The beginner banjo class is for those who are just starting out on the banjo for the first time, or players who have a bit of experience but want to work on the foundations. We will learn a few tunes, but the goal is to feel comfortable with the bum-ditty and double thumb by the end of the session and to have a solid rhythmic feel. This will be a great foundation moving forward! We will learn by ear and do some listening too.
Instructor Bio
Allison de Groot draws on a love for old-time and traditional music, and with a creative approach to the banjo, has formed her own sound – unique and full of personality. Her collaborations with Tatiana Hargreaves, Bruce Molsky’s trio Molsky’s Mountain Drifters, The Goodbye Girls and Nic Gareiss provide spaces to explore the role and dimensions of clawhammer banjo. She has performed at events such as Newport Folk Festival, Celtic Connections, Rockygrass, Hardly Strictly, Winnipeg Folk Festival & Tønder Festival. Allison holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance from Berklee College of Music in Boston where she attended on the Slaight Family Scholarship, and has been awarded the Joseph S. Stauffer Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts and the Eisenson Family Prize for Excellence in American Roots Music. Her album with Tatiana Hargreaves won “Best Bluegrass Album” from the Independent Music Awards and was nominated for ‘Liner Notes of the Year’ at the International Bluegrass Music Association awards.