On the 8th of October I wrote a letter to the editor to the local paper in response to a letter which has expressed some doubt about the efficacy of public transportation safety training for children:

Ich teile Donatus Thaers Skepsis, was ein Sicherheitstrainingfür Bus und Bahn angeht. Gut, dass es diesen Crashkurs als Anfang gibt. Dem Staat wird es aber nicht gelingen, den Kindern ordentliches Verhalten, höfliches Benehmen und Geduld beizubringen. Da sind wir alle gefragt. Die Medien machen uns Angst, aber ich behaupte ganz frech: Man kann ja eingreifen und mit einigen höflichen Worten und Gesten etwas machen, ohne gleich von einem Jugendlichen abgestochen zu werden.

Die Frage ist, ob wir Erwachsene heutzutage dazu in der Lage sind. Das sind ja schließlich die gleichen Erwachsenen, die in der Bäckerei oder Metzgerei demonstrativ keine übersichtliche Schlange bilden. Es sind die Gleichen, die im Supermarkt aneinander vorbei stürmen, wenn eine zweite Kasse aufgemacht wird anstatt geduldig und ethisch-logisch den weiter vorne Stehenden die erste Wahl der Kasse zu lassen.

Es sind auch nach meiner Bahn-Erfahrung Erwachsene, die direkt vor der Tür stehen, wenn ich mit einem schweren Koffer aussteigen will. Dabei gucken sie mich genervt an, als würde ich im Wege stehen. Ich muss zugeben, dass dort auch meine Hemmschwelle liegt. Ich sage auch nichts, wenn die Herde die Kasse stürmt. Dabei kriegen die Kinder alles mit und machen uns nach.

Yesterday's paper has now reported that a 28-year-old man who tried to stop some men who were insulting customers in a supermarket was beaten up by the men he approached: http://www.tagblatt.de/Home/nachrichten/nachrichten-newsticker_artikel,-Supermarkt-Poebler-greifen-Mann-an-_arid,82330.html.

I don't know who the victim was, but I would like to offer him my thanks for speaking up.

Earlier this month I visited a local schoolroom full of third graders and showed them my two banjos. I played some music, explained a little bit about how a banjo makes the sounds it makes and how it is different from a guitar, and answered questions.

If you would like me to come to your classroom for a 15-45 presentation on the banjo, get in touch with me.

Im Oktober besuchte ich eine dritte Klasse und zeigte den Kindern meine zwei Banjos. Ich spielte einige Lieder, beantwortete Fragen und erläuterte, wie ein Banjo Musik erzeugt und, wie ein Banjo sich von einer Gitarre unterscheidet.

Wenn Sie wollen, kann ich auch zu Ihnen in die Klasse kommen und je nach Bedarf 15 bis 45 Minuten meine Instrumente präsentieren.

Am 14. Oktober ging es im Dialog um religiöse Konversionen. 15 Teilnehmer/innen (zwei Amerikaner, vier Araber) waren anwesend.

Es begann mit einer 25-minutigen Präsentation von YouTube-videos zum Thema Konversion: Reportagen darüber, wie Deutsche zum Islam Konvertieren, einige Aufnahmen von Übertritten zum Islam und Selbstzeugnisse von Konvertiten. Schliesslich zeigte ich zum Vergleich eine Sammlung von Interviewausschnitten von Mormonen, die darüber gesprochen haben, warum sie ihre (z.T. neue) Religion so gut finden. Diese Links haben wir uns angeschaut:

Reportagen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhMdTjLXoh4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-5qOvbDm0E
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEZgmEjw5R4

Konversion zum Islam:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dexV8R0nWso
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGN0dZ3VbTY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDqR_GTcQbM

Mormonen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LdPT5oVtG9E

Die darauffolgende Diskussion verlief auf zwei Ebenen - . Zum einen ging es um die konkreten Fälle. Es gab immer wieder dazwischen längere Ausführungen über das Wesen von Religion an sich und über die Charakteristika spezifischer Religionen, vor allem des Islams.

