[vintage40s]

At age 81, I am doing something new. Since college I had always been a home-playing finger/thumb picking folkie that could not hold a flat pick when trying to bump-chuck.

Then a few years ago I enrolled in a local folk school for their bluegrass classes (skipping the African drum classes). So 4-8 strangers show up with various instruments and abilities, and the instructor molds them into a group by assigning songs. No teaching at all, and each class ends with a public showcase. The group dynamics makes the best of whatever each person can do.

Thanks to YouTube, and its videos of Steve Goodman, Norman Blake, Clarence White, etc, bump-chucking is long gone and flat picking is as much fun as thumpicking. Now I am a lead guitar and singer in their bluegrass ensembles.