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ARTICLES
by Don Van Palta

The Richelieu Banjo
by Don Van Palta

Like many banjo players I was always looking for that perfect sound and feel in an instrument. I frequented a
lot of the banjo rallies around the country to introduce banjoists to my lesson programs, solo books and the
other ideas I’ve come up with over the years and also trying out the various banjos on display.

At one of these rallies I met another performer by the name of Rich Richelieu. During our conversation Rich
mentioned that he had an extensive collection of vintage banjos. He told me his dream was to manufacture a
superb banjo with the exquisite sound and ease of playing of some of these vintage banjos but using modern
techniques, tools and machinery. As we parted at the conclusion of the rally, I wished him success with his
dream.

The next year, at another banjo rally, there was Rich. He was very excited about a banjo that he had
manufactured and wanted me to try it out to see if I liked it. I played it for a short while and handed it back to
him with the comment that it was OK, but didn’t have the sound or feel that I was looking for.

The next year, guess what, there was Rich with another banjo. I played it for a while and really liked the tone
of it. It had sort of a sweet sound, but still with plenty of volume when you wanted it. I also noticed that it
stayed perfectly in tune all the way up and down the neck. When I handed it back to Rich I told him that I
really liked the sound of this banjo but the neck didn’t have a good feel to it. It was a bit too thick and too
wide.

The next year, guess what, there was Rich again with another banjo. He let me play it and this time I wouldn’t
give it back to him! I played it that whole day at the rally. It felt great and sounded fantastic. I told Rich how
much I liked it and would he please make me one!

The following year was America’s Bicentennial Celebration. I went to the San Jose banjo rally and there, on
stage, with much fanfare Rich presented me with a Bicentennial banjo. He and his staff had worked most of
the year producing this one of a kind banjo. It had the tone and the feel that I liked, but this one was
decorated like you wouldn’t believe! Carved on the back of the resonator was the cracked Liberty Bell, the
Purple Mountain Majesty and the Fruited Plain, and above all this was the meanest looking head of a bald
eagle. On the peghead, inlaid with mother of pearl, were the words . . .” Two Hundred Years Of Freedom”.
Well, it took my breath away!

The next few years I told my students about the Richelieu banjo and quite a few of them bought Rich’s banjos
and loved everything about them. The next step for me was to become a distributor for Rich’s banjos. So
presently I sell these wonderful instruments and am permitted to give a meaningful discount to my students.

Learning A New Song On The Banjo
by Don Van Palta

Learning a new song on the banjo for me is like a series of mind challenges. Maybe it’s the same for you. It
starts out like this. I look the music over carefully and think of some preliminary ways of tackling it. Then I
decide it’s impossible to play on the banjo and put it aside. The next day I give it a second look and think to
myself, “mmmmm, I’ll just try a couple of measures and see how it goes.” I work out the technique to play
those couple of measures, an up stroke here, a down stroke there, followed by a couple of beats of tremolo,
maybe change one of the chords to a three string chord to make the passage a bit easier. Then I think, . . .
“wow, this might be possible after all”. I work up a few more measures the same way, and what do you know,
the next eight measures are a repetition of what I just learned.
Here comes the bridge!! How am I going to play that? There’s no way! Hey, maybe if I just play single string
for that impossible measure. What do you know, it sounds pretty good. Gives sort of a contrast to all those
full chords. Now I’m back to what I learned already. The melody is changed slightly to bring the tune to an
end, but it’s doable! Hey, I’ve got this thing licked!! Now all I’ve got to do is work out the kinks and practice it
until the whole thing is nice and smooth and up to tempo and I’ve got another nice tune to enjoy and share
with the folks I know.
Do you see how you can easily talk yourself out of learning a new tune? It’s very easy to do that. It’s like
anything else in this life. If you dig in and grapple with whatever is confronting you, you’ll eventually tackle it
and in the process you’ll learn all kinds of lessons that you can then apply to other problems that come along.
So, if you are a banjo player who uses the “that’s impossible” excuse, maybe you should re-examine your
learning methods and practice routines. You’ll be amazed how much fun it is and what a wonderful high you’ll
get when you overcome that “impossible” mind set. You’ll finally graduate to playing the more challenging
tunes and receive for your efforts that wonderful feeling of accomplishment.

The Importance Of A Balanced Set Of Strings
by Don Van Palta

Many years ago when I was still playing my banjo at the Mickie Finn nightclub in San Diego I met a violin
maker and player who gave me some very valuable information. He asked me if the strings on my banjo
were a balanced set. I said: “Huh?” Yes, he said, it’s very important that the strings be balanced or you
won't get the best tone out of your instrument. So I asked him how to balance the strings. This is how he
explained it to me.

When a banjo or a violin or almost any stringed instrument is in tune - when the strings are balanced - each
string will exert the same amount of pressure over the bridge. When this is NOT the case, in other words,
when the strings are not balanced, then each string exerts a different pressure on the bridge and the bridge
will wobble. When the bridge wobbles there is a disturbance in the vibrations that are transferred to the
head. The sound produced is then not optimum. When the strings are balanced, the bridge will be steady
and the transfer of vibrations to the head will be undisturbed and true.

The way to balance the strings is to check the tension of each string and compare it with the tension of the
other strings. An easy way of doing this, without getting a special tool, is to push on each string, with the
same amount of pressure, right in front of the bridge. If one or more of the strings is obviously looser or
tighter than the others than you need to experiment with string gauges until the tension on all of the strings is
the same. I like an easy action so the gauges to achieve that balance for me are .010, .012, .015 and .022
wound. If you like a tighter action you just need to experiment with slightly thicker strings.

I’ll never forget, after I balanced the string action on my banjo and took the first break after a set at Mickie
Finn’s, one of the waitresses came up to me and said: . . . “What did you do to your banjo? It always
sounded good before, but now it sounds terrific!” So if you want to get a pretty waitress to whisper in your
ear . . . . now you know what to do.

What To Do About Those Butterflies
by Don Van Palta

Butterflies are lovely and fun to watch but the imagined species that interferes with our performance can be a
real problem. These are the ones we’re going to deal with in this article.

We’ve all had the experience of privately practicing a particular number on our instrument. Working on it
until our fingers fly and land with precision and without hesitation on all the right chords and notes. But the
minute we want to share our new accomplishment with a relative, a friend or a group it seems that all of that
practice was for naught! It seems like all of a sudden time speeds up and we’re trying to catch up with it. We
stumble through the chords, miss some of the notes, forget portions entirely and feel as if we’re playing
under water where our speed is diminished, our breath comes in gasps and the perspiration gushes off our
forehead. You’ve been overwhelmed by the dreaded butterflies.

Many an aspiring performer has been defeated by this butterfly phenomenon. They keep running into this
seeming wall every time they think they’re ready to give a performance. I’ve had this experience many times
myself and still encounter it now and then when I’ve neglected to prepare for it.

The answer to this phenomenon is really quite simple. It’s the same old practice, practice, practice! But it’s
not what you think. It’s not just practicing the music. That’s of course very important. The music needs to be
memorized to such an extent that your fingers know just where to go and what to do without having to actually
think about it. The fingers actually move faster than the mind can think. This is called “finger memory” and is
well known by all accomplished performers.

The thing to be practiced now is the performing of the piece in front of someone or something. What’s
different here is the addition of distraction! You never had that when you were practicing by yourself in your
study. But when you’re in front of an audience you have to be so focused that when you look up and happen
to see someone in your audience picking his nose, a cell phone going off or a couple of people talking to
each other and not paying the least bit of attention to you, you won’t be flustered and lose your place.

There are several ways to accomplish this. Basically what you need to do is gradually add elements of stress
to your playing. At one point I stacked boxes in front of me on chairs and tables with a set of eyes painted on
each box. Some of the eyes just staring, some winking and some cross-eyed! As I performed for the boxes I
tried to make contact with all the eyes! Try that yourself. You’ll notice that now you’ve added a certain
amount of stress. Next you might play into an audio tape recorder. You’ll notice right away that that’s a little
more difficult than playing for the boxes. You’ve added a little more stress. When you can accomplish that
without a hitch, then try playing into a video camera held by someone. That’s more stressful because now
you’ve got a real person looking at you.

If by this time you have a basic repertoire your next step could be to volunteer to play for one of those small
rest homes with five or six residents. They don’t get much entertainment so they are very forgiving. An
interesting thing you’ll notice is that as you progress it becomes easier to play for a larger gathering than it is
for just one person or a few people. The reason being that it becomes difficult to keep making eye contact
with just one person or a couple of people. With a larger group that becomes much easier and less
intimidating.

When I’ve worked up a new arrangement I still like to polish it up in the rest home circuit. It’s a real benefit to
me because I’m smoothing out the number and at the same time the residents are being entertained.

I wish you success in your journey to become a performer. By the way, you’ll probably never completely get
rid of those pesky butterflies and that, in a way, is an advantage because that little bit of stress or tension will
keep you alert and on the ball during your performances.

