to go out , once again , lucky for me she said yes ! We have been together ever since . We were married in 2012 and now have two beautiful children . Matthew is a wonderfully kind and smart 4-year-old , and Hannah is a loving 2-year-old little firecracker . I thank God every day for my beautiful family .
Over the years Kristin and I started doing more and more music together . I really didn ' t think the banjo and flute could work together , so I usually played six-string or tenor guitar , but one night I grabbed the banjo instead and to my surprise it actually sounded really good ! Starting with the concept of taking old rags , waltzes and traditional songs and freshening them up a bit , we made an album together called New Again which we ’ re both extremely proud of .
Several years ago a local music store called Hearts ’ Home Acoustics asked me to do a concert , after which I was approached about teaching and helping with instrument repairs . I have always enjoyed working on instruments and knew that one day I ’ d probably put on the ‘ teacher ’ s hat ,’ so this was a perfect time and opportunity . Through the years I ’ ve helped people whenever possible , but a busy touring schedule prevented me from doing any regular teaching . All that changed when I joined Hearts ’ Home . I now have over 20 regular students learning banjo , guitar , bass , mandolin and ukulele and hope to grow my four-string banjo teaching even more , as that ' s where my true passion is . But , ultimately I am passionate about music in general , so I enjoy teaching any instrument and level .
Just as my life and career have changed unexpectedly in the past , the COVID crisis has really had an effect on the activity and income of musicians , entertainers and artists all over the world . While my gigs are starting to come back , I ’ m following the lead of many others and offering performances , workshops and private lessons in a virtual manner via the internet . I ' m definitely glad I invested in some good A / V gear over the years which has made that transition much more seamless . We have all had to make a big change in the music business , but honestly , as a jazz musician I ' m used to going where the wind takes me , and of course it doesn ' t hurt that I ' m used to improvising !
As I came along at the end of the four-string banjo revival that had been stoked by Shakey ’ s and the banjo nightclubs of the 60s and 70s , I can ’ t help but think I missed certain things that I really would have enjoyed . I own every single FIGA / ALL FRETS magazine with the exception of the very first one and gone through them all multiple times to develop a special , albeit , distant connection to all the banjo players of the past . Still , I would have loved to have been around in person during the ‘ golden era ’ of jazz banjo festivals and players . Getting to meet and hang with Harry Reser , Eddie Peabody , Perry Bechtel , and all the rest would have been amazing !
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