If you want to become an expert at something, you have to put the reps in — you have to practice, you need experience, and bluegrass singer-songwriter Sierra Hull has a lot of it.

The highly decorated mandolin player began her music career very young, putting out her first album at just 10 years old. Since then, she’s never stopped. She’s won multiple Grammy Awards, and she’s a six-time winner of mandolin player of the year at the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Bluegrass Music Awards.

Now in her early 30s, Hull has the sure-footed confidence that comes with experience, and she put it to use on her latest album, A Tip Toe High Wire. It’s her first album she’s released independently since she was a little kid.

In today’s session, Hull talks about making that album, about growing up in a tiny town called Byrdstown, Tenn., and about how family — both her literal family and her bluegrass family — made her into the musician she is today.

This episode of World Cafe was produced and edited by Miguel Perez. Our senior producer is Kimberly Junod and our engineer is Chris Williams. Our programming and booking coordinator is Chelsea Johnson and our line producer is Will Loftus.