Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Italian Banjo Guild first meeting in Milano
Dear banjo friends, I am glad to announce that last Saturday we had a jolly reunion of several Italian banjoists, both 5- and 4-stringers.
It was the first official meeting organised by the Italian Banjo Guild, a Yahoo Group that gathers 137 banjoist of all styles in Italy and in the nearby Italian-speaking part of Switzerland.
It was an afternoon rich of fast forward and backward rolls, furious tremolos and fierce discussions on how good each of our respective banjos were.
Happily, the nearby neighbours were not affected at all because we found a former church in the centre of a beautiful city park, so the only eardrums involved by this kind of unruly celebration were our own ones!
Although that is not completely true, because at 6 P.M., we opened the doors of the auditorium for the final concert and, much to our surprise, many patrons were already waiting on line.
First we made sure that they would not have hidden baseball bats and then we let graciously them in.
Unbelievable! They even enjoyed the concert!
Italian Banjo Guild is planning a new national meeting within next Spring 2009 and we do hope to be able to extend invitations also to our European fellow banjoists: we will let you know.
In the meantime our Vega, Paramount, Gibson, B&D, Deering and OME banjos will keep on ringing all over our Country in spite of what other musicians may think of us!
Nino Frasio
List owner of the Italian Banjo Guild
www.myspace.com/ninofrasio
It was the first official meeting organised by the Italian Banjo Guild, a Yahoo Group that gathers 137 banjoist of all styles in Italy and in the nearby Italian-speaking part of Switzerland.
It was an afternoon rich of fast forward and backward rolls, furious tremolos and fierce discussions on how good each of our respective banjos were.
Happily, the nearby neighbours were not affected at all because we found a former church in the centre of a beautiful city park, so the only eardrums involved by this kind of unruly celebration were our own ones!
Although that is not completely true, because at 6 P.M., we opened the doors of the auditorium for the final concert and, much to our surprise, many patrons were already waiting on line.
First we made sure that they would not have hidden baseball bats and then we let graciously them in.
Unbelievable! They even enjoyed the concert!
Italian Banjo Guild is planning a new national meeting within next Spring 2009 and we do hope to be able to extend invitations also to our European fellow banjoists: we will let you know.
In the meantime our Vega, Paramount, Gibson, B&D, Deering and OME banjos will keep on ringing all over our Country in spite of what other musicians may think of us!
Nino Frasio
List owner of the Italian Banjo Guild
www.myspace.com/ninofrasio
