Banjo Paul got to have a little bit of fun last Saturday night by playing with his group Rogue River Grass for the West Michigan Bluegrass Music Association’s monthly meeting and jam session. Rogue River plays an eclectic blend that’s not exactly any style…it’s part bluegrass, part rock ‘n roll, part country, but all fun. Click the headline above for a video and details of the night.
Category Archives: Miscellaneous
My Banjo Life article series kickoff: let’s dissect a great banjo album
Ready for the next article series from My Banjo Life? If you are a banjo player, you’ll really like this series because we’re going to dissect and learn from a very pivotal bluegrass banjo album. We’ll learn licks and tricks and songs and techniques and history, and just all kinds of good things. Click the headline above to learn more.
It’s the My Banjo Life 100th anniversary! (Well…sort of)
Holy mackerel! 100 seemed like a huge and daunting number when I first got started on this blog. Now I’m looking forward to 200! Come celebrate with me by clicking the headline above and sharing in this momentous occasion.
Join Banjo Paul for a fireside chat-continued
In my last blog post I decided to have a personal conversation with my friends, the loyal readers of this blog, and here in this post I carry on that conversation. Click the headline above to check it out!
Join Banjo Paul for a fireside chat
Many of you have become regular visitors to my blog and my website and have shown a real caring for what I have to say and what I offer through my banjo empire. The last couple of weeks have found me in deep contemplation over several things…joy for where my banjo endeavors have taken me, frustration over how some things have turned out, wishes for the future, etc. Click the headline above and spend some time with me; perhaps you’ll have some good comments to leave at the end of the blog post.
Your banjo music pleases more than the ears (part 4 of 4)
We’ve been taking a look at the key ways that your music touches your listeners and thinking about why it’s worth it to embrace the artistic, creative side of yourself as a musician. There is nothing like touching a listener deeply and causing any range of human emotion to be elicited. Click the headline above to learn about the fourth way in which we touch our listeners and why it’s important to take the artistic side of your music seriously.
Your banjo music pleases more than the ears (part 3 of 4)
Music is an all-over, body-wide experience. It’s a powerful, magical moment when someone is captivated by what you do on the banjo. When you display your artistry and someone else taps their foot, snaps their fingers, and takes an intellectual interest in what you are doing, that’s a spiritual connection for sure. Are you working on your musicianship so as to be a good steward of this gift that we’re all given?
Your banjo music pleases more than the ears (part 2 of 4)
We know that when we exude the beat, our listener picks up on this and has a physical reaction to it. When we don’t exude the beat we don’t move the listener. In this series I’m simply reminding you that your listener is listening with more than their ears, and when you are taking your music to heart, having fun with it, and letting the artist in you shine and come out, you can get some great physical feedback from your listener which tells you that you are doing a great job.
Your banjo music pleases more than the ears (part 1 of 4)
When a banjo picker isn’t doing that great a job in his playing, it can sometimes be less-than-pleasant to hear. But…deliver a good, polished right hand that is really mindful of the beat, and the listener absolutely can’t help but be drawn in. It’s fun to watch someone be captivated by your music and to note just how they display that enchantment with what you are picking.
5 string banjo players: is your practice time productive?
In addressing practice time on any instrument, there are many tips and pointers that can be talked about. If you continue reading my blog over the coming months you’ll see me bring up some key points that I hope can help you to become a better picker. Click the headline above for a few thoughts on this.