Old Time Banjo Workshop

Lydia Sylvia Martin will teach beginner/intermediate old time banjo tunes and techniques. This one hour workshop will cover the basics of old time banjo right hand techniques, and students will learn a song and a dance tune. Lydia has taught and performed for over twenty years, with her album "Chasing the Ghost" hitting the top five in the National Folk DJ charts. She brings a personal element to the playing of traditional old time music, encouraging students to find their own expression