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G&F Band

G&F Band

A Bouquet of Roses

April 19, 2025

“What is in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet,” is a quote from Act II, Scene II of  “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare. Not too long ago, the BRC craftsman fashioned the “Rose” banjo.

The peghead of the 5-stringer depicts the bloom of a rose with tiny thorns along its stem to caution the viewer of the flower`s protective strategies and remind us that we too should protect the beauty of our environment.

A cavalcade of rosy blooms spill down the neck, and a curious butterfly is reiterated at the 12th fret space.

As all BRC banjos display a hidden inlay on the heel of the neck for the eyes only of the musician, a rosebud appears at the base of this instrument`s neck near the engraved (inverted) marking on the inner rim of the pot indicating that this 5-stringer is the 103rd banjo produced by the BRC workshop.

Last month, the G&F band surpassed the $33K milestone in tip donations collected for our local Childrens Hospital since the band`s inception in 1995. Much thanks is owed to the many generous performers who have given their time and talent over the years to support our University pediatric medical center with their music and song. We are especially grateful to the management of the Broadway Brewery for graciously hosting our Sunday afternoon performances since 2009. All these good folks deserve a bouquet of roses.

From the BRC: Have a great Earth Day, April 22nd.

 

BRC Events, G&F Band

New Guy on the Block

April 5, 2025

At a recent Sunday afternoon benefit gig at the brewpub in support of the local Childrens Hospital, a youthful banjo player joined his mandolinist grandfather on the bandstand during the jam session. No stranger to stage performance, this talented teenager (foreground left) is a skillful musician in his high school marching band and active in musical theatre and sports.

The young fellow was picking his “Dragon Master” BRC banjo that was crafted by his granddad at the end of last year. For close-up details of this 5-stringer, enter dragon in the search engine and hit enter. Hardly alone as a ‘new guy on the block’, this youngster was one of three 5-string pickers on stage that afternoon. Count `em.

Also newly arrived on our block, Springtime has come to the Heartland prompting the flowering trees to issue their colorful blooms. Our favorites, the lily magnolias, have unfolded their lovely their pink blossoms. If you look closely, the back decks of the BRC domicile are visible across the lake in the background. The Magnolia Lilliflora is originally native to southwest China, and it was formerly known as Magnolia Quinquepeta honoring the French botanist Pierre Magnol (1638-1715).

 

Just out side the back door of the BRC workshop, a sprawling lily magnolia displays its splendid flowers on a sunny Spring morning.

From the BRC: In the Heartland, April showers bring May flowers.

BRC Activities, G&F Band

A Snowy Heartland

January 18, 2025

January at Zephr Point, our nickname for the locale of the lakeside BRC workshop, is a wintry mix. The lake behind our domicile freezes, and the surrounding trees are often coated with snowy ice.

After about 10 inches of a recent frosty snowfall, a beautiful sunset draped the horizon over the dam at the end of our lake. The BRC home is the house closest to the water. The twinkle of lights in the leafless trees along the adjacent dam is from the nearby neighborhood where we lived years ago.

As always on weekends, the G&F band performs year round at the nearby brewpub collecting donations for the local Children’s Hospital. Not infrequently, kids will join us on stage for a sing-a-long and photos.

Since its inception in 1995, the G&F band has surpassed $32K in donations to our University pediatric medical center. We are heartfully grateful to the generous patrons and gracious management of the brewpub, our Sunday afternoon home since 2009.

From the BRC: Wintry single digit temperatures visit us here early next week. Keep warm.

G&F Band

Remembering

November 9, 2024

The G&F band and alumni performed earlier this Fall at a Celebration of Life picnic dedicated to a dear friend who had passed a few months previously. The local folks and out of town guests sang along with our familiar tunes on a pleasant autumn afternoon.

The next day, some of the visiting musicians joined the band at the local brewpub for a jam session.

It was a lovely weekend of remembrance for a very special lady.

From the BRC: Peace

BRC Activities, G&F Band

Milestone & Thanks & Update

April 28, 2024

Shortly after the recent mid-day solar eclipse, the G&F musicians surpassed the $32K milestone of gig tips collected since our band`s inception in 1995 for donation to the local Childrens Hospital. A subsequent evening celestial event seen below also signaled this monetary accomplishment with a spectacular moonrise over the lake behind the BRC workshop.

Since 2009, the Broadway Brewery has graciously hosted our Sunday afternoon jams where its patrons have donated over three-fourths of the aforesaid tip money into a guitar case at the foot of the bandstand. We salute the generosity of our listeners and the brewpub`s community spirit to support our local pediatric medical center.

Other news includes the migration of our Wednesday afternoon jam sessions in a small village near the Lake of the Ozarks. We recently relocated this music gathering from the basement of a local church to the township`s community center which has welcomed us.  Many of the musicians pictured below in our newly-situated picking venue frequently trek north to join our Sunday afternoon performances at the brewpub.

From the BRC: We are appreciative of these many good folks and thank them all for their generous civic-mindedness.