Die Teilnehmer fragten sich anhand der Beispiele: Warum konvertieren Menschen? Warum geben sie die Religion ihrer Herkunft ab und nehme eine "fremde" Religion an? Die in der Runde diskutierten Erklärungen deckten sich z.T. mit denen, die in den Reportagen und Aufnahmen angesprochen wurden, wie die Suche nach Gemeinschaft, der Abbruch des bisherigen Lebenslaufs, die Überwindung einer Lebenskrise, das friedliche Wesen des Islams usw. Es kamen aber auch andere Ideen hinzu, beispielsweise Modeerscheinungen wie vor Hundert Jahren schon mit Hinduismus und Buddhismus. Zur Frage, was wir von den Konversionen halten, gab es verschiedene Meinungen. Mindestens zwei der anwesenden Muslime äusserten sich positiv zu den 4000 Konversionen im Jahr. Andere Meinungen waren meist neutral, tolerant oder negativ. Ein Teilnehmer meinte, man sollte zuerst die eigene Religion durchforsten. Einer fand die Konversionen unheimlich - nicht weil sie zum Islam übergingen, sondern deswegen, weil sie den Eindruck machten, jetzt schon die Wahrheit gepachtet hatten.

In den Diskussionsabschnitten, in denen es um das Wesen von Religion ging, beruhten wir viele Themen: Ob Islam oder irgend eine Religion für Kriege und andere Gewalttaten verantwortlich gemacht werden kann (ob durch den Inhalt der Schrift oder durch einen abstrakten Absolutheitsanspruch), wer den für eine Religion spricht (etwa die anwesenden Gläubigen, der Klerus, die Terroristen, die in deren Namen sprichen, usw.), ob eine Neigung zur Religiösität im Menschen angeboren oder erlernt wird, wie man mit Menschen mit einer anderen Religion umgeht (wobei alle Anwesende, die sich als religiös ausgaben, für Toleranz und Akzeptanz plädierten), die Möglichkeiten und die Praxis des interreligiösen Dialogs, die sich widersprechenden Inhalte und die Gemeinsamkeiten der Religionen, die historische und ethisch/moralische Rolle der Aufklärung (beispielsweise in der Entwicklung der Menschenrechte), die Rolle der Religion für das Geschichtsverständnis, was es über den gegenwärtigen Zustand der Gesellschaft aussagt, wenn immer mehr Menschen sich (wieder) der Religion zuwenden.


Das Thema für den nächsten Dialog - am 25. November 2009 - steht noch nicht fest. Einige Ideen sind im Umlauf und eine Rednerin wird schon angefragt. Wenn die Teilnehmer/innen Ideen haben oder die Initiative ergreifen wollen, sollen sie sich melden. Wir freuen uns. Ich erinnere an dieser Stelle daran, dass wir dazu übergehen wollten, dass die Inhalte und Themen jetzt stärker von den Teilnehmern und weniger von den zwei Moderatoren abhängen!

Gestern entschied ein Gericht in Berlin, dass ein muslimischer Schüler ein Recht darauf hat, an der Schule mindestens einmal täglich zu beten:

Welt Online: In Berlin hat ein Gymnasiast erfolgreich dafür geklagt, in seiner Schule die Möglichkeit zum täglichen Gebet zu erhalten. Der 16-jährige Muslim war mit diesem Anliegen bei der Schule auf taube Ohren gestoßen. Nun entschied das Berliner Verwaltungsgericht, dass ihm eine Gebetsstätte zur Verfügung gestellt werden muss.


Dafür wird ihm ein Raum zur Verfügung gestellt, den der Schüler während einer Pause dann zum Beten aufsuchen kann. Ich schätze, dass das Urteil bald an einigen Schulen den gesamten Charakter der Schule verändern wird - und nicht zum Besseren. Das Gericht betont, dass das Urteil sich nur auf diesen Einzelfall beschränkt, aber die Signalwirkung ist eindeutig. Dort, wo Muslime schon eine Mehrheit oder eine grosse Minderheit bilden, werden sich konservative Schülergruppen bilden und in den Pausen grössere Gebetsveranstaltungen abhalten und dafür Räume einfordern.

