Banjo Man

Yes, Joel is taking banjo lessons! Before Christmas 2005, he really got into the bluegrass sound (but don’t you dare say he likes “country” music, lol) and decided he’d like a banjo. After much discussion back and forth, and a smidge of skepticism on my part, he promised me he’d learn to play. Lo and behold, for 9 months after receiving his Christmas gift, he scoured the internet for banjo lessons, talked to his music teacher at school and learned from videos. I was amazed at what he was able to teach himself! Late in the summer of 2006 he decided he was ready for more structured lessons and we started the search for a banjo instructor. We found Paul Perkins, an Iowa State college student that plays in a band, Mr. Baber’s Neighbors, we went to the Johnston Bluegrass Festival to hear him and we knew instantly that this was the guy!