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Reflections: Tom Nechville's Web Journal

2-29-08

Economic Stimulus- The Nechville Way

In order to spark a revival in the economy, I've heard that the administration will be printing more money and handing it out. Why didn't they think of that long ago? Well, not to get on to a discussion of devalued currency and inflation, I'd rather take the idea and run with it. In fact, I think it's a brilliant plan for this time in our global economy. Inflation is kept in check by a degree of global competition, and while prices on raw materials are going up, many products are still made affordably due to efficiencies of high tech and advanced know-how. Productivity is increasing. In that environment, there is less concern with inflation, and those few extra bucks just might be used to add a degree of joy to your life. 

Now on to the purpose of my note. What better place can you think of to spend your hard earned dollars? Tax rebate, or not, Nechville prides itself on offering honest-to-goodness true values in musical merchandise. We are not the Amazon.com of banjos, but we have a variety of products to enhance your musical experience that you may not be aware of. Music has been shown to have far reaching health benefits, for listeners. but especially for players. Playing music adds years of quality time and fulfillment to peoples lives. 

So in order to do your duty to our country and to yourself, I present the following links for some of the most innovative and highest quality products made in the USA:

• Comfort Bevel Armrest $69-89  

• Nechville Acoustic Banjos $1700-6000   

• Nechville Electric Banjos  

• Banjovie Lightweight Travel Banjo    

• Cyclotronic Tone ring upgrade for Nechville Banjos    

• Banjo parts and accessories    

• Dynamics of Banjo Sound Set Up book    

• The New Turbo Electric Banjo Module   

• IMT Tuners

• The Attic - Used and demo Merchandise

• The Flux Capacitor- Mount a Nechville neck on to a vintage pot

9-25-07

Remembering Bill Sullivan

Bill Sullivan was a great guy. I was glad to have had a nice conversation with him the day before he died. He has great supportive sons, a good, and clean work ethic and integrity in his products and services. 

He was responsible for getting many builders started including me. I thank Bill and his family for supporting Bluegrass, the players and builders for so many years, and for being a friend. One time at their house early in my career, I was out of gas money, Bill handed me $100. 

That's the kind of guy he was. I'll surely miss him. 

7-02-07

Telluride Musings

My Daughter Missy and I like the mountains, We all like the music, There's something about the friendliness of the people and the communal glee shared upon arrival at such a remote and beautiful place.

We left Minneapolis at 8:00 AM on a Tuesday. I wanted to make it to the other side of Denver and find a hotel. Traveling with baby Jerome was great, he was the perfect traveler, although his 8 month old needs necessitated extra stops.  We hit Denver at midnight, however there were no hotels or motels anywhere to be found southwest of Denver.

Where we looked, the only sign of life was a lone fox  relieving himself on the deserted motel driveway. We kept driving until we had a tire blow out.  At first, having found the wrong lug wrench we were feeling a bit stranded, but we found the right wrench and persevered until the spare was on. Chris suggested a prayer for safe travels and that we might  find a room for the night. We were exhausted . The last signs we saw for "Inn" or "resort" were all closed up tight. It was 2:00 AM Wednesday when we pulled off into the Colorado wilderness seeking our next adventure. at 2:10  we pulled into a place called Bailey Lodge and there appeared to be a light in the office. We were excited to find an actual awake person doing paperwork at her desk. A feeling of familiarity came over me as I approached the window and her curly black hair reminded me of... Kathy? As I opened the door and stuck my head in, we both exclaimed as if in harmony, "What are YOU doing here?

"I need a room" I said.

"I moved out here a couple years ago" she said.

Our Provider pulled through in characteristically over-the-top Grace.

Our room was comfy and spacious. The next morning we got the tire fixed while getting a great breakfast, then happily made our way through the heart of colorful Colorado. We reached Telluride with just enough light left to setup our tents.

Upon negotiating our way through a dozen security checkpoints we pulled our van into the camping area for workers and volunteers,  It was late Wednesday, and everyone was already packed in like sardines.