Diary Of A Cruise Ship Gig
by Don Van Palta

I'd been home for just a week from a seven day cruise on the ms Vistafjord from Tahiti to Honolulu when my
agent calls. "It's the QE2 this time" she says. "Next week you fly to Tenarife in the Canary Islands by way of
Dallas, Miami and Madrid. You'll be on her for ten days, April 10th through the 20th, while she cruises to
New York by way of Madera, Lisbon and Southampton." I tell her I'll take the gig. She faxes me her contract
for her standard 10%. I sign it and fax it back. Two days later UPS delivers the airline tickets and the
contract from Cunard, the owners of the QE2. It is the standard two page Cunard contract that sets forth the
conditions of the agreement. Of interest among them . . . ."The Artiste will ensure that the relevant travel
documents are carried to join and/or leave the ship, i.e., passport, visa, and health documents where
necessary and Artiste's performances must be reasonably satisfactory to Cunard. If the quality of the
entertainment fails to meet the standards set by the Cruise Director, the Artiste may be terminated forthwith .
. . .Payment to be made 10 days after completion of the contract". I sign the contract and send it back to
their office in Miami by Certified Mail as they required.

I've been doing these cruises now for over 23 years and there are certain things that I've learned about
traveling during this time. The amount of luggage I haul around with me is one of them. The basics of
course are the banjo (with spare head and strings), costume (a tuxedo has always been my preference), and
charts for a six piece orchestra. On the sip the daily program tells you what to wear for evening attire. It's
either casual, informal or formal. During the day shorts and tee shirts are OK. At first I used to pack a bunch
of clothes and shoes in a separate suitcase. I'd take the banjo on the plane with me and the rest of the
luggage would go in the baggage compartment. One time I even put my banjo in baggage!!! That was a
mistake!! The whole flight, 15 hours to Singapore, I worried whether the banjo was on the plane with me or
on its way to Alaska!! The banjo did get to Singapore with me. I was sitting at a window sear. I even saw
them unload it. They threw it on the cart!!! Later I found out the peg head was cracked and the nut was
missing!!! I was able to whittle a new nut and do the required shows but the banjo was not up to snuff!!

After that episode I decided there had to be a better way. Most airlines will allow you two carry-ons. So from
then on it would be two carry-ons and nothing in baggage to worry about. I got one of those suitcases on
wheels that the pilots and stewardesses pull behind them, (this was about 1975!!) and I got a garment bag
that would attach to the suitcase on wheels for easy transport. The problem now was to get all my stuff
including the banjo in those two carry-ons! The breakthrough came when I found out that my Richelieu
banjo neck could easily be disconnected from the pot. The pot (with 9 cassettes and 7 CDs inside it), my
dress shoes (with make-up and Fast Fret inside!), my laptop, and some reading material all fit neatly inside
the suitcase on wheels. My tux, sport jacket, slacks, and three shirts went inside the garment bag along with
the banjo neck minus the pegs and covered with six heavy socks. In the outside pockets went three tee
shirts, an extra pair of socks and underwear and my dop-kit. The big pockets contained the band chars and
extra cassettes and CDs. Now I was ready! No more worrying if my bags went to the same place I did, or
that someone would throw my banjo around. No more waiting at baggage carousels. I would be the first one
through immigration and customs. The down side was that I had to do some laundry in the sink every night,
but that was a small price to pay.

On the morning of the trip Carolyn and I get up at 6:30 am and by 7:00 head out to the local Longview
airport. She drops me off there at 8:00. The security guards don't even blink when they see the X-ray
image of the banjo pot that looks like a bomb and the banjo neck that looks like a sawed off shot gun.
They've inspected them several times before.

At 9:00 I'm in my way to Dallas, a 45 minute flight. Because this is a shuttle my bags are too big to fit in the
overhead or under the seat. A few trips back they threw my bag with the computer in it and I had to have the
laptop repaired so now, when I fly the shuttle, I take the computer out of the suitcase and take it in the cabin
with me. When I get to my gate at the Dallas terminal I stow my laptop back in my wheeled bag because,
from now on it will be under my control. I have a short one hour layover in Dallas before my flight to Miami.

Since I do approximately 100,000 air miles per year I am what you call a "platinum" member with American
Airlines. That gives me certain privileges such as early boarding and upgrades to first class. There is a first
class seat available so I reserve it and enjoy a leisurely breakfast on my way to Miami.

Two and a half hours later, in the Miami terminal, I'm looking the Iberia, the Spanish Airline ticket counter to
make my seat reservation to Madrid. On the way to my gate there is another security check point. I put my
two bags on the rollers and step through the portal. I have learned not to carry change, wear a big belt
buckle or a pin in my leg so the buzzer doesn't go off. This time the security wants to see the "bomb" and the
"sawed off shotgun" and they ask me to turn on the computer to make sure it's not a bomb. After a careful
search they send me on my way to the gate. My flight doesn't leave until 7:00 PM so I have about 4 hours to
wait. I get out my new Readers Digest Condensed book and pass the hours fairly quickly.

