I encourage anyone to attend the banjo camp. It’s worth it.

I have appreciated hearing what you had to say about Pete’s teaching, I feel very much like I am reliving my own experience in Colorado because the days happenings are so similar to mine when I was there.

At the time, I was so crazy about banjo that I would do anything to improve, and had starry eyes, hoping for the day when I could form a new band and maybe even go pro. I had played with a group in a few churches, but didn’t really have much experience. I was pretty dazzled by Pete, even though he seemed very approachable, like a “regular guy.” At that time, there was no “intermediate” camp, so I was forced to choose from Beginners or Advanced. I knew that beginners was too light, but advanced would be too heavy. I decided to go for the gusto with the advanced, even though I was not at the level I should have been for that class.

I was asked to play for him on that first day and I was mortified. I was nowhere close to being ready to play for Dr. banjo, but he has some sort of hold over people that makes them do what he asks….”look into my eyes…” He figured me out after that first day which still makes me furious! When our practice days came for the show at the end of the week at the Grange in Niwot, he said to one of my compatriots: “She’ll say no at first but keep asking, she’ll do it.” That dirty devil was right about me, just a little prodding and I’m all in.

I got to go and see him in concert, and I knew I had seen without a doubt the best player in the world. It truly cemented the fact in my mind that he is one of the world’s most accomplished banjo players and deserves my respect.

For me it was a world-changing, dizzying and somewhat disappointing experience. Disappointing simply because I just wasn’t at the level that I wanted to be. After that, my banjo playing went to the side, and I haven’t really done much to improve it. Now at the age of 46, I know that I’m over the hill, and any banjo playing that I do from now on will be “just for fun.” I hope that you take your experience and turn it into something valid and real.

God bless, Bobbie.