Recent Media Additions

“Hard Times” and “Camptown Hornpipe” performed by Rhiannon Giddens

“Hard Times” and “Camptown Hornpipe” from the Briggs Banjo Instructor (1855), performed on the banjo by Rhiannon Giddens. Filmed in the André Mertens Galleries for Musical Instruments of The Metropolitan Museum of Art on November 15, 2018.

#musicalinstruments #art #themet  #themetropolitanmuseumofart #museum #banjo #live #liveperformance #RhiannonGiddens

Production support was provided by The Augustine Foundation.

Contestant Plays "Bones" on Amateur Hour

From 1953, Akron, Ohio resident George Gilmore plays the bones on the weekly TV show Amateur Hour. For those who don't know what's meant by "bones," the word is used to describe the pieces of wood or, yes, sometimes actual bones which are played in a manner that makes them sound somewhat reminiscent of castanets. When played during live performances it's surprising how loud the bones can be; their distinct sound is very much present even when played alongside amplified instruments.

Introduction to Early Banjo History with Clifton Hicks

Introduction to Early Banjo History: a survey of the gourd banjo in colonial America
by Clifton Hicks

Sources:
BANJO ROOTS AND BRANCHES
ed. Robert Winans (2018)

AMERICA'S INSTRUMENT: THE BANJO IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY
Philip Gura and James Bollman (1999)

SINFUL TUNES AND SPIRITUALS: BLACK FOLK MUSIC TO THE CIVIL WAR
Dena Epstein (1977)

BanjoHeritage.com
https://banjoheritage.com