BBU Artist Seminars

Free parking on site. See www.cambridgemusic.org for directions and listing of other New School programs. A limited number of financial need based scholarships are available courtesy of Tom Mirisola and the American Made Banjo Company (www.americanmadebanjo.com).

This will be a "hands-on, bring your banjo and be ready to play" kind of workshop that's open to all players but ideally designed for musicians with one or more years of banjo playing experience. After a brief discussion of right and left hand mechanics and a quick review of roll patterns, Bill will move on to present Earl's favorite licks and techniques up and down the neck that you can use in both lead playing and in backup. You'll learn many of the things you've heard on recordings but perhaps had a difficult time figuring out for yourself.

From there, Bill will move on to a systematic presentation that unlocks the secrets of working up effective and great sounding Scruggs-style solos to songs. You'll learn how to find melody notes on the banjo in different keys and how to include the melody in a roll-based break. You'll then learn how to integrate licks into your solo and how to get in and out of a solo in a band or jam session.

Tab examples will be presented for everything that will be covered in the session but it's not necessary to read tab well to get a lot out of this workshop. Audio and/or video recording is encouraged.

Who is Bill Evans?

The author of Banjo For Dummies, Bill is one of the best bluegrass banjo teachers and workshop leaders in the world. Bill has performed with David Grisman, Tony Trischka, Alan Munde, Peter Rowan, Dry Branch Fire Squad, Laurie Lewis, Jody Stecher and many other performers in a career that now spans over three decades.

Bill has taught at virtually every banjo camp in the world and hosts his own annual camp with Sonny Osborne, the NashCamp Banjo Retreat, held outside of Nashville each fall. He has authored the popular "Off the Record" column for Banjo Newsletter for many years. He also hosts three popular AcuTab Power Pickin' instructional DVDs and is the co-author of Parking Lot PIckers Songbook: Banjo Edition for Mel Bay Publications. He has taught hundreds of students from all over the world, including Chris Pandolfi (The Infamous Stringdusters), Greg Liszt (Bruce Springsteen, Crooked Still), Jayme Stone and Wes Corbett.

Bill has two critically acclaimed CDs to his credit, Native and Fine (Rounder) featuring David Grier, Mike Compton and Stuart Duncan and Bill Evans Plays Banjo (Native and Fine) featuring Rob Ickes, John Reischman and Darol Anger. He currently tours internationally with six-time National champion fiddler Megan Lynch. This duo will be releasing their debut CD Let's Do Something, produced by Steve Mougin of the Sam Bush Band, in October 2008.

To learn more about Bill Evans visit his homepage at http://www.nativeandfine.com. To learn more about Bill Evans and Megan Lynch and to hear selections from their new CD, visit their MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/billevansandmeganlynch. To email Bill with questions about the workshop, write to bevans@nativeandfine.com.