On Monday, Jan. 6, which would have been the 96th birthday of the most consequential banjo player of all-time — Shelby, N.C., native Earl Scruggs, who died in 2012 — the Spartanburg Philharmonic announced a month-long series of educational and music-inspired activities designed to highlight the rich cultural history and versatility of the banjo.
Throughout January and into February, the Philharmonic will partner with three internationally renowned banjo players — Béla Fleck, Abigail Washburn and Kristin Scott Benson — to present a multi-week series of teaching residencies, film screenings and educational outreach programs under the banner of “Discovering the Banjo.”
The virtuosic Fleck and Washburn are each Grammy Award winners, and Benson is a four-time International Bluegrass Music Association Banjo Player of the Year, 2018 recipient of the prestigious Steve Martin Prize for Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass and a member of acclaimed bluegrass group The Grascals.
As a grand finale to the month-long celebration, the Philharmonic will present two nights of performances featuring banjo: a concert by Fleck and Washburn as part of the Bluegrass Spartanburg series on Friday, Jan. 31 at the Chapman Cultural Center, and a guest soloist appearance by Fleck as part of the Philharmonic’s “Americana Masters” orchestral concert on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Twichell Auditorium in the Zimmerli Performance Center at Converse College. Fleck will join the Philharmonic in performing his Juno Concerto for banjo and orchestra to close the latter concert.
Through a partnership with the Cleveland Academy of Leadership, “Discovering the Banjo” will also introduce many Spartanburg students to the instrument and its rich cultural history. Beginning Jan. 27, Benson will serve as artist-in-residence for a week-long residency at Cleveland Academy and, in collaboration with the academy’s teachers, will focus on developing students’ creative capacities, including imagination, critical thinking and persistence. To finish the week, students will convene in their auditorium for a banjo performance.
The project will also partner with the Tryon Fine Arts Center and its PacJAM program, which provides an opportunity for area youth to experience community through the joy of participating in traditional music. PacJAM students and teachers are part of a multi-state regional effort to preserve the music of the Appalachian cultural heritage through music education. The “Discovering the Banjo” project invited PacJAM students to join an essay contest and to attend a mini-masterclass with Benson.
For the essay contest, students watched “Throw Down Your Heart,” a feature-length documentary that details Fleck’s journey through Africa to trace the banjo’s origins. Intended to help American audiences understand that even though mainstream media portrays the banjo as an instrument that “rednecks” or “hillbillies” use, it actually has a rich history in the music of many different cultures, including the Caribbean and Africa, where the instrument originated. PacJam’s students were then asked to write a short essay describing how the film changed their impression of the banjo. The contest winner will be announced in the spring issue of the Philharmonic’s program magazine HearHere and will be recognized from the stage during one of the final “Discovering the Banjo” performances.
The Spartanburg Philharmonic will also partner with the Spartanburg County Public Library and the Carolina Music Museum in Greenville County to present free public screenings of Fleck’s film, “Throw Down Your Heart.” Both screenings will be moderated by local scholars and might include banjo demonstrations by local musicians. The Spartanburg screening is on Jan. 23 at the Headquarters Library, and the Greenville screening is on Jan. 29 at the Hughes Main Library.
The Bluegrass Spartanburg concert is currently sold out; however, patrons can contact the Philharmonic to be added to a waiting list. Tickets to “Americana Masters” are going fast with prices starting at $25. Tickets can be purchased online at SpartanburgPhilharmonic.org, by phone at 864-542-2787 or in person at the Twichell Box Office, located outside Wilson Hall at Converse College. Teachers and youth under 22 years old will receive 50 percent off the price of a single ticket off for all Classics series concerts.