Folk Arts and Entertainment: The Banjo Summit

Most people think of the banjo as a "simpler" guitar. There is a tendency of society to associate the banjo with the folk arts - the arts of the common people -- which are generally thought to not be worthy of recognition. It also doesn't help that one of the most notable banjo players is Brer Rabbit, a prankster who is constantly on the outskirts of society. In analyzing the banjo as an instrument, names such as Earl Scruggs and Béla Fleck, who are surely recognized as musicians, are not immediately linked to the banjo.

Society as a whole is very limited on banjo knowledge, but the audience present for "The Banjo Summit" at Eisenhower Auditorium on April 8, 2006 was informed for the most part. The musicians on stage took this into consideration during their performance, speaking to what could be considered "peers" and explaining minor facts of the banjo, such as the difference in plucking between four and five-string banjos. The knowing audience responded extremely positively to those songs which required great skill, whereas an untried banjo player may not have appreciated the quality of fret and plucking work needed to adequately perform.

To the common audience, however, it was a surprise to even see the multitude of banjos present at the summit - banjos with four regular strings and one short string to be higher, banjos with rounded bases, banjos with no frets, there are even different heads that can be put on a banjo, all of which affect the sound. If entering the building with the basic assumption that the banjo is, in fact, an earlier version of the guitar, the performance has all the ability to be overwhelming. With a simple browse through the program, one could gain extensive knowledge on the history of the instrument. The introduction to the styles of the players created an audience buzzing with excitement over how these musicians could possibly play on one stage.

It is very rare to see more than two of any one instrument on stage at any one time; the only other notable time that such a number and variant of one instrument are together is in a symphony. The difference between a symphonic performance and "The Banjo Summit" is the range in musical execution style. The evening's performance was divided into two sets, the first of which centered around solo performances, and the second of which brought the group together "into small discussion groups," (if it is possible to get smaller than a solo).

The expectation for a frenzy of campfire sing-alongs was strong in the minds of those newly introduced to the banjo, and the musicians used this to create a sort of comic effect with the audience. For instance, in the midst of one of his solo performances, Fleck incorporated a familiar tune in combination with one not so familiar. The effect of this was an appreciative nod and chuckle from those fellow banjoists in the audience, whereas those experiencing the banjo for the first time were content with finally recognizing something that was being played.

It was interesting to hear all of the musicians play by themselves (and compete in their own ways) and then play together and mold so well into a whole new form. It was quoted on stage that some people think one banjo is too much, and any more is just going overboard. Surprisingly however, this was not the case. Those who attended this performance know that the banjo has achieved status well beyond that of the "lowly folk arts." One ear placed upon the door to Eisenhower on April 8 opened up a world of melody well beyond anything that could have been expected.