Growing up in bluegrass, Fred Bartenstein had the privilege of knowing and working with virtually all of the music's first generation. The editor of Muleskinner News from 1969-1974, he has also been a musician, festival MC and talent director, composer, record producer, compiler of the first bluegrass market research, founder of a regional association, and a lifelong fan.

Fred has hosted bluegrass programs on eight radio stations between 1966 and the present. He currently produces "Banks of the Ohio: Music From the Homeplace of Bluegrass," a three-hour weekly webcast/broadcast on the history of bluegrass music, for the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky.

In his professional life, Fred has been a manager and CEO for nonprofits, government and business. He currently manages an organizational development consulting practice from Yellow Springs, Ohio, helping groups (including the International Bluegrass Music Association and International Bluegrass Music Museum) shape and adapt to change.

Fred Bartenstein was named a Distinguished Achievement Award recipient by the International Bluegrass Music Association in 2006.