Mein Anliegen ist jedoch ein anderes: Es ist interessant, warum der Junge vor Gericht ziehen musste. Die Schule hatte sich nämlich dagegen gesträubt und hatte sich auf das Gebot der weltanschaulichen Neutralität an staatlichen Schulen berufen. Es wurde mich interessieren, ob an dieser Schule etwa konfessionsgebundener Religionsunterricht stattfindet. Dort wird nämlich während der normalen Unterrichtszeit in staatlichen Räumen mit staatlichem Geld mit staatlich ausgebildeten Lehrkräften weltanschaulich alles andere als neutral unterrichtet. Alle, die all die Jahre einen christlich-religiösen Staat haben wollten und dies mit "Kultur" verteidigt haben oder Religionsunterricht als Mittle zur Integration gesehen haben, werden jetzt ernten, was sie gesät haben.

I recently met someone who reported having a banjo "itch." That is, he wanted to learn to play the banjo. Upon closer questioning, I discovered he didn't know anything about it. It was simply a vague notion or ambition to play it, but without any particular familiarity. It reminded me of how I got into banjo playing in 2000 and inspired me to write him the following thoughts as an e-mail and then edit and publish those thoughts here.

I ended up playing bluegrass banjo by pure chance - I went in for a banjo lesson right after I got my first banjo and the guy happened to teach bluegrass. By pure chance I had also ordered a bluegrass book. That is the most popular form, so it wasn't all that unlikely. Over the past two to four years, however, I have explored more and more "clawhammer" banjo - and that is the form I would recommend to people like I was nine years ago when I finally scratched my banjo "itch."

Banjo can be learned as an adult. I did so without any experience on any stringed instrument. I did have experience with music - sax and clarinet as a child and singing more recently. You do not need to be able to read music to play banjo, however. All the books now are in "tab," a notation system that is simpler and is thoroughly explained in any beginner book you buy.

What follows is only about the five-string banjo. If you are interested in ragtime, dixieland, tenor banjo, Irish tenor, plectrum banjo, etc. and other variants played with four strings, I know almost nothing about them. Those are, in effect, different instruments. You can make beautiful music with them, but I can't really help you. Both of the techniques I talk about below with the five-string banjo can get a nice, "banjo" sound that is recognizably, unmistakenly "banjo." Both are good for playing melody or accompaniment. Do not be intimidated by the examples of the styles posted below. Those are all very good players, almost all professionals.

Both styles have a substantial "infrastructure" behind them. That means: lots of banjos on the market, lots of players to meet, lots of books and videos of music and for instruction available. Which style you choose is up to you, of course. Consider which sound you like best, the information I provide below, and what you hear from other people you talk to.

BLUEGRASS:

Bluegrass banjo is also called "three-finger" style. More precisely, bluegrass is a style of music and "three-finger" or "Scruggs" is the technique usually used on a banjo to play that kind of music. There are subtle variations which you might hear about with different names, but for the beginner (and indeed, for me still) it is one general technique. It involves wearing picks on the thumb and first two fingers, resting the pinky and ring finger on the banjo "head" (the white circle front) and picking the strings in an almost constant "barrage" of eighth notes.
Examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrlqQ1_vZVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkuWOrVYqbQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMRlu1Q4B4E

Advantages:

• It is the most popular form and that which most people think of when they think "banjo." The "Duelling Banjos" song from the movie "Deliverance" is in bluegrass style (although it doesn't look that way - the actor is playing clawhammer, but the sound is bluegrass). The most well-known banjo player Earl Scruggs ("Beverly Hillbillies" and "Bonnie and Clyde" theme songs) played (indeed practically invented) bluegrass banjo. If you've heard of "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" - that's also Earl Scruggs, quintessential bluegrass banjo.
• It is great for playing in small groups.
• Being popular, it is probably easier to finding others who play this way for getting help and playing together.

Disadvantages:

• The learning curve is a harder climb early on. It is a generally, although not only, fast. I once met a guy leafing through the banjo books in a shop and got to talking. He told me, "I used to play bluegrass, but quit. It is too hectic for me."
• The banjos are generally a bit more expensive.
• It is less appropriate for playing alone. I like to play to myself singing - and for that, bluegrass is doable, but isn't as good as clawhammer. I know only two performers who really pull off playing three-finger style totally alone, Bela Fleck and John Hartford (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkVAK60lqzQ).

