The Glory-Beaming Banjo

Last time, my quarterly progress report was late . It only makes sense that this one would be a couple days early. Besides, I couldn't think of anything better to write. So, there's that. These last three months have been full of highlights. I've continued to make good progress on my Second Year of Ward Jarvis, there have been concerts and reviews, and I started a daily playing streak that continues to this day. Let's explore these more deeply. General Highlights My ongoing streak  is the accomplishment I'm perhaps most proud of. Yesterday, I hit 50 days in a row of playing fiddle and 47 consecutive days of playing banjo. It was also rewarding to have  two reviews I wrote appear in the spring issue of  The Old-Time Herald . I reviewed Richard Jones-Bamman's book, Building New Banjos for an Old-Time World , and the Clarence Ashley album, Live and In Person: Greenwich Village 1963 . I'll be writing more reviews for the publication in upcoming issue...

This post is dedicated to my friend Joel Specht. Ever since the Olitsky & Moskovitz concert last month, my son has been obsessed with banjo jokes. During one of the MANY tuning breaks, they asked the crowd to fill the time by telling their favorite quips about the old five-string. Joel told many that night. I've been trying to remember them, along with best ones I've heard over the years for when my son asks again, so I thought I'd make this list. Question: What's the difference between a banjo and an onion? Answer: Nobody cries when you cut up a banjo. Question: How do you know if the floor is level? Answer: The banjo player is drooling out of both sides of his mouth. Question: What's the difference between a banjo and trampoline? Answer: You take your shoes off to jump on a trampoline. Question: What's the definition of perfect pitch? Answer: When you can throw a banjo into a dumpster without hitting the sides. Question: How do yo...

Summer weather is here, and there's nothing better than cruising down the road with the windows wide open and the stereo cranking your favorite tunes. Whether you're headed to the beach or on your way to your favorite festival, it's a good time to pick up some hot new music. Right now, the Old-Time Tiki Parlour is holding a sale on its music and video catalog. I'm not sure how long these deals will last, but it's borderline theft to pay $19.99 for the CD/DVD sets of Dan Gellert , Bruce Molsky, Spencer and Rains, the Stuart Brothers , Paul Brown and others. From my experience, these releases are well-packaged, immaculately recorded and provide a close-up glimpse of how these masters get the sounds they get. The liner notes provide valuable information on the sources and tunings used by the players. These packages usually go for $25. Also available is the Spencer and Rains "The Skeleton Keys" book and CD for $29.99. The package includes 17 tunes...

Sometime in 2008, I read Outliers: The Story of Success , by Malcolm Gladwell. The main premise of the book is it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. This was the year I started playing banjo, and I was struggling to keep up with practice. My New Year's resolution for 2009 was to rededicate myself to the banjo by learning clawhammer. I also started tracking my playing time to stay accountable and measure my progress toward that 10,000-goal. When I started playing the fiddle , I began tracking that too. And before we go any further, yes, I know Gladwell's theory has been debunked , but it still seems like a pretty good goal to get me somewhere in the neighborhood of competent on the banjo and fiddle. Each year, I set a goal for the amount of hours of playing time I want to log. My spreadsheet helps me stay on track. This year, I'm aiming for 230 hours combined. At the end of January, I hit a snag. A mix of family and work obligations forced me to miss several d...