Finally, after several years of talking about performing, Matt's guitar teacher and my friend, Craig Koska, is presently in a band and is having a great time! The band consists of lead singer on guitar (Jonny), Craig on Tenor Guitar, and another fellow on harmonica. Matt and I went to see him perform at Dover's Friends of Folk events. Craig is playing acoustic guitar on far left in picture.Delaware Friends of Folk is a nonprofit organization dedicated to furthering the cause of folk music and folk musicians in our area. They stage coffee houses, concerts, and monthly pick-ins where people gather to play music together.
Matt had heard an earlier recording of their music, but has become a big fan and wanted to attend and give him support. The music they play in Craig's own words....."We are kind of eclectic, but I would classify us as....Old Time, Appalachian Delta Blues....which is really a joke since there ain't no "Delta" in the Appalachian Mountains.
I had never seen a tenor guitar, but it only had four (4) strings and is tuned like a cello or a tenor banjo. Whereas the standard banjo is not considered a solo instrument, the tenor guitar is. The model he played was refurbished (by Bad Wheel Jonny himself) Slingerland Solo Model. This one was made somewhere between 1928 and 1935. I loved the "tingy" sound and the beauty of the instrument. We truly enjoyed the performance, and the Craig played the best of all!His REAL job during the day is a Trainer/Educator III in the Public Health Preparedness Section. His areas of expertise are Avian and Pandemic Influenza and the medical effects of weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Koska is a retired Air Force Master Sergeant. He spent 5 ½ years at the US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine as a Master Instructor in the Battlefield Medical Operations Branch, teaching the medical aspects of Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological weapons.
Throughout the years, Craig has taught many generations of Smyrna/Clayton Delaware aspiring pickers. In fact, he has taught five people that I work with and they are all different ages, and others that have had their children taught as well. When I tell people who is teaching Matt how to play, usually I'm informed that they either know a friend or had a relative take lessons from him.
1 comment:
I promised Dallin he could begin guitar lessons in the fall. Does he take new students?
My dad always played and sang with us when I was growing up. I would definitely classify his songs as eclectic because I've never heard them anywhere else!
That would have been a fun concert to listen to.
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