Minstrel Banjo

For enthusiasts of early banjo

A tune I've been working on for a few months.

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Comment by Angela M. Wellman on February 21, 2013 at 12:11pm

They aren't a group per se. The early blackface minstrels were often called "Ethiopian Delineators." Thomas Dartmouth "Daddy" Rice was one of the first performers to wear blackface. They used burnt cork to darken their faces then proceeded to commit all sorts of racist portrayal of Black people. I call them "dirty" because they were participating in racist stereotyping of Black folks.  There is more to the history than the music. Way more. Check out this pages for some of our sordid history.  Popular Media Images of African Americans, The Jim Crow Museum

excerpt from "A Change is Gonna Come: Music, Race and the Soul of A...

This probably way more than you bargained for, but it's the answer to your question and being an educator, I can't help offering suggestions about where to learn more about our American musical history. Perhaps it will lend new meaning and depth to your playing and understanding of the music we are attempting to portray.

 

Comment by Angela M. Wellman on February 21, 2013 at 12:18pm

Hi there! Well, it's wonderful to be inspired, now isn't it? Yep, that's what I'm searching for, too-HAPPINESS!

Wanna go outta here being able to say that I followed my heart and that has made all the difference. So...this 19th century music has touched me in ways that I was not even ready for.  It's wonderful to have found a root - simply wonderful. Some day I am sure we will play together..

What banjo are you getting?

Good idea bout the tune. think I'll use it if you don't mind. I'll certainly give you all the credit for the idea. :-)  

Comment by Strumelia on February 21, 2013 at 12:29pm

Thanks Angela.  It struck me as being a tune title/subject that you might like to, and have the skills to, address (certainly more appropriately than I would). That's why i mentioned it.   :)

I will explore the links you gave above.  I, like most members here, am interested in the complete picture (or as much as we can know of), especially since so much (if not all) of what we play was appropriated (appropriately or not) from other cultures long ago.

I am getting a Henry Stichter reproduction from Terry Bell...he is installing the head on it now.  The scale will enable me to play between F down to low minstrel D.  (I play in F a lot with my fiddler, but want to play minstrel tunings on this banjo as well)

Comment by Nicholas A Bechtel on February 21, 2013 at 12:38pm

Thank you for the links. Yes it is a sordid history, and it is Americas history. What  slaves brought to this country, unwillingly of course, and along with all the other immigrants that brought their brand of music; It seems it created this huge melting pot that became our own style. I got turned onto a piece that Mark Weems did a while back "The New Negro" from a book "Dance and It's Music in America, 1528-1789 by Kate Van Winkle Keller. I'm reading the book right now.  Along with the history and the music, these instruments, and this style of music, it just opens up a wonderful portal to a very interesting time in our history.  I like loosing myself in all of it. Wish I had discovered this some years ago, but here I am. Good stuff Angela.

Comment by Angela M. Wellman on February 21, 2013 at 1:35pm

Yep! here WE are, Nicholas. I appreciate the dialogue. The Keller book looks like something I will want to spend some time with. 

The New Negro Piece, are you referring to the Alain Locke book or something else?  

Well, I look forward to more talk as we explore and do what our ancestors did, hang out and hook it up together. there was a time when there was no such thing as segregated communities. This banjo world seems like a space where we are finding ways to come together across perceived differences. I know it's not like that in the total banjo world, but it's nice to have the connections I do have. 

Keep on diggin' and pickin', my friend!

Comment by Bob Winans on February 21, 2013 at 1:55pm

The first page of the Public Media Images of African Americans link which Angela posted above contains a clip from the documentary film, Ethnic Notions, a film that is available in many libraries and that I recommend to everyone. Not the least reason why I recommend it is that the clip about the minstrel show has background music that is from the 1985 LP (now available as a CD from many online music outlets), The Early Minstrel Show, which I produced and performed on. Please see my website, WinansBanjo (at https://sites.google.com/a/wildblue.net/winansbanjo, under the heading of Recordings), for my comments about this recording and links to a number of reviews. On the issue of images of African Americans, while you are on the website I suggest you also click on the heading Banjo Ephemera: Slide Show Programs (in the Navigation panel), and take a look at two PowerPoint programs there: A Brief Historical Survey of Visual Images of African American Banjo Players, and "In Banjo Land": Images of the Banjo on American Sheet Music Covers, 1820s to 1950s. And my apologies for blatant self-promotion here.

Comment by Nicholas A Bechtel on February 21, 2013 at 1:57pm

If you check Mark Weems videos or type in The New Negro, you should find the tune. It is in the book I mentioned. Here is a page from the book with a few tunes. I'm having issues will post the image..stand by...

Comment by Angela M. Wellman on February 21, 2013 at 4:20pm

Bob, Your work is the first I found worth looking at as I began my banjo journey a few years back.As a matter of fact, I sent you a message about it. I believe it was before you retired. Found it interesting that an english professor would be engaged in such deep research into the banjo, et.al.  The responses I have received since being more active here in this space continue to tell me I am in the right place. So no apologies needed for the "blatant self-promotion."  Promote on, my good man! Thanks for the work you have done over the years. It was something I wanted to do and when I learned someone else had already done it, well, I must admit, I was a bit relieved. It's a lot of work. Anyway, I'm on to other things in this banjo world and once I finish this doctoral program, I'll be able to pull a couple of project ideas off the shelf. I look forward to meeting you down the road.

Comment by Tim Twiss on February 22, 2013 at 11:21am

I am glad you are playing and posting. Much of our discussions hinge on the importance of oral tradition and passing along music in this way. I think we need to increase our playing and sharing 10 fold .... this is not a vibrant music we hear alive in our culture today, so we nee to incubate it right here. I would never tire of multiple versions of tunes. I like discussiong music. Sometimes I tire of discussing discussions. Let the sounds speak for themselves, and may we uncover new music and ways to look at it.

 

Comment by Tim Twiss on February 22, 2013 at 11:23am

I like talking about tunes as they pop up......so much can be discovered.

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