About Me

I play old-time clawhammer banjo and developed my style and repertoire through informal lessons with banjo players in Kentucky and Arkansas and through listening to old recordings and contemporary old-time musicians. A few of my biggest influences are Lily May Ledford (of the Coon Creek Girls), Roscoe Holcomb, Lee Sexton, George Gibson, Hobart Smith, and Art Rosenbaum. Many of the songs and tunes I play are standards amongst old-time musicians in central and eastern Kentucky, but I also like to adapt other songs to the old time banjo style.

I released my first album Down Creek in 2017. This album is primarily instrumental tunes that explore different tunings and “moods” of the banjo--some traditional tunes and some original pieces, and reflects some of the stranger tunes and tunings that attracted me to old-time banjo. My next recording project will be a mix of traditional and original songs (not just instrumental "tunes"), and will capture some of the songs I like to play and sing when I perform.

In addition to a regular five-string banjo, I also play a low-tuned fretless banjo (built by Eric Prust), which produces a strikingly different range of sound than most people associate with the banjo. Learning fretless banjo has really opened up a different realm of possibilities on the banjo.

And just recently, I added to my "herd" a semi-fretless banjo that I converted myself:


Fun.

When I'm not playing the banjo, I'm nagging my kids to get off their screens or trying to figure out how to teach and do philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University.

To book me for an event: message me on Facebook or email me at matthew.pianalto@gmail.com