In this special interview Joseph Decosimo teaches our DJs godzilian & southpawpaw, as well as all of our listeners, how to play the banjo! In it you can listen to Joseph share about the history of the banjo, oldtime & how vibrant the scene in NC is today, teaching stories from growing up in Tennessee on the Cumberland Plateau, playing all night where the sun never sets, and his favorite Eno River swimming holes. He also plays some beautiful old tunes the way his friends and teachers did them & shares new tracks from his latest album Beehive Cathedral.
This interview was inspired by and is in conversation with WXDU alum Evan Morgan's 2019 Louis Sudler Prize winning project "How to Learn to Play the Banjo." The lesson structure was additionally heavily influenced by Suzanne Ciani's 3-2-1 Contact classic explainer on what a synthesizer & electronic music is. One of our DJs had never touched the banjo before and by the end is playing a song! There are lots of explanations and questions around early banjo concepts that many beginners struggle with (Why all these tunings? Is clawhammer and Seeger-style upstroke so different? Two finger or three finger?), so hopefully this helps demystify the banjo for others too!
Hear it on our youtube page at wxdu.org/short/banjo.