BLANCHESTER — A local musician continues his journey in finding communities to share his music.

Joel Hogle, 32, is a local bluegrass/country musician who has been playing music since he was a kid.

“I started playing when I was pretty young. My parents were willing to buy [my siblings and I] instruments. My brother took to it easier than me,” said Hogle.

The music that Hogle seemed to gravitate toward was older music such as Americana and folk. As he continued to move toward that genre he started to realize how it spoke to him. Among those who inspired him include Del McCoury and the late John Prine.

“This area has a really rich heritage of country and bluegrass,” he said. He finished reading the book Industrial Strength Bluegrass which details southwestern Ohio’s musical legacy. He moved to the area around 10 years ago from northern Indiana. To him, finding that history in his genre is great.

“I had a natural impulse to move into the area. The history it has and the people in the area appreciate the genre,” he said. “Not everyone has their stations tuned to bluegrass but I typically get a good response when I play.”

A reason why he loves it is that it doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, speaks to human conditions, and is lyrically driven.

“I think that the themes [in the songs] have been very sincere for me. I feel emotionally connected to it,” he said. “They help express happiness, sadness, and faith. It’s my calling in a way.”

He’s hoping to get more gigs this summer as a short-term future goal. His long-term plans are to further develop and find a community to play with. Whether that’s finding other musicians to share the stage with or just continuing to play for the crowds.

Hogle’s music can be found at joelhogle.bandcamp.com and he can be followed on Facebook and Instagram.