It is now 7:00 PM. The flight has been delayed but they are finally ready to board. Boarding procedures are
pretty standard with all the American Carriers. They very sensibly board by row numbers. Starting at the
back of the plane. Some other carriers, including this one, board all rows at the same time! You can
imagine the pandemonium because this of course causes pile-ups and delays. The plane is a big 747 but
the overhead storage is not big enough for my garment bag so I am told to stow it in a closet all the way at
the back of the plane. I do that reluctantly because I'm thinking, when we land I'll be the last one off the
plane because I'll have to retrieve that garment bag and I've got a very close connection when we get to
Madrid. When the door to the plane is finally closed I realize that this is not a full plane. I have three seats to
myself. I decide that when we get up to cruising altitude I'll retrieve that garment bag from the back closet
and stow it under one of the seats in front of me.

When we get up to our cruising altitude, drinks are served followed by dinner. I read a while and sleep
intermittently and during the night I finally go to the back of the plane, get my garment bag and put it under
one of the seats in front of me. I alternately doze and read and finally we land in Madrid 1t 6:00 AM local
time. In Madrid airport the planes don't park at the gate. Stairs are driven to the first class section and to
the rear door next to that closet!!! When it's my turn to get in line to exit I try to get my suitcase out of the
overhead put the door refuses to open! One side is loose but the other side remains jammed! One of the
buses waits for me; so off we go to the terminal. I'm last in line going through customs and immigration. At
the information booth I find out my flight to Tenarife leaves in 30 minutes from the other side of the terminal,
about a mile away!! I go through security. They take another look at the "bomb" and "sawed-off shotgun".
They don't check my computer. Off I go at a fast pace up and down escalators and moving sidewalks to gate
F68.

When I finally arrive at the gate they are about to close the door to the plane. I'm the last one and I'm told to
hurry down the ramp and get on board. The plane is not full so there is no problem stowing my luggage this
time. I sit down, relax and decide to finish the mystery story I was reading. I can't find the book and realize
that in the confusion of trying to liberate my suitcase I left in on the other plane!! Now I'll never know if he
gets the girl; figures out who killed the sheriff; or if he was really a vegetarian!

Two and a half hours later we arrive in Tenarife, Canary Islands. This being Spanish territory there is no
custom or immigration check and since I'm already carrying all my bags I bypass baggage and I'm the first
one out of the terminal.

Cunard is really looking out for me because there amongst all the people waiting to greet the arriving
passengers I see a sign with my name on it held by a local taxi driver. I point to the sign, then point to me, he
smiles and tries to take my bags from me. He doesn't speak English and the only Spanish I know is "habla
Ingles?" He finally realizes I won't let go of my bags and he leads me to his cab. After a twenty minute drive
we arrive at the dock where the QE2 is tied up. I tip the driver a couple of bucks because I know the fare is
paid for by Cunard and I finally take my bags up the gangplank.

What a relief it is to finally be on the ship! If I don't have to perform that night I'll be able to "crash" for a few
hours. Since I've been on the QE2 before I go right to the Pursers office and let them know I've arrived.
They didn't expect me until Southampton and don't have a cabin for me. They say they'll have one ready for
me pretty soon. I then go to meet the cruise director. His name is Scott Peterson. I've worked with him
before, several years ago. I give him my new colored 8x10's. Well... the color is new, the pictures are 23
years old. I also give him my bio. to put in the daily ship's bulletin the day I perform. Scott tells me that he
didn't expect me until Southampton so I'm not scheduled to perform until the 15th. That's in five days. He
then would like me to be ready to do a 35 minute show on the night we leave Southampton and a 20 minute
show along with two other acts the night before we arrive in New York. He tells me to take it easy and just
enjoy the cruise. By this time my cabin is ready and I catch up on my sleep for the rest of the day and night.

The following evening the Grand Lounge entertainer is Neil Seduca. I of course go to see him perform and
am delightfully entertained. I must confess that as I was watching him I got a bit intimidated because I knew
that I would be performing on that same stage a few nights later. I've had these feelings before and I'm able
to dismiss them pretty much because so far, during my show, nobody has as yet pulled me off with the "big
hook"!

The next day I put my banjo together and decide to do a little practicing. Since I don't want to disturb the
passengers on either side of my cabin I always muffle the banjo by jamming a couple of socks in the pot of
the banjo between the bridge and the metal rod. Very softly I practice "Cabaret" while on my ear phones I
listen to the band accompaniment. After about the third time through I hear a noise at my door. The door
bursts open and a very English gentleman tells me in no uncertain terms that if I still need to practice I ought
to do it on deck somewhere!! I of course apologize profusely as he retreats back to his own cabin and his
interrupted nap. This has never happened before. It really upsets me because the only reason for me to be
on the ship is to entertain passengers, not annoy them! Fortunately later in the day my neighbor knocks on
my door again and says he is sorry for being so abrupt with me. I tell him that I didn't realize the bulkheads
where so thin. We visit a bit and then I invite him to come see my show on the 15th. He says he is sorry but
he's getting off in Southampton. I tell him that I guess three renditions of "Cabaret" are all he's going to get
from me. He laughs and returns to his cabin. I am much relieved after that encounter. A little later I decide
to practice some more, so, with the socks in place inside the pot, I roll up some toilet paper and put it under
the strings just in front of the bridge. This muffles the sound so I can hardly hear it myself. I have no more
complaints from my neighbor after that.

