The Banjo Project documentary is to be aired November 4, as part of the PBS Arts from the Blue Ridge Mountains series. Give Me the Banjo, an 80-minute film narrated by Steve Martin, will be one episode in the new mini-series, Arts Fall Festival, scheduled for national prime-time broadcast. The history of the banjo has occupied many fine minds, most notably Karen [...]
Tony Trischka produced Steve Martin's last bluegrass album, and has asked Steve to return the favor by posting a guest lesson at the Tony Trischka School Of Banjo. Martin has obliged, creating a video demonstrating the song Hide Behind A Rock from his current Rare Bird Alert CD. The lesson is available to anyone enrolled [...]
One of the more successful recent entries in the online world of string music instruction has been the Tony Trischka School of Banjo. Using a combination of prerecorded lessons and video exchanges between Tony and his many enrolled students, the school manages to combine the private lesson experience with the benefits of classroom instruction. The [...]
The Berklee College of Music in Boston has just announced an exciting new program for banjo players enrolled in their Traditional String principal. Only in the past few years have banjo and mandolin players been accepted at Berklee, at least officially. Infamous Stringdusters banjoist Chris Pandolfi attended the school, but had to sneak through, taking [...]
Bluegrass instruction has become increasingly mobile in recent years, as teachers and students alike take advantage of the opportunities afforded by developing technology. If you are interested in bluegrass instruction, you no longer have to order a DVD and wait for it to arrive in the mail. You have ready access to immediate downloads of [...]
We've been bringing you news of The Banjo Project for some time now. Most recently we reported that the production was in need of funding to complete the editing process. Emmy winning producer Marc Fields took to the digital streets to raise the needed funds, launching a campaign on KickStarter.com with the goal of raising [...]
We posted earlier this year about The Banjo Project, a feature-length documentary about our beloved banjo, the most American of American instruments. The film, produced by five-time Emmy winner Marc Fields, is a look at the history and development of the banjo, and the many styles of music it has been used to play this [...]
OK... not from Tony directly. But his new banjo teaching site, The Tony Trischka School of Banjo, together with the good folks at Deering Banjos, are offering the chance to win a $1500 Deering gift certificate. The contest is open to all students at the Trischka School ($60 for 3 months), and entries are submitted [...]
One of the most defining aspects of the bluegrass sound is the addition made by the 5-string banjo. It is the most "American" of all the instruments comprising a bluegrass band. There is a lot of lore, and misinformation, about the origins of the instrument and how it came to be what it is today. [...]
Tony Trischka's latest banjo venture is now live online. It's the Tony Trischka School of Banjo, an interactive instructional video course for banjo players at any level. The site offers prepared banjo lessons from Tony, with students invited to submit videos of themselves playing the lesson material, to which Tony will respond individually. Registration costs [...]
