Journals Week 3—October 21, 2002

Facing Reality By Paul Sedgwick When I first learned about the history of the banjo, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I was surprised and a bit shocked. I had always thought of the banjo as a “purely American” folk instrument. The truth caused me to step back and examine my feelings. Did I want my identity as a banjo player to be so closely linked to the institution of slavery? My journey into the history of the banjo was fueled by a desire to answer that question. I bought copies of old minstrel banjo instruction books; listened to recordings of modern players playing banjo music of different periods; I started making gourd banjos; I accumulated period clothing. I discovered that, at each step of the way, there was an overriding drive on the part of banjo players (from the first African banjo players, to the minstrel musicians, to the classic banjo players, to the contemporary players of today) to constantly move the banjo forward without looking back! This “not looking back” is why most people (even banjo players!) are unaware of the entire history of the banjo. The focus of players has always been, above all else, on the MUSIC. I believe this is what makes the banjo so irresistible—that drive for self-expression that comes across in the music. Rarely do we see such a passionate regard by musicians for their instrument. There’s just something about the banjo…. The Banjo Lesson By Paul Sedgwick Make sure you read the banjo history essay, and then take a good look at the two paintings below. There are some remarkable and truly wonderful ideas being illustrated here. The first remarkable thing is the fact that both paintings were painted in the same year, in 1893. The second remarkable thing is that both paintings bear the same title: “The Banjo Lesson”. Interestingly, they were painted by two different people independently of each other. Where the famous American impressionist, Mary Cassatt painted the painting on the left, African-American artist Henry Tanner painted the one on the right.

Mary Cassatt is probably a more well-known artist than Henry Tanner, but this particular painting of Tanner’s is probably more well-known than any paintings by Cassatt. Why do you suppose that is? Well, here are a few thoughts: Whenever I show Tanner’s painting to parents at my school, many African-American parents immediately recognize the image. Tanner’s painting has become a symbol of positive African-American family values. Indeed, when Tanner—the son of a Methodist minister—created the painting, he was actively attempting to promote the idea of African-American families in the minds of popular viewers. He was working against the negative, stereotyped image of African-Americans that had become so popular as a result of the American minstrel show. And, yet, Mary Cassatt’s banjo players are putting just as much love, dedication and focus into their endeavor (a banjo lesson) as Tanner’s. Study the faces in those paintings. By the turn of the century, Caucasian society—from the poorest class right up to Mary Cassatt’s privileged class—had embraced the banjo completely as “American.” I see the banjo as a symbol of reconciliation and hope. The banjo blends so completely African and European cultures and sensibilities (the drum for a body; the thumb string; the off-center syncopations; music of the British Isles; Western music theory). If, out of the horror of slavery, any good could have come, then the banjo must be high on the list. Here is one of the lessons I have learned from studying banjo history: The banjo reminds us of our national heritage, both its difficult truths and its ability to continue to rise above itself. This is a different kind of banjo lesson from the one being practiced below, I suppose. Can you think of any other lessons that you may have learned about the banjo? Can you write down some of your ideas in a paragraph or two?