Description
Date: August 11 – 16, 2025
9 am to until everyone is ready to call it a day
Skill Level: Novice to Advanced; kids under 16 with permission
Class Registration Fee: By July 14, 2025: $900
After July 14, 2025: $950
* Please note – for this class only – there will be no refunds after July 14. Thank you for your understanding!
Here’s a remarkable opportunity to work with a banjo building master, and come away with your own hand-made banjo. Students will produce a functional piece of art, while learning about the history of the banjo, and while gaining wood working skills. No previous wood working experience is required. Each student will make either a gourd banjo, an open tack-head banjo, or an akonting. Through a watch and do approach, each student will be carefully guided through building their very own banjo.
You will come away from this class with your very own, custom-built (by you!) banjo, and the skills to make more.
Materials fee: (To be collected directly from students by instructor in class): All materials included in course fee.
Jeff Menzies produces gourd, tackhead and minstrel style banjos, African instruments, and just about any other instrument one can imagine.
Jeff creates musical instruments that are more than utilitarian tools to play music. His instruments are functional works of art, a material and historical investigation that balances the play between form and function. He produces custom instruments for musicians and museums worldwide. His instruments are in the hands of notable players including Frank Lee, Rafe Stefanini, Mike Seeger, Ray Alden, Chris Wig, Dan Gellert, David Bragger, Joe Ayers, and more.
Jeff’s instruments have been exhibited at the University of Tennessee McClung Museum, and are part of the permanent collections at the Musical Instrument Museum in (MIM) in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Jamaica Music Museum.
In addition, Jeff is currently sponsoring a GoFundMe to begin Phase II in his quest to build the Jamaica Center for the arts in Treasure Bay, Jamaica. Check it out HERE
