pretty much just kids as well. Chris Thile has gone on to become a world-class mandolin player, who has done some interesting things bridging bluegrass and classical. In recent years he’s done albums with Edgar Meyer, Yo Yo Ma, and others.
I’m a big fan of the crossover of some of these guys from the classical world into bluegrass and related forms.
White privilege music.
One of the hottest Bluegrass entertainers right now is Billy Strings.
......................................................
Billy Strings or Billy Strangs?...........
You know......... The difference between a violin and a fiddle.
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