Wendell Meetinghouse Arts Residency
https://wendellmeetinghouse.org/events/
Michael Nix: New Classic Banjo Project
Michael Nix brings his New Classic Banjo Project to the Wendell Meetinghouse, Wendell, MA as be part of the 2026 Community Arts & Conversations project! The New Classic Banjo Project residency (July 21, 23, 25 and 26) with Michael Nix explores a way of looking at the banjo with a self-designed 7 nylon string instrument (the 7-string Banjar) that morphs classical, jazz, folk, and world music into a dynamic new performance style. The residency includes a lecture on the design and commission of the Banjar; a panel discussion on commissioning a bespoke instrument and compositions; a workshop for all levels of banjo players (includes classical, jazz, folk and world music); and a solo concert. For lecture and discussion, donations requested; for workshop $20; for performance $15-20 (MA Card to Culture discounts available).
Residency Dates: July 21 – July 26, 2026
• New Classic Banjo Project: Presentation “Design and Commission of 7-String Banjar” - Tuesday 7/21 at 7 pm (by donation)
• New Classic Banjo Project: Discussion “Commissioning a Bespoke Instrument and Compositions” - Thursday 7/23 at 7 pm (by donation)
• New Classic Banjo Project: Concert with Michael Nix - Saturday 7/25 at 7 pm (At door tickets $20; advance ticket sales offered through Meetinghouse platform $15; Card to Culture fee $10)
• New Classic Banjo Project: Workshop on New Classic Banjo Project Playing Styles - Sunday 7/26 4-6 pm (At door tickets $25; advance ticket sales offered through Meetinghouse platform $20; Card to Culture $10)
https://patron.wendellmeetinghouse.org/ticketing/wmh/catalog/events
Wendell Meetinghouse Arts Residency FAQ’s
What are 2026 Wendell Meetinghouse Performer Series Residencies?
The 2026 Wendell Meetinghouse Performer Series Residencies are arts and creative initiatives that broaden perspectives or understanding, build community connections and engagement, celebrate and support local performers, and introduce new community members to the Wendell Meetinghouse, while providing both performers and the Wendell Meetinghouse with potential new resources and/or sources of financial support.
The 2026 Wendell Meetinghouse Performer Series Residencies are arts and creative initiatives that broaden perspectives or understanding, build community connections and engagement, celebrate and support local performers, and introduce new community members to the Wendell Meetinghouse, while providing both performers and the Wendell Meetinghouse with potential new resources and/or sources of financial support.
Wendell Meetinghouse’s Community Arts & Conversations (CAC) series website:
https://wendellmeetinghouse.org/communityartsconversations/
Who sponsors the series and how is it funded?
Sponsored by the Friends of the Wendell Meetinghouse this series is supported in part by grant funding from the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts (CFNCM) and its Community Enrichment grant program, and is designed to present high-quality, accessible performances while fostering meaningful engagement between artists/performers and the community.
What is the Michael Nix: New Classic Banjo residency?
What will be specifically discussed/taught in the workshop on New Classic Banjo Project Playing Styles?
Claw Hammer
Bluegrass
Classic three finger style
NCBP integration of styles outside of typical banjo styles:
Classical guitar
Flamenco strumming and tapping
Tremolo ideas
Harmonics, natural and artificial
Different rhythmic ideas from African and Latin styles, Mixed meters
How do these styles differ?
Clawhammer, (or Frailing) typically uses what we call “stroke style” that is using the back of a finger to strike a note or strum alternating with the thumb plucking a string
Bluegrass uses three right hand fingers to play rolls (arpeggios) and articulate melody. The melodies are often abstracted and flow through and around the arpeggios. Sometimes melodies are played in a cross-string manner called “Melodic Banjo”
While Clawhammer and Bluegrass tend to establish a rhythmic “groove” over which the melody may be played or improvised, Classic Style tends to favor composed music based on 19th Century parlor styles such as Cake Walks, Polkas, Marches, and is heavily influenced by rag-time. In fact, many of the earliest rags were composed for fingerstyle banjo! This banjo style was the most popular music from about 1870 through the 1920’s when the recording industry brought jazz and country music to popular culture. Another difference is that in some cases there is a second bass line that is played against the melody which does not exist in Bluegrass or Clawhammer.
