Introduction and Lament

[Andy Chase]

Hello everyone,

I've been thinking to myself for the last 8 months or so how nice it would be to get involved in the early banjo community, and as with most things in life I finally realized that the way to get involved in anything is to just jump in and start making introductions.

I've been playing clawhammer banjo for about 8 years, and dabbling with minstrel banjo since February, when I acquired a Menzies gourd banjo (followed by a Menzies tackhead in June.)

I found this site while trying to find out when the next Early Banjo Gathering might occur, got my account on July 18, and then got distracted by other things and didn't come back until tonight... which of course means I missed the late July AEBG post and any chance I might have had to make it down there.  If I'd found out even a week ago I might have figured something out... but I guess it's not in the cards for me this year.  I hope you all have a great time and take lots of video... and I hope to meet lots of you at the next one!

-Andy

(Edit: Now that I've read through all the old forum posts I see the date was set as early as May, so I have nobody to blame but myself!)

[Tim Twiss]

Well, you are in the right place. If there is something to be known about this genre, you will find it here. Good folks, with lots of talents and resources. Don't be shy. Dig in!

[razyn]

As of yesterday the plan is to have an Antietam Early Banjo Gathering every year, for the next five, on the last full weekend of June. So there will be one June 25-26, 2011.

This five-year plan (initiated by the National Park Service interpretive staff) has to do with the Antietam National Battlefield celebration of the sesquicentennial of the Civil War years. There will be other period music onsite, such as one or more military brass band; maybe fife and drum units; maybe other stuff. (I may try to persuade them to have Sacred Harp singing at the Dunker Church.) There may be significant crowds; but then the park has over 3,000 acres, with 8 1/2 miles of paved road through it. The period music will be at several different venues, maybe including the Pry House barn, but certainly not limited to it. Plans are just being formulated -- the banjo ones, this morning. But I didn't go back, this morning -- only had time for one day of AEBG 3. There were about 18 active participants, I believe. Tim Twiss was sorely missed. There were a bunch of early-banjo specialist luthiers, all of whom have attended one or both of the previous AEBGs. I can think of a couple who haven't showed up, yet (and could learn something, if they did).

I saw Elaine Masciale taking videos yesterday. Don't know if any of the other videographers who were present are on this forum. I only took a few still photos. If I post mine, it will be on a separate AEBG thread, not on your personal lamentation. But I feel your pain.

[Andy Chase]

That's exciting news razyn, and I thank you for the heads up! Those weekends are going onto my calendar right now.

razyn said:

As of yesterday the plan is to have an Antietam Early Banjo Gathering every year, for the next five, on the last full weekend of June.