Kevin Gregory, president of the Columbus Blues Alliance, wrote this, and published it in the Columbus Blues Paper. It's about my Memphis experience! I cannot thank Kevin enough for everything he has done for me,  and I hope that I make everyone at the CBA proud. Enjoy!

Reposted from: http://www.blues.org/about/news.php4?Id=758

Why we do this…
The title above is the Jeopardy-style “answer”
to this article. Less than a year ago, none of us in Central Ohio ever
heard of the then-14-year-old Micah Kesselring. Colin John, while
gigging at a restaurant in southern Ohio met the youth and recommended
he contact us. Not too long after that, he began showing up at the
biweekly jam along with his parents, where he played slide on his
Stratocaster to a very receptive crowd. His real talent and passion
were in playing slide on the Dobro and resonator, though. To say Micah
is truly gifted for his age is an understatement. He’s good to the
point of making adults my age that cannot play anything angry with
jealousy.After getting to know him, we encouraged him to enter
our solo/duo competition, which was won by LeFever. It did start things
rolling, though. It was around that time we decided to send someone to
the 2009 IBC as part of the Blues Foundation’s new Youth Showcase and
it seemed to the Officers and Trustees that Micah was the most logical
choice; he was young, good and only one person (making it more
affordable). So we got him all signed up and he immediately started
working on new material.Prior to the IBC, I noticed Cassie
Taylor was not only coordinating the Youth Showcase, but moderating a
Youth Roundtable the morning of the second semi-finals day. I strongly
encouraged him to “rub elbows” with her since she is on the
Foundation’s Board and is the daughter of the legendary Otis Taylor. I
figured she would be the one contact that could help him learn as much
as possible. In hindsight, I can say I positively hit that one on the
head!So, Friday morning arrives and Micah attends the
roundtable. I later find out that he didn’t really even have to
introduce himself. Having made friends with her online and shared some
of his material, she was a fan before they saw each other. The
roundtable went very well – Micah got to meet other youth acts, and the
short seminar ended with a promise from Cassie to come see Micah at
Blues City Café. Not only did she stay for his entire set, but there
was a palpable buzz with a few of the industry folks that were there.
Bruce Wheeler (Heritage Music Festival) even came to see him, but was
too late. He did stop and talk to Micah and his father Mark, though,
and gave them his business card (I don’t even have his card, damn it!).
Once Micah was finished, Cassie moved on to the other Showcase venues
to see other performers, clearly indicating she came there to see him
specifically.That afternoon, I spotted Ms. Taylor and introduced
myself in order to thank her for the wonderful encouragement for Micah
and pulling the Showcase together so well. It was a good thing I
stopped her – she was looking for Micah in order to invite him to
dinner at the Majestic with the other Youth performers and the Perry
Family (Homemade Jamz Blues Band). My cell phone was out and in
operation before she finished her sentence and the arrangements were
made. Things were definitely happening, although I doubt any of us
Columbus blues fans could have anticipated the string of events that
would result.By the end of the evening, Micah had met many
important people (most of whom he knew nothing about) and was among a
select group of Youth performers to be asked to participate in a
last-minute jam session at the Old Daisy. A few hours later, there he
was – on stage with Taya (drums) and Kyle Perry (bass), a few other
Showcase acts and BMA Nominee Gina Sicilia (vocals) and her
BMA-nominated guitarist Dave Gross. That was merely the first day,
though. The very next morning, Cassie urged Micah to meet him at the
IBC host hotel for some important news. I think it’s fair to say that
none of us expected what happened next.Of all the Youth Showcase
performers (and they were really good – I saw several of them), Cassie
and the venue coordinators felt that Micah represented something they
were looking for. He had the talent, drive and ambition they needed. He
had the personality and appearance that others needed. Remember that
although it’s the blues, it is still the music BUSINESS, and they have
been in search of someone good enough to be a success that can also
relate to others his age (do you hear those cash registers ringing,
yet?). With her industry contacts, Cassie was able to secure funding
for a scholarship to send young Mr. Kesselring to the Port Townsend
Blues Festival, where he would learn from Corey Harris of all people.
Keep in mind this “award” did not even exist as recently as the
previous twelve hours! Oh, and by the way, he was going to have it
presented to him on stage at the Orpheum, during the finals and right
before the other awards were given out!That’s not all of it,
either:
He met several other industry folks that are very much interested in
him. He made friends with the entire Perry family and was invited to
their home in Mississippi so he could lay down some slide tracks with
them. He’s been texting and calling them ever since. He had dinner with
Sean Carney to talk business, followed by an impromptu jam at Pig on
Beale with Sean. As we strolled down Beale to see about squeezing into
the Rum Boogie for Bob Marolin’s legendary post-IBC jam, he was
introduced to the folks responsible for the Eutin Blues Festival in
Germany and several others that I can’t even remember (Sean knows
everybody, you know).As
it came to be time to hit the road and head back to Columbus, I
reflected on the 25th IBC and all we’d seen and done the past four
days. The one that stuck with me most was the overwhelming appreciation
and tearful excitement shown to us by Micah and his parents. The IBC
was a different world from theirs, in South Bloomingville, Ohio. I
don’t know what any of them thought might happen this year, but it
certainly was not all this. If you had asked me just a month ago why I
and my good friends spend so much time doing stuff for a nonprofit
organization, for no pay at all, the answers would be varied but
inevitably “canned”, borrowed or just made up. After feeling the pride
of seeing Micah on stage at the Orpheum and being so happy for him and
his family; after hearing he and his parents’ repeated appreciation
expressed to the CBA and knowing all that could very well be waiting
for him just a short time from now, I can say that This is exactly why
we do this…this is what, in the end, will keep the blues alive (and
well), for the forseeable future.
Kevin Gregory