My musical life

Wylie/Deemer play Guthrie, early 1990s

I think I need to put music back into my life. As a performer. From about 1959 to 1979 I seldom went anywhere without my guitar. Through the 80s into the 90s I frequently performed, and sometimes toured, my tribute to Woody Guthrie. More recently I took clawhammer banjo classes and learned, finally, a style that had stumped me on my own, getting good enough to record on the sound track of my film The Farewell Wake. Then I put the banjo down about a year ago and haven't picked it up since.

But another old challenge has been bugging me. I never really learned bluegrass 3-finger picking either. I first learned Pete Seeger style banjo, then clawhammer. Moreover, I've always wanted to put nylon strings on the banjo, replacing the steel. A softer sound. I have no public performance desires, absolutely none, but I need something to fiddle with. Well, that doesn't get Sketch howling. I have a chromatic harmonica that's fun to fiddle with but Sketch starts howling whenever I play ha ha. I can't get him to stop until I stop. Talk about music criticism.

Anyway, I think I'll put nylon strings on the banjo and pick up one of the how to play bluegrass books I have around, thinking I might absorb them, and we'll see what develops. The worst that can happen is that my arthritic hands get more sore. But I may learn something.

And most important of all, time will pass. Passing time is the key!