NCBP integration of styles outside of typical banjo styles:
Classical guitar uses three fingers and the thumb to strike the stings, and occasionally the pinky. Classical guitarists are able to get three, four or voices moving together.
In Flamenco guitar strumming and tapping are features of the style. There are many textures that a banjoist could integrate from this style
Tremolo ideas-Clawhammer and Bluegrass typically don’t use tremolo, which is a texture of fast repeated note. Classic banjo did use tremolo, especially by the early virtuoso players. Tremolo is a feature of mandolin playing in both the Italian classic style and in Bluegrass style.
Harmonics, natural and artificial.
Harmonics are a bell-like texture that are used often in classical string writing and classical guitar pieces. By touch the string over certain frets, the player can knock out the lower vibrations of the sting leaving only the high overtones ringing. The Bluegrass players have used natural harmonics to good effect. Artificial harmonics are a technique of playing note for note melodies in harmonics.
Different rhythmic ideas from African and Latin styles, Mixed meters:
Most Clawhammer and Bluegrass music is based on the meters and rhythms of American folk-dance music which is often articulated in patters of two, three or four. Music from other cultures might mix up patterns, or change patterns over time. Mixed meters might have one play a measure of six alternating with a measure of four for example giving one a kind of “off kilter” feel.
Why would the average banjo player be interested in this workshop?
Learning new techniques and styles will inform one’s musicianship and playing style. It may give the musician new ideas for an improvised solo, an arrangement, new song, or instrumental composition.
As a teacher, I am always giving my students permission to think creatively and outside the established way of doing things right off the bat.
May take on the playing of music is that the average banjo player may actually be the person to come up with a new technique, sound, texture or use for the banjo. Anyone, can be an innovator if they soak up what has been done in the past, and use their imagination to integrate these ideas in their vision for their own music. It may take years to develop the vision into a style, but the spark can come from those who give people the opportunity to think differently and support that way of looking at music.
What will you be playing during the concert on 25th? Will others be playing
I will be playing a solo concert on three or four different banjos: Two seven strings, a five string, a six string, and possible a reproduction of Mistrel era gourd banjo.
The repertoire will include several of the commissioned works and compositions from Aperçu and some pieces from the folk and Bluegrass repertoire played on the Banjar. It’s a wide range of styles from Koromanti, based on the earliest transcriptions of Black banjo playing, to Thai melodies I have arranged re-worked for Banjar, to my poem and instrumental Barton Cove, (my most requested piece!). There’s an early 20th century novelty piece Ghost Dance, by Fred J. Bacon that reminds me of dancing skeletons and creatures from the old black and white cartoons we watched as children. Spanish Fandango is a piece popularized by Mother Maybelle Carter and is still played by folk and banjo performers. Overcome by composer Jim Dalton is a modern take on We Shall Overcome, and is inspired by the inscription on Pete Seeger’s banjo: This instrument surrounds hate and causes it to surrender.
Michael Nix: New Classic Banjo Project
FAQ’s
What is the New Classic Banjo Project?
The New Classic Banjo Project (NCBP) was instituted to develop and record a modern classical banjo repertoire, to include five, six, seven string and other hybrid banjos. Compositions have been commissioned for the Banjar, a seven-string classical banjo designed by Michael Nix, and recorded on the album Aperçu for PARMA Recordings Big Round Records Label.
The elements of the NCBP are:
•My design of a modern classical 7-string banjo (Banjar) to play modern newly composed and arranged concert music. I have commissioned two 7-string banjos over the course of this project, the first arriving in 2003 and the second in 2023 after twenty years of playing and research.
•My own compositions for the 7-string banjo, the traditional 5-string banjo, 6-string guitar-banjo or banjitar.
•I have commissioned solo compositions from established composers of new music. These composers were recorded on Aperçu: Jim Dalton, Providence, RI; Clifton J. Noble, Jr, Massachusetts; and Thomas Schuttenhelm, Philadelphia, PA.
I have new solo commissions in the works from two more composers, and a draft of a chamber work for Banjar, violin and cello.
•The NCBP exists to research early banjo players and composers in national and international archives, using old banjo music to inform new compositions. As a banjo artist I work in an unbroken stream of players dating back to the earliest enslaved banjo players in the greater Caribbean basin that we have evidence dating to the late 1600’s.
•The NCBP exists to seek and manage grants and other funding opportunities for the goals of the project.
Michael Nix website
