Summary
Banjo Newsletter (BNL[1]) is a monthly magazine devoted to the 5-string banjo.
 Cover of Banjo Newsletter | |
| Editor | Donald Nitchie |
|---|---|
| Categories | Bluegrass and Old-Time Banjo |
| Frequency | monthly |
| Founder | Hubbard and Nancy Nitchie |
| Founded | 1973 |
| First issue | November 1973 |
| Company | Banjo Newsletter, Inc. |
| Country | United States |
| Based in | Annapolis Maryland |
| Language | English |
| Website | banjonews |
| ISSN | 0190-1559 |
Newsletter edit
Founded in 1973 by Hubbard "Hub" Nitchie and his wife Nancy,[2] the magazine covers a range of banjo topics, including features on banjo players, banjo techniques (predominantly the three-finger or Scruggs style and the clawhammer playing style), beginning banjo, music theory, banjo set-up and accessories, product and record reviews. Banjo tablature is featured in each issue.
Since 1993, BNL has been published by its founder's sons Donald and Spencer, who serve as editor and business manager, respectively.[3] As of 2011 the magazine had a circulation of approximately 6,800 copies.[4][5]
The International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) awarded Hub Nitchie its Print Media Person of the Year award in 1992 [6] and Banjo Newsletter its Distinguished Achievement Award in 2008.[3][6]
On April 1, 2013, the Banjo Newsletter web site received a major overhaul. From that time, it included all of the articles and classified advertising published in each edition.[1] Eventually all of the publication's back issues will be uploaded as well.[7] The site now uses AJAX technology to produce uninterrupted playback of the audio files while browsing the site. To avoid bandwidth issues associated with hosting mp3 audio files, links to the sound files were replaced with interactive audio players.[8] The newsletter's banjo tablature selections, previously available only in the print magazine, also were made available online, with the option to purchase each tab separately.[4][7] An online subscription option was added to the range of subscription choices, and a paywall was implemented to limit non-subscribers to five articles per month.[1]
In July 2013, the paywall was reduced to three articles per month, and the latest edition was made accessible to subscribers only.
References edit
- ^ a b c "Major milestone for Banjo NewsLetter". Bluegrass Today. 2013-04 02.
- ^ Rosenberg, Neil V. Bluegrass: A History, p.343
- ^ a b Pitts, Jonathan, "Magazine Tunes In To The Banjo". The Baltimore Sun, 2009-07-12. Retrieved 2012-02-23.
- ^ a b "What Do You Get by Subscribing to the Banjo Newsletter?" Archived 2011-09-17 at the Wayback Machine Bean Blossom.
- ^ "Now Playing: Cult Of The Banjo The Instrument's Devotees Just Can't Help Themselves". Orlando Sentinel, 14 July 2013.
- ^ a b Recipient History - IBMA Awards Archived 2011-06-15 at the Wayback Machine Retrieved 2012-02-23.
- ^ a b Olmer, Tony. "Chilmark is home for the Banjo Newsletter". The Martha's Vinyeard Times, 26 June 2013.
- ^ Frequently Asked Questions Retrieved 2013-05-13.
External links edit
- Official Banjo Newsletter website