My name is Lew Stern.
“Brooklynbanjoboy” on BHO.
I’d like to ask for your assistance on a project of mine.
I am writing a biography of Dwight Hamilton Diller, who as you certainly know is a 68 year-old musician from West Virginia devoted to local traditions of fiddle and banjo music, and a seminary-trained minister steeped in local Christian traditions and devoted to finding his own faith.
For the past 40 years, Dwight has worked to preserve the old banjo and fiddle tunes and local stories, capture in his own music what he learned the music from elders who played this music, and teach this kind of archaic banjo and fiddle music to students prepared to invest the time and energy necessary to grasp this old, percussive, primitively rhythmic music.
My book is an attempt to tell the story of how Dwight has integrated these several paths, how decades of teaching became the way he sought to show how music might offer hope and guide us to what we could be.
Dwight understands I am pursuing this kind of information about him.
I’m about 500 manuscript pages into this drill, and I’m confronted with several realities.
The first is that Dwight has kept no real systematic records of his teaching work, concerts that he’s played, workshops and retreats that he has run.
The second is that I’m a proud member of a pool of about 100,000 banjo players, BHO, a virtually ready made reservoir of banjo-focused people who might be able to help me.
I’m looking for several things:
First, Contests: information people who recall Dwight’s participation in banjo contests. I’d like to get specific memories where possible of the venue, the dates, what tunes he played, and whether and where he placed in the contest. Any tape recordings of such contests would be very useful, too.
Second, Concerts: information from people who recall Dwight’s concerts – either house concerts or concerts in public venues. Location, dates, who he might have shared the stage with. Any specific memories along those lines. Any tape recordings of such concerts would be very useful, too.
Third, Workshops: Banjo (or fiddle) instruction Dwight organized, for from one to four days -- that seems to be the customary length of workshops. I’d be interested in information from people who attended, or hosted, and can recall where and when. Any tape recordings of such workshops would be very useful, too.
Fourth, Retreats: Banjo (or fiddle) instruction Dwight organized, for from four to seven or so days -- that seems to be the customary length of retreats as Dwight defines them. These could include retreats hosted at places such as the Augusta Heritage Center or at Dwight’s Brown’s Creek compound in Marlinton, WVA. I’d be interested in information from people who attended, or hosted, and can recall where and when. Any tape recordings of such retreats would be very useful, too.
What I’d like to do with this information is put together a picture of the extensiveness of his performance history, the nature and depth of his teaching work.
I’m going to do this via a BHO forum.
If you are so inclined, perhaps you could:
- Tell me a bit about the concert, contest, workshop or retreat you attended: where and when it took place, roughly how many people might have attended, and so forth.
- Explain to me what was memorable about the event, what you recall of Dwight’s performance, what lingered in your memory about the event.
- Let me know whether you have any audio or video records, or photographs (or flyers, admission tickets) of the event that you might be inclined to share.
If you’d be so kind to reply with your name and email, as a second step I’d be interested in reaching out to see whether you’d be prepared to fill out a “questionnaire” aimed at exploring these things in greater detail.
I’d be happy to communicate via the BHO forum but if you’d care to contact me directly, my email is:
I would be grateful for any assistance you might give me.
I’d value your contribution.
Very Respectfully,
Lew Stern
Staunton, VA