I want to give a public thank you to @Mark_Rocka for the help he gave me at Cabin Camp this last week. For those of you who don’t know Mark…you can look high and low, but you won’t find a man more willing to help, share, & sacrifice for his friends. Mark, your friendship means a lot to me and your help at camps is more appreciated than you know. It was a pleasure to meet your pops & host him for the weekend, too. Thank you!!
My Featured Gold Pick Member of the Month
26 Likes
Aw shucks. Thanks Ben!
I hope you know what a blessing it is to get to come to your camps. You shared some glowing testimony with me yesterday from someone at the camp (not sure if it’s OK to say his name, so I won’t.) You know that all comes from you. These camps are the culmination of your overall vision. I’ve heard you comment in the past how these camps wouldn’t be possible without (insert name here) but the fact is, these camps are what YOU have made them. Every morning, you set expectations. Every evening you’re right there picking with us. Every meal you’re interacting and making new friends. You don’t even teach classes because you’re more worried about making sure every single camper is having the best experience they can possibly have. Your camps are the best because you work hard to make them the best.
I really appreciate you letting my dad come along. He had a great time. We were both a little worried he’d be bored since he doesn’t know anything about music, but he found out pretty quickly that one of the best aspects of your camps is the people. The stage you set puts everyone at ease so early on, we’re all good friends by the time the second day rolls around. By the time the third night is over, it’s like we’re saying goodbye to old friends.
If you’re reading this and you haven’t been to a camp, I hope you’ll come to at least one. It’s so much richer than just learning some new licks. It really is an experience.
17 Likes
Camps are great, everything that Mark Rocka describes. Just a minor correction, but I attended a camp with Ben at his Kilgore ranch and he definitely did teach a guitar session. It took nothing away from his attention to everyone, but certainly did make for a wonderful experience for the guitar pickers.
5 Likes
Congratulations Mark. Well deserved. I enjoy reading your posts and what you said about Ben is spot on. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to go to Kilgore but I love the videos and the stories. My life has been blessed by being a part of the Banjo Ben circle.
3 Likes
Congrats @Mark_Rocka !! Of course, @BanjoBen is just reinforcing the things that all of us that participate on this forum… already knew about you. I, for one, am thankful for your input. Ya know, the things you guys say about the camps, and the inviting nature they have is probably true. I say probably because I have not worked up enough nerve to attend one. I still watch that video @BanjoBen made for Pete a while back on pride and being nervous about playing around others, I have it saved as a favorite. I am waiting for it to put me in a place where I can attend the first camp. I’m sure that after the first one, I would be a regular, lol. You can ask the wife, I threaten every year about going to the camps.
Anyway, I am very thankful for what you, Ben, and all of the other unselfish, thoughtful and caring folks here on the site do for us and each other. If the camps have just a glimmer of the traits shown by the members here, I am sure there is nothing better for any level player.
5 Likes
Congrats to you @Mark_Rocka for all that you are and do for others. We met at the very first cabin camp, and have seen each other every year since (except this year as I couldn’t attend one). You’re talented in everything I’ve seen you attempt as a musician, and have always been super supportive to folks at the cabin camps…yours truly included. I look forward to having more fun together in the future!
2 Likes
Congrats! And well deserved! My only regret is I cannot read your answers to all the stock questions, like “What is your dream instrument?”, "How did you gt started with bluegrass music?’ and “Does it have to be a full moon, or is a quarter moon still OK for evening walks on the beach?” 
All kidding aside, well done!
2 Likes
There’s nothing quite like that first camp. I enjoy every camp and always come home feeling revived, but that first one has something a little extra special. I wonder if that’s just the first camp experience for every camper or if the actual first camp had something a little extra.
Thank you for the kind words. Looking forward to more fun in the future as well.
1 Like
Ugh. That sounds exhausting. 
I will answer the “How I got started in bluegrass” question, though. It’s kinda funny.
I had begged my parents for a guitar for as long as I knew what one was. I remember at 4 years old always asking if I could go to the neighbor’s house to look at his guitar (because I wasn’t allowed to touch it.) When I was 11, my grandparents finally got me one for Christmas. It was from Sears and was basically unplayable, but no one in my family played, so they didn’t know. I tried to play it until my fingers bled, but it was just no use. My whole family said “See? It’s a good thing we didn’t buy you an expensive guitar. You gave up.”
So I knew I had blown it with guitar, but I still had the music in me, so I had to come up with a plan to get an instrument. I knew my mom liked banjo, so I told her that I wanted one, and I wanted lessons. Thank goodness I insisted on lessons, because we went down to the pawn shop for a banjo that was, once again, not playable. We got to my first lesson and the teacher said “he can’t learn on this. I’ll hook you up with someone that will get you a playable banjo.”
And that’s how it all started. Turns out I loved the banjo and was apparently quite the natural at it.
Thank you!
8 Likes
@Grinnin I would encourage you to not let your nerves cost you a tremendous experience. I’ve been there. I’m used to playing at home where the only ones that can hear me are my wife and my dog, and I was scared to death the first few (or more) times I played in front of other folks. (I’m past that now, thankfully.) Cabin camp is truly a “safe place”. You’ll find lots of encouragement, and no judgement. And you’ll find other campers that are at the same point in their banjo journey as you are, regardless of your current ability. Please give it a try.
And Ben is right about the pride thing. I’ve had that conversation with him and it helped me a ton. Nobody at camp (or in any jam circle that I’ve been in so far) cares how well I play but me.
2 Likes
Ben said last week that, in a jam circle, everyone in the circle is so worried about what they’re going to sound like when it’s their turn, no one is paying attention to you. And that’s absolutely right. I’ve choked at jams more times than I can count. Not once has anyone ever mentioned it.
9 Likes
I just love this! It’s so darn true! I play with an awfully good picker down here in ol’ California and I am so nervous about what I’m about to play I have to remind myself to listen to how good he is! Hah!
3 Likes
@Mark_Rocka congrats! I am also glad our paths crossed. One thing you taught me that has stuck with me was from my first cabin camp. I remember you saying, “Don’t leave your vocalist behind, just hang one the 1 chord until they get back into the verse.” For some reason it had never occurred to me that the entire band would do this in a real life situation. Thanks for the encouragement over the years!
5 Likes
Thanks! That first camp was something magical, wasn’t it? I’ve now been to 5 camps, but that first one was really special. Glad we got to know each other, even if just a little.
2 Likes