Spring Training 2013

Some of you may been contacted directly by us about our Spring Training  weekend workshops
that we are offering in April, May, and even a mid week one in late June.   If this is your first visit
to this blog then a GREAT BIG HOWDY to you.  Welcome back anyone else.!!

 We hope we'll get some interest after taking out an ad in the OT Herald and spreading the word in other ways.  We don't want to be annoying.  These workshops are intended to help those
who want to play more rhythmically and with more strength.

On a different level Spring Training has begun for our local heritage music program for youth called Floyd JAMS.
In the after school program on Mondays 3-6 PM  I have 7 kids  ages 8-12 in my class; five of which have been in previous banjo classes under me.  The other two are as raw as any beginner can be.

As is to be expected after school  in a class of  youngsters,  When  someone  has little enthusiasm and desire to play but is in a class knowing absolutely nothing, then,  I, as a teacher, have a huge challenge.  Thank goodness I have an able assistant in Terry Cartesen who  is helping me to motivate  the rawest of beginners while I try simultaneously to carry my advanced beginners learn to play carefully and in time.  Teaching  the basic Clawhammer 'lick'  is  truly challenging as the actual technical motion is  based some much on 'Feeling' the beat.  How does one successfully  teach that??   Lots of rhythm exercises
and demos of playing exactly with the beat is  all I can do hoping that they'll just 'catch' on to it. Indeed some have.

After two semesters
of emphasizing rhythm, timing and tuning by ear  I now feel like I can actually make some  progress with most of these kids as I show them a basic version Old Joe Clark.   I actually made a playlist
of 7 different renditions of the tune by individuals, OT bands, and BG bands in my collection so they could hear  some variations on the same tune.  I burned and gave everyone in class a copy for homework.

 I am also trying to get the kids to become collectors
of recordings the  local mountain dance music that I love.   I hope that they will  learn to love it because they are becoming able to understand how to really play it.  With so many distractions in life its a long shot but at least I feel  good about sowing some seeds in that regard.  Its been sort of a 'mission' for me to pass on my love for the 'local' music especially and how to make others feel something with it.
All my banjo kids have my 2005  CD 'I'm Going That Way', as well as  2009 'Turkey in the Mountain'
which features my banjo playing and Shat Garriock's fiddling.  Maybe the music will mean more
to them because it was played by me, the teacher.?  

  I speculate that most people new to listening in general tend to ignore the 'rustic' homemade sounds preferring the smoother 'clean' sounds that society would deem 'best'.  I would hope that those who claim to love any kind of music could define what it is that draws them in and makes it  outstanding .  For me its all about   the feeling of the beat,  precision timing, and  interesting chord choices with counterpoint transition runs  in regards to a ensemble.   A great melody moves me as well  but a great melody  played with subtle rhythm patterns catches my ear every time.

Let us hear from you!!

2013 update

           Since my last post I have entered the cattle business with a barter of a large bookcase system and one mantel piece for 6 cow-calf pairs.  I worked this out with a cattle man from Pulaski County, Alan Graybeal, who was building a house on Claytor Lake and needing my services last summer. It happened that Alan  knows a grazier friend Terry Slusher whose  parents were some of Floyd's original OT musicians.  Terry is well-respected grazier who loves his cattle and doesn't mind the exercise of rotational grazing and saving lots of work by leaving certain field ungrazed  therefore, not needing so much hay to be made and handled.   Terry's brother George is a wonderful back-up guitar player and singer of OT country songs who helps me often at the Floyd Country Store.

        So the 17 acres that was never eaten down this past summer are now about 2/3 gone.
 By using a method called management intensive grazing (MIG) I have been rationing out the unmowed grass using temporary electric fencing minimizing the need for lots of hay.  The place is looking better and will continue to improve in sod and grass quality as I learn more in coming month's.  It doesn't take that much work  really.  10" deep snow recently has made some hay necessary but
I am ready with a few rolls on hand and a good tractor.

In November, we started out first of our  music weekend workshops here at our place near Willis in Floyd County.  Although small it was lots of fun and deemed a success.  Good people and good progress made in their playing.  If interested then  visit  southernmtnmelodies.com   for more info about upcoming weekends  and what we plan to offer.
We basically are trying to promote 'real' mountain' music that we've been fortunate to have learned
by living in an area so rich in the pre-bluegrass music tradition.

Our daughter, Hanna came in for a few days around Christmas.  We did several music things including
playing at the Americana Lunch at the Floyd Country Store and jamming at Wayne Henderson's annual
Christmas party.  We managed to get into Windfall studios again and record another couple of numbers
to be included in an upcoming CD project featuring Hanna's clawhammer banjo playing.  Its so special
to both Jenny and me to have such a talented daughter who loves to play and sing.  We wish she was closer by.  We expect to see her this summer a couple of different times and continue developing our
trio sound.  Check back here as I'll be announcing the release of a collection of our music at some future date.

Cabinet work has dried up for the moment in my shop so that leaves me plenty of time for banjos,
and more.  I have finished up a couple of banjos and have them for sale at  mactraynham.com
I am currently working on an order for a banjo uke made out of apple-wood.  Its a bit of a challenge
but I am enjoying it and plan to make a couple extra ones to sell.  Do whack a whack a whack a

Enjoy the Winter and let us know you are visiting.

Thanks!