I've lied to both. I call it Americana and hope they won't notice.

Great question! I am so new to this music that I did not know I was suppose to keep it low key. I have since received a few raised eyebrows after announcing, “I love bluegrass jams!” As though I have been caught with my hand in the cookie jar.

Never lied. Most people can get into the energy of it, regardless of their musical preferences.
Do you know what they call a beatiful girl on the arm of a banjo player? (a tattoo) This was told to me by a hammer dulcimer player.

Me being a child of the late 60's and early 70's I cut my teeth on folk music by sneaking my oldest brothers Kingston Trio, PPM etc. records. I started out in folk. I moved on to Soul and then rock. Now I'm in my 50'S and todays music does nothing for me. I discovered bluegrass (newgrass?) and have gone crazy for it. Make no mistake about it; I LOVE BLUEGRASS. PERIOD. And I'm not hesitant to admit it.

You know how to tell you have the right pitch with your banjo?...

When it hits the dumpster and lands on a mandolin!

Just kidding!!!! :-)
This is a joke I heard from a fiddle player, so take it with a grain of salt.

I know one thing - gerbils don't lie! I once knew a gal who once parked her stereo speakers close to its cage and subjected it to samples of various genres of music; no response - UNTIL she put on some bluegrass. The thing's jukin' from side to side...

You kiddin'? I dragged him to a few contra dances at Glen Echo an he loved them. And, when I heard him play his banjo, I knew we were meant to be together! Six years together, and coming up on our second wedding anniversary!

I know a banjo player who's out standing in his field. At least, that's where we left him! :-}

Interesting question...and it's funny because (now, don't take this the wrong way...) I've actually tried to avoid using the "folk" word to describe what I do and, in fact, have been more inclined to throw around words like "bluegrass", "roots," etc. in order to make the music sound cooler and more appealing. Secret society of banjo? I was under the impression that younger people, in particular, think "bluegrass" is cool...but "folk" kinda scares them.

"Folk" is associated with political music, usually left-wing. "Folk" brings to mind smoky rooms full of angry socialists wearing faded canvas shirts and black berets.

"Bluegrass" on the other hand, is associated with corn squeezin's and barefoot farm girls in cutoff shorts.

As for "Americana" - hell, who knows, we can't even tell you ourselves. But you can bring banjos, and whiskey, and politics, and corn-fed girls in cutoffs who may or may not be angry socialists.

I am an open bluegrass fan. Everyone at work, my kids, and most of my friends know that I love bluegrass. I think that years ago there was a stigma attached to bluegrass music, and the word "hillbilly" music comes to mind. Bluegrass is now part of roots music, folk, gospel and Americana. The skills of the musicians are more respected now than ever. And its popularity has spread from NY to Calif. Long Live Bluegrass.

Lie about it? No way! I've been lucky enough over the years to play lotsa types of music. Whenever you tell people you know some Bluegrass, though, they always perk up, and want to hear it. When we talk about rock and/or country, it's more often just '...oh, that's nice...'

When I was living in Decatur, IL (aka demon hell pit of the earth) one of my few pleasures was listening to the Sunday bluegrass show on the NPR station in Springfield. Growing up in Indiana, I spent a lifetime avoiding all things Country (although I secretly loved Hee Haw). Then I discovered bluegrass and now I love banjos (and accordions - but that's another story).

Bluegrass is like a filter..... a Rorschach test in which the sane see comfort. Ask a person if they like Bluegrass and you will discover the essence of their soul. There are only two right answers to the inkblot that is Bluegrass, 1) Yes, I like this and 2) What is that, tell me more. BGR

Accordions?! Don't get me started, Ann! I love 'em too!! I got sucked into a cajun/zydeco/Quebecois orbit several years ago; I set aside my guitar and a bought a couple of used button boxes and taught myself some gigues and reels by ear. Then my son was born and the instruments scared him half to death. I went back to guitar and my wife's cousin bought my boxes - he loves 'em! I'm sure you've heard Yves Lambert, formerly of La Bottine Souriante; the dude is somethin' special.
Oh! and it's Joke Time! An accordion player has just finished a wedding gig and he parks down the street from an all-night diner. He heads there for a bite but remembers, he left his accordion on the back seat. He thinks for a sec and says, "Nah, nobody'll steal it". 30 minutes later he returns, and sure 'nuff, the rear windsheild is busted out - AND THREE MORE ACCORDIONS HAVE BEEN THROWN IN!!

And a banjo!