Our choice for level tent space was nonexistent. Missy, Chris and the baby camped on a little hillside, and kept waking up at the low end of the tent. I cuddled my tent up against a chain link fence and was lulled to sleep by the kitchen's giant generator truck.

Our welcome of cramped quarters, cold showers, chilly night air and over zealous security staff. mellowed into a warm acceptance of our surroundings, upon the first view of the morning mountain vistas.

Whenever the inconvenience of mountain camping began to erode the experience, just a glance up Bear Creek canyon brings you back to the perfect Telluride attitude.

OK , So here's a question for you. Wouldn't it be nice to have a job that incorporated your hobby, and allowed you to travel to some of the most beautiful places on earth and listen to live music while you drank free beer and laughed and picked with your friends? I can't figure out why I'm not out of my head with happiness. I have created for myself such a job. The sad fact is that we drift in and out of experiences like this. We find situations requiring work, and the need arises to venture into uncomfortable zones. Life isn't all fun, but this book is about making the most of it.

Anna Rose was my Telluride Sweetheart. She is eleven and hooked on banjo. She hung out with me all weekend and never stopped practicing her rolls on the Banjovie. I wish you could see her sweet freckled face glowing eagerness for music. I'm making her a special Banjovie.

This girl represents the transcendent purpose of my job. I need to feel as though what I do is important in the larger scheme of life. I believe that spreading the joy of music, and especially banjo is a noble purpose. Life is too overcrowded with everything else, we need more musical interchange, since it is such a life enhancing pursuit.

Here's a poem for Anna Rose I hope she puts music to it.

Anna hang on and make the music flow.
Something in the wind calls me back to Telluride
it's in your name . hold that rose
its blossom can never die
How long can you hang on?
When your angel eyes turn to your life's love.
will you cling to the dream of our common bond?
will you remember your gifts from above?
You know the way across the mountains.
My love will be there when you return.
It will be found in the wind
Its the new song you learn

Hold on to the rose and give it a voice
Let its essence never die
Sing to the creator of Love and song
While the years roll by.
Anna Rose  bring me to a place
Where love can never be concealed
I can see it upon your face...
Eternity is revealed.

Thursday the gates opened to the tune of the William Tell Overture while the race for the seats nearest the stage were stormed by a thundering crowd of festivarians.. What a sight. This spectacle alone is worth the trip. A nice display of banjos was set up and I was prepared for the stampede of banjo players to the Banjo revolution booth. Well, the banjo stampede didn't really happen, but the weather was perfect. The food was fantastic. We had meal and drink tickets and we truly had a complete festival experience.

This Telluride sponsorship involved making 2 Planet Bluegrass banjos for sale and turning over the profits to the festival.  It was in the best interest of the festival that they help promote the sale of these particular banjos, although Telluride doesn't want to be seen as allowing too much  commercialism and hype at their festival.

The evening at Telluride starts with a few layers of extra clothes, and you have to put them on while the sun is going down, otherwise you'll catch a chill that will be with you the rest of the night.

There were no fires at Telluride, and if you know me, I'm a fire worshiper, and I insist on camp fires with my evening jamming. We were camping with the security staff, who were expected to enforce the rules .When I extracted my portable fire pit, I was met with the discouraging words, "That ain't gonna happen dude."  I reluctantly backed off and started playing banjo and enjoying brandy and beer. Oh the freedom of Telluride lasted until deep into the night Friday, only to be quashed Saturday morning by the guy that thought sleep was more important. I was so compliant, the following night, Chris and I crashed another campsite in a different part of Town park, The jamming Sat Night never reached the transcendent plane of the previous night.

 Where else can you go, live with strangers, and within hours, you have a newly adopted family that you can share everything with?

