Chapter 12

Networking into Banjo Culture

In This Chapter

Benefiting from one-on-one banjo lessons

Finding and playing with other musicians at jam sessions

Gaining experience and know-how at workshops and camps

Being a part of a bluegrass festival

Playing the banjo isn’t intended to be a solitary experience. Although you may feel that you’re the only person in town who has ever even heard of a banjo (much less like one), I can assure you that hundreds of thousands of other people who share your passion for the instrument are out there. I know this may be hard to believe, but these folks are just as nuts as you are about everything to do with the banjo.

This worldwide community is just waiting for you to find them, and in this chapter, you can figure out how to connect with other players who can help you on your banjo journey. I discuss how to find a good teacher, how to locate other musicians in your area who play your kind of music, and what to expect at your first jam session. You also discover how workshops, camps, and festivals can heighten your banjo-playing experience.

Most people become interested in the banjo because they love the sound of the instrument. Most players stay interested because of the new friendships and experiences that come from their involvement with the banjo and with bluegrass and old-time music. Whatever your ability level, becoming a part of banjo culture is one of the most important things you can do to become a better player and increase your knowledge of the instrument.

Taking Private Lessons

One-on-one lessons from a skilled teacher are the best way to learn how to play the banjo. However, if you’ve never studied with a teacher before, recognizing a good instructor from a not-so-good one and gathering up enough nerve to go in for a lesson can be intimidating. This section unlocks the process of finding a teacher and getting comfortable with lessons by using a little psychology and a little detective work.

Overcoming lesson anxiety

The thought of music lessons may dredge up negative experiences you’ve had with music teachers in the past or other not-so-successful attempts at learning an instrument (I still remember my childhood piano teacher and her ruler — ouch!). Or you may feel that you’re too old (or too young) to start serious study with a teacher. The bottom line is that everyone experiences fear of failure in their lives. Try your best not to let these kinds of thoughts limit you from doing everything within your power to find a banjo teacher in your area and start taking lessons.

Another reason that many folks don’t take lessons is that they think they aren’t yet good enough to get together with a teacher. They convince themselves that they’ll contact a teacher after they’ve taught themselves the next section in that book or DVD that came with the banjo or after they’ve finally figured out how to get the banjo in tune!

Stop a minute and examine this way of thinking. Seems illogical, doesn’t it? However, I’ve met many folks who have talked themselves out of lessons because they don’t want to waste the teacher’s time. I’ve talked myself out of everything from tennis lessons to subjecting my dog to obedience training with this kind of thinking. (Okay, it really would be a waste of the dog trainer’s time, but that’s a story for another time.)

Most professional teachers love working with students who have no playing experience. Brand new players don’t have bad habits to unlearn and are often more fun (and less work) to teach than someone who already plays banjo. You aren’t going to be wasting a teacher’s time if you don’t know the first thing about playing. That’s the reason you’re starting lessons! Teachers want to help you and welcome you just as you are. Also, don’t worry if you’re starting as an adult. Most new banjo players are middle-aged or older. I’ve known many people who begin to play banjo in their 70s!

Finding just the right teacher

After you make up your mind to take lessons, you have to go about the process of locating a good teacher. Sound like a headache waiting to happen? Don’t stress it. With the advice in this section, you can be well on your way to finding an A+ teacher.

If you’re new to the banjo, my best advice for finding a teacher is to start close to home. However, if you’ve already played for a few years, you may have to cast a wider net to find a teacher who can take you to the next level.

Using local and online resources

Your regional acoustic specialty store is the best place to find out about banjo teachers in your area. This store may even have an instructor who teaches in-house. If the store is some distance away, you should still place a phone call to inquire about teachers closer to home. This kind of store has contacts over a wide area and can probably connect you with teachers in your immediate area who the folks at your local all-purpose rock ’n’ roll music store may not know.

The Internet has also made finding a good teacher easier. Type the key words banjo teacher (your city and state) or banjo teacher directory into an Internet search engine and see where it leads you. You may also be able to find a state or regional bluegrass club or association that sponsors events in your area, and its members should have the scoop on area instructors. Try conducting a search using bluegrass association (your state) as key words and see what comes up.

