If I told you that banjos were good for your health what would you say? We are told today that a return to the use of natural/organic products is good for our health, right? I was talking to some folks who attended a Natural Product Expo in Anaheim, California along with 71,000 other folks. As I listened to the descriptions, it dawned on me that banjos are one of the top “natural” products you can buy! Let me show you how!
While banjo music may sweeten your spirit, and they are made from the mighty maple from which we get maple syrup, banjos themselves will not raise your sugar levels like ingesting, let’s say, your favorite chocolate candy bar! But, like those lovely endorphins that are raised through the ingestion of some of our high glycemic foods, banjos can give you the same sort of “elevated sense of joy” that you experience from an Almond Joy!
Gluten gives elasticity to dough, helping it rise and keep its shape and giving it a lovely chewy texture. Some folks can experience digestive issues from gluten. While banjos are made from nature’s most wonderful woods, they can’t help a loaf of bread raise! So, no stomach ache and lots of great “elasticity” for your fingers by constant banjo practice!
How often have I said…if only it that pie/cake/cookie was calorie free! I get such pleasure from the flavor of my favorite pastry. Well, banjos can put a smile on my face…just like my favorite pastry! And my belt buckle won’t need any more holes in it no matter how often I visit and revisit my banjo! What more can I ask?
Have your ever carried a bell bronze tone ring banjo in a hard-shell case across a festival fairgrounds? If THAT doesn’t qualify for weight lifting and cardio, I don’t know what does!! (And I actually do weight lifting!) Then there is holding your arm up in the fretting position while playing for hours and hours…that would definitely fall into the isometric style of exercise! Then there are the constant contraction and expansion of our fingers! Well…playing banjo is better than a gym membership, now that I think about it!
Today we talk about “organic’ as if it has only to do with products made “free of chemicals” or made of only “natural materials.”
Defining Organic
The Free Online Dictionary says:
Constituting an integral part of a whole; fundamental
Webster’s Online Dictionary says:
forming an integral element of a whole; fundamental (incidental music rather than organic parts of the action — Francis Fergusson)
Viewed in this way we can see that banjos are definitely organized parts put together in systematic coordination to allow us to make beautiful music. So, banjos are definitely part of the new approach to organic.
One of the chief things they tell seniors is to join with others in community activities. This keeps their minds and bodies active! I think we can all benefit from this kind of advice. Whether you are at a jam session, a banjo lesson, a concert, or a festival…there are folks, and folks, and folks…you can’t escape the community aspect of making and listening to music.
The Natural Product Expo was put on by The New Hope Network. They have an award where their team of editors and trend researchers choose 3 finalists in 19 categories around innovation, inspiration, and integrity. I think that’s the most outstanding definition of the approach of the Deering Banjo Company to the world of banjos.
There you have it. Next time you hear someone say you should be more “organic”, show them your banjo! Raise it high and with a smile and let them know the reasons why you have been organic before the trend even started!