The Glory-Beaming Banjo

Spring is in full swing, and the weather is perfect for playing the banjo outside. My wife and I bought our first house in December 2011, and from the beginning was I looking forward to using the porch for picking. Earlier this year, some friends joined me for a small house jam, and we got a couple opportunities to play outside instead of the stuffy attic. Recent scheduling conflicts, however, put future plans on hiatus, but that hasn't meant that I'm not out there playing. We live in a diverse neighborhood, and it's been enjoyable seeing the reactions from the neighbors walking by, mainly youngsters who variably give me the disparaging stink-eye or approving head-nod. One guy, whom I call the "Friendly Neighborhood Roving Rapper," stopped before me on Sunday and engaged in a duel of sorts, with him rapping at me while I played "Candy Girl" back at him. My first rap battle! Similar to joining my first jam, I've had to learn to play through th...