Adventure in the Banjo Shop

For the first time ever, Nathan Hellman's Blog has a GUEST BLOGGER!!! And who more appropriate than my father, Richard N. Hellman, practicing nephrologist and (as it pertains to the story) banjo player. Warning: there is some hard-core banjo terminology in the story, don't let it scare you away! Take it away, Dad:

"[While in the Marais], we found an amazing old music shop which was filled with old and unique instruments including banjos. The place was run by a luthier (somebody who makes or repairs stringed instruments) whose office was in the back room and when we arrived he was fixing a horn for a client. The shop had instruments hanging in every corner of the room and from multiple ceiling racks. Pat and Claire mentioned that I played the banjo and the proprietor was anxious to have me play an old Essex professional 5 string instrument. It turns out that I have a 1920 Essex popular 5 string banjo that I use for claw hammer and frailing and it was fun to play the larger, more sonorous instrument. The owner then played a small banjo ukulele with four strings in the plectrum style. We were have a great time when as the owner reached up to replace another insturement in the overhead rack, the entire circular rack with small banjo ukes and one horn fell on my head and hit Pat's left chin!! The rack was about 10 feet from the ground. Miraculously, injuries were minor. I was wearing my stocking cap and it cushioned the blow. Pat did take a hit to the left lower chin which caused some bruising but not much. There was some instrument damage but the most was to a small banjo uke, and multiple other instruments were not injured. The owner felt terrible and could not apologize enough. I assured him that we would be OK. Ironically Nathan had just remarked to Claire asking “ what if a rack fell”. The reason for the rack's fall was that the molly bold had pulled through the ceiling plaster. A little about the design of the rack is that they were formed like circular chandeliers from which hooks were hung and from these the instruments. Altogether a weird set of events."