Bluegrass festivals break down the barriers between people. You can always tell the Newbie festivarians by their lack of proper campsite etiquette. It is customary and traditionally proper to welcome newcomers to your campsite with grandiose gestures of generosity and inclusion. Newcomers and certain youth require training in the ways of festival celebration. Our Saturday jam hosts were turned inward and never made the welcoming gesture. It's not that we weren't welcome, I just think that either inexperience, or perhaps some drug had caused a collective collapse into a self absorbed state of late night complacency. The spirit of Bluegrass is good. Sometimes other things interfere with the free flow of friendship that Bluegrass is about, but Bluegrass friendships prevail and always win the day.

As a banjo player, I am expected to deliver the peppy Bluegrass sound whenever the camp spirit needs a boost. I'm happy to oblige.

Breakdowns after midnight don't always go over so well, however, so my versatility as a player is always challenged during these unpredictable hours when Bluegrass fades into rock and blues, and eventually to no song at all, only non-descript music.

This is where most banjoists go to bed.  Not me. As my guitarist was awake, I was playing with him. He didn't want to learn any songs, and he was uninterested in playing any familiar sounding thing at all. My attempt to play an Eagles song was met with an objection, "Don't play songs!" After my initial surprise, I found his directive to be very educational in the purely musical sense. I began listening to notes springing from his guitar. I touched my banjo, my pick caused a harmonic chime that turned the guitarist toward a minor scale. I got over my shyness and allowed the banjo to lead the melody flow, but I was sensitive to the combination of the 2 sounds, a strange discipline keeps some cohesion to the duet. Bela Played with Chick. They are definitely well rehearsed, but you know that same process was at work with them. Pure musical expression can happen without worrying about mistakes or repetition. Mistakes are the fun part. You might be aiming for a certain note, but when it comes out "wrong" it only becomes raw material for the following musical thought.

Thus Friday magic, quashed by sleepers on Saturday was reborn on Sunday night. After much bitching by the security staff, (I think in response to my zealous fire advocacy), we were graced with an off-the-ground fire container. Hallelujah. Once again my guitar friend showed up and quickly entered the no-song mode. Was it my banjo playing or was it the loud and smelly shit sucker truck that caused everyone but Mr. Songless and me to leave. The fire was still burning, Why did they go away? I kicked off the next songless introduction and waited for the guitar's response to my musical question. I glanced up and Mr Songless was sound asleep with his guitar in hand. How did he not fall over? He was snoring loudly. I just kept playing until the fire died and I jogged him awake so he wouldn't wake up in the coals.

6-07-07

I had a pretty cool day this day. My Mom who's 84 with Alzheimer's couldn't quite cope with the dentist but I took her on a nature walk by Minnehaha creek, and it was beautiful.  It might not have stuck, but for a few moments we connected. I had a wheel chair and thought she'd like to ride and view the scenery, no way, she wanted to walk, I left her for 1 minute to get the wheel chair and she had trucked down a long wooden path toward the creek, seemed like she almost wanted to jump in, she kept getting closer to the water, I let her ramble a little in the woods, hug trees and stuff, we looked across the river and I mentioned how beautiful it looks on the other side of the "Jordan". She usually talks nonsense but she lucidly stated, "Honey you're the only one I can depend on" I told her, "No mom, you're wrong. You can't depend on me either. At this stage of life you have to depend on a higher power. I tried hard to transmit some of my surplus joy directly into her.  I went in to the office for a short time, and went home to deal with the furnace installers, catch a few rays, then Leslie, who's 27th birthday was today, took me for a 2 or 3 mile run that wore me out. We got back and had a water fight, then drove to Belle Plaine where Jane works, we helped her box up her classroom, then we headed for burgers and fries at a local tap. Then went bike shopping, There was an incredible full rainbow today and tons of wind, the sky changed every minute with some interesting formations while we drove to Sams club which was closed, then the camping store to exchange some stuff, You know I usually work all day, but I think you get a lot more done when you don't.

