Banjo Chat

204 Listener Emails!

This week on banjo chat podcast, it's me taking listener emails!
Great questions from our listeners. We chat about how to seem more confident on stage, what is stage banter?, how to meet people to play with, and crazy gigs. 
Also cheers to radio station WSSB 91.7! Thanks for playing the pod!
www.patreon/banjochat
Instagram: Banjochat

203 Aaron Jonah Lewis

This week’s episode is with Aaron Jonah Lewis and how music and the world as we know it, are changing!
We talk about making music in Detroit, and being a traveling musician. Thinking about the bigger picture, building community, finding the people who help you in your life.  What it’s like making vinyl records again. Their Dos Senoritas album.  Connecting to yourself and the people around you. Connecting to history, how banjo influenced ragtime music and how they've been using different arrangements and orchestration in ragtime banjo music. Some great perspective on how to support arts and music, and how their Banjo Dojo group music classes are harkening back to a more authentic way of learning music. 
“When you are playing a banjo, you are connected to something really deep”.
 
https://www.aaronjonahlewis.com
https://www.ragtimebanjo.com
https://www.cornpotato.com
banjodojo.substack.com
 
Check out our new Patreon page for Banjo Chat!
patreon.com/banjochat

202 Cathy Fink

This week’s episode is with Cathy Fink!
We talk about her grammy nominations, collaborations, and how she has been mentoring different artists-in-residence at the Music Center at Strathmore. Her project from China to Appalachian with Marcy Marxer and Chao Tian. We explore how she views creativity and how she’s driven to work on social justice issues. Her thoughts and advice for being a connected and balanced freelance musician and connecting adults and families through music. 
“You get up everyday, you put in the work, the love, and make connections.”   
 
https://www.cathymarcy.com
https://cathyfinkmarcymarxer.bandcamp.com
Support for Banjo Chat at the Patreon page
 

201 Lisa Leblanc

Season 2 kicks off with a bang!  We have Lisa Leblanc! Coming straight from her recent Symphony tours of her original music in Canada. Her big picture on connection with the audience, and how to have fun onstage.  How she has developed her style of banjo playing, and getting to jump around and wail on the banjo.  The amazing connection between Acadian, Cajun, songwriting and Chiac music and how she has blended them with folk, bluegrass and rock elements to create an ever evolving sound! Truly an inspiring chat and was psyched to have Lisa on the show!
 
“As soon as you’re comfortable everyone knows it, as soon as you’re uncomfortable, everyone knows it even more”- Lisa Leblanc about stage performing.  
 
 
https://www.lisaleblanc.ca
https://lisaleblanc.bandcamp.com

10 Tony Trischka, Joe Newberry, Cedric Watson, Scott Hopkins Season Finale!!!

It's the Season Finale of Season 1!  A special live episode taped onstage at the Ashokan Center in Olivebridge, NY.   At the inaugural Banjo Weekend Nov 15-17th where we were teaching a great community of banjoists. This is a highlight for the banjo chat pod, and there are many pearls of wisdom throughout this chat!
Listen to Joe Newberry, Cedric Watson, Tony Trischka, Scott Hopkins talk about first banjos, and their beginnings.  Highlights of their performing experiences, New things they are excited about, upcoming projects. Earl Scruggs, Transatlantic Sessions, life in Louisiana.  How to be confident on stage, how to stay inspired and motivated, and what life is life outside of music.  Advice for anyone who is learning something new.
The Ashokan Center  https://ashokancenter.org/
Joe Newberry https://www.joenewberry.biz/
Cedric Watson https://www.bijoucreole.com/
Tony Trischka https://www.tonytrischka.com/
Scott Hopkins https://scotthopkinsbanjo.com/
Hilary Hawke https://hilaryhawkemusic.com/
 

9 Cynthia Sayer

This week’s episode is with Cynthia Sayer!
We talk about what it is like being a full-time professional banjoist in the jazz world.  What made her want to learn swing banjo? How she was touring for 20 years before ever working with another woman in jazz. Being in Woody Allen’s jazz band for 10 years and working with him. 
We listen to two of her albums; Cynthia Sayer Vol 1., and Joyride.  What it takes to make a career in music, staying open to following your heart and having good people around you.  
 
https://cynthiasayer.com
https://cynthiasayer.bandcamp.com/
banjochatpodcast@gmail.com

8 BB Bowness

This week my guest is BB Bowness!  We chat about what it’s like being a professional bluegrass banjoist.  How she got into banjo in New Zealand and got her first banjo from the United States.
How she approaches improvising, and playing with different artists as well as the driving force and focus of her band, Mile Twelve. She chats about how the band started in the beginning and has been going strong for the past 10 years. Doing planks and good posture to strengthen yourself for holding resonator banjo while playing.  What fingerpicks and thumb picks she uses. Bluechip versus plastic thumb pick.  Her 2 main banjos.  Coming to the U.S for the first time. How to stay healthy and happy as a musician. 
 
https://miletwelve.bandcamp.com/
https://www.catherinebowness.com/
 
www.doctorswithoutborders.org

7 Cristina Vane

This episode is with Cristina Vane! 
She talks about how she got into clawhammer banjo, the bluegrass and old-time scenes in Nashville, Los Angeles, and NYC and what it’s like moving closer to the source of blues, and old-time. How music has been a constant in her life, and honing her voice in the music she makes and honoring all the things that make her musical identity.  We hear her story growing up in Italy and traveling to the United States. Geeking out about the late blues artist, Chris Whitley and his album, Dirt Floor. Advice about identity as a musician, and great advice for how to keep good priorities and feel satisfied in your life. “Don’t quit don’t quit”! Listen to two tracks from her newest album, Make Myself Me Again.
 
WEBSITE
https://www.cristinavane.com/
https://cristinavane.bandcamp.com/
 
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www.wearablechaos.com
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6 Allison DeGroot

In this episode we chat with Allison DeGroot!  Allison talks about her immersion into banjo and how she got into playing in bands. Writing tunes.  The playing of Hobart Smith and Fred Cockerham and recording the album Hurricane Clarice with Tatiana Hargreaves. We listen to Ostrich with Pearls, we talk about weaving in family stories into the music. Her original tune, Wellington and finding the muse. Nancy Blevins and the production of the album. How she visualizes the banjo when playing with Tati. Getting into different banjo tunings! Staying inspired, handling pressure and how it feels to be creative and evolving with the banjo. Also tips and advice for banjo players!
 
https://allisonandtatiana.bandcamp.com
https://brucemolsky.bandcamp.com/
https://www.allisondegroot.com/

5 Hubby Jenkins

Hubby talks about how he got into music, how he practices in small spaces, his influences in early folk, old-time, influences from other people besides banjoists (comedians, other types of musicians).  Naming our banjos. He dives deep into some music from Black Banjo Songsters and we listen to the Rufus Casey version of the Cuckoo song. What it was like for him learning that the banjo started as a black instrument and how it re-shaped history.   His live shows and what it was like playing his first festival as a touring musician.  Being in the Carolina Chocolate Drops. The perception of the banjo from all different types of audiences.  Hubby asks what it’s like for me being a woman playing the banjo.   We chat about the hustle in NYC. 
He talks about not letting history get into the way, but also being aware of the songs you’re playing and being respectable and knowledgable.
Hubby shares his must-know songs for the banjo world. 
https://www.hubbyjenkins.com/
https://hubbyjenkins.bandcamp.com/
“I never feel more grounded and more centered than when I’m lost in playing” -Hubby Jenkins