Ferrum, VA, September 24, 2025 — Orchestra Appalachia, the primary touring ensemble of Ferrum College’s Appalachian Music program, performed at the annual convention of the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Saturday, September 20, 2025. Emily Blankenship-Tucker, assistant professor and program coordinator for Music and Theatre, directed the group in a college showcase and the IBMA street festival.
This trip to Chattanooga marked the fourth time Orchestra Appalachia appeared at this preeminent music convention. The performers were students Django Burgess, Maddie Cox, and Quinn May, with Emily Blankenship-Tucker and staff member Rachel Blankenship-Tucker. Sarah Montgomery, who has been playing keyboard at Ferrum’s Monday music jams during her first semester at the College, also attended and displayed her clogging skills while the band performed.
Orchestra Appalachia stopped in Sparta, North Carolina to attend an event called The Big Round Dance on September 19 before heading to Tennessee for their IBMA appearances on Saturday. At the IBMA street festival, they performed for hundreds of enthusiastic listeners. Django Burgess said “everyone went crazy” when Sarah Montgomery started dancing, and the audience especially enjoyed their offering of free Ferrum College t-shirts. Because they traveled for more than one day this year, Burgess said, “I was able to hang around for lots of jams and things late into the night.”
The IBMA describes itself as a “nonprofit music association that connects, educates, and empowers bluegrass professionals and enthusiasts, honoring tradition and encouraging innovation in the bluegrass community worldwide.” At the college showcase, Emily Blankenship-Tucker discussed Ferrum College’s academic and performance offerings, and Orchestra Appalachia performed as one of eleven colleges from around the country with programs that focus on Appalachian music.
Ferrum College President Mirta Martin said, “We are so proud of our Orchestra Appalachia students and faculty for representing Ferrum College on such a prestigious stage at IBMA. Their performances showcased their extraordinary talent and celebrated the rich musical traditions of the Blue Ridge that are central to our identity. Watching our students share their gifts with an international audience reminds us that Ferrum College is not just preserving Appalachian heritage, but inspiring new generations to carry it forward.”
After returning from Chattanooga, Orchestra Appalachia performed early in the morning at Maple Grove Church’s senior breakfast in Ferrum on September 23. Members of the group also participate regularly in the free music jams sponsored by the Ferrum College Appalachian Music program, held every Monday of the year from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Blue Ridge Institute and Museum, part of The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Music Heritage Trail’s event calendar.
“Ferrum College is an ideal place to study Appalachian music because our students are immersed in a community with other musicians of all ages, from children to seniors, keeping the musical traditions of the region alive and growing,” said Emily Blankenship-Tucker. “We’re a short drive from jams, concerts, and dances nearly every day of the week, and we host a jam every Monday. Students of traditional music at Ferrum College have opportunities to learn about and share in the musical cultures of the Blue Ridge the way generations of musicians have learned before, by playing together in community.”
“Hesitation Blues” is one of the new songs performed by Orchestra Appalachia at IBMA. While taking Introduction to Appalachian Strings this fall, students in Orchestra Appalachia study source recordings and learn traditional songs like this one. The Appalachian Music program includes bluegrass, old-time, gospel, and other related genres that students want to explore. The College’s Stanley Library has a collection of banjos, fiddles, autoharps, mandolins, and guitars made possible by a grant from the IBMA Foundation.
Ferrum College’s multidisciplinary program offers private instruction, opportunities for students who major in other fields, a minor in music, and certificates in both Appalachian Music and Appalachian Storytelling and Child Drama. Those interested in a professional career engage in a rigorous program for the BFA degree in Music and Theatre: Professional Stage Performance. BFA students gain experience in every aspect of developing, marketing, and touring both solo and mainstage shows, participating in as many as 50 performance dates per year. Some of them perform mountain music and dramatized folktales with the College’s professional company in residence, the Jack Tale Players. Click here to learn more about the Music and Theatre: Professional Stage Performance program.
Pictured left to right are Emily Blankenship-Tucker, Maddie Cox, Django Burgess, Rachel Blankenship-Tucker, and Quinn May.
