During a 500-mile road trip home from a bluegrass music festival in Florida, John Barham found a way to blend his love of bluegrass music with his desire to make a difference in the world.
Barham said he was inspired by a man who was working to raise money for the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center.
“He inspired me to do something and take some sort of action. I was just waiting to see what it would be for,” Barham said.
Barham said he was moved by watching cancer survivor Wayne Taylor play with the band, Blue Highway, at a bluegrass festival in Florida.
“He had just been through chemo, and the band related his cancer to their music, and I was really touched by it,” Barham said. “On the drive back, it occurred to me that this is what I should be doing.”
And thus, Bluegrass on the Bayou was born. The music festival took place this past Thursday through Saturday on the old LSU golf course off Nicholson Drive for its second year. Bluegrass on the Bayou showcases nationally acclaimed bluegrass musicians while raising money and awareness for the Cancer Center at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital.
Barham, who is the president of Bluegrass on the Bayou, said the festival exposes the community to a genre of music rapidly growing in popularity.
“We’re just excited to be here,” Barham said. “I feel like we are creating a movement here in Baton Rouge. There’s a venue for the music here, now. It takes a little while, but eventually there’s a ground swell.”
Rene Ragas, administrator of the Cancer Center at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital, said he is appreciative of the support from the students of LSU who come out every year in support of the program.
“Last year, we had a group of about 200 LSU students hipped out and dancing. It was great,” Ragas said. “That kid right there was here last year dancing around and just seemed to be enjoying the music,” he said, pointing to Jono Goodman, printmaking senior and avid fan of bluegrass music.
Goodman said he travels to festivals in different states to hear new bluegrass music and see his favorite bands. The printmaking senior said many of his prints stem from his experiences at the festivals.
“It’s just a feel-good, free atmosphere here,” Goodman said. “It’s about being free and dancing.”
Goodman attended Bluegrass on the Bayou on Friday and was accompanied by Katie Bailey. Bailey describes herself as an “aspiring festival-putter-on-er girl,” and introduces herself as Katie “Bluegrass” Bailey.
“I like to come to festivals like this because there are smaller bands and I get to find new music,” Bailey said.
Gary Farris, tenor singer and guitar player for the Virginia-based band, Nothin’ Fancy, said bluegrass music spans all ages because the songs have a wide variety of subject matter.
“Bluegrass music tells a story,” Farris said. “It might be about moonshine; it might be about a husband killing a wife or a wife killing a husband – you never know what you are going to get.”
Farris said the festival benefiting the Cancer Center is all in the spirit of bluegrass music.
“Bluegrass music is down to earth,” Farris said. “It’s about coming together to try to help somebody in need, and that is what we are all doing here today raising money for the Cancer Center.”
Sam Jackson, master of ceremonies for Bluegrass on the Bayou, said bluegrass music is about taking care of each other.
“This is the closest-knit family you will ever find,” Jackson said. “When someone is in need, everyone pulls together to do what they can.”
While congregating with fellow musicians under a modest hospitality tent, Amy Finders of the Mike and Amy Finders Band explained what it meant to her to be performing at the festival.
“It’s wonderful to play and get to see our friends, but to be able to play for something good means a lot,” Finders said.
Barham said the Mike and Amy Finders Band is receiving national acclaim. Singer and songwriter Mike Finders of the band was recently awarded first place in the gospel category of the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest held in conjunction with the MerleFest music festival in Wilkesboro, N.C.
Mike Finders attributed his ability to connect with audiences through bluegrass music. “Bluegrass music is just honest,” he said. “There’s no electronics, no overdubbing. It’s refreshing and I think people are drawn to that.”
Jackson said he was best able to describe bluegrass music when he was asked by a retired LSU professor at a show in Mississippi to explain the genre to his wife.
“I told her bluegrass music is like Baskin Robbins,” Jackson said. “There are 31 flavors in front of you, and you will taste some you like, some you aren’t sure of and some you hate. But if you just approach it with an open mind, you are bound to find things you enjoy about it. At the end of the show, the man’s wife came up to me and said, ‘I’ve found some flavors I really liked.'”
 
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