Gary from British Columbia asks some great and typical questions:
Hi Pete, First, I want to thank you for all the encouragement you give new and developing pickers on your videos and website.… Read More
I am lucky to have had some neat opportunities in music these days. Along with three banjo camps and six or seven jam camps a year, I’ve gotten to perform with a number of cool groups in a variety of places (Ryman Auditorium and Carnegie Hall in just the last week, yow!). … Read More
Attendees of last January’s Basic Banjo camp recently exchanged emails about their progress. Keith P. from Maryland wrote:… Read More
I along with my Hot Rize compadres will be co-hosting the IBMA Awards Show October 1 at the Ryman Auditorium. If I’m not mistaken, this means that for the first time in 20 years, a banjo player will be a host of the IBMA Awards Show. I am honored and excited to represent our music in one of the bigger bluegrass media events of the year.… Read More
I’ve been “playing in the street” since I was a teenager, going back to my pre-college summer, at the short-lived Freedomland amusement park in NY City. My folk trio played in a high-traffic spot for a few hours, and then took the coins from the open guitar case and spent them all, replacing the fluid we sweated that afternoon.… Read More
It’s been interesting to watch the extremely rare mass exposure the banjo has been getting lately due to the major success of Steve Martin’s new record, “The Crow”. … Read More
This month’s column jumps headlong into some issues where I will rail against “common wisdom”.… Read More
Chances are, everyone reading this column has done some work as an Ambassador of the Banjo. We of “Banjoland” are occasionally in the position to represent our favorite instrument to “the rest of the world”.… Read More
Patrick writes: I picked up a copy of your jam etiquette flyer. Enjoy your tips a lot – Something is really bugging me though. … Read More
Lenny asks: How do you define good tone? What are some things to look out for that detract from good tone and what are some specifics that promote good tone?… Read More