Sylvia's Page

Hi Sylvia,

Nice to meet you, virtually! I was just at the Early Banjo Weekend at Harpers Ferry and there were three other women there, which was great! Hope to run into you at an early banjo gathering some time.

Oh! I didn't realize you were in the UK! Is there much interest in the minstrel banjo over there?

I hope you do find a compatible banjo group! Good luck with learning. This site is a treasure trove, with all the videos. I also just ordered Joseph Weidlich's introduction to the minstrel banjo.

If you can read notation, it might be worth going to the source and buying the Briggs instructional manual. We were given a few songs with both tab and notation on the same page and I could scan these and email them to you, if you like.

Hi Sylvia - Good to hear from you. I'm still here - have just been keeping my head down with work, life and a bit of a diversion into bluegrass banjo. 

Thank you. Glad to know neither of us are bearded. Heehee. Do you have recordings to share?

I understand.  After 2 years of tenor banjo, I'm just now finding the 5 string fretless.  I am not where near where I want to be.  What you hear on the recording is my style.  It is guitar picking and sparse.  But I love it.  Jimmy Strothers is my chief influence.  I nearly cried when I heard his playing.  When I can figure out how to post his music, I will.  Let me know what you think of his music.

Jimmie Strothers Cripple Creek..  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPV0X9fif-g&feature=related