Book recommendation:
I would recommend Jack Hatfield's beginner books. That is what I learned from. They are very gradual, making the climb as easy as possible. Go here: http://www.hatfieldmusic.com/page3.html and scroll down to "Bluegrass Banjo Method." Many people start with the Scruggs book. I found it frustrating - not gradual at all - but there is a new edition out that has been revised, so perhaps that is good too. There are lots of other options. There are also many videos on YouTube to help you learn by watching and listening.

CLAWHAMMER:

Clawhammer is also called "frailing" or "old time" playing. There are differences between various styles, but they needn't worry you. Almost all the starter books and videos go to the same places first. Worry about the rest, if ever, later. It is the older form of playing banjo, dating back to the 19th century (unlike bluegraass, which dates back to the 1930s and 1940s). This is what was played by the men of both armies in the Civil War. This has an older, "plunkier" sound. It involves hitting down on the strings with one finger nail and the thumb.
Examples:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2qkc_-MlwY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l31MSpojWTA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcAlYES2HC4 (Then click through the other videos by Cox - she's amazing.)

Advantages:

• It is easier to play, especially at first. As with all music, reaching expertise takes work. But you'll get a sound you like with clawhammer earlier than you will with bluegrass.
• The banjos are a bit less expensive generally.
• It is better for singing to when playing alone.

Disadvantages:

• People will ask you to "play Foggy Mountain Breakdown" or "play the song from Deliverance" and you won't be able to. I still can't in bluegrass either, but I could learn them quickly if I wanted to. In clawhammer, you can't. Well, you can play the songs - you can play any song with just about any banjo technique - but it won't sound the way people expect or want.
• It is harder to get heard in a group, like when you are sitting there with two or three guitar players. Especially if the guitar isn't playing old-time, but is strumming to beat the band, the way most people learn to play guitar, you will get drowned out - at least that has been my experience.

Book recommendation:

I would recommend Ken Perlman's book. That is what I learned from. (http://www.kenperlman.com/). There are other books out there, like by Wayne Erbson and Dan Levinson. I have no reason to think they are any better or worse. They are probably just as good. There are also many videos on YouTube to help you learn by watching and listening.

BUYING A BANJO:

Generally: You can play either bluegrass or clawhammer on any five-string banjo. But bluegrass is usually played on a resonator banjo. Clawhammer is generally played with an open-back instrument (which is probably why they are less expensive). For clawhammer, it can be nice to have a banjo with what is called a "frailing scoop" (giving the hand more room), but most banjos don't have them.

If you go onto any banjo discussion forum or talk to any banjo players, the standard advice on buying is:

1) spend as much money as you can, each dollar does buy more quality (up to about $1500 or $2000 - after that, it's mostly bells and whistles) and less frustration with learning and sound and
2) if you have no clue what you are doing, buy by weight. The heavier the banjo, the better (because there is a big difference between an aluminum or other light tone ring and a brass tone ring, with gradiation in between).

It can be hard to find a banjo you will want to keep long term for under $500. I would recommend the Deering "Goodtime II" (the one with the resonator) for bluegrass or the "Goodtime I" (without the resonator) for clawhammer (for example, here: http://www.janetdavismusic.com/goodtime.html). These often hang in guitar shops. How well it sounds will depend on how much the shop there cares about banjos and keeps it tuned and with good strings on it. You might also find a Gold Tone instrument in your price range, but probably only in a shop that carries banjos and has someone who knows about them. If I recall, their "Cripple Creek" model is about the same price as the Goodtime and probably a good buy, available both with and without a resonator. The Goodtime is probably a bit better overall, but the Cripple Creek "looks" better - and I'll have to admit that that is important to me.

There are also Asian import instruments with various brand names (although they all come from one or two factories in Korea). I would be careful there. I have found them in shops for far more money than they are worth, with shot tuners and poor sound. The upper end imports can be very good - the lower end is very hit and miss. Generally, I would recommend getting a used banjo that is of a higher quality than getting a new one.

You can go to banjohangout.org and find people in your area. They will be able to recommend a shop. They might also be willing to meet you and talk about banjos.