The next morning we're in Lisbon, Portugal. My excuse to get off the ship is to shop in the various ports for
"floaty pens" and "souvenir caps" for a couple of friends who collect them. I take the free shuttle bus to the
heart of old Lisbon and after some determined searching I find a couple of floaty pens and a cap. Then it's
back to the ship and at 6:00 PM we're off to Southampton, England, a two day cruise.

I spend the two days alternately reading, practicing, eating and exercising. This morning Scott, the cruise
director, calls me saying that he is minus an act and wonders if I'd be able to fill in 15 minutes for a farewell
show he is planning for the night before Southampton. I say that of course I'm happy to do that. I ask him
how many of the passengers are staying on to New York, He says about 175. In Southampton we'll be
taking on an additional 1500 for the Atlantic crossing. I need that information because I don't want
passengers to hear the same tunes or stories twice in a row. The same tune isn't so bad, but the same joke
is a disaster!

I carry with me a list of my repertoire, all separated into "openers", "closers", "slow", "fast", "pretty", "classical"
or "ovelty". Each one with the timing which includes the introductory story or joke. I can then quickly put
together a show of any length basically by starting with an opener and a closer, one or two strong numbers
in the middle; depending on the length of the show; and flesh it out with a novelty and something classical or
pretty. I then write out two rundowns of my show, one for the band leader and one for the sound and light
technician. Next I get out my pile of chars and pick out the appropriate ones for each instrument and put
them in order. When I have all of that in order I call the band master and set up an appointment to rehearse
my show with the ship's orchestra.

I always enjoy these rehearsals. The musicians who make up the show bands on these cruise ships are
consummate musicians. Most of the material they just need to go through once. If they do have a problem
with something it's usually because it has been written incorrectly. They then pencil in the correction and
that solves the problem.

At 10:00 PM on the night before Southampton I do my 15 minute show as an opening act for the
"Shenanigans", a three man singing, dancing and comedy act, who also do 15 minutes. The combined show
goes over very well.

The next day I have to start preparing for my 35 minute "Welcome Aboard" show. This time I will be the
closing act. The production show, made up of four boys and five girl dancers and singers, will do a ten
minute opening act. During the rehearsal I make a request to have the sound technician check the drum
monitor. There have been shows where the drummer had trouble hearing me and didn't indicate that
problem to the band leader or the sound technician. The consequence was that we had a real problem
maintaining proper tempos. The tempos would drag because the drummer was hearing my echo. I now
always make it a practice to see that the drummer's monitor is plenty loud.

The show that evening is well received. The only complaint I get afterwards from passengers is that my
portion just wasn't long enough. I tell them that's one of the nicest things they could've said. Early the next
morning when the shops on board open I find out where I can put my cassettes and CDs on display. All the
ships will do this for the act and of course take a small commission. Sometime during my show I make some
kind of humorous mention of my cassettes and CDs and sometimes I sell a lot of them, sometimes I don't sell
any at all.

The next couple of days we get into a pretty heavy storm. We are in the middle of the Atlantic and at this
time of year it can get pretty rough. We are plowing through 20 foot waves and occasionally a 30 footer!
This causes havoc with anything that isn't nailed down. Like dishes, glasses and silver ware at the table, or
in my case a little table in my cabin that falls over in the middle of the night and dumps a bunch of glasses
that shatter. Since I don't feel like proving that I can walk barefoot on broken glass I get up and very
carefully pick up all the scattered pieces and then go back to bed.

The cact that is supposed to perform the next night is seasick and can't go on. At the last minute the cruise
director has to substitute someone also. The audience at that show is pretty sparse because quite a few of
the passengers are also feeling the effects of the storm. The act, a sinter/pianist, does a good job despite
the moving stage and the small audience.

There are now five more days before my next and last performance. This will be the 20 minute show that I'll
share with the act who missed last night. The storm has abated somewhat so that he should be able to do
his big show tomorrow night and then join me a few days later.

