No Drummer Jokes Today
Current mood: distractable
Category: Life

"A banjo player walked into a bar…another banjo player walked into the bar…you'd think the second banjo player would have seen what happened to the first banjo player and ducked!" - The Canonical List of Banjo Jokes

All kidding aside, the following is really a heartwarming story of courage  With that bit of civility out of the way, let's get back to the wisecracks.  Apparently banjo playing involves even less brain power than previously suspected!

"Banjo master plays during brain surgery"
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4729459a4560.html
"Adcock has been playing the banjo since he was a child and is renowned as an exponent of bluegrass. He formed a "dynamic duo" with his wife, Martha Adcock, the pair becoming known as the "biggest little band in Bluegrass", according Wikipedia.

But Martha recently noticed a deterioration in her husband's fast-picking style because of "mysterious shakes in his right hand", the Daily Mail said.
...
Adcock was diagnosed with "essential tremor", an involuntary trembling that affects millions of people, the paper said,.

Surgeons at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville in the US, proposed a "deep brain stimulation" operation, in which electrodes placed in Adcock's brain would send electric impulses to suppress the nerve cells causing his tremors.

But to ensure they were placing the electrodes in the right spot, the surgeons kept Adcock awake with a local anaesthetic and asked him to keep plucking at his Deering GoodTime banjo, while prodding his brain through a hole in his skull, the Daily Mail said."

I can hear the surgeons now, "We're jus gonna root around in there with a stick an see whut happins!"

""When the surgeons found the right part of the brain, Adcock instantly regained his ability and was able to play at full speed once again," the paper said."

Yeah, so, turning *off* part of the brain re-opened the banjo centers of the brain.

"Adcock told the paper: "I came up in music the hard way and learned to be a trouper fast.

"Some of those early days were pretty rough, and I've been stomped, cut and kicked; but I never went through hell like this - it was the most painful thing I've ever endured."

Even if things hadn't gone well, there's still hope for a banjo player who passes on.

"Saint Peter, wanting the new arrivals to feel at home, promised to spend some quality time with each one. He asked his first arrival of the day, "Hi! What's your IQ?"
"150," he said.
"Great," said Peter, as he showed the man in, "we should get together tomorrow and discuss the Theory of Relativity for a while." He asked the next person, "What's your IQ?"
"120," she said.
"Fine, fine," said Peter, "I'd love to take some time with you Wednesday to discuss current world politics." To the third person, he asked, "What's your IQ?"
"42," drawled the fellow.
"Fantastic!" cried Peter, "I've been looking for years for somebody who could help me perform a banjo duet!" "

Currently listening : Always Take Me Back By John Cowan Release date: By 2002-04-02

8:24 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment -