I should have a workshop up tonight if everything goes well. It’s inventory time at work so everything is at a break-neck pace and my schedule changes at the drop of the hat. I’m getting ready to leave now and I should be home late tonight and have enough time to record a workshop and get some teaching done.

I also want to thank everyone who has installed the BanjoMania.net app on their Android devices. For a small website, there are now over 100 users!!!

I don’t know why I didn’t post this video of Pat teaching June Apple before, but here it is. This was recorded at Fred Fest and it was a great time!!

Sorry for the delay folks, but this week’s workshops will be a day or two late.

I had a couple of requests this week, so that makes picking the songs much, much easier!

I’ll see you very soon!

Kelly

Sandy took Amber and I to downtown Chicago this weekend and we had a great time.

The two ladies went downtown early on Friday and I followed after work. We went on a dinner cruise and I couldn’t help but think about the last time we had done that. Fourteen years ago on our first anniversary,  I booked us on a romantic midnight cruise. The problem is that Sandy is NOT a night person. This time around it was dinner time, so things were perfect.

Saturday we walked around the downtown area, ate and then went to Cirque Shanghai Extreme.  It was a great show and I loved the aerobatics.

Sunday, we woke up, had breakfast and made our way home. Now I have to see if I can get motivated enough to work on some workshops.

See you all later,

Kelly

A couple of weeks ago, I went off to the wilds of Pennsylvania to meet up with some friends for a great time of songs, stories, food and booze. The problem is that I haven’t played my banjo since I’ve gotten back.

Fred had his banjola and I fell in love with playing it all over again. I have had a banjola for years and I love the thing, but I go long, long periods without playing it. To be honest, I’ve had one in my hands only once since Neil at Buzzard Mountain Banjos, made me my custom long neck banjo. I love that banjo and it goes with me everywhere I go in the Continental United States. There has only been a handful of days that I haven’t played it since I got it last year at the Henry Reed Memorial Fiddler’s Convention in Glen Lyn, VA.

I got my banjola when Sandy and I went to Ireland years ago. I found it in a shop in Dublin gathering dust and got a great deal on it. I couldn’t put the thing down and played it everyday. I love the tone, I love how easy it is to play, and I love the fact that I can play it as much as I want and not wake anyone up.

The only problem is that I am now neglecting my banjo!!! I am starting to feel bad and I can feel it staring at me wondering why I’m playing this old wooden thing when I can be waking the neighbors with a “real banjo”.

Damn you Fred, my banjo hates me now! 🙂

The funny thing is that Joel came over last night and brought me my guitar that he was doing some work on. I hate playing guitar so both the banjo and the banjola have nothing to worry about!!!! 🙂

See you all next time!

I’m am really happy and excited to announce that BanjoMania now has it’s own app for Android users. The BanjoMania.net app keeps you updated with posts and files at BanjoMania.net on all of your Android powered phones and tablets.

The BanjoMania.net app is a free application! There are no fees and no subscription prices to download and run the app!

You can download the app here ,  at the Android Marketplace  or in the next few days at Amazon.com.

I haven’t forgotten about the iPhone and iPad users out there. There is an app that will soon be available on iTunes for both the iPhone and iPad.

Until then you can download the app here! 

This weekend was one of the best I’ve had at home in a while. I had a little bit of free time and I took advantage of it.

Sandy and Amber ran a 10k race with Amber coming in third in her age group. I was really proud of her and wondered how well she would have done if she didn’t run the last mile barefoot.

I also started doing some string changes and set up on a banjo I am sending to a friend who needs one. I forgot how much I enjoyed working on a banjo that needs just a little something to make it sound good.

I also took some time to put together the DVDs of the Frailing Banjo Lessons that I’ve put off for a week or two. I was really happy with the end product. Sam the Man received his today and said that the video and sound quality was excellent.  That really made my day.

I’ve signed up two more students for my Online Frailing Banjo Lessons through Skype.  I think I can squeeze in a couple more, but free time is shrinking again.

I got up Sunday expecting to record some videos,  but an old friend in a red flannel shirt called me and said, “Man, you gotta go to Money In The Bank at Allstate Arena. ”  I dropped everything and took off to one of the best PPVs I’ve ever seen.  Now I’m off to Green Bay to hang with my “old friend ” again to see how it all plays out.

So Sunday was shot as far as productivity goes and Monday would now be the same. Then came a call from Sandy asking if I wanted to go away with her at the end of the week. How could I say no?

The long and short of it is that I may not get any videos up this week. That may sound like bad news, but to me it’s good news. Remember to love life and always have time for friends.  I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have friends. I couldn’t sit in my own world with nothing but myself and my wife without going completely crazy.

Keep your friends close and enjoy yourself.  If it means you have to delay plans, just do it. Life is short, be kind to others and have some fun.  The internet will always be there.

What am I gonna do? I’m gonna go see CM Punk and then go away with my wife.

Have fun!!!