Day 35 (Round II) "In the trenches" (short-week edition)

Short-week, short posts this week as a result. Heading on up out of here in around 48 hours for a 3-leg/dog-leg trip to two different conferences. Anymore, it's more efficient (though also more wearing) for me to try to double-up or otherwise maximize what happens on the trips out of town.

In light of that time-jam, here's a short cut 'n' paste from a response to a new student who asked about my own musical and instrumental background:

Grew up as a rock/blues (acoustic & electric) player. Did a master's degree in jazz guitar with David Baker and a lot of years playing bebop. During graduate school developed secondary specializations in early music (lute, saz, oud, gittern, hand drums) and in South/West African (amadinda and akadinda xylophones, balafon, kamelengoni), North African (oud, dumbek), and Afro-Cuban (tres) musics. Been playing Irish traditional music (tenor banjo, bouzouki, open-tuned guitar, bodhran) since around 1974. In the last two years have picked up Appalachian old-time music (clawhammer banjo). Currently mostly play bouzouki & tenor guitar (Irish music), National steel guitar, clawhammer banjo, and mandolin (pre-WWII blues).

Below the jump: seasons changing on the South Plains: