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BRC Activities

Art Shows, BRC Activities

#100: The Humming Bird

November 4, 2023

The hummingbird is a familiar visitor to the BRC domicile, as red sweet water feeders are stationed on our upper deck every summer to attract these flighty avians. The below photo was taken with a cellphone by speedily photographing multiple images to capture a freeze-frame of the hyperkinetic fluttering of the bird`s wings.This autumn, a Humming Bird banjo was crafted in the BRC workshop for the 64th Annual Central Bank of Boone County Art Show. The peghead head featured feathery birds airily fluttering to and fro. In the scientific nomenclature, this specie is categorized as belonging to the Order of Apodiformes, the Suborder of Trochili, and the Family of Trochilidae.

Flowers appear on the truss rod cover and fretboard representing the vital food source of nectar that fuels the birds` high-powered energy requirements during flight. For the winter months, hummingbirds migrate south via a long airborne journey to Mexico or Central America.

BRC banjos feature an inlay on the heel of the neck for the eyes only of the musician. Adjacent to the below (inverted) flowery image appears an inscription indicating that the Humming Bird is the 100th banjo produced by the BRC workshop. Since the inception of the Banjo Rehabilitation Center in 2011, thirty-nine of its banjos have appeared in art shows.

On display below in the mirrored lobby, the Humming Bird banjo won a ribbon and was sold during the yearly weekend autumnal Boone County Bank Art Show. The BRC couple missed the awards ceremony, as they were away visiting grandkids in Texas.

When the grandparents returned from the Lone Star State, they were welcomed home with a spectacular rainbow that arched over their mid Missouri neighborhood. In a photograph from the upper deck above the BRC workshop, the colorful atmospheric phenomenon is admired by the banjo craftsman seen standing in the nearby shadows.

From the BRC:  Best Wishes to all for a lovely autumn season.

BRC Activities

Summer Falls to Autumn

September 23, 2023

A sunny lakeside photo of the BRC domicile taken from the opposite shoreline earlier this month shows our abode surrounded by leafy trees. The back door to the banjo workshop is seen on the ground level next to the shaded stairs. Despite the blue skies and a mirrored reflection on the still waters, close inspection of the trees shows several shades of fading greenery. Summer in the Heartland was on the wane.

Last winter, the “Snowy Owl” BRC banjo #94 was purchased by an out-of-town buyer during the annual Holiday exhibit at the local community art gallery. The new owner has local kinfolk, and he stopped-by the BRC workshop a few days ago to have his 5-stringer signed by its craftsman and to get a few tips on tuning and picking style. While visiting the BRC workshop, he purchased the “Peace Eagle” BRC banjo #99 which was then also signed.

A photo on the upper deck shows the customer with the banjo-builder. In the background appear the very early beginnings of autumnal coloring of the nearby valley where a previous BRC homestead was located years ago.

From the BRC: Have a colorful autumn season in your neck of the woods.

 

Art Shows, BRC Activities, Cell Perches & HVO

A Perch and Mailbox

August 5, 2023

The unique theme this year for the end-of-summer art show at the community gallery is “Bare.” Whether realistic or abstracted, the human form has challenged artists since the beginnings of time-  from cave wall drawings to modern day computer simulations. Vexed to design a banjo based on the unadorned human frame, the BRC craftsman instead designed a cell phone holder entitled  “The Bare Bones Cell Perch.”  For an almost fully retired orthopedic surgeon, this skeletal smartphone holder was an instinctive  project.

While the gala opening reception offered plenty of abstruse nude paintings, mysterious sketches, and the occasional puzzling sculpture, gallery visitors (below) closely studied the anatomically accurate features of the “Bares Bones” desktop implement.

From the BRC:  Whenever resolving a bone of contention, it is wisest to stick to the bare facts.

Recently From the BRC Mailbox:

Dear BRC: Hi. I bought what looks like a 1970s Vega banjo in Tokyo. It does not have C. F. Martin on the back and is quite plain. The pot has 0728 as a serial number carved into it. Also pasted inside is a handwritten note (below) that reads, “Original Martin made Vega Banjo neck is V-41 prototype. Martin inlaid the pearl in the peghead. The rest is inlaid & finished by Homer C. Ledford, Luthier.” My question:What is it? It plays fantastically by the way. Cheers, R.S.

From the BRC:
Dear R.S. : Thank you for your correspondence to the BRC mailbox.  Per the existing website/Wikipedia, Homer C. Ledford (1927-2006) was a respected luthier and musician in Kentucky. According to my data, C.F. Martin made twenty-eight model V-41 five string banjos, but the serial number 0728 does not correspond with anything in my files. In the 1971 Martin price list, the V-41 listed for $850 by special order only. The V-41 model appears in the 1972 and 1976 Vega Martin catalogues. The last V-41 banjo parts that C.F. Martin manufactured were shipped to Japan in mid 1977 for assembly. Martin acquired the Vega franchise in 1970 and sold it overseas in 1979. You are welcome to send me photos of the instrument to see if anything might be learned from its hybrid features. Most importantly, however, is that it plays well. Thanks for your query. From the BRC, Barry
From the BRC: Dear R.S.- Thanks for the photos. The inlay on the fretboard appears to be a flawless reproduction. The pot looks like Martin woodwork but seems deeper than usual. Happy picking from the BRC. With much appreciation,  Barry

 

BRC Activities, Jamming

Dear Friends

July 22, 2023

A couple of members of the G&F jam band and kin have family connections to local retirement homes. Not infrequently, gigs will be scheduled to entertain the folks residing in these facilities, and the residents are always grateful for some spirited live music and sing alongs. We discovered that one of the establishments had a client who was previously linked to show biz, and he happily provides the role (seated below right) of a chatty master of ceremonies for our performances. His fellow retirees love it, and so do we.

One of the favorite and very senior members of our long-term Thursday night jam sessions recently relocated to a nearby retirement facility. For decades, he was an unfailing resource for the lyrics and tunes of old cowboy songs, and he can still perform these classics, as he did in years gone by. It is a joy for the G&F pickers and singers and his spouse to revisit these fond musical moments with him (below right guitar). Another resident who was a previous G&F banjo player quietly sat by the band enjoying the familiar sing alongs.

From the BRC: Dear friends bring us precious memories.

BRC Activities

The Concordia Banjo

June 24, 2023

The summer members` show at the local community art league is an annual open and un-themed competition. This enables artists to submit a diverse range of works. In a world troubled with conflict, the BRC craftsman fashioned the “Concordia” banjo named after the ancient Roman goddess of harmony or peace. The peg head and lower neck present snowy doves carrying a sprig of olive branch- a traditional symbol of peace.

The upper neck echoes these universal motifs of amity. Although each BRC banjo is a one-of-a-kind instrument, the ever important theme of global peace has been a design feature of several of our 5-stringers that can be accessed by entering “dove” in the search engine on the BRC homepage.

At the gala opening reception of the exhibit, gallery visitors closely study the Concordia banjo and its harmonious imagery.

For the eyes only of the musician, all BRC banjos have a signature inlay (below) on the heel of the neck.  Nearby, the inscribed serial number of the instrument is located on the rim. The Concordia banjo was purchased by a patron before the exhibit opened.

From the BRC: Wishing us all everywhere a peaceful summer filled with harmony.