December 1 - New banjo tab book Now Available!

Tabs for every banjo break and several examples of backup as played by Tom on Audie Blaylock's debut album Trains Are The Only Way To Fly is available now from AdamsCountyBanjo.com.

October 22 - Seneca Rocks

The rumor mill that generates the emails I receive must be working three shifts 'round the clock these days. To set the story straight, I have left the band Seneca Rocks permanently. The other four original members of Seneca Rocks are not waiting for me to return to the band. Anything that you hear or read to the contrary is not correct and the person or persons who are telling you otherwise are misinformed. Really.

October 2 - It's time for a break

My August 31 post created a great deal of confusion about my present and future activity with the banjo.

I'm taking a break from struggling to play the banjo in public. I am no longer able to anchor either my ring or little fingers on the head of the banjo to provide stability for my right hand even when attempting to play with just the thumb and index fingers in a 2-finger style.

Lack of a stable right hand position makes it impossible to play more than a few notes at a time without making a mistake, and the problem is compounded by attempting to play the banjo standing up, as in a live performance before an audience.

Even when playing sitting down, it took six and a half hours to record just the banjo tracks on Sunday, September 30th for House Carpenter (37 seconds) and Waves On The Sea (68 seconds) for the Banjo Newsletter website (October 2007 homepage). Adding the other instruments (guitar, bass, etc.) and then mixing the tracks using Pro Tools software took considerably less time than playing the banjo parts.

I am overwhelmed by the response I've received by your letters and emails. Thank you all very much. I would love to get out the banjo and play it in public again but realistically, I don't know when that day will come.

I enjoy playing rhythm guitar, so for the near future I'll be getting together from time to time playing rhythm guitar with friends.

I'll be recording two more banjo mp3s for Banjo Newsletter for their November and December issues.

Living paycheck to paycheck and providing for my family's needs precludes my full-time pursuit of an effective treatment for the focal dystonia as some correspondents have suggested.

But to conclude on a lighter note, all philanthropists' offers of assistance will be immediately and seriously considered.