You can also post to one of several Internet banjo community Web sites to inquire about teachers in your area. You can get a response within hours! A few sites with good teacher directories include www.banjohangout.org and www.angiesbanjo.com.

The first stages of your search for a banjo teacher are going to be the most difficult. Don’t get discouraged. Depending on where you live, finding someone in your area who can help you takes some persistence. One person may lead you to another who may lead you to then another before you’ve located the right person to teach you. If over time you have real trouble connecting with other players, consider attending a banjo camp (I discuss camps later in this chapter).

Choosing the right teacher

After you’ve uncovered a couple names of teachers (see preceding section), you need to decide which one to visit first. Try taking a lesson with each instructor who seems qualified and sounds interesting. Here are some of the most important questions to ask your prospective teacher:

Does the teacher actually play banjo? The answer to this question may seem like a no-brainer, but many, if not most, “banjo” teachers play something else — usually the guitar — as their primary instrument. Although the person who offers lessons in guitar, mandolin, autoharp, violin, bass, piano, drums, glockenspiel, hurdy gurdy, theremin, and banjo may actually be a fantastic banjo teacher, approach this kind of lesson situation with caution. A few pointed questions should quickly reveal your prospective teacher’s depth of knowledge.

If you’re a total beginner and can’t find anyone else, this kind of teacher can at least help you to fret chords and get you started with right-hand technique, which is better than nothing! However, you soon want to move on to an instructor who really can play banjo.

Does the teacher play clawhammer or bluegrass? Be sure to ask up front about this important aspect of teaching. Most teachers feel more comfortable giving lessons in one approach or the other, but if you find an instructor who is capable of teaching you both clawhammer and bluegrass, all the better (if you want to learn both ways of playing)!

Does the teacher welcome all levels of students? Most dedicated, professional-level banjo teachers accept all levels of students. If a teacher accepts only beginning students, this may indicate that she may not be a very skilled player. If you’re looking for lessons for a child, be sure to ask about the teacher’s experience and comfort level with kids. Also feel free to ask how many banjo students the teacher is currently teaching. This number gives you a good idea of how serious this person is about teaching banjo.

How are lessons put together? Does the teacher instruct everyone in the same way or are lessons tailored to fit the individual needs of students? Does the teacher use tablature, or will you be learning by ear (either is fine — the quality of teaching in either area is what counts)? Is the teacher willing to instruct you on accompaniment skills? Does he have a lesson plan? You want to be sure your prospective teacher is flexible enough to match your learning style, and the answers to these kinds of questions give you an idea of the instructor’s willingness to shape lessons to what’s best for you.

How often, and how much? Weekly lessons, with travel time to and from your teacher’s studio, can be difficult to work into an adult’s busy schedule. However, if your lessons are too far apart in time, staying focused in your practice is difficult. In my experience of teaching hundreds of students over the last 30 years, most adults can make good progress on the banjo with a one-hour lesson every two to three weeks. Kids (teenagers and younger) need more structure and a weekly half-hour lesson is just about perfect for them. Discuss scheduling with your teacher up front to see what’s going to work out best for both of you.

Lesson prices can range from $25 to $80 or more per hour, depending on where you live and your individual teacher’s scale. Better teachers cost more — this truth is the way of the world! However, even if you’re a beginning-level player, I recommend splurging on at least one or two lessons from the very best teacher that you can find in your area, regardless of price. You can avoid months of frustration if you use this opportunity for an expert player and teacher to fine-tune your overall technique and help you with your sound at the initial stages of your banjo journey.

Connecting with a great teacher is the easiest way to make quick progress on the banjo, but you must determine how many lessons you need, the type of teacher you want, and how long to stay with a teacher. Some players study with the same teacher for many years, while others are more comfortable setting out on their own after only a few lessons. If your primary goal is to just get familiar with a few chords to strum along with others, you don’t want or need many lessons. However, if you’re interested in becoming a real bluegrass or old-time banjo player, you can expect to work with your teacher for six months to a year on the basics before spending another year or more on advanced tunes and techniques. Sound like a long time? It won’t be if you’re having fun with a good teacher.

Playing Music with Others

One of the greatest pleasures you experience playing banjo is when you make music with others. These days, connecting with other acoustic musicians is easier than ever before. Whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced player, you make faster progress on the banjo if you take the opportunity to make music with other musicians as often as you can.

The primary way that amateur bluegrass and old-time musicians get together to make music is via a jam session. At a jam session, musicians at a variety of different skill levels come together to share tunes. Each musician gets an equal chance to be featured, but you aren’t expected to know every tune that’s played. One of the best things about jams is getting to hear and try your hand at new songs. Most jam sessions provide a welcoming environment for just about all levels of players (I note some exceptions in the following sections).

Jam sessions are common in other styles of music such as jazz, folk, blues, and even rock, but they play an especially important role with the kinds of music you play on the banjo. Bluegrass and old-time music are participatory art forms, and if you’re a serious fan, you’re more than likely a musician as well. Jamming is a primary way to become a better banjo player as well as get connected to your local music scene.

In the following sections, you unlock the secrets of how musicians are able to miraculously play together in a jam session. You also figure out how to match a jam session to your ability level and become familiar with how musicians interact with one another to make the music flow more smoothly. By observing good jam etiquette, you can be a welcome participant at any musical gathering that needs a banjo!

Finding a good jam

In most urban areas, the amateur acoustic music scene is based around free weekly jam sessions in music stores, cafes, coffeehouses, churches, and private homes. Your acoustic specialty store, banjo teacher, local music association, or the Internet should be able to point you in the direction of the most appropriate local sessions for your ability level.

Be sure to investigate slow jams or jam classes in your area. Both are relatively new phenomenon on the acoustic music scene and are ideal ways for newer players to start making music in a group context. The following describes what these kinds of jams are all about:

Slow jams are led by one or two professional teachers and are designed for brand-new or beginning-level players to get accustomed to playing with other musicians by following along on bluegrass and old-time standards played slowly. The instructors lead you in playing simple tunes to give you a chance to use the capo, play in different time signatures, and become familiar with many different bluegrass and old-time standards. Slow jams have no limit in size, and they provide an easy and painless way to begin developing the techniques you need to play music with others in real jam sessions.

Jam classes bring together one or two people on each ensemble instrument (banjo, guitar, fiddle, mandolin, dobro, and bass) to make music in a way that’s a lot like playing in a real band. With the help of one or two professional teachers who are at the ready to provide comfort and aid to the jam afflicted, you work with other players to arrange tunes, work out vocal harmonies, and divide up the instrumental solos. You have the first-hand opportunity to experience what works (and what doesn’t) when playing banjo with others. Jam classes are usually designed for musicians who have played six months to a year or more and already have many of the skills they need to get out and play with others.

Both slow jams and jam classes are often structured as weekly classes that run in eight- to ten-week sessions. In addition, many larger bluegrass festivals around the country also host slow jams or jam classes as part of their programming. In this case, these classes may take place before the festival actually begins, so be sure to check schedules (for more on festivals, see the section “Heading to a Bluegrass Festival” later in this chapter). As a complement to private lessons, both slow jams and jam classes are great ways to expand your playing horizons and help you get ready for a real jam.

Getting ready for a jam session

The egalitarian attitude shared by most bluegrass and old-time musicians is one of the most remarkable aspects about the communal experience of playing music with others. At a bluegrass festival, you may see professional players showing a song or lick to a young novice or see people from all walks of life (and all musical ability levels) joining together in an impromptu jam session around a festival campfire. The accessibility of the music’s most skilled performers and the willingness of practically all players to share knowledge are unique to bluegrass and old-time music.

However, you don’t want to just walk up to any jam session, take out your instrument, and start to play. Before you consider joining a real jam, you need to have mastered the following skills on the banjo:

Keeping your banjo in tune. All participants in a jam session must be in tune with one another for the music to sound pleasing — nothing is less welcome than an out-of-tune banjo! You need to be able to tune your banjo by using either an electronic tuner or by getting a reference pitch from a guitar player. If you’re a beginner, ask for tuning help from others instead of continuing to play out of tune. (For more on tuning, see Chapter 2.)

Fretting the G, C, and D or D7 chords and playing along to a simple chord progression by using basic right-hand techniques. Hundreds of songs use just these chords. If you’re comfortable fretting these chords and moving from one to another, you’re well on your way to being able to play along with many tunes.

In slow jams, an instructor calls out the chords, but in a regular jam session, you’re expected to figure out the chord progression as you play. This may seem like an impossibly difficult skill to master, but as you become familiar with more songs, you’ll start to hear how one piece is similar to another. You’ll soon be able to quickly figure out new chord progressions by using your ear. Asking other musicians for assistance is fine if you’re having trouble figuring out any chord progression (for more on fretting, chords, and chord progressions, see Chapters 2 and 3).

Maintaining good rhythm as you play. Rhythm is the most important organizing factor in making music with others because all the musicians participating in a jam session need to play a song at the same tempo. If they didn’t do this, everyone would quickly be at a different place in the same song and that would really sound interesting!

Banjo players have the unfortunate reputation for wanting to play faster than everyone else. The secret to playing in good rhythm with others is to calm down, take a deep breath, and listen to what other musicians are playing, and then you can adjust your own playing to match what you hear other musicians doing. If you stop playing, everyone else is going to keep going! Figuring out how to play in good rhythm is a lifelong process, but finding and staying in the groove with others is one of the most fun parts of making music. (For more on rhythm, see Chapter 3.)

In reality, this list is just the bare minimum set of skills you need to keep your head above water in a real jam session. You should also know a wide variety of chords both in first position and up the neck and be comfortable with accompaniment techniques such as vamping (a bluegrass banjo rhythm technique that uses up-the-neck chords and allows you to play on faster songs). In addition, you should know how to use the capo and be able to play songs in the keys of C and D.

Keep in mind that a jam session isn’t a private banjo lesson. Although other players or the jam leader are usually willing to help you with some aspects of a song, such as showing you a new chord or assisting you with the capo, you’re essentially on your own after a tune begins. Unless the jam is specifically advertised as a slow jam (see preceding section), musicians play tunes up to speed and won’t slow down or stop for you.

Joining in a jam

Whether you’re wandering around the campground at a bluegrass festival or heading to an evening session at the local acoustic music store, deciding if, when, or how to join a jam session can be difficult and awkward. Each jam session is a bit different from any other one, and many factors can affect your decision whether to join in. You may see that a banjo player (or two) is already part of the group, or maybe they’re playing faster than what you’re used to. So how do you know whether you should take out your banjo and join in? And how do you best start to play with others in a session?

Although the group dynamics of a jam session can be subtle, you need to consider two important things before joining in:

What is the general ability level of the jam session? If the skill level of the other players seems to be significantly above your capabilities, the better decision is probably to leave the banjo in the case and spend some time watching and listening. However, if you’ve found a session where the other players are just slightly better than you are, you may have found an ideal jam to take part in.

If you join in a jam session where the players have less experience than you do, keep your playing at their level. The other players will appreciate your generosity and may even say good things about you behind your back after the session is over. (And who wouldn’t like that?)

How many other banjo players are already playing? In a more advanced-level bluegrass jam, many musicians prefer to take part in a session where just one player, or two at most, is on each instrument — just like you see in a band playing on stage. By adding your banjo to the mix, you could disrupt the musical dynamic that’s already been established. On the other hand, if the jam is large and everyone seems to be having a good time just playing along (and making a racket!), that’s a good indication to join right in!

Look for signs from the other musicians to gauge how welcome you may be to their session. Players often sit or stand in a circle and if that circle opens up right where you’re standing, that’s an unspoken invitation to join in. If one of the other banjo players, or the person who seems to be leading the jam, invites you to play, you’ve also just been given the green light.

When one of these signals occurs, you still need to figure out whether you can hold your own on the banjo with these folks. But at least you now know you’re welcome to play along if you choose to do so. By the way, turning down an invitation to join in is fine if you’d rather listen.

Closed jams: A time to listen

Although you never see a sign indicating a jam session is closed, you may find some jam sessions where you aren’t welcome, regardless of your playing level. Closed jams take place for a variety of reasons that have absolutely nothing to do with you: perhaps an annual reunion of old friends who travel long distances to a festival just to play music with one another or a band is showing off its stuff for fans in an informal setting. Exercise great caution and a lot of common sense before joining in on what sounds like a very high-level jam session around a private RV, featuring just one other banjo player. This session is likely private!

Observing good jamming etiquette

After you’ve been accepted into a jam circle, it’s time to play! These first moments can be stressful as you figure out your role (as well as remember your rolls) in the session. Here are a few tips to make yourself a welcomed guest after you’ve started playing:

Play conservatively to get comfortable. If you’ve been asked to be a part of a jam that’s already started, begin by playing quietly and simply, taking cues from the other musicians as to when to take a solo. You want to give room to the other banjo players in the session, especially with backup.

Strive to make the group sound good. The best jams happen when all the participants try their best to make the entire group sound good. Showing off can be considered bad form, especially if you’re the newcomer in a session. Don’t use an introduction to a new group of players as an opportunity to put on display everything you know, played at excessive speed.

Keep good rhythm. Nothing spoils a jam session for other musicians than someone who rushes the tempo, slows down, or starts and stops while playing. Although missing a chord change or even blowing your solo is alright, bad timing truly disrupts everyone in the session. If you can’t keep up, you’d be better off not to play.

Use good dynamics. For banjo players, good dynamics translates into not playing too loudly. Tone it down when playing behind another instrumental solo or a singer who sings quietly. ’Nuff said!

Be ready to contribute a song. In most jams, everyone gets the opportunity to play one or more songs he chooses. Have several songs worked up well enough so you can lead others through the song by telling them the chords and directing the order of solos.

Make sure that your song choice is appropriate and everyone knows it. Don’t suggest “Stairway to Heaven,” “Take Five,” or “Smoke on the Water.” Fit your song choices to the kinds of tunes that have already been played in the session. If everyone is having fun playing traditional songs with three chords, suggest another tune of this type. If more than one or two folks are hesitant about playing with you on your tune, choose something else that the other players can quickly catch on to as the song is being played.

Sitting out a particularly challenging song in a jam is perfectly fine, but if you find you’re sitting out on almost every song, you may want to put the banjo back in the case. One strategy that works in many sessions is to stay outside the primary circle of pickers and follow along quietly by mirroring what other banjo players are doing, but being careful not to disturb the inner circle of players as you play.

Attending Workshops and Camps

A fantastic way to jumpstart your banjo playing is to attend a workshop or camp. Both events allow you to leave the rest of the world behind for a while and focus on nothing else but playing banjo. You also get the chance to hang out with legendary players and teachers as well as connect with other musicians from not only your own part of the country but also all over the world. If you’re interested in this type of experience, keep reading the following sections.

The most common excuse I hear from folks who don’t attend workshops and camps is that they feel that they aren’t “good enough” to benefit from these kinds of experiences or that their own playing skills are so marginal that they will drag the other players down. Don’t be a needless victim of workshop anxiety syndrome! These events are designed to help each and every banjo player move to the next level in their playing. You can’t find a “best” player or a “worst” player in these situations. Each musician has a personal and unique set of strengths and weaknesses and all participants — teachers and students alike — come to a workshop or camp ready to help others.

Workshops: Fine-tuning your techniques

A workshop is usually a one-day event, lasting from a couple hours to a full day of instruction. Often, your area acoustic music store sponsors a weekday evening or a weekend afternoon workshop when a well-known player passes through town or when the local teacher wants to present a session on a particular topic, such as working up solos, banjo setup, or playing backup.

Workshops present a great opportunity to network with other local players as well as provide an opportunity to experience different teachers’ perspectives on playing. Plus, hanging out with a famous player for a couple of hours and hearing this musician demonstrate techniques and play tunes in an intimate setting is a whole lot of fun.

Most workshops are geared towards intermediate- to advanced-level players. However, don’t let that dissuade you from attending a workshop if you’re a beginning player — especially if the featured teacher is one of your banjo heroes. Audio and video taping is usually encouraged at workshops, so if you don’t understand everything that’s covered right then and there, you can come back to this material later on when you’re ready for it.

Workshops are group instruction sessions, so don’t expect to receive much individual attention from the instructor in this kind of learning environment. On the other hand, you also won’t be asked to play for the teacher or the rest of the class, so you don’t need to worry about trying to impress everyone with your playing.

You can expect to spend from $25 to $80 on a workshop, depending on the number of hours of instruction and the notoriety of the teacher. Don’t forget to bring extra money to buy some of the instructor’s CDs, books, and DVDs!

Catching the workshop bug

Although workshops on topics related to the banjo are naturally of greatest interest to us, don’t pass up sessions that cover subjects such as harmony singing, music theory, arranging songs, or developing good listening skills. The more general music knowledge you can absorb, the stronger a banjo player you’ll be in the long run. General workshop sessions also provide a chance to meet local folks who play other instruments, and these new friendships can result in new jamming opportunities or even the formation of a new band — featuring you on the banjo!

To find workshops in your area, check with your local acoustic music store as well as your regional folk or bluegrass music association. Don’t forget to also take a look at your favorite performers’ or teachers’ touring schedules, which can quickly be accessed via their Internet homepages. In addition, many festivals sponsor workshops as part of their programming at no extra charge. Be sure to take advantage of these opportunities.

Banjo, bluegrass, and old-time camps: Rubbing elbows with the pros

Camps are more intense experiences than workshops (see preceding section), because they involve living from two to five days or more with 50 to 200 other music enthusiasts of all ages from all over the world who share your passion for the banjo, bluegrass, and old-time music. Imagine spending time and getting to know such banjo legends as Sonny Osborne, Mike Seeger, Tony Trischka, Bill Keith, Pete Wernick, and Alan Munde — and even getting the chance to play music with them and share a meal (or a game of hoops). As the television commercial says, that’s priceless!

Well, not exactly. Camps are big investments, and after you factor in transportation costs, you can easily spend $600 to $1,500 or more for this kind of experience. Choosing a camp that matches your ability level, your musical interests, and your personality is important. Camps are experiments in communal living, and you also want to make sure you’ve selected an event that fits your tastes in food, accommodations, and overall comfort level.

The biggest decision to make in choosing a camp is whether to attend a banjo camp that’s designed just for banjo players or a bluegrass or old-time camp in which the banjo class is part of a larger event that provides instruction on all of the different instruments in the bluegrass and old-time ensemble (such as guitar, mandolin, fiddle, bass, and dobro). Each type of camp has its own strengths and advantages, so consider the points in the following sections as you shop for a camp that’s a good match for you.

Banjo camp

The great thing about banjo camps is — you guessed it — they’re all about banjos! You get small-group instruction in clawhammer and bluegrass styles in an all-banjo, all-the-time environment where you play banjos, talk about banjos, eat and sleep banjos, and maybe even take a few of them apart and put them back together. Plus, you’ll never run across a more interesting bunch of folks in your life than those you meet at a banjo camp — you’ll love it.

The main advantage of a banjo camp is that you soak in more banjo at this event than you can at an all-purpose bluegrass camp. The larger banjo camps have teaching staffs of up to 20 professional players with class offerings that encompass a wider variety of styles than what you might encounter at a bluegrass or old-time camp with fewer banjo teachers.

Most banjo camps offer instructional tracks designed for beginning-level players, with some camps even offering classes for those who are picking up a banjo for the very first time. Even if you’re an advanced-level player, plenty of great class topics are available for you to choose from. Read up on the types of classes offered by each camp and the level of student that typically attends.