6-01-07

As I'm writing from Midwest banjo camp, it seems appropriate to give a greeting and a comment or two from here.  In general I think the whole idea of time concentrated on playing and exploring your instrument in the midst of so many other players is one of the best ways to get better in a hurry. Sheer beginners however may be a little overwhelmed with the experience. If they can get over the initial sense of hopelessness after being amazed by so many seemingly impossible combinations of notes, they'll be sure to find plenty kind, generous souls who love sharing ideas and advice for beginners. I enjoy coaching and encouraging newer players. I caution them that most books move very fast, and it might be necessary to spend a month or more on even the first half page of some books. If you are determined to learn, then get the best instrument you can afford, (people might want to consult our website for valuable buying tips). Then once you have a good, playable banjo, initial learning can move along quickly. In the Bluegrass style, I like to encourage being able to play the chords first, with any kind of rhythm. and ideally, being able to sing along helps give people a real sense that they are making music. Then as you learn right hand patterns or rolls, you can plug them into the chord structure of the song, and soon you are making up your own breaks to songs, and you are off and running. There are so many styles of playing that are cool, I wish I had more time and energy to learn more myself. The best part of the banjo is the player. I think banjo players are the best, most honest, and genuine and trustworthy people on the planet.
Best to You , Tom

2-19-07

Greetings friends, I've not written for some time and I always feel moved to write on those sad days when I hear of a loved one or brother who has passed on. I'll never forget Denny Malone, who died earlier this month from a sudden heart problem, he left 5 girls, one who was just about to be married. Not enough can be said about the man, quintessential man that he was, hunter fisherman, friend to everybody, a man with a social conscience, and worked for solutions to some of society's toughest problems. The good die young, he was 55. Any of you who knew Denny know what I mean, His family is devastated. A college fund for his girls is established at Bank of the Cascades, You can send a donation to Maloney family College fund care of  Bank of the Cascades, South Bend Branch 61250 S. Highway 97, Bend, OR  97702    541.388.1040. 

 On a lighter note,  I'll be on NBC Nightly News tonight Playing banjo and possibly being interviewed, Bye for now, Tom

10-3-06

9-11-06

Paolo , I think the most progressive player around, he has a 10 yr old son, Jacopo who loves opera, and has been singing with a mans voice since he was about 2 1/2. I'm not kidding. He sang for us and it was the loudest thing I had ever heard, and he's a tiny gangly kid. It was a rich deep tenor voice. In fact he has already recorded with Pavarotti, Bottocelli, and the other top famous stars, you could not distinguish his voice from the others. It was almost scary hearing that come from a kid whose voice has not changed yet.

9-10-06

9-9-06

Hi I made it to Marco's (Italy), trains were trouble though, I stood there and got on, then the train went somewhere else and it took a few extra hours to get here yesterday but the scenery was gorgeous. On the Swiss side of the alps it was cloudy and foggy, then we went through a long tunnel and the sun was brightly shining on the Italian side. Amazing views and I loved the area around Lucerne.

9-7-06

I'm at Franz Elsener's in Schafhausen, Switzerland. Here is the famous music store Musikhaus Saitensprung. We had a barbeque with brats zucchini and meatballs last night. Franz has fig and plum trees in the yard, so its fun to eat right off the trees, I'm going to a jam in Zurich tonight with the Swiss Bluegrass Association. Then rails to Italy tomorrow.

9-6-06

8-20-06

Tragedy In the life of a friend is confounding. The lost potential of a life ended abruptly is bad enough. My friend's one and only child was killed by a subway train. The helplessness of being able to do nothing  to ease the friend's pain twists me into a mix of guilt and sadness. I don't know why grief strikes where it does. I have never had to face the death of my child. Thank God, But to know that life is so fragile and uncertain, sobers and humbles me. I don't know what to say. But I feel the need to try to make sense of it. On one hand there are the living who ought cherish and celebrate the gift of life, But  what of the fathers and mothers who's main reason for living has been blotted out by a freak accident like this? I ask God, "Why?" and He answers with his usual, "because".

" Because why?" Now I can't answer for God. I don't know why, but I do know that people of all ages are called into the beyond and such losses are a great test of our faith. I choose to cling to hope in the amazing love of God and the eternalness of our souls. I wish a loss like this on no one, especially me, but I believe God is sovereign and I pray He keeps the hurting in his loving embrace until such time that they can
rest and be united in the comfort of knowing him face-to-face beyond time.

