Morganton band Mipso performs a benefit concert for Casting for Hope, Dec. 19

From a press release:

Morganton band Mipso performs a benefit concert for Casting for Hope, Dec. 19

Casting for Hope Presents Mipso in Concert is slated for December 19, 2014 at 7:30 at the CoMMA Auditorium in Morganton, North Carolina. These Carolina foothills will host the poetry of Mipso’s lyrics and the harmonies of music clearly influenced by the bluegrass cultures in Southern Appalachia—all to the tune of helping Casting for Hope serve women and families in western North Carolina who are surviving after a diagnosis of ovarian and other gynecological cancers. Casting for Hope first hosted Mipso in concert in 2013 and raised over $33,000 on the event. This year’s event is reproducing the highly successful format of the 2013 event that featured a benefit dinner at First Baptist Church of Morganton, with entertainment from local music performers, the primary event at the CoMMA, and an after party being hosted by Fonta Flora—a local brewery in Morganton—for VIP and Deluxe ticket holders at the Armory.

Casting for Hope serves women and families in western North Carolina who are surviving after a diagnosis of ovarian or other gynecological cancers. Kathy Haney is the Executive Director and John Zimmerman and Taylor Sharp are the Co­Founders. Casting for Hope has two primary service wings: financial aid for gap needs and emotional healing retreat opportunities. Casting for Hope steps in and financially aids qualifying women and families surviving after an ovarian or other gynecological cancer diagnosis. These needs arise when insurance limitations, financial constraints, and other restrictive influences assert themselves and force women and families to make impossible choices: automotive gas to treatment vs. lunch for the week; prescribed medicines and supplements vs. mortgage payments; prescribed dietary requirements vs. an energy bill to keep the lights on at home. Casting for Hope’s other service wing is predicated on John and Taylor’s experience of mutual healing through fly fishing. John lost his grandmother and Taylor his mother to cancer during their high school years. Experiencing mutual healing through fly fishing together, John and Taylor co­founded Casting for Hope to help provide this restorative and healing experience to others who were battling the physical, emotional, and spiritual terrors of battling cancer.

In step with the co­founders’ healing experience, Casting for Hope heads to the hills of western North Carolina to provide retreat for women surviving with ovarian or other gynecological cancers and caregivers for weekends of fly fishing, community building, and the most current research in gynecological cancer research.

Mipso is a group of renegade traditionalists participating in the culture of the Southern Appalachias, with Joseph Terrell on guitar, Jacob Sharp on mandolin, Libby Rodenbough on fiddle, and Wood Robinson on upright bass. These North Carolina songwriters have wandered from the trails set by Earl Scruggs and Doc Watson to find new clearings for their distinctive Southern string band sounds. Mipso’s work and talent has kicked up a fuss: INDY Week described Mipso’s work as “expanding the vocabulary” of bluegrass while maintaining a college club feel that predates both colleges and clubs! The idea for Mipso began on the campus of UNC Chapel Hill but has since propelled the group into a career as performing and recording artists. By their senior years, Mipso had sold out Cat’s Cradle four times and post graduation, they’ve literally been all over the world sharing the roots of Southern Appalachian bluegrass culture. Their most recent album debuted at #8 on the Billboard Bluegrass charts and Joseph Terrell received the coveted Chris Austin Songwriting Competition first place prize from Merlefest in 2014. With a new album and Merlefest debut on the 2015 horizon, the group is looking forward to their biggest year yet.

This specific collaboration between Casting for Hope and Mipso predates either group as they are known today. During December of 2010, John and Taylor were chasing trout with fly rods in hand while Jacob and Joseph, and Wood were planning their first event: a concert at Catawba Valley Brewery as a Christmas present to Taylor and Jacob’s mother, Amy Sharp, in whose memory Casting for Hope was founded. The benefit concert was raising money for The Hope Chest for Women, where Kathy Haney was Executive Director. Fast forward to 2014 and Casting for Hope is a federal non­profit organization and Mipso is touring the world! The hands and feet of each group couldn’t be more excited to be working together again.

Tickets for Casting for Hope Presents Mipso can be acquired by visiting CoMMA’s website at www.commaonline.org , by calling the box office at 828.433.SHOW