All tangled up in bluegrass, student group 'picks' up a local pastime

Travis Kahle, a senior, has played bluegrass music since he was 13. His interest in bluegrass was rarely mutual among people he knew. That's why he created the IU Bluegrass and Traditional Music Club.\nThe club had its callout meeting Tuesday for anyone interested in playing, learning about or listening to traditional American music such as bluegrass. The call-out meeting ended with President Kahle and Vice President Andy Blastick playing some songs and allowing others to join in or "jam" themselves.\n"I had only met two or three people that played or listened to bluegrass before this club," said Kahle, who created the group as a way to meet more people interested in bluegrass.\nThe club became official in the spring of 2004, making last year its first full year in existence. This year, the group plans to make it to more shows and host bigger events. \n"We want to give people an outlet to find (bluegrass) music," Kahle said, "but we don't want to be stuck in a box and only listen to bluegrass. We try to do a little bit of everything."\nKahle's goal is to help people find and enjoy these styles of music on which there isn't much publicity, and word of mouth is the main way to discover it.\n"If you want to meet Ralph Stanley, we'd like to help you do that," Kahle said, referring to helping someone meet her or her favorite banjo player.\nMeetings are held every other Tuesday in Woodburn Hall room 104. The group has plans to hold open mic nights, weekly jam sessions, cookouts and take trips to concerts, as well as having its own performances.\nAnyone interested in joining should contact Khale at lkahle@indiana.edu or attend the next meeting at 7:30 p.m. Tues., Sept. 26.\n"We're open to all forms of acoustic music and interests," Blastick said.