8-5-05

I'm back from a month in the far East. My daughter Leslie has a year to go in the Peace corps and She brought us to see the sights in China. As Americans we know quite little about this giant country. As a guy old enough to remember the cold war and the communist "threat", China offers up a whole feast for thought. They stick like glue to their belief in the communist party while encouraging open trade and capitalism. Their economy is booming, especially in the big cities and the western model of free enterprise has flourished.  Their stores are packed with buyers, their shelves are stacked with goods, their prices are cheap (to us) and it would seem that they are almost doing a better job of free enterprise than us good old Americans. Practically everything is made there. We depend on their cheap manufacturing as much as we depend on middle east oil. The economic progress is wonderful in itself, but they are exporting dirty air in devastating proportions. It only takes a plane ride from Beijing to San Francisco to see the smog carried by the trade winds all the way to North America. Regardless, they press on, building a more and more powerful economy, that we become more and more addicted to. We think the US is Home of the Free?  Let's talk about freedom for a minute. I'd say freedom is the ability to do what you want. Human (sin) nature being what it is, we need to be controlled by a moral code of laws and regulations and "human rights". China is hijacking the concept of freedom and offering it up without any rules and regulations. There it is survival of the strongest. A pedestrian can't safely cross the street  but the taxi driver is free to mow though a crowd of people. Builders and service people have the freedom to do shoddy workmanship without restriction, but little concern is given for the safety of people. 

Where they are taking advantage of freedom to make money, We in the US have gone too far in the other direction. We have so many laws and regulations that we have lost our competitive advantage.  A good example is that I recently bought a sign for the front of my brick building and spent $11,000 with a licensed electrician to install  new wiring and such. The city wouldn't approve the electrical work and held up my business operation because the sign didn't have a UL sticker on it. The inspector could not give me one reason why that sticker was so important other than "that was the law". I was forced to hire an independent consultant for hundreds of dollars just for him to come and put a sticker on the sign. There are thousands of regulations like this choking American business. What eats me is that these regulations are only for reigning in the unscrupulous minority who would otherwise cheat and take advantage of the system. Over regulation severely impedes the majority who normally want to perform up to high-quality ethical standards. China is hitting us is in our vulnerable spot. I think as China's centrally controlled education and media machine succeeds in developing the country's consciousness of Human morality and ethics, they'll use their new freedom to turn our superpower status into a thing of the past, (or at least a shared superpower status.) 

It's time to wake up America, The land of the free can only be if you and I are morally hitched to the will of our Maker. The answer is not in more law, it's in doing what's right and good, and doing it without restriction.

5-21-05

I can't believe it's been almost 5 months since I have written in my journal. Thanks to all who contributed to the Children's orphanage in Sri Lanka after the Tsunami. Speaking of thanks, closer to home, I want to publicly thank all those who made my recent building purchase and move possible. Thanks to my sweet wife Jane who puts up with my long hours and travels and always welcomes me home. My good friend Valentine Johnson is always supportive and willing to work his butt off to do whatever it takes to get any job done. Bruce Davison is the man of many talents that has almost single handedly prepared the new shop for occupation. Sinok Lao has been valuable both in setting up the shop and keeping production going. Thanks also to neck man Wayne Sagmoen, and The new Guy, Ryan Johnson who is helping me become more organized. Contractors Mike Glasby, Gary At Complete Electric, Dan at Barrett Movers, Earl Booth, and all other workers at the Nechville facility have done a great job getting us up and running. Thanks also to the city of Bloomington; while it was a long, drawn-out ordeal to go through for us and them, we are now cooperating in addressing all the legal and municipal requirements of such a move. and Finally thanks to our great tenants and neighbors in the building, Matt and Sally Waldor at Waldor Pump and equipment Company, and also to Brian and Angie Carlisle at Custom Hose Tech for their friendly neighborliness.

