More About Me

I began playing in High School and practiced my buns off joining the school folk/bluegrass band. I never did go professional but competed at old time and bluegrass contests sporadically since the early 1970's occasionally winning first or 2nd prizes. The last contest I entered was in Roxbury Connecticut in 1996 where I won first in Bluegrass Banjo and 2nd in Old Time Banjo. The previous year I won 1st prize in both. I've done minor studio work for Arlo Guthrie on his Son of the Wind cowboy album and for others scattered throughout the years since the late 70's. On rare occasions I've played in venues from Florida to New Hampshire. I also played once a month solo and in a band on Public Radio station WAMC from Albany, New York for a three year run.

The first banjo player that caught my ear was Pete Seeger in the late 1950's. One day in 1963 while checking out the discount record bin in J J Newburry's I came upon a remainder of the Stanley Brothers and was hooked and bought a 5string banjo. Next was Bill Keith with Jim Rooney and finally Earl and so many others. While still in high school I was introduced to the music of Doc Watson and Uncle Dave Macon.

I play numbers of different methods incorporating all the great pickers and a few of my own invention. Two finger and three finger Old Time, claw hammer, Scruggs with a bit of melodic and a touch of chromatic. I can be heard over the internet if you Google my name and look for "Old Time Banjo For The New Millennium" to hear a sample of my old time styles and one fundamental bluegrass picking tune taken from the playing of Obray Ramsey.

I keep my fee low as I am interested in getting others to play if they are serious about learning. I'm a gentle and encouraging teacher unless you don't practice. No practice on your part means no lessons from me. You don't have to be talented you just need to be persistent. You will be encouraged to develop your own personal sound and not a carbon copy of me or others.