Vinegrass

MISSION STATEMENT

The Vinegrass Organization’s mission is to enhance the cultural quality of life through the production of American Rhythm & Roots concerts and festivals. We will preserve and foster this traditional American genre of music through scholarships, workshops, and instruments, ensuring its place for generations to come.

ABOUT VINEGRASS

The Vinegrass Organization is a not-for-profit music production company, that produces concerts, camps, workshops, and The Vinegrass Music Festival, in order to raise money for our charitable mission. The mission is to provide scholarships to students studying music at an accredited 4 year university, with preference given to study within the American Roots and Rhythm genre. In addition to the scholarships,
we will subsidize camps and workshops, as well as provide instruments to younger students in need. As the Vinegrass Organization plants their roots fiscally, an annual grant will be awarded to an artist or band in the Rhythm & Roots genre, with preference to a Cape Cod band/artist.

Founded by Monica Rizzio (Front Woman for the Old Kings Highway) in August of 2013, Vinegrass is a lifelong dream for Monica to give back to those who have helped her become a professional musician. Raised on a ranch in east Texas, Monica always loved music, but her family’s financial means prohibited her from taking music lessons and having instruments. Her only instrument for the longest time was her voice until she was able to play the flute in the middle school band. Monica did not learn to play the fiddle, ukulele, or guitar until she was 23, after graduation from Belmont University in Nashville with a degree in Music. She often wonders what may have been had she been given the opportunity as a child. She has opened the only roots based music school on Cape Cod, West Bend Music which provides musical instruction for the Fiddle, Banjo, Mandolin, Guitar, Piano, and Ukulele.

PROGRAMS

Throughout the next year, Vinegrass will host The Vinegrass Music Series leading
up to the Vinegrass Music Festival. These concerts will feature regional and national touring bands and artists in the Americana, Bluegrass, and Folk genres. As part of these concerts, we will offer workshops and educational programs in the local schools provided by the musicians which will focus on their
instruments, style of music, and songwriting. Finally, the Vinegrass Music Festival, to be held October 4, 2014, will invite higher profile touring bands and artists for a one day, 1000 person event, to be held at Truro Vineyards. This will be an all-ages event, and is the principal fundraiser for the Vinegrass Organization.