Five days at sea can run the gamut all the way from being very entertaining and interesting to boring in the
extreme. Some acts have a real problem with this. Fortunately there are several things I can usually do to
pass the time. There is usually a well stocked library on board and I love to read; or I'll have a game of
chess with one of the passengers or a fellow entertainer; or if an adversary doesn't come forth I'll love
another game to my computer. Very often I'll use the computer during this slack time to write an article like
this one or banjo solos for my students. I also like to visit with passengers. You'd be amazed at the tings
you can learn from other people if you ask the right questions. The other day, at lunch, I was joined by a
very interesting elderly gentleman. We got to talking about the stock market and how it just seems to be
going up and up. This gentleman was very knowledgeable about the subject. He prefaced his remarks with:
". . . Now I'm not bragging, but just one of the stocks in my portfolio split five times since January of this year
earning me a 40% increase. Which happens to be right around two million dollars!!!!" He then gave me
some good advice about starting my own portfolio. Another gentleman and his wife were both pilots. Since I
used to fly years ago we were able to swap some interesting stories.

It's the morning of April 18th. I got a note under the door last night reminding me to check with immigration
this morning. The US immigration officers boarded in Southampton and conduct this check in order for the
disembarking passengers in New York to save some time. After the immigration check I go to see the cruise
director and suggest to him that he might want to do an "interview Don the banjoist" if he needs something to
fill in the remaining hours at sea. He says that he's got more entertainment than he's got slots for but thanks
me just the same. I like to do these interviews because they're fun, but also because they help my cassette
and CD sales! Before I leave his office Scott says to me . . . ."By the way, I'm glad you dropped in because
my high priced act who's been under the weather and of a decided green complexion is finally starting to
recuperate. I'm sorry to tell you this, but I'll have to put him in your slot on the night before New York, so he
can do his full show. That is, unless we hit some more rough weather." I don't mind this change in schedule
except for the fact that I've told a lot of passengers, who enjoyed my other shows, that they would be able to
see me once more before New York.

The next couple of days on board are uneventful. I see some movies in the theatre, watch some videos on
TV, read a little, do some more exercises and of course practice, practice, practice. When we arrive in New
York at 7:00 AM on the 21st of April I'm one of the first off the ship. My flight to Dallas isn't until 12:30 PM but
I know that with a little luck I can probably catch an earlier flight and with the time change maybe be home in
time to take Carolyn out to lunch.

This diary will give you an idea what it's like to be a guest entertainer on a cruise ship. After doing this for all
these years I must confess that the hassles of flying and travel to get to all these foreign countries is not
something I look forward to. On the other hand I love to perform. So the way I look at it, they pay me very
generously for all those hassles . . . . . the performing I do for free!

My "Shakey" Experience
by Don Van Palta

In 1954 I was the banjo player with a dixieland band in Sacramento, California called "Kint Goodtime Pleasure
Rag And His Front Street Levee Loungers". The leader, Burt Wilson, played the trombone in the band but
he also played piano. On weekends he played the piano at the new Shakey's Pizza Parlor at 57th and J
streets in Sacramento. This was the original Shakey's! Sherwood Johnson, known by all as Shakey, was the
owner. He was a great lover of Dixieland Jazz and banjos so when Burt told him about this banjo player in his
band Shakey had me come out for a trial run. Shakey liked what I did and I started playing there completely
by myself leading sing-a-longs and doing an occasional solo. Very soon thereafter I met a piano player by
the name of Willie Erickson. He was fantastic at the piano, borderline genius and borderline nuts! We
decided to team up and called ourselves "The Fingerbusters". Willie pointed out to me that the banjo was
capable of a lot more than I was doing. He's the one who got me started on things like Carmen, Beethoven's
Fifth, Oklahoma, The Student Prince and many more that I've forgotten over the years. We performed at
Shakey's for almost seven years until I got the call from Fred Finn to join him at Mickie Finn's in San Diego.

A Learning Experience
by Don Van Palta

The last part of April 1997 I performed on a cruise ship called the ms Vistafjord. It's one of the Cunard Line
ships along with the QE2 and the Royal Viking Sun. I boarded her in the Madeira islands. These are
Portuguese islands off the coast of North East Africa. Ten days later I got off in Venice, Italy. This would be
my last cruise for quite a while because all of that traveling was getting me down. As a matter of fact I faxed
my agent and said "don't call me, I'll call you!"

To go out in a blaze of glory I fine tuned my act as much as I could and put in a great deal of practice to get
my 50 minute show down to perfection. The rehearsal with the six piece ship's band was scheduled for
midnight the night before the show. The reason they do this is because on this particular ship the big
showroom is used for lots of activities all day long so it just isn't available until very late. The rehearsal went
fine but that night for some reason I could'nt sleep very well. Only got about three hours. I tried to nap
during the day, but I'm not a good napper. The show was scheduled for 10:45 on, /bt 10:00 pm I was ready
to hit the sack but of course I had to get into my tux and go up to do my thing.

Normally I don't drink any coffee. About the only time I do is when I have to drive a long distance at night. It
keeps me awake and alert. I didn't want to fall asleep in the middle of my show so I decided to have a cup of
strong, black coffee! Well, that coffee really gave me a buzz! It changed the way my brain worked and it
changed the way my fingers and hands responded. It was quite disconcerting because I knew my
performance was not what I'd wanted it to be. I'm sure no one else, except maybe my wife, could have told
the difference. Even so, the response at the end of each number was still excellent.