One idea would be to watch e-bay and then ask me or someone else you know for advice on any instrument you consider buying there. I got my first instrument on e-bay without any advice. I got a playable Asian import for $250, but later realized I shouldn't have paid more than about $150 for it, perhaps less. The string action and the tuners became frustrating after a time, so when I realized I was in this hobby for good, I spent a month's pay on a banjo for life. I did construction experiments with the first banjo and it is garbage now. If it still worked, I'd sell it to you for $50 + postage.

There's an open jam session on the first Thursday of every month here in Tübingen. They inexplicably call themselves "OpenSession - D))))onnerstHaag" and advertize only on Facebook with Dänglisch:

Every first thursday we meet to play jam-music
no limits of style and genre. Every level.
Free admission, nice folks, perhaps you too....
jazzhippyfolkypoppy,

Cafe Haag, Tübingen
20.30 -23.30

I probably won't be able to come this week, but I'll try to make it in November and report back.

I am selling the following item on eBay. Starting bid is $25, much, much lower than the item costs on amazon.com:

Rosenbaum, Art: Old-Time Mountain Banjo. Oak Press: New York, 1968.

I finished in 33:26, putting me in the top 25% of the 40-45 age group and among the fastest 6th of the whole race. I knew I would beat 36 minutes. Also, two days before the race I ran two kilometers fast and, violating my promise to stop using a watch, I timed it. Since the two kilometers took me over eight minutes and I was certain I could not keep that pace, I realized that I could not break 30. Anyway, I'm very happy with the result.

In late July I signed up to run the "Tübinger Stadtlauf," the city's annual 7.5 kilometer race. Because of travel I couldn't start preparing until mid August, and got off to a slow start because of some stomach issues. But I'm in high gear now. I bought some really great shoes and have been running almost every day. Last week I ran a distance I estimated with google earth at about six kilometers and did it in 30 minutes, so it appeared that I was going to get the 7.5 mark in under 40 minutes. I then set myself the goal of running the 7.5 kilometers in the same time I ran 10 kilometers back in 1983 when I was on the cross country team: 36 minutes. A few days ago I ran about 9 or 10 kilometers and felt great. Today, I ran a distance I measured very closely with google earth to be exactly 7.5 kilometers and ran it in 36:24. I was ecstatic! I am already at my goal. The actual course for the race has a few hills, which my route today did not have, but with another 10 days to train and the crowd their watching, I'm certain I can at least hold that time.

When I started training a few weeks ago, I ran up the Rammert hill toward Kressbach and couldn't make it all the way up without walking part of the way. Now I run up to the Rammert including three uphill sections without stopping. I am fired up! I am not going to be timing myself any more before the official run, however. That's just a little bit too much work.

I have made some slight changes and updates to my banjo page.

The newest thing in my banjo life is a new banjo! In July of 2009 I got a fretless Appalachian banjo, made completely by hand by Richard K. Smith of Comer, Georgia according to the design published in the Foxfire books. The front, back and neck are made of black walnut, the nut is maple. The head is calfskin. The tuning pegs are ebony fiddle-style friction pegs. He even hand-made the bridge, but I have put a slightly higher Grover bridge on it for now to get the strings higher for frailing. I might go back. As of now, I have nylgut strings on it, but I may try light gauge steel strings on it soon. You can see pictures of it here.

Mr. Smith has built lots of these banjos and he sells them regularly on e-bay. Watch for them. His perfect seller record is well deserved. He makes a fine product, ships promptly and answers questions thoroughly. He is a pleasure to deal with.

The whole purchase - which I got through e-bay from Mr. Smith - had the added bonus of not costing me any customs fees. I was worried as I approached customs that it would cost me another $100 or so just to get the instrument into Germany. Then I saw the sign that allows up to 400 Euros (or thereabouts) per passenger free of fees. So with that in mind I confidently approached the customs officer, showed him my receipt and it was no problem. These banjos typically go for $400-$600, but I got mine for a lot less. I don't know why others weren't bidding.

I have spent a lot of my recent practice time, such as it is, working on getting the fingerings and intonation right. The lack of frets takes some getting used to. Some YouTube videos on playing the fretless banjo have helped. It is a different hand position, more like that of a fiddle, designed to keep things stable so you know where the right fret positions are. I also bought Brad Leftwich's book on Round Peak banjo and have been trying out some of the tab. The alternate string pull-offs are a real hoot.

...is done. Submitted it today.