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Monday, July 18, 2011

Great Sounds........

I'm back from the F.I.G.A. gathering in Oklahoma City that occurred this past weekend. I had a great time and heard some absolutely amazing playing. This association encompasses fretted string instruments. This covers a lot of territory. Guitars, banjos, mandolines, fiddles, anything that is strung can be included. I was impressed that perhaps more importantly than the older crowd of musicians getting together, the up and coming kids were astonishing in style, talent, but also numbers. There was a group from Texas that numbers in the hundreds.

Throughout the Sheraton puck up groups would get together and Jam, all ages invited. It was just great. The levels of accomplishment ran the spectrum from beginning to professional. Several of the kids had started on the guitar but transitioned to banjo and have prospered.

One gentleman that I spoke with at length, pulled out his case and opened it to show me his violin. His father presented the violin to him, after making it for him as a 9th birthday present in 1944. Talk about a treasure. Stories like that make you glad to be alive and know that there are special people around that can do almost anything.

The American Banjo Museum in Oklahoma City was one of the sponsors of the event which was just a couple of blocks from the Sheraton. What a display of instruments. The detail in some of the backs, sides, and necks of the instruments in the Museum is incredible. The displays cover not only the instruments themselves but also the history of the banjo. After being surrounded by the pickers, players, and great people.....I want to be able to play a banjo.

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