Usually at the conclusion of my performance people come up to me and say how much they enjoyed the
show and the next day people will recognize me and do the same thing. This time NOTHING!! Nothing after
the show, nothing the next day!

The following day I was having lunch with a group of the dance hosts. Along with being responsible for
dancing with the single ladies they also go along on the bus tours to count the passengers to be sure the
same number get back on the ship as left in the morning. One of the hosts who looked a little bit like me (gry
hair and a mustache) commented to me that he got so many compliments on "his" banjo performance the
previous evening that he finally just said "thank you very much" after each such comment.

I felt much better after he told me that story and I decided I'd learned two very important lessons. Don't drink
coffee just before a show and be grateful for any acclaim, even second-hand!

Marriage Insurance For Banjo Players!
by Don Van Palta

There aren't any statistics, as far as I know, of how many marriages have survived or gone on the rocks
because of excess banjo practice by one or the other in these delicate partnerships. For the banjo player,
especially the beginner, daily practice is essential. After some calluses have been acquired this can actually
be a very enjoyable pastime. The repetition of even one passage for a whole day, or even a week, until
flawlessness has been reached can be an almost religious experience for the dedicated banjoist. In
contrast, for the partner in marriage, this daily exercise can be excruciating. It can lead to heated
arguments. It can escalate to the cutting of banjo strings in the dark of night or even, in rare cases, an
attack on the banjo by power saw! (The attempted breaking of the banjo neck over one's knee is not
recommended and can lead to extensive bruising!) We're not even considering the sensitive ears of close
neighbors.

Carolyn and I have just recently celebrated our forty eighth wedding anniversary. I attribute this lengthy
time-span for the most part to my "Marriage Insurance For Banjo Players". It is actually a very simple
operation and does not involve any monthly or yearly premiums. It is merely a method of quieting the sound
of the banjo sufficiently so as not to be disturbing to your partner without losing the percussive qualities of
the instrument. This is accomplished by the use of two commonly used bathroom products. First, take a
regular hand towel and fold it in such a way so that you can insert it between the rod or rods and the back of
the head (of the banjo), but in front of the bridge. It should be of sufficient thickness so that it exerts enough
pressure on the inside of the head to keep it from moving in the direction of the bridge while you're playing.

With just the towel in place the volume of the banjo will be cut down considerably. It might even be sufficient
to keep your marriage intact. For added insurance tear off a section of seven sheets of two ply toilet paper,
fold it double lengthwise and then fold it double widthwise. Next carefully and tightly roll it up until you have a
cylinder the approximate width of your bridge. Slide the cylinder under the strings in front of the bridge.
Your marriage is now secure!

If you do any performing in retirement, or rest-home facilities having just the towel in place will be a relief to
many of the resident with hearing aids. They will now be able to enjoy the banjo without distortion from their
hearing aids.

For your practice, with the towel and the toilet paper in place, your volume will be almost nil, but you'll still be
able to hear yourself sufficiently to have a very useful practice session. One of the side effects of the toilet
paper in front of the bridge is that in effect you've moved the bridge forward which will of course diminish the
tonality of the instrument. This is a small price to pay for insurance that your marriage will endure in spite of
your incessant, continuous, annoying banjo practice.

So You Want To Make Some Money With Your Banjo?
by Don Van Palta

I started out earning a living with the banjo working for others. First at the original Shakey's Pizza Parlor in
Sacramento, California. I started there in 1954. Then, starting in 1960, for 14 years, at the San Diego
nightclub called Mickie Finn's. After that I played on many cruise ships with many different lines for 23 years.
When I left the cruises I started working I started working for myself by playing the retirement centers, the
assisted living centers and the Alzheimer units. By the way, don't be put off by these units. These people
have been some of my best audiences! I'm not kidding! Some of those folks know all the words to all the
tunes I play and they'll sing along with me with much vigor. You'll be moved as you see their smiles when
they realize that they were able to remember all those words!

Every fairly good sized city has to have a great number of these facilities to take care of its older population.
This is the method I've been using to earn some pretty good money playing at these facilities.

I'm assuming that you've been playing for the public enough so that you have an interesting, varied
repertoire and that you're able to play for them without getting too nervous or scared. Almost everyone will
get a little nervous and tight at the beginning of putting on a show. It happens to me too! I've found that if I
start out with three or four fairly fast tunes that I can pretty much play in my sleep, that will get me over the
"hump". What also helps is to get to the facility a bit early so that you can mix a little bit with your audience.
Then, when you're in front of them, or up on that stage, you're just playing for people you know, you're
playing for some of your friends.

