Today I had to drive to corporate offices for a strategy meeting that will last several days. I live in Texas so one can drive 4-6 hours to a meeting and a flight could last 40 min to an hour but with airport security and other airport stuff it’s easier to drive. I left the house at 4 am and in addition to my luggage and stuff for the meeting I brought my banjo. Since our car temps on blacktop are very high and I won’t check into the hotel until this evening, I brought my banjo in the case into the big conference room and set it at the back. That has caused more interest than every PowerPoint, plot or graph or argument about strategy combined. I think a flying monkey would have generated less interest than a banjo sitting in a case.
When attending the Air Force NCO academy at Good FELLOW AFB San Angelo, Texas I took my RB-100. At the speech segment I gave a brief history of the banjo, performed theme from Beverly Hillbillies, talked of Earl and demonstrated some of Earls rolls and ended the speech with Foggy Mountain Breakdown to a roaring bravo. The passing grade of the speech segment helped me graduate the NCO academy.
I’m not gonna play it but it has raised a lot of questions. It is cool you used it for a good grade in a tough class.
You've probably seen the Gary Larson cartoon of two TSA inspectors opening up a banjo case. In it is an AK47 and the one guy says, "Phew, for a minute I thought we had a banjo in there." banjered
Ah, but you didn't play it for them. That would have made the meeting! :)
I got my jam group to play with me at my corporate open house....big hit and everyone loved it:). It shocks most people's understanding of the universe:)
Edited by - BruceS2 on 03/25/2025 17:25:56
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Originally posted by BruceS2Ah, but you didn't play it for them. That would have made the meeting! :)
I got my jam group to play with me at my corporate open house....big hit and everyone loved it:). It shocks most people's understanding of the universe:)
It's really true, no offense to our Scruggs style brethren, but one of the things I like most about making and playing open back banjos is that most folks down where I live in Houston have a very clear idea in their head about what a banjo will sound like when they see one and are simply not prepared for the mesmerizing quality of a slow waltz frailed on a 12" rim with nylon strings.
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Originally posted by jsinjinI’m not gonna play it but it has raised a lot of questions. It is cool you used it for a good grade in a tough class.
If you're not gonna play it .....you shouldn't have brought it with you!
Even rudimentary picking will impress them, so play the damn thing !
Ha. Nope. Just to practice at the hotel. I’m quite embarrassed by my one song with barely a 50 bpm playing.
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Originally posted by jsinjinHa. Nope. Just to practice at the hotel. I’m quite embarrassed by my one song with barely a 50 bpm playing.
You're wasting a huge opportunity to take a giant step forward........
I’m good!! Happy to just practice rather than perform.
I took my banjo to Red Bird, KY on a church mission trip. Figured with a lot of southern churches there with us there would be plenty of guitars and flat pickers. Nada. So it got to be "talent night" and I didn't want to play by myself, but I'd hauled the darn thing down there, so I played anyway. The audience included staff and locals. I played Shucking the Corn, cause I knew a few different breaks, and then launched into Beverly Hillbillies. The crowd went wild. It wasn't until we were driving out of town that I noticed that the mission was located just outside Beverly, KY.
I took mine to a VW Van-in campout last year...I have an old Westy...so I'm thinking that someone would have guitar and we could play some. I didn't realize it would not be like a bluegrass festival where everyone is jamming...so I'm pretty much just playing practice. But at some point someone who actually brought his guitar walked by and ran back to get it. We played for an hour an had a big crowd...he didn't know any bluegrass so we faked a lot but it was fun. You never know!
I know how it is when you are just starting out and only know your one song...it does take some effort to get beyond that stage...but it will.
