The Banjo Sez:
Be nice to The Banjo:
Well...it all started when I saw deliverance when I was young, right up to the part with the banjo at least. They say that if I saw the rest, I probably wouldn't be playing it now. Fast forward to summer of 2006, when Shiska asked Jess if she wanted to learn banjo, and when she gave an unenthusistic answer, dueling banjos started playing in my head, and I jumped at the opportunity. I've been playing with the Jugadelics ever since.
I just got a ukulele and have been getting into Hawaiian Music. I've been playing it more and more at our gigs.
Also, I'm working on the ultimate amp. My plan is to try to make a battery powered chip amp with 2 6" dirvers and a piezo horn. So far it is not going well, but I have high hopes. After its complete, I'll start work on version 2 which will have multiple inputs, as well as mixing. If that works out my dream is to include effects as well.
A great banjo teacher I met, Patrick Costello, once wrote the following about jug band music:
The term jug band nowadays really describes a state of mind more than anything else. Homemade instruments, kazoos, occasionally off-the-wall lyrics and a crazy sort of creative vibe that makes you feel like anything can happen. Kind of like skiffle. Or jazz. Or the blues. Or really good country music. In other words, it’s folk music...You really can’t pin a specific genre on jug band music because it’s a mix of everything. Blues, jazz, gospel and just about every other kind of music found in North America and Hawaii get sort of jumbled together into something wonderful...There are some classic jug band recordings at Juneberry78’s and The Red Hot Jazz Archive has tons of audio files there. There is also a documentary on jug bands called Chasin’ Gus’s Ghost that may be worth checking out.
Before I was a banjologist, I was making Techno using FLstudio. Some samples are available below:
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Title: Lobogreika Description: Named after the old Russian harvesters, this song is the total opposite. Morpheus makes a guest appearance Listen |
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Title: Kalimagic Description: Has a Kalimba, which is like a xzyzlophone. Its got fake electric guitar, which is awesome... Listen |
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Title: OmegaNebula Description: A fast paced track. Progressive, like the soup. Listen |
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Title: Expand Description: An ambient track I made for a space game. Listen |
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Title: Vertigo Description: More marimbas, unfinished project. Listen |
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Title: Creepy Circus Description: A short film score I made for my sister. Listen |
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Title: Captain Macaw Description: I was going through a creepy song phase there for a bit. I may come back to this meme some day, but for now, it is an unfinished work. The secret is to throw in some 3/4 aka triplets in there. Listen |
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Title: Drum and Bass Description: The third track I made. Dynamic with lots of energy. Listen |
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Title: Zaphod's Journey Description: From 2002. The second track I made. Listen |
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Title: Space Rag Description: From 2001. The first track I made, while I was looking for employment. I no longer have the source, since it was before I bought FLstudio. I had to just finish it since the computer was starting to show signs of needing a reset. Not exactly good, but still listenable. Listen |
The Banjo's Links:
Patrick Costello's lessons are free online at:
The Daily Frail (banjo & guitar lessons)
Clips of random people playing the Uke:
Ukulele Disco (has nothing to do with disco)
The famous uke player Jake Shimabukuro: