Fall 09

Late Summer 09 found Mac playing independently at several of the local fiddler's convention. We live in great location for his old-time music addiction. Over the past couple of months several custom banjo orders were filled and other new banjos were produced and sold as well. Not bad for a secret banjo maker/player who keeps trying to top the sound of the last one. Jenny put lots of effort into her gardens and flower bed.

In late August, we hosted a gathering of local long-time women musicians, most of whom are in their 70's 80's and 90's. These women are still active players of old-time and country music and included Sue Edmonds, Irene Harris, Chloe Bishop,
Rhoda Kemp, Iva Sue Stillwell and Janet Turner. It was time full of great memories as well as great songs by these lifelong dedicated folks most of whom began when they were children.

Following a late September trip to Ontario where we played for a family member's wedding reception,
October finds us gearing up for some upcoming events both local and on the road. Roanoke Mountain Campground near the Blue Ridge Parkway is always a nice venue for an intimate 5 PM concert with local music lovers. We hope the Indian summer temperatures hold and the rain comes another afternoon.

After an October 17th dance at the Floyd Country Store with Mac's all-star group The Mountain Boomers, he will head to Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, West VA to teach banjo at October Old-Time week beginning October 25th.

We also are supporting the effort of a group of Floyd concerned citizens known as SustainFloyd by participating in a October 24th concert at the Floyd Country Store to help raise awareness of the environment and the dangerous levels of CO2 in the atmosphere presently.
350.org is a website for more info on that serious issue that we are pushing to get addressed by world leaders.

'Fiddlin' Shay Garriock has been performing with us as of late following the release of the acclaimed CD 'Turkey in the Mountain' . For more info visit macandshaycd.homestead.com . We have a couple of road trips involving the 3 of us first to the Northern Virginia area where we will conduct a day long workshop for those interested in old-time fiddle and clawhammer banjo followed by an evening house concert. Thanks to our good friend and DJ Hubie King for hosting us. Hubie will conduct an interview with us to be aired later on his radio show at WAMU in Washington DC. I may post more about this after it gets recorded.

Our second road trip is Dec 2 -6 to Northern Florida to be the guest artist at the 5th annual Suwanee Old-time Music weekend held at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture State Park in White Springs. We will be conducting advanced workshops and perfomances for the attendees as well as the public. On the way down we hope to do a small house concert in Athens Georgia as well, hosted by our old friend Dick Daniels.

Thanks for your interest in our happenings. Keeping updated is a challenge. For more information please Check out myspacemusic/macandjennytraynham

Summer 09 Rolls on.

Upon my return from the Appalachia Stringband Festival at the George Washington Carver facility near Clifftop West Virginia
I am getting ready to deliver 3 new banjos to 3 patient local players who ordered them from me since last Fall. The Galax Fiddler's convention time was to be my deadline for completion. So far so good, although I still have hours of set up time and tweaking to do before delivery.

I find that banjo making is enjoyable as long as I can make them to suit me as I have my particular basic style set after 25 years. I sold one at the Clifftop festival to a banjo junkie last summer and another one to the same guy in January. The one I had with me this year was admired by many people but I had someone committing to buying it before I left Floyd last Friday. The folks who made these custom orders I am now finishing were respectful my style choices generally. The banjos are alike in their construction and set up yet they vary slightly in their appearance. However, one is left-handed and another has the request of a pearl inlay of the state symbol of the South Carolina ie, quarter moon over the palmetto tree. I found that inlay job to be a challenge over the simple stars , dots, and diamonds which don't involve much labor to cut and inlay. Cutting out and inlaying the palmetto tree allowed me to practice some engraving technique for which I am a beginner. It is for Amy Boucher, banjo player for the Buck Mountain Band and wife of our 9th district Congressman.

Since Spring 09, I have been deemed a master banjo builder and have been working with an apprentice through the Virgina Foundation for the Humanities apprenticeship program. My apprentice, Bob Browder, and I are each building a banjo out of some amazing birdseye maple heartwood. Upon completion by the Spring 2010, I hope to have a beautiful natural birdseye maple 12" open back banjo decorated with some engraved classic pearl inlays and a 'Whyte Laydie' tone system. It has my name on it for me to keep (assuming it has a better tone than the 'Little Wonder' one I play now). Whyte Laydie and Little Wonder are names for the metallic part of the banjo just under the head on top of the wooden hoop. Each has a design difference and a specific patent as well as a track record for a great tone since their invention in the early 20th century. They are forever associated with the famous Vega banjo company. I have other types of 'tone rings' that I find work very well and cost less to make and install which helps to keep the overall cost lower.

Music wise, since last the post Jenny and I performed in July recently at a small revival at the Indian Valley Presbyterian Church. We were honored to have Janet Turner sing some trios with us. We love her honest and youthful sound so much.
Fiddler Shay Garriock joined us a few nights later for our perfomance at the Oak Grove Pavillion
behind Zion Lutheran Church in the town of Floyd. We got great responses and saw many people who we had not seen in years. The next weekend found us on the road out to Morehead Kentucky for a nice old-time fiddler's convention that hired us to be a performing band for a set on Saturday night just before the band finals. We met many nice people and heard a lot of great music by the young Kentucky musicians who are proud of their area's musical heritage. We were not at Floydfest as the Floyd Press mistakenly said so I hope they get it right next time. We don't have anything else until Fall and I'll post again by then. Thanks for your support.