A few banjo camps I recommend include the Midwest Banjo Camp in Lansing, Michigan (www.midwestbanjocamp.com); Banjo Camp North in the Boston, Massachusetts area (www.mugwumps.com/bcn.html); the American Banjo Camp near Seattle, Washington (www.langston.com/ABC); Pete Wernick’s Winter Banjo Camps in Boulder, Colorado (www.drbanjo.com); and my own NashCamp Fall Banjo Retreat near Nashville, Tennessee (www.nashcamp.com).

Bluegrass and old-time camps

Bluegrass camps offer instruction in bluegrass banjo style while old-time camps focus on clawhammer and pre-bluegrass finger-picking techniques. Some camps, such as the California Bluegrass Association’s Music Camp in Grass Valley (www.cbaontheweb.org), offer instruction in both styles at the same time. Other sponsors, such as the Augusta Heritage Center’s camps in Elkins, West Virginia (www.augustaheritage.com) hold separate bluegrass and old-time events at different times.

The advantage of a bluegrass or old-time camp that offers instruction in all the instruments is that your jamming possibilities are much broader with an event of this type. Many bluegrass camps put you together with other musicians at your ability level to form a real (if temporary) band. The music you make in this context can be the most rewarding and memorable experience of your week at camp.

In addition to several hours per day of small-group instruction on banjo, you spend the afternoons during the week practicing with your bandmates and getting help from professional instructors as you work up a song or two to play on stage for the other campers at the end of the week. You come away from this kind of camp being more comfortable playing with other musicians and having a greater understanding of the role of the banjo in a band.

In addition to the bluegrass and old-time camps I mention previously, other great camps to check out include Camp Bluegrass in Levelland, Texas (www.campbluegrass.com); NashCamp’s Bluegrass Weeks near Nashville, Tennessee (www.nashcamp.com); Bluegrass at the Beach outside of Portland Oregon (www.bluegrassatthebeach.com); and the Swannanoa Gathering near Asheville, North Carolina (www.swangathering.org) for old-time music.

Room and board

Food and accommodations are usually included in the price of a music camp. I bet you thought your days of sharing a bathroom with several other hall mates in a college dorm and eating at the cafeteria were behind you, right? Not so — at least not at a banjo camp! Many camps utilize college campuses or actual summer camp venues to host their events to keep tuition prices as reasonable as possible. Don’t be surprised to share a room with one or two other people at most camps.

Living in such close quarters to other aspiring musicians is usually a highlight of the camp experience for most students. You aren’t at camp long enough for this living arrangement to be a hassle. However, if dormitory life and shared bathrooms prove to be a bit too much for you, you can arrange for private lodging at a local hotel during your camp stay.

A few camps, such as my own event, the NashCamp Fall Banjo Retreat held each fall near Nashville, Tennessee (www.nashcamp.com), offer bed-and-breakfast style accommodations with gourmet meals. You pay a higher tuition for such extravagances, but if your creature comforts are a primary concern, be sure to check out the fine print regarding food and lodging for your camp as you make your decision on which camp to attend.

Heading to a Bluegrass Festival

The most popular way to experience bluegrass and old-time music and find others to play music with is to attend one of the several thousand annual outdoor bluegrass festivals that are held all over the United States each year as well as in Japan, the United Kingdom, and Europe. At a festival, you hear renowned performers on stage as well as participate in jam sessions that take place at all hours in campsites throughout the festival grounds. People flock from all over to be a part of the fun, and you can too! In the following sections, I break down what’s so great about bluegrass and old-time festivals and help you find one near you.

Discovering what festivals are all about

A bluegrass festival can be one of the highlights not only of your banjo-playing experience, but also your year. These festivals are designed for musicians and their families to temporarily be part of a community who enjoys and plays bluegrass and old-time music. The outdoor setting provides a perfect context for down-home music making.

