“I love feeling connected to a large community of people who play [Irish tenor banjo]. And I love that it makes the world a smaller place.” Sam Bartlett
Irish tenor banjo player Sam Bartlett grew up in a musical family in Vermont; his mother loved classical and played piano for their church, and his father enjoyed listening to old field recordings of traditional music. Sam started playing the 5-string banjo at age 14, and the first thing he did when he got his driver’s license was attend a contra dance on the advice of a fellow musician. He says, “It was the community dance that roped me fully in. I met people at that first contra dance that I still know today. It was the beginning of my whole life in a way.” This experience and the contra dances that followed helped him establish relationships that would span his eventual move from Vermont to Indiana. Receiving early encouragement from Irish tenor banjo greats like Mick Maloney and Jamie Ganz, Sam became obsessed with learning the instrument during his teens and devoted 10 years to its exclusive practice before folding back in his earlier pursuits of 5-string banjo and mandolin.
An extremely demanding instrument, the Irish tenor banjo is typically tuned like a violin, which requires immense palm reach and makes the intricate ornamentation and precise rhythm that set master players apart all the more difficult to perfect. Promising young tenor banjo player Lucy Annable is learning tunes, techniques, and session etiquette from Sam, who assures her that “behind every Irish banjo player who plays in a pub is an Irish banjo player who spent hours at home alone. That’s the only way anybody does it.” Sharing their apprenticeship over Zoom video conferences in the era of the coronavirus pandemic, Sam and Lucy cherish the Irish tenor banjo tradition most for the community connection it provides.