tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4821243838031243709.post9045227954383725232..comments2023-11-05T04:15:44.564-08:00Comments on Robert Frost's Banjo: “Ballad #1” Alfred Davis CammeyerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15687192784861682991noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4821243838031243709.post-36700179829947831922012-11-09T09:13:53.320-08:002012-11-09T09:13:53.320-08:00Hi Mike:
Thanks so much for the kind words about ...Hi Mike:<br /><br />Thanks so much for the kind words about the blog! Very much appreciated. I also very much appreciate your clarifying comments--interesting stuff indeed! Thanks.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15687192784861682991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4821243838031243709.post-72095662709836558352012-11-09T08:51:24.267-08:002012-11-09T08:51:24.267-08:00Hi John,
thanks for your answer. I guess my point...Hi John,<br /><br />thanks for your answer. I guess my point was that the term which is used to describe this particular style of playing used by today's associations and performers is "classic" rather than "classical"; this was a deliberate choice made by the ABF (American Banjo Fraternity), though the term "classic" as opposed to "classical" was already in use in the days of S. S. Stewart.<br /><br />In my mind, the term "classic" was used both to separate this style from the emerging folk styles in the 1950s, whilst reasserting its status as a purely amateur genre (there is no "classical training" in classic banjo, no standard syllabus or grade exams, etc.).<br /><br />Thanks again for sharing your thoughts, this blog is a must-follow!<br /><br />MikeThe Mosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12943986364575721559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4821243838031243709.post-23463001703853459142012-11-08T18:05:45.955-08:002012-11-08T18:05:45.955-08:00Hi Mike: Thanks so much for stopping by, & for...Hi Mike: Thanks so much for stopping by, & for your wonderful comment. I am aware that classical banjo refers to a style, & not necessarily to pieces that would be considered in the "classical repertoire" (of course, "classical" is an odd term anyway, since lovers of Bach & Vivaldi would usually point out that they are "baroque," not "classical"--also, pieces by someone like Anton Rubenstein might well now be considered "classical," but were considered "popular" in their day) & I am aware that much of "classical style" banjo music refers to music in popular genres (or popular genres of the past.) Still, I've been featuring performers like Rob MacKillop & Robby Faverey, who do actually play some baroque repertoire on botht eh 5-string & the cello banjo!<br /><br />Thanks for the invite too--much appreciated.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15687192784861682991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4821243838031243709.post-35409406413986884382012-11-07T04:19:07.616-08:002012-11-07T04:19:07.616-08:00Hi John,
great post! Just one caveat, however; yo...Hi John,<br /><br />great post! Just one caveat, however; you will notice that both Mr. MacKillop and us other Classic Banjo aficionados use the label "classic" banjo -- "classical" is an often-used misnomer which, unfortunately, tends to create unfair expectations in the audience. Mr. Cammeyer played very little classical music (especially after Arthur Sullivan encouraged him to compose his own music, as he explains in his book, "My Adventuresome Banjo"); he was, however, a brilliant composer who has left us over a hundred original pieces in many styles, from popular dances and marches to very personal, lyrical stuff.<br /><br />Calling it "classical", however, creates expectations which the genre doesn't live up to. Many people coming over to Classic Banjo experience some kind of cognitive dissonance trying to convince themselves that pieces like "A Banjo Oddity", "Zarana" or "The Syncopatin' Shuffle" are somehow "classical" music. They are not. People who expect to find Bach and Mozart in Classic Banjo are bound to be disappointed.<br /><br />I have conducted an informal statistical study on a population of 2268 published Classic Banjo solos (approximately 25% of total published material during the period, according to some estimates), 67 were "classical" pieces (in the broadest sense of the word, including some very light stuff which would sometimes not even be considered "classical" nowadays) out of which there were 7 by Bach, 3 by Beethoven, 5 by Chopin, 4 by Liszt, 4 by Mozart, 4 by Rossini, 4 by Schubert and 2 by Strauss, over a span of almost a century. Compared to the total of Classic Banjo music, it's about 3%. The remaining 97% is "popular" music in various forms ("banjo music", ragtime, jazz, traditional, etc.). This goes at odds with what the documentaries tell people about the banjo becoming a "classical instrument"!<br /><br />It's great so see people interested in this style. Feel free to join us at http://classic-banjo.ning.com/ !<br /><br />All the best,<br /><br />Mike MossThe Mosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12943986364575721559noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4821243838031243709.post-8557526889547912232012-10-29T11:27:31.731-07:002012-10-29T11:27:31.731-07:00Hi Dick: Sorry about that! It's loading ok her...Hi Dick: Sorry about that! It's loading ok here. Try following this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghn47YSfRYQ" rel="nofollow">link</a> to hear it on YouTube!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15687192784861682991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4821243838031243709.post-25344393964851790282012-10-29T11:26:20.363-07:002012-10-29T11:26:20.363-07:00Thank you Roy! So glad you enjoyed it.Thank you Roy! So glad you enjoyed it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15687192784861682991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4821243838031243709.post-53024489652125849382012-10-29T11:19:17.147-07:002012-10-29T11:19:17.147-07:00Fascinating info, John. Sadly, the vid won't d...Fascinating info, John. Sadly, the vid won't download for me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4821243838031243709.post-72540435379939915032012-10-26T05:56:56.577-07:002012-10-26T05:56:56.577-07:00Ooooo, that's nice! And a very interesting-loo...Ooooo, that's nice! And a very interesting-looking banjo, too. Thanks, John!Royhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01648670975466222140noreply@blogger.com