It is great to see most of the pieces of this real-estate puzzle finally coming together, What is emerging, I believe is a picture that only God could have preconceived. Since He is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, my thanks inevitably rise to Him. God willing, I see lots of growth and good times ahead for the music and banjo business. My hope and prayer is that a happy tune may be added to the heart of everyone associated with this business whether customer, employee, supplier, or audience member.

12-31-04 

A belated Merry Christmas to you and a very Happy New Year! I am saddened as everyone is with the natural disaster in south Asia. Two years ago My sister, Jamie Peterson founded a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization called English International Services, Inc.  The primary mission of this organization is to assist non-English speakers with English language, computer skills, and other employment-related concerns.  EISI is registered with the I.R.S., and all contributions made to EISI are 100% tax-deductible.

If you are thinking about contributing financially to the tsunami relief effort, I can promise that 100% of your designated contribution will go directly to well-researched international aid organizations
providing water, water treatment, food, shelter, and other tangible forms of relief to the disaster's survivors.  Not one penny of your contribution will go toward any administrative or other overhead cost
of EISI.  (Having worked for many years in non-profit organization management, I know that this happens much too often in many non-profits.)

If you want to deduct your contribution on your 2005 taxes, simply date your check December 31, 2005, and note "Tsunami Relief" in the check memo.  All designated tsunami relief donations received by EISI
as of January 31, 2005, will be considered as 2005 gifts, and they will be sent to appropriate aid agencies.  If you would like to continue to contribute to this project in 2005, we will keep your
gifts moving on to organizations providing tangible help.  We will also update you periodically to let you know which organizations are making your money work within this enormous effort.

You can make your check out to English International Services, Inc.
(EISI), and send it to:

English International Services, Inc.
c/o Jamie Peterson/Maureen Wilson
16508 Hidden Valley Road
Minnetonka, Minnesota  55345

Thank you.  I hope we can help.

- Tom Nechville and Jamie Peterson

English International Services, Inc. is an Internal Revenue Service
501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, incorporated in the State of
Minnesota (Federal I.D. #74-3026961).  All contributions to EISI are
fully tax-deductible under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code
as an organization described in section 501(c)(3).

Funds will go to: Samaritan Children's Home

11-6-04

Here's a note to someone I met at a Tony Furtado concert who wants a job at Nechville. Tell me, would YOU work at Nechville?

Hi Helen, That joy and light that you derive from music sometimes seems far away when you have to deal with bureaucrats, lawyers, bankers and brokers over banjos. This brings me to my fear. That the production focus at my shop would not fulfill your expectations as an artistic pursuit. It sounds cool to say that you make banjos, and I do sort of drum to my own beat, but in reality, it's a grueling, consuming, and difficult 16 hour a day struggle to keep dollars flowing in and out of my hands. I would love to have more help, but how do I find people that would or could care about what I do as much as I do. I think I'm obsessed; I don't expect others to be, but I wish they were. I think my associates get frustrated with me because I am scatterbrained and have not mastered organization (putting it mildly). I'm not that good at team building and motivation toward the same goal, yet I'm passionate about sound , craftsmanship and musicianship. I am determined to sell products that are heads and tails above the rest, but it is a huge challenge on a large scale. My business is at a critical stage. If managed properly it could go from a small boutique-brand to a major name, but do I really want that? I'm not sure, but the only way I see to go is grow or shrink, and I choose to grow.  I am talking to Musician's friend about putting my products in their catalog, I'm considering more importing but I'm also increasing capacity with new machines and new people.  (Since being forced to move from my business property, I spend from 4 to 8 hours a day dealing with legal matters. So I don't need an art-artist as much as I need industrial artists and business  visionaries with guts and brains to help to take the strain off me.)   My reality sums to this. So what if I voted for Nader? I'm just a Dick Cheney wannabe who happens to have the misfortune of not only being a banjo maker, but a "revolutionary" banjo maker. Now there's an oxymoron if I've ever heard one. If bombs were banjos. I'd be the first contractor in line at the Whitehouse. (Now there's an Idea!)

