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In late 2003, Alan "Papa Al" Hamilton put an ad in several local newspapers inviting interested banjo players to join him in forming an old time banjo club. The initial response was sparse; one retired five string pro and the gift of a banjo. With the gift was the comment, "My dad (deceased) would have said "Anybody with enough moxie to start a banjo club in this day and age can have my banjo. Please take it as a good luck gift!" The pro, didn't want to drive at night to practice so he dropped out. In the meantime, Peter "Grandpa Jones" Haines had built a kit banjo. It was also a five string. Alan converted he and his banjo to plectrum. Peter was an excellent student. In a short while, he was strumming chords. On March 10, 2004 Peter and Alan held the first formal practice of the club at the Greenwood, Maine Municipal Building. After a few weeks of practice, David "Ace Tubby" Brainard joined them with his tuba. Dave was a trombone player during his college years. He taught himself to play the tuba. At this time, Alan asked Don Stevison for some advice on forming a banjo club. Don's advice has proven so good that it is summarized here. 1. If you play in a pizza restauraunt, let the management know that the banjo players will eat a lot of pizza and purchase a lot of drinks. This should keep them busy on their slow nights. 2. Have practice every Tuesday or every Wednesday. DON'T skip around. Tell the players that they don't have to be there for every practice, but that it helps. this way the players won't feel that they are tied down every week. There may be nights when there is only one player there. Have practice anyway! This way if someone who has heard of the event comes to join or see what is happening, there will be someone there to accomodate them. You don't want to miss the golden opportunity of gaining membership. 3. Don't worry about the audience. They will enjoy even your goofs. We practice at a senior citizen center. They love it, even if we goof, start over or do repeats or sound raggety. 4. Have plenty of business cards. Again, you don't want to miss any golden opportunities. 5. When you get out for a gig, be sure to announce to the audience that you are always looking for banjo players from beginners to pros. You may even be able to provide some instruments to beginners." Get that old banjo out from under the bed and join us at Sam's Pizza every Tuesday night at 7:00pm" You'll be amazed at how many banjos will come out of the woodwork. Good luck. Keep me posted....Don Stevison "Banjo Bill" Uber joined us in the spring of '04. Bill also converted from five string to the plectrum banjo. Bill hails from New Jersey. He worked in New Jersey installing elevators for the Otis Company. Bill just became a "snowbird" in the winter he plays at the Villages with a band called Sparky's Strummers. Unfortunately, our practices at the municipal building were frequently cancelled by the town's need to conduct the business of government there. As a result, we started playing weekly at members homes. this was most enjoyable and worked fine, but our membership started to grow! At ths time our music was recognizable, if not beautiful. Dave's wife, Edie became our agent. She got us a weekly gig at the farmers' market outdoors in Norway, Maine. This was a wonderful thing for the band's initiative. Everyone worked to improve their playing. At one market a local minister, Bill Kerr, asked us if we knew "Banjo Bob" Laflamme. So Bob joined us. He plays a Vega Deluxe plectrum. Bob was a student of Don Nichols (a true virtuoso). His skill has added a new dimension to our playing. Roger "Dodger" Conant joined us as we went into the winter of '04. Roger plays a banjolin converted to ukelele tuning. He also sings what he calls "whiskey tenor". He has become a collector of banjolins. "Lovely Linda" Davis joined us while she was Linda Heath. She sings and plays the tamborine and just looks good. When Linda married Bill Davis, she asked us to play at her wedding reception. This gave us a chance to show off our new outfits and it was valuable gig experience. By the summer of 2005, we were practicing every Wednesday night, playing at the Farmer's Market, playing in four local resthomes every month and doing several concerts for private or public organizations. "Lovely Lou" Renaud joined us at the Market Square Resthome where her husband is a resident. Lou sings, plays the tamborine and the spoons. At a Farmers' Market in the summer of '06, "Classy Claire" Gelinas asked if she could join us.....YES!! Peter Haines loaned her his kit banjo (he now had a Vega Electric Plectrum). Claire plays the guitar and her switch to the plectrum banjo came fast. Claire has a beautiful voice which adds to our vocal strength. Claire manages the Fare Share Food Market in Norway Maine. She has given us the privilege of using the Commons room of her market, a storefront (Number 447 Main St.) For our Wednesday night practices. Local merchants have put up posters advertising our practices. Now we even have small audiences of loyal fans enjoying our practices. We have played some memorable gigs. Two Molly Ockett days on the bandstand in Bethel, Maine. A Private party in an apple orchard, complete with wagon rides and free apples. We played on the Songo River Queen II, a real stern wheeler riverboat. Most recently, we went to Cobbossee Contee Lake where the song "On Moonlight Bay" was written and played the song on the actual moonlight bay. Ah but these are other stories. As 2007 passes, the club enjoys new experiences and growth. In September we played at the Oxford and the Fryburg Fairs. We played at a large benefit at the Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School. We played in the lobby and entertained the crowd as they entered before the show. The feedback was that folks were delighted to know that they had an old timey banjo club in their midst.( I've got to do a better job of PR, we have been in their midst for three years!) Richard Abbot joined us. He is a saxophone player. He used to perform with The New Parisians, a local band. We now play in Lewiston and Auburn as well as in Berlin, NH. We did a repeat on the Songo River Queen in August as well as several bandstand gigs in the Lakes Region. We are now considering a change of costume. We think we will dress in a subdued fashion, perhaps black so faces, hands and instruments will be the show. |