Sierra Hull shouldered a hundred-year-old bluegrass tradition before she was old enough to drive. The mandolin prodigy self-released her first CD at age 10, signed with Rounder Records at 13, and was mentored by bluegrass and country music legend Alison Krauss — all while purists scrutinized her every note.

Musical prodigies are the music industry's version of child actors, and the story usually ends in burnout or public rebellion. This episode unpacks how Hull escaped the prodigy trap: stripping away her safety net, recording an album with nothing but her voice and a mandolin, and risking the applause she already had to discover what she was truly capable of.

• Released her self-published debut CD, Angel Mountain, when she was just 10 years old

• Discovered by Ken Irwin at an IBMA festival and signed to Rounder Re ...