Banjo Heaven

It's no secret that I love the banjo, although I'm sure some of you wish I kept it a secret.  But I can't.  My heart warms whenever I hear that distinct plucking sound in bluegrass, old timey jazz or ragtime, or in unexpected places.  The only reason I like Mumford and Sons is because they've restored banjo to the mainstream consciousness. The first piece I ever composed was for banjo, dulcimer, and piano (don't ask - it was an assignment for my undergrad, and the result was not so great).

So imagine the magnitude of my delight when I discovered that Oklahoma City was home to the American Banjo Museum.

America.
Banjos.
Museums.

That's THREE of my favorite things all in one location!  A location I visit once a year to see my family anyway!

My dad, being the good sport he is, added a visit to the museum to the itinerary for this year's visit.  And so we went.

See more after the jump...

The museum begins with a brief but comprehensive history of the banjo, a uniquely American instrument.  I love that sort of junk.  It also included a history of famous banjo players.  The bulk of the museum was the display of countless banjos, from the earliest days to modern instruments.

Creepy wax statues demonstrating the origin of the banjo.  They started talking as you got closer.

I don't remember what came after the "but..."

Call me what you want, but I have all of Steve Martin's bluegrass albums.  And they are rad.

 Nothing says "romance" like a banjo.

When you type the word "banjo" enough times, it ceases to hold any meaning.

And their bad spelling.

Gibson and banjos. Who knew?

 Dad and his dream banjo master outfit.

Beaded banjo glamour.

 My guess is that these guys lost a bet.

We were in the museum, which is not large, for about 35 minutes.  But I feel like we got our money's worth.

Consequently, I wanted to purchase a banjo for myself when I was still living at home, but I was told that I would have to move out if I did (I think mom was kidding, but I wasn't taking any chances).  But now maybe I'll get that banjo for myself now that I'm a grownup!

Like this one! With Hansel and Gretel on it!

Or I'll just stick with opera.  Or the mandolin I got instead of the forbidden banjo, which I never learned to play. A girl can dream though, right?