Sorry, can't resist:

What are the first three words should you expect from a banjo player wearing a suit?

"Well, you honor..."

Naw, never hide it and wear it on my Northern Illinois Bluegrass Society hat. I used to deplore Bluegrass Music. It seemed to me the only virtuosity was to play real fast and ignore melody, lyrics and communicating the song. Then I started listening to Folk Alley... great stuff!!!

My father shived C&W down our throats in the mid to late 60's (he sold semi-trailer tractors). The only one I admitted to liking was Johnny Cash. And I pretty much ignored the genre until a couple of years ago- either my perceptions of it have changed (probable) or the twangy crap from the 60's is gone and real honest stories are conming out more often (probable again), so I actually tune to country radio now and then and am pleasantly suprised.

Damn.

I've turned eclectic.

Ironically, one of the boldest statements I've heard in support of Bluegrass came from a drummer:

"I just play a banjo without a neck."

- Larry Atamanuik (drummer for AKUS and formerly with Emmylou's Nash Ramblers)

Isn't that hilarious?

I remember driving to high school at 17 during the height of the Grunge Movement (Nirvanna, Soundgarden), blarring some hot Celtic Reel. When I got out of the car, I got many stares. They new I was weird, but that was too much for them I think. What did they know?

I am at work today, stopped by on my day off to catch up. I work on a college campus and even though it is a holiday weekend there are still lots of folks milling around. I am wearing jeans and a t shirt, which is a treat for me. And it's not just any shirt, it is my John Hartford shirt. On the front is a drawing of John with his banjo.
On the back is a quote from John that says "A banjo will get you through times of no money but money won't get you through times of no banjo" Nuff said!

If there's a lack of understanding or appreciation of the art of the banjo in America, imagine what it's like in England, where players are rarer than scab collectors.

Even my wife, who has come to love folk-based music over a quarter of a century of subjection to a programme of force feeding, assumes a distinctly pained expression when I lay aside my other instruments and break out the banjo. When I once assured her, "No bluegrass today! I'll just play a little gentle clawhammer," she replied, "You'll start that way, but give it ten minutes and the dog will be leaving the room to get away again. The banjo does not make for gentle."

She's still with me though. The banjo: A glorious thing to those who like it, a test of the steadfastness of love to those who don't.

Lied about loving Bluegrass? Heck no!..."take me, take my music." I may have told a few white lies about other things, but never that.

Oh, HECK Yeah! I like to dress up in my zip and go dress and big pink high heels and tell the hubby I'm going to Walmart to pick up Cheetos and Huggies. HOWEVER, In reality, I slip a CD into the slot of the Mazda MPV and crank that puppy up with Woodie Guthries Greatest Hits. Makes me all woozy.

I have played banjo for thirty five years, and cut my teeth on it with some players who are now featured on Folk Alley (Peter Ostroushko and Tim O'Brien come to mind). I have never lied about playing five string, but I will admit to being vague about it on occasion mainly by admitting to being "an acoustic fretted instrumentalist". But the truth is, every one seems to want to be a banjo player when they hear one being played well, until they think about how much work it would be. Younger people really do enjoy it a lot and I get a lot of enthusiastic responses from them when they hear me play. My saving grace is that I have transcended the need for other's approval and I just plain love the banjo. What do you call a banjo player without a girlfriend? Homeless. What is the definition of an optimist? A banjo player with a pager. How do you get a banjo player off your porch? Pay for the pizza....

I just started learning how to play the banjo and I love it . Mywife playes the violin and is now trying to learn bluegrass and folk music she is way ahead of me but its just one more thing that will keep us together one more thing in common. and now my son wanted and recieved a gitar for his birthday who knows whats gonna happen in the future my hopes would be to one day just sit on the porch make a good sound sing loud and have fun.

Hi All
Just popped in to say I play banjo alongside Gina who stalwartly sings above it and plays guitar at the same time. No mean feat.
We do cringe the folkies as much as we can as we are folkies ourselves.
I could say I picked up the banjo thinking it was a mandolin but, hey, I must come out of the closet and say the truth. You've not lived till you pluck a few songs in a beery ol' bar somewhere.
Of course the banjo was an English invention but was tragically wiped out by Henry the 8th alongside those rich churches and such. It only survived by being transported some years later and then found its way back here.
It is fun to see two or more banjos pitch up at a folk gathering, the looks, the consternation on the MC's face, the sizing up of the other's banjo. Ha Ha..

Best of luck
Fred