Upcoming events
Beginner Banjo Workshop #2
Are you interested in playing the banjo? Did you know that the instrument was created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America?
Join renowned educator, multi-instrumentalist, ethnomusicologist, and advocate for Black string band music, Joe Z. Johnson, for a fun, informative, and beginner-friendly banjo workshop. Discover the fascinating African and African American roots of the banjo, an instrument created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America.
Workshop Objectives:
1. Explore the African and African-American origins of the banjo and its role in shaping old-time music.
2. Gain hands-on experience playing the banjo, mastering the fundamentals of the instrument under the guidance of experienced teaching artist mentors like Joe Z. Johnson.
3. Learn to play your first banjo tune, developing a strong foundation for further musical growth and exploration.
Black Banjo and Fiddle Fellowship (BBFF) Goals:
By participating in this workshop, you will contribute to the larger objectives of the BBFF program which include:
Deepening your knowledge of African American banjo and fiddle playing in the evolution of old-time music
Developing a critical understanding of the historical context of Black banjo and fiddle origins and their contributions to the genre.
Cultivating cultural sensitivity and appreciation for the African roots of these instruments.
Fostering a supportive community of learners and musicians passionate about preserving and promoting this vital aspect of American musical heritage.
Workshop details:
Classes will be held on Zoom. The link will be provided upon receipt of registration fee and tuition.
Registration Fee can be added to your cart by clicking here.
Join the Black Banjo and Fiddle Fellowship Beginning Banjo Workshop and become a part of a vibrant musical tradition that continues to inspire and enrich the lives of musicians and listeners alike.
The Roots and Rootedness of Black Geographies: Black Music and Regional Expressive Culture
The three papers in this panel focus largely on Black music and its rootedness in specific geographic locations. Two of the papers are site-specific, with one looking at the roots of a blues woman in North Carolina and the other at the blues and other cultural traditions of the Delta and Hill Country of Mississippi. The third paper looks at the broader geographic boundaries of country music and who has claims to that music, as evidenced in Beyoncé’s new album, Cowboy Carter.
Beginner Banjo Workshop #3
Are you interested in playing the banjo? Did you know that the instrument was created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America?
Join renowned educator, multi-instrumentalist, ethnomusicologist, and advocate for Black string band music, Joe Z. Johnson, for a fun, informative, and beginner-friendly banjo workshop. Discover the fascinating African and African American roots of the banjo, an instrument created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America.
Beginner Banjo Workshop #4
Are you interested in playing the banjo? Did you know that the instrument was created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America?
Join renowned educator, multi-instrumentalist, ethnomusicologist, and advocate for Black string band music, Joe Z. Johnson, for a fun, informative, and beginner-friendly banjo workshop. Discover the fascinating African and African American roots of the banjo, an instrument created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America.
Beginner Banjo Workshop #5
Are you interested in playing the banjo? Did you know that the instrument was created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America?
Join renowned educator, multi-instrumentalist, ethnomusicologist, and advocate for Black string band music, Joe Z. Johnson, for a fun, informative, and beginner-friendly banjo workshop. Discover the fascinating African and African American roots of the banjo, an instrument created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America.
Beginner Banjo Workshop #6
Are you interested in playing the banjo? Did you know that the instrument was created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America?
Join renowned educator, multi-instrumentalist, ethnomusicologist, and advocate for Black string band music, Joe Z. Johnson, for a fun, informative, and beginner-friendly banjo workshop. Discover the fascinating African and African American roots of the banjo, an instrument created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America.
Beginner Banjo Workshop
Are you interested in playing the banjo? Did you know that the instrument was created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America?
Join renowned educator, multi-instrumentalist, ethnomusicologist, and advocate for Black string band music, Joe Z. Johnson, for a fun, informative, and beginner-friendly banjo workshop. Discover the fascinating African and African American roots of the banjo, an instrument created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America.
The Banjo Gathering
The Gathering consists of three full days of presentations, exhibitions, and a banjo marketplace for studying, buying, selling, and trading historical and vintage banjos, parts, and related items. We also have banjos from some of the world’s finest instrument makers available to view and buy/trade.
Folk Alliance Region Midwest: "Old-Time Music: Present-Future-Past"
Presenters: Dom Flemons, Rina Rossi, Micah Ling, Ruby John, Joe Johnson
Old-time music is a complex genre within the folk music sphere, existing at the crossing of tradition, innovation, community, and cultural …
Black Stringband Symposium: Alive in the Archives
Held at the IBMA World of BluegrassⓇ Business Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina on Thursday, September 26, and Friday, September 27, 2024 and online virtually, this two-day symposium will celebrate the Black stringband traditions of the Piedmont region and beyond in recognition of the last World of Bluegrass taking place in Raleigh, North Carolina. All of the…
Berkeley Old Time Music Convention
A collaboration between the Oakland Public Conservatory of Music and the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention, the BBFF project aims to repatriate old-time music in African American communities and illuminate the Black experience in creating old-time music.
Beginner Banjo Workshop
Join renowned educator, multi-instrumentalist, ethnomusicologist, and advocate for Black string band music, Joe Z. Johnson, for a fun, informative, and beginner-friendly banjo workshop. Discover the fascinating African and African American roots of the banjo, an instrument created by enslaved Africans and their descendants in the Caribbean and colonial North America.
Africanisms in American Country Music
Country music and its adjacent genres of old-time and bluegrass have entered a renaissance of Black artistry. Beyonce’s release of her country album has brought a brighter spotlight to Black roots of the genre. This presentation looks at the roots and routes that constitute a broad arena of musical sensibilities called ‘American Roots Music'. It is crucial to recognize that this renaissance is not a modern phenomenon, but the result of over 150 years of white cannibalization of African American music. The constellations of musical styles that are evoked by ‘American Roots’ can be traced by….