Play Me Some Mountain Music

Look what the UPS man brought me today!

That's right...yours truly is fixin' to learn how to play the banjo.  I used a whole slew of Amazon points and got this for less than what a used one would cost.  Can't shake a stick at that.  I can't wait to annoy my noisy hoodrat neighbors across the street with this as I sit out on the front porch channeling Earl Scruggs while J. cleans the shotgun.  Payback is hell, kids.

Okay, I'm just kidding.  In all seriousness, I grew up listening to "old school" country and bluegrass and I never lost my love for it. There's just something melodic about the banjo and I've always wanted to learn how to play it.  That and the fiddle, but I think I better slow down and take it one at a time.  By the way, did you know that the banjo is a percussive instrument (like drums)?  You don't strum the banjo like a guitar - you strike the strings.  I play piano, but this will be my first true stringed instrument and, to tell you the truth, I'm a little scared intimidated.

This Morgan Monroe Cascade is a beautiful banjo with mother of pearl inlays, rosewood bridge and engravings.  It's a piece of art.  When I unboxed it tonight, I just had to sit and look at it before I even took it out of its case.  It's that gorgeous.  And I am a very lucky puppy.

Now I'm off to start learning how to play this thing.  Thank goodness for YouTube and the Internet.  Anybody know any good banjo teachers in the KC area?