Jean Laney Harris Folk Heritage Awards

Chip Chipman is no stranger to folks in the world of bluegrass music. Chipman has owned and operated Low Country Music in Moncks Corner since 1987. Since its opening, the store has been a meeting place for musicians of all ages and skill levels to gather, play and learn from one another. Chipman is also the organizer and presenter of the annual "Pickin' in the Park Music Festival" at Old Santee Canal Park. This daylong program of bluegrass music features bands from across South Carolina and throughout the region. He features a contingent of his music students on stage as well.

Chipman's exposure to bluegrass and country music dates back to his childhood in Kentucky. He learned to play traditional tunes by listening to his brothers, watching them play and observing their various styles. Fifty years later, Chipman continues to pass these traditions along to a new generation of musicians, some as young as five-years-old.

Chipman teaches between 50 and 60 students per week at his store in Moncks Corner. Many of the locals have affectionately coined the store the "Low Country Bluegrass Academy." He works with all ages, but prefers to teach children 16 and younger. One of his students traveled to Greensboro, N.C., in 2007 and placed first in the National Youth Competition. Another student recently earned a music scholarship and is now attending the College of Charleston. Chipman frequently visits Berkeley County schools and demonstrates the techniques and instrumentation of bluegrass music.

In 2005, Chipman received the "Lifetime Commitment Award" from Bluegrass on the Waccamaw, a non-profit organization that organizes the annual "Bluegrass on the Waccamaw" music festival in Conway.