Have you ever wondered about the offstage world of a professional musician? Every month in this column, bluegrass now will provide a glimpse into the lives of some of your favorite bluegrass stars. To see captions, just move your cursor over the photos!

Tim O'Brien is talking about living in Nashville. “I saw Alison Krauss at the grocery store the other day,” he muses. “She has lunch and then does her shopping at the natural foods market. I saw Ray Stevens at a Mexican restaurant a few days ago and he was eating menudo.”

To hear Tim describe Nashville, it sounds like a big city wrapped around a little one. The exclusive community at the city's heart consists, of course, of Tim and the other internationally renowned performers who make it their home. “It's nice going to the grocery store or the YMCA or out to dinner, and to see musician friends. It's a big city, and yet within that, there's a small town, the music scene,” he muses.

The O'Brien family lives just south of Nashville in the suburb of Oak Hill. That's convenient for Tim, whose skills as a session musician and producer are in great demand. “It's probably ten minutes into the center of town from where we live,” he says. “Music Row is on the south side, so all the business stuff is close, and there are a lot of recording studios close by in Berry Hill.”

There's always some hot pickin' happening somewhere in Nashville. Often, it may be found at the Station Inn, one of Tim's favorite haunts. “It's always fun to go down there and see who's hanging out,” he says. “Every other night they have something related to bluegrass. I really like that about the town. I can always go down there, and it's home.”

Though he's a busy touring musician, Tim tries to spend plenty of time with his family. His son Jackson, 20, attends college at St. John's, a small school in Maryland. Son Joel, 13, is being homeschooled by Tim's wife, Kit, an artist and former research scientist. He's also starting to play mandolin. “They're both artistic guys, really good with words,” Tim says proudly. “Joel's good with the hambones; he's learned some stuff from Casey Driessen and Mark Schatz.” Jackson plays in a rock band with friends from high school; record companies and producers have begun to show interest.

Tim and Kit had positive childhood experiences that helped mold their own parenting styles. “My mom and dad were really supportive. They wanted us to experience different things. I think the same happened with Kit; they did similar things for her, though she had a big family and there wasn't a lot of money to go around. They made opportunities available that she was able to flourish in. That's what we're trying to do with our kids.”

The family makes it a point to dine together several days a week, no matter what's going on. “That time is really precious to me. We talk about what we've been doing and just enjoy each other.” Meals can be educational at Tim's house, where bookshelves flank each side of the dining room table. “We'll be talking and somebody will say, 'What does this word mean? When did this event happen? Where does this food come from?' We've got encyclopedias and reference books, so we look stuff up during dinner!”

Homeschooling is perfect for the O'Briens, who often go on the road together. This year, Tim's itinerary has taken them to Colorado (for Telluride), Washington (for Wintergrass), and Minnesota (for Prairie Home Companion); they'll go to Nova Scotia's Celtic Colors Festival in the fall. “Joel can learn geography and history while he's traveling, and we get to do some interesting things as a family.”

As president of IBMA, and board member of the International Bluegrass Music Museum, Tim is sort of a figurehead for the music he loves. He does his best to help visiting artists, answering questions, offering opinions, and providing connections. “We've got a couple extra rooms, so musicians that come through can stay with us. I try to be a helper to people doing what I was doing 25 years ago. That's the thing with IBMA. They asked me to be president, and it was kinda hard to say no, because that's the people who gave me my livelihood. So, it's a pleasure to be involved.”

Visit Tim O'Brien online at www.timobrien.net.