BMAC MemberDowneast Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Society

Promoting & Preserving Bluegrass in Eastern Canada

Downeast Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Society

"It is our duty, not only as musicians, but as participants of this music form that it be like any other music form in history. It's our duty to allow bluegrass music to grow and flourish and at the same time retain the most important part of it, and that is the essence of the sound of real bluegrass music." -Tony Rice (2013)

Established in 1980, the Downeast Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Society is an incorporated, not for profit organization, registered with Joint Stock Companies of Nova Scotia, registration # 1253983, operating in accordance with our own Society By-Laws.

The Society is made up of direct members to the Society plus all the members of five chapters:
Truro and Area Bluegrass Society East Hants Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Association Eastern Shore Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Association Annapolis Valley Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Association Clare Bluegrass Association

The objectives of the Society are:
To Promote and Preserve Bluegrass & Oldtime Music in Eastern Canada.
To organize and produce the Annual Nova Scotia Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Festival which is the oldest Bluegrass Festival in Canada.
To organize and produce the Eastern Canada Bluegrass Music Awards

A Board of Directors elected by the total membership ideally including at least one representative from each affiliated Chapter, and numbering between 7 and 13, look after the affairs of the Society. Included in the 13 possible Directors are the Society Executive (President, 1st and 2nd Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary) who are individually elected by the membership to take care of the day to day business of the Society.

The Society has various committees in place, which often call on members for assistance. We encourage all members to get involved and help out in various society projects!

Affiliated Clubs:

Club Name Address Location Contact Telephone Email Website
The Annapolis Valley Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Association TBA Berwick, Nova Scotia Brian Hazlett – President (902) 684-0204 Email Website
The Clare Bluegrass Association PO Box 103, Meteghan Centre, N.S. B0W 2K0 Meteghan Centre NS Russell Leblanc - President (902) 649-2026 Email Website
The East Hants Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Association 1455 Highway # 2, Lantz, N.S. B2S 2A2 Lantz, Nova Scotia. /td> Jerry Murphy – President (902) 883-7189/td> Email http://www.easthantsbluegrass.com
The Eastern Shore Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Association 130 Stewiacke River Park Road, MacKay Siding, NS, B0N 2J0 Porter's Lake, Nova Scotia Michael Laycock – President (902) 639-9267 Email  
The Truro and Area Bluegrass & Oldtime Music Association PO Box 330, Stewiacke, NS, B0N 2J0 Truro, Nova Scotia Leo MacArthur – President (902) 893-4271 Email  

​Meet our Board of Directors:

Position Name Location Telephone Email
President John Simms      
Vice-President Chantal O'Neil      
Treasurer Jerry Murphy      
Secretary Anne Langille      
Director Nelson Langille Stewiacke, NS    
Director Art MacNeil Lantz, NS    
Director Eddie Poirier Saint John, NB    
Director Julie Dempsey Berwick, NS    
Director Bill Dempsey Berwick, NS    
Director Marilyn Singer Hammonds Plains, NS    
Director Eric Conrad Seaforth, NS