nice to see both Wayne Fairchild and Jim Lyon making the trip to share their instruments and expertise with our members. A big thank you goes to Alice and Ray Jaworski who – as they have in most recent years – took on the not so small job of coordinating the vendor space in a manner that works for everyone( particularly Alice!)
To most distant visitors, a trip to or near Buffalo would not be complete without a visit to Niagara Falls. While many had visited the behemoth natural wonder in the past, the allure of the sight and sound of this spectacle brings people back again and again … our group was no exception. On Thursday morning over eighty people boarded buses heading for Niagara Falls State Park where, upon arrival, the FLASHMOB performed for delighted onlookers at the Top of the Falls restaurant. From there, tour participants were free to explore the park via the nearby trolley, take in the majestic scenery from many strategically placed overlooks or partake in the tour highlight of a cruise on the legendary Maid of the Mist. Since 1846 a continuous troupe of boats christened Maid of the Mist has ferried adventurous tourists from the Niagara River to the base of the Horseshoe Falls with the single constant being that every passenger in the past 172 years has gotten joyfully soaked. Although wet weather gear is provided, it provides minimal protection against the invasive nature of the swirling mist created near the base of the falls. As such, it was a good natured( albeit damp) group of ALL FRETS members who boarded the buses to return to the hotel after a memorable visit to this unique attraction.
For many, nature’ s wonders can’ t compete with the one of a kind musical experiences which make up an ALL FRETS convention. To make certain that there was something to fulfill such passions, four of the convention’ s workshops took place on Thursday as well. It must be pointed out that all of our convention workshop presenters are volunteers who attend the convention at their own expense to share collective lifetimes of knowledge and expertise with our members. ALL FRETS is fortunate to have such a wealth of volunteer clinicians within our ranks( a fact which allows us to keep our convention registration costs to a minimum – particularly in comparison to similar festivals in the ukulele, guitar and bluegrass world). Although there was apprehension regarding workshop attendance with such a well attended tour taking place at the same time, Peter Mirando( five-string banjo), Johnny Baier( tenor banjo), Kurt Abell( plectrum banjo), and Eddy Davis( music theory) all enjoyed close to capacity audiences during their sessions. Without competition from Niagara Falls, gathering crowds for subsequent workshops was a less challenging task with copious thanks going to Mike Currao, John Bernunzio, Rob Wright, Debbie Schreyer, Cindee Burkitt, Tyler Jackson, Mel Collie, Stephen Penny, Stephen DiBonaventura, and Dr. Jeff Grosser for their contributions to this very important addition to our convention.
Thursday evening witnessed the first of three convention concerts. ALL FRETS concert events are very special in that any member of any musical level of expertise is encouraged to perform( and equally welcomed by the audience). As a result it is not uncommon to find an aspiring enthusiast performing before, after or sometimes with, a seasoned professional. Every manner of performance ensemble – from soloist to large band – were seen at this year’ s convention with a wide variety of fretted instrument being brought into the mix. With Glenn Parks keeping things moving as the emcee, the concert began with our hosts, the Buffalo Banjo Band energizing the audience with their spirited and well performed program. What followed was a delicious mix of musical styles and instruments from Glenn Dudley, Rob Wright, the Mound City Three, Johnny Baier, Andrew Otto, Mike Currao & Cindee Burkitt, John Wolfe, Mel Collie, and the Buffalo Ragtimers. While there are many highlights in such a show, it was particularly nice to see the progress Joe Feager has made with the Mound City Three( a spinoff group from the STL Bandjos group). It was also nice to get a chance to see the versatility of Keith Konopa as he performed with several different Buffalo area groups throughout the weekend. The audience also enjoyed the performance of John“ Big Bad” Wolfe, a newcomer to ALL FRETS.
12 ALL FRETS JULY / AUGUST 2018