Playing Since: 1972
Experience Level: Purty Good

Interests:
[Jamming] [Socializing]

Occupation: IT Professional

Gender: Male
Age: 70

My Instruments:
2008 Stelling Red Fox,
1983 walnut custom banjo with Sullivan pot/tone ring.

Favorite Bands/Musicians:
Blue Highway,
Bluegrass Album Band, Doyle Lawson, Infamous String Dusters, Ricky Skaggs, Allison Krauss, Bill Monroe, Del McCoury Band, Sam Bush, Bela Fleck, Craig Smith, Seldom Scene, Jimmy Arnold, Alan Munde, Tony Trischka, Steve, Dilling, Rex McGee, Ryan Cavanaugh, Tom Hanway, John Boulding, Donna Hughes, Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, Rob Ickes, Johnny Bellar, Brad Harper, Jens Kruger, Danny Bowers, Jerry Armstrong and many, many more. Not many I don't like. SO much good music and so little time... Can't name them all!

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Profile Info:
Visible to: Public
Created 4/24/2008
Last Visit 10/9/2020

My interest in music was kindled by local musicians in the Missouri Ozarks. At about age 12 the Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs Martha White Bluegrass show caught my attention and I was hooked instantly by the instrumental drive and vocal harmony. I started teaching myself mandolin around age 13 and soon after borrowed a banjo and tried that too. I grew up in an isolated area (OK, waaayyyyy back in the woods…) and there were no instructors so I just did the best I could by listening to records. After a six year stint in the Navy, I started playing with local bluegrass bands switching from banjo to mandolin as the need occurred. I learned the most by playing with groups. It helped give me focus and the embarrassment factor was a big motivator to improve. My mandolin playing is primarily influenced by Bill Monroe and Sam Bush with a touch of fiddle thrown in. My banjo playing is steeped in Scruggs style but branches out a little from there. I play enough guitar to be useful in a jam and started Dobro about two years ago. I am a bit schizophrenic about my choice of instruments I guess but I like them all. I have become somewhat of a utility musician, playing whatever is needed at the time. I absolutely love playing music… Especially Bluegrass. And I like Bluegrass people, they are down to earth and just great to be around.