You can find bluegrass festivals of all shapes and sizes. Some bluegrass festivals, such as Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco, California (www.hardlystrictlybluegrass.com); MerleFest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina (www.merlefest.org); the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado (www.bluegrass.com); or the Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival in upstate New York (www.greyfoxbluegrass.com) attract large international audiences numbering 100,000 or more that travel to hear the most well-known performers in bluegrass and acoustic music today. Contrast this kind of event to a local bluegrass or old-time festival held at a nearby county fairground with around 300 to 400 people in attendance or a regional contest held out in the country that attracts the best amateur musicians from a wide region.

Most festivals last from two to five days and are held outside, but a few cold weather events, like Wintergrass in Tacoma, Washington (www.acousticsound.org) and Bluegrass First Class in Asheville, North Carolina (www.bluegrassfirstclass.com), are held indoors at a hotel or convention site. Very few festivals are free of charge, and most events charge up to $100 or more for a full weekend adult ticket (which really isn’t bad for a full weekend of music). Children’s admission prices are frequently much less than an adult ticket price, which allows the entire family to attend.

A bluegrass festival is different in several ways from a rock, jazz, or classical music festival, and you can have more fun if you keep the following guidelines in mind:

Bring the whole family. Bluegrass festivals offer a secure and safe environment for the entire family to have a good time. Your kids are soon playing with new friends, and you’re playing music with the folks you’ve just met at the campsite next door. And although you should bring the spouse and the kids, remember that most festivals don’t allow pets.

Pack your camping gear. You enjoy a bluegrass festival more if you camp out at the festival site for the weekend. Bring all the equipment that you would normally bring with you to a drive-in campground (or bring your RV if you have one). You can buy a variety of food from festival vendors or bring your own. Don’t forget sunscreen, insect repellant, rain gear, and a flashlight (which you use to walk from one midnight jam session to another without falling over a tent stake).

Take your instruments. Don’t forget your banjo! At a larger festival, you have many opportunities to play with others in campground jam sessions at virtually all hours of the day (and night). Also don’t forget extra strings, picks, and even an audio recorder to preserve a hot jam session or a new tune.

A festival is also a great opportunity to get other members of your family interested in playing, so be sure to pack extra instruments and bring these with you. Don’t be surprised if someone in your family starts playing a new instrument by the end of the weekend.

Remember your earplugs . . . and aspirin. Your adrenalin keeps you going until about Saturday afternoon at a three- or four-day festival. Sooner or later, you need to catch up on your sleep and recover a bit from whatever overindulgences you may have committed the night before.

Finding a festival that’s right for you

Although seeing legendary performers at a large mega-festival is thrilling, you may have just as much fun and get the chance to play more music by attending a smaller event closer to home. Many of my favorite bluegrass festivals, like the California Bluegrass Association’s Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival in Grass Valley (www.cbaontheweb.org) and the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival in Pennsylvania (www.gettysburgbluegrass.com), lie somewhere between the two extremes. Make sure you choose a festival that’s large enough to attract the best musicians in your region, but small enough to still easily allow lots of opportunities to make music with others in a safe environment.

So how do you find just the right bluegrass festival? The Internet once again is a great resource in finding the right music festivals for you in your area and beyond. Visit www.bluegrassfestivalguide.com for a national database of bluegrass and old-time festivals. You may also want to check out Bluegrass Unlimited (www.bluegrassmusic.com) and The Old Time Herald (www.oldtimeherald.org) magazines, because each publishes an annual festival guide in their spring issues.

The Web site of your regional music association, the bulletin board of your local acoustic music store, and the calendar listings provided by your local bluegrass radio DJ can also point you in the right direction towards the best area festivals. And don’t be afraid to ask other musicians what festivals they like to attend — word of mouth is important too!

A wide variety of festivals around the country these days use the name bluegrass to describe their programming. Some of these events hire bands popular with younger audiences, while others attract mostly retired folks. Other festivals include a wide variety of music in their programming. The kinds of bands hired to play at different festivals are a good indication of what kind of audience will be in attendance. Make your decisions based on which festival looks like the most fun for you and your family.