9-10-04

If this is your first visit to my on-line Journal, welcome, This is a way that I sort out my brain from time to time on issues usually not related to banjos. This time I'm thinking about popularity and what makes for people to be popular. With election time rolling around, there is a big push to get out and vote, So I say Vote. What interests me is certain musical groups including my friends called the Dixie Chicks are out stumping for one of the candidates. It happens to be the "popular" candidate. It occurred to me on my walk with Charmin this morning that when a person allows himself to be himself, his imperfections are apparent. Because, let's face it, We're all flawed. Maybe this is just a way to explain how irked I am whenever I see George Bush. My political viewpoints , however usually align more closely to his party's ideology. I am glad for the opportunity to be in America and say what I want... I wish I had something more important to say. Have a fantastic day!

2-14-04

Happy Valentines Day! Everybody. I was corresponding with a musician friend about the meaning of faith, He said that in Greek, it meant "death to self" or something like that. I think the hardest thing to balance in life is the need to tirelessly fight for the good of all, and yet to enjoy the pursuit of your own dreams and goals. Faith for me has come to be going ahead with ideas and plans without really having the faith in myself to do anything. I lack confidence and I don't "trust" myself to be competent in many areas of life. In a way it means the same to say "death to self "and "I give up worrying about my own ability or lack thereof, and forge on in hope and trust that things will somehow result in the fulfillment of His will." I see it as trusting in the face of impossible odds. My friend's twist on the concept makes me think that the next step of faith would be to step outside my comfort zone, forget about my ideas and plans, but didn't God give me these dreams and goals? what should I do if I didn't do what I want to do? Isn't it impossible to please God by our actions? We can never do enough. Well, I guess this is why I never get through all my e-mails, I dwell on certain ones too long. Anyway it's great having you as a friend. If we aren't on the same spiritual page, we're within a few paragraphs. See ya, Tom

12-3-03

I could simply wish you Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, but without some specifics, that doesn't mean much...Here's to you, who happens upon this...

You are holding up heroically under the strain of life and the added expectations of Christmas presents, entertaining and feeling guilty about tasks left undone. This is life is not always easy. You deserve credit and grand honors for your accomplishments and heavy contribution to your growing sphere of influence. So where are the accolades and pats on the back? Christmas is a good time to give up the expectation of those pats on the back, and instead give the gift of encouragement to another. Credit rarely gets distributed on the basis of who deserves it the most, but those who deserve it are most likely to pass it on to those around him, in turn fostering an atmosphere of joy peace and love. This is my wish; For you to unwrap God's gift to you and give it away generously so that you end up having more. Your friend, T.E.N

11-10-03

Thanks for popping into my personal world for a moment. I ramble here from time to time in order to vent my feelings and to help give people full knowledge of who they might be buying a banjo from. The best part of my job is getting to know people, but since it's not possible to meet you all, at least you can refer to my diary of thoughts, (most of which don't have much to do with banjos.) My wife of 24 years, Jane, deserves a metal of high honor for supporting me financially and morally while I pursued the banjo business, which is not all that lucrative when you are struggling to redesign and figure out how to make and sell an entirely new and non-traditional instrument when no one really was asking for a better banjo in the first place. Well. I feel like I have achieved the impossible.  A few people laughed or shook their heads that a new fangled banjo will never fly. I admit that the Heli-Mount is still a mystery to newcomers and even to many pros, but we certainly have made inroads into Bluegrass, Country and New acoustic music. I hope if you are a banjo enthusiast that you'll do me a favor and please read my upcoming book published by Mel Bay called the "Dynamics of Banjo Sound". In it I will try to dispel many common banjo myths that are rampant on the web and in print. If you have played and studied banjo construction and acoustics as long as I have, and you are able to separate fact from your opinion, and communicate as such without hype and mistaken assumptions, then we'll have a great deal in common and will be able to learn from each other. What bugs me is the hype and fluff that is not sound and has no basis in truth. Underwater wood is 99.9% bunk. Nearly every bridge out there is overblown in its claims, New "fantastic" tone rings are useless without a mating rim and proper setup. No banjo component should be sold without educating the customer about how it couples with the entire banjo system. Buyer beware, If you want the straight scoop ask me, I always try to back up my answers with sound reasons.

