L.A. BlueGrassHoppers bring back bluegrass and old-time style music

Once a week, the upbeat sound of spirited string instruments consumes Schoenberg Hall as about 20 musicians come together to learn about bluegrass and old-time style music. After about an hour and a half, the majority of the musicians leave and only six remain. These six musicians make up the L.A. BlueGrassHoppers.

The L.A. BlueGrassHoppers is UCLA’s bluegrass and old-time style ensemble. The ensemble at one time entered a seven-year hiatus that was put to an end when UCLA ethnomusicology alumnus Tommy Stanton revived the ensemble during his senior year four years ago.

Stanton said that, as a banjo player, he did not feel that there was a defined place for his style of music during his earlier years at UCLA. He had been playing bluegrass music since he was 15 years old and wanted the opportunity to share his music with other students in his department and on campus. Consequently, he recruited some other musicians and brought the L.A. BlueGrassHoppers back to life.

The ensemble is now directed by ethnomusicology graduate student Scott Linford, who plays the banjo and the fiddle in the ensemble.

“As the years go by, we find new people coming in. It’s a bit like a sports team; you just hope you get good students the next year as some of them graduate,” said Anthony Seeger, professor of ethnomusicology and faculty advisor of the L.A. BlueGrassHoppers.

According to epidemiology graduate student and guitarist of the L.A. BlueGrassHoppers Doug Morier, both bluegrass and old-time music use five primary instruments. He said the banjo, fiddle, mandolin, guitar and bass are all used together with improvisation and solos by the musicians to create a lively sound used for dances.

Morier also said that, while bluegrass and old-time are similar music styles, there are some definite differences between the two. He said that the lyrics to old-time music do not have a specific narrative structure; instead, the songs consist of interchangeable couplets thrown together, as opposed to the lyrics of most other genres that do follow a narrative.

The L.A. BlueGrassHoppers put on a square dance earlier in the month at Schoenberg Hall, and it allowed them to display their old-time expertise, according to Morier.

“If you’re the band, your job is just to keep the music going and steady and familiar so that people know where they are in the tune … and the dancers can know where they are,” Morier said.

The bluegrass style is a bit different.

According to Morier, bluegrass is more likely to be compared to a country song. It also has absorbed elements from jazz, folk and old-time dance music, he said.

“Bluegrass grew out of old-time and early country music as a way to perform especially for records and radio. The songs are shorter, with tight vocal harmonies and virtuosic instrumental part,” Linford said.

Stanton said he was drawn to bluegrass because of its anti-commercial nature that put a focus on musicianship instead of its image or marketing.

“It’s a very genuine and wholesome music. … Bluegrass music is definitely a musician’s music,” he said.

According to Morier, listeners do not have to be familiar with bluegrass or old-time music to appreciate it. He also said whether the band is performing at Kerckhoff Coffee House, a bar in Los Angeles or on a Tuesday night in Schoenberg Hall, they always have positive feedback.

“It’s the kind of music that you can just take anywhere, and you usually get people interested,” he said.