If goes without saying that your performance should be more than just banjo playing. To really reach an
audience you need to connect with them. You'll connect some with your banjo, you'll connect some more by
talking to them or singing for them, or making them chuckle or laugh a little.

Let's assume that you've got an interesting show ready to go! What do you do now? You need to advertise
it to the right people. If your repertoire is music of the '30's, '40's and '50's then a lot of your audiences will
be in the facilities that I've mentioned.

I have a list of 120 of these facilities on my macintosh computer, on a software called "My Mail List". It lists
the name of the facility, the address, the name of the activity director, the phone number and an area for
comments. You might already have such a mail list software on your computer, or you can get one very
cheaply. I also use a standard desk calender in conjunction with the computer.

I found a lot of these facilities on the internet. Go to "Google" and search for "retirement facilities". You'll
find a lot of them in your town or other towns in your area that you're willing to drive to. Most of these places
advertise in several magazines exclusive to the trade. One of them that I've used is called "SENIOR
HOUSING". In these publications most of the prominent places in your community are listed, showing all of
their benefits. It even tells you how many beds or units each one has. That is a very useful figure for when
you have to decide how much money to ask them for!

The next thing you'll need to do is advertise yourself to this list. What I've done is make up a three fold
brochure on my Dell computer, on a software called "Microsoft Publisher". With this brochure you'll need to
impress the various activity directors. They'll want to see your picture, know your name, what kind of a show
they can expect, where you have performed before and how to contact you. Don't mention prices in your
brochure!

It's also very useful to have your own website. It doesn't need to be a fancy, expensive one. I made mine
using the Yahoo facility. It costs me $12 per month. If you have any recordings of yourself or videos of a
performance, you'd put those on your website and you would mention them in your brochure. The activity
director could then go to your website and preview your type of music or your performance.

The next thing is to mail your brochures to each one of the facilities on your list. Address it to the activity
director. Your mailing list software should make it easy to make these address labels. On your mailing list,
show when you sent out each brochure. Wait a week or so, then follow up on each one of them by calling
the facility, ask for the name of the activity director, and then ask to talk to him or her.

If you get connected with the activity director, introduce yourself and tell her that you're following up on a
brochure that you sent to her. Ask her if she received it. If not, offer to send her another one. If she did
receive it, than you can say to her that you'd love to come over there and do some "pickin' and grinnin'" for
her residents.

If you get her answering machine, that's OK too. Tell her why you're calling and leave your name and phone
number. Sometimes they will actually call you back! On your "mail" software make a note that you left a
message. Find out from the desk person what would be a good time to reach that activity director and then
make a note of that in "mail". Then call them again at the specified time or day.

If she has received your brochure and seems interested she'll ask you what you charge. You can ask her
what her budget is for entertainment and what she would normally pay for a musical act such as yours. Very
often they will tell you . . . "Oh, we normally pay $75 to $100 for one hour. If it is a very large facility, I've had
them say . . ."We can't pay more than $350 for one hour"!! I would then say . . . "That would be just fine!" I
have a minimum of $50 in Green Valley where I live. In Tucson, about 35 miles from home my minimum is
$75. In Phoenix, about 150 miles, my minimum is $100.

Some facilities change activity directors quite often. It's a tough job! Therefore it is important to call all of
your facilities every couple of months or so. If there is a new activity director, the desk person will let you
know. This new person doesn't know you and probably hasn't seen your brochure so you have to start all
over with her by offering to send her one of your brochures.

Many of the larger facilities will have a retirement section, an assisted living section and possibly an
Alzheimer section. You can then offer to do two or three of them and give them a break in the price. For
instance, if you charge $100 for one facility, you might charge $175 for two and $225 or $250 to do all three.

A lot of the calls I make are long distance. That can become quite costly! Then I found out about "Skype".
Skype is a phone method through the internet using your computer mike and speaker. You can sign up with
Skype at skype.com. It costs about $30 a year!! I've saved hundreds of dollars on my phone bill using
skype for my long distance calls.

There are always places that don't have a budget for entertainment. I play them too! They are great for
practicing your repertoire and at the same time giving those folks an entertaining hour of your music.
Sometimes when I'm playing gigs in Phoenix which is a 300 mile round trip, and I have a gig the next day also
in Phoenix, I have an arrangement where I can spend the night at one of the facilities and they'll even serve
me breakfast the next morning! I always offer to play for them of pay them which they usually refuse. That
sure saves on motel or hotel bills!

It's possible to make some pretty good money playing your banjo in these venues. There is really nothing
complicated about it. You're basically a salesman, selling yourself, and as any successful salesman knows,
the secret of success is persistence, persistence and more persistence! So give it a try! I'll guarantee you'll
enjoy sharing your talent with these wonderful, appreciative audiences.