7-6-03

It's been a while since I have written in this place. I have just spent nearly a month touring Europe. I love knowing that all around the Globe there are people who love the fellowship of music and share a spirit of kinship in the traditions of hand picked music. I especially appreciate friends like Andreas(Andy) Glandt from Jena Germany who as a contemporary 5 string Banjoist helped tear down divisions between East and West. Another German Super Picker, Oliver Waitze has jumped on board the Banjo Revolution train and will be dealing Nechville Instruments. I am thankful for friends and Nechville Players like Parisian Jean Marie Redon, who rocks the French countryside with his unique blend of Country Blues and Bluegrass  flavored rock. and his band mate and banjo Student Sharon who was so nice to be our tour guide and have us over for real French home cooking.  Czech multi-instrumentalist Lubos Malina of Druha Trava and Robert Krestian's Band is another Former East Block musician that deserves a metal of honor from the Banjo Revolution homefront. Czech Banjo Maker and friend Jaroslav Pruha is another Banjo Revolutionist worthy of high honors.

5-2-03

I wonder how it came to be in the great "Land of the Free" that local officials seem to have unlimited power to intervene in every aspect of a small privately owned business such as mine? I must apply for renewal of my business permit, but if anyone at the city for some reason wants to see that I don't get the permit, they will fabricate a reason to deny me. For nearly 2 years I have operated my little banjo office without problem or even the slightest disruption to anyone. Why did the city decide to send secret agents to snoop around and try coaxing my tenant into committing a zoning violation?  Could it have something to do with the fact that they have plans to re-develop the neighborhood and would like me to not be here anymore? I wish they would have told me they had such plans and I might have thought twice before spending a quarter million dollars on the building. Could it be that the land they will need to widen the street next year will be cheaper after they deny my right to stay in business, thus rendering my business property useless?  They have come right out and said that they don't want me here, so why don't they buy me out? They said they would, and soon after I stated my price, rather than making a counter offer, They said "sorry" they will not buy the property after all. Could it be their strategy to manipulate the zoning code in such a way as to run me out of business, thereby plucking this valuable real estate from my bankrupt fingers?? Forgive my cynicism. I do have faith that all will work out to the benefit of all. But sometimes even in America it's a long climb to Justice.

12-6-02

A good friend of my family passed away the other day.  I've known Paul Johnson all my life.  Not well, but well enough to feel sad at his passing.  His funeral is today and I'm late, as usual.  My parent's generation is gradually slipping away, and I miss them.  Perhaps this is the reason that I'm thinking about spiritual things all the time.  This life is really short in the context of time, and I am glad to be doing something I love with my time.  I like the process of building things out of the beautiful woods and natural materials I find.  But the most satisfying part of my job is knowing that others might benefit spiritually, somehow eternally because of the musical tools I put in their hands.  I think music guides us to a spiritual  place as much as anything else I can think of, and I look forward to seeing all my friends there in the sweet by and by.

11-15-02

This is a personal note from Tom Nechville, founder of Nechville banjos.  I love life and I love the giver of life.  Thanks be to Who made this world possible.  I am often in wonder about the many viewpoints of religion.  I do not condemn any of them.  I profess no "religion", as the term religion normally connotes set and regular modes of behavior.  My erratic, scatter-brained personality longs for the ability to be religious.  But I am incapable of it.  Let me clarify that the ability to worship God by sticking to a list of do's and don'ts is admirable, yet I think incomplete if the actions lack heart.  Of course actions driven by the spirit of God are our ultimate goals and treasured pursuits.  I hope for the grace of God to open his will to me and you, so we may find our path in this cluttered world. TEN