The Internet Banjo Orchestra -- the problems of tomorrow, today!

[Mike Moss]

Well, following Sylvia's suggestions on the matter of recording an insane amount of tracks and combining them all into a "digital band" of sorts, I let my mind venture into the dark realms of the banjo orchestras of old -- their dreadful din scaring the wildlife off for miles, causing young ladies to faint and what not -- and the relative peace and quiet the civilized world has enjoyed ever since they were eradicated (I blame the guitarists). It seemed that the Western World was saved, and the banjo bands had been banished into the BANJOABYSS.

 

No longer! With a modicum of technology and a healthy dose of insanity, it has now become quite easy for us banjoists to haunt the world once more with our organized, collective plinkety plunk. Today, Youtube -- tomorrow, the world!

 

I therefore announce that the Internet Banjo Band is recruiting, here on Classic-Banjo.Ning, where the Grand Sanhedrin of Banjoists meets. Our modus operandi is devious but simple: we record each and every part in the privacy of our own home/grotto/evil lair, and upload them via Megaupload so that they may be joined into a video of epic proportions. If we are lacking one of the instruments -- such as the indispensable Sousaphone, or a contrabass banjo -- we can easily synthesize it via MIDI. There are literally NO constraints! Once the video is ready, it will be uploaded to Youtube, from whence it will stalk the land.

 

As our first challenge, I propose Grimshaw's arrangement of Waldteufel's "The Skaters' Waltz". Everyone knows it, it's bound to be an instant success even among non-banjoists, and all the parts are actually quite easy to play.

 

There are the following vacancies:

 

First Banjo

 

Second Banjo

 

Guitar

 

Piano

 

I, for one, can play either banjo or guitar, and make a MIDI of the piano part if there aren't any pianists available. Will anyone pick up the gauntlet and, in doing so, write BANJOHISTORY?

[Hal Allert]

It sounds ambitious, Mike. But I don't have a video recorder. I think you should establish a metronome beat for everyone to follow or it will sound like an orchestra tuning up.

[Mike Moss]

Thanks Hal, I forgot to mention it. The tempo would be 152 bpm, as specified by Grimshaw. We could try something slower, though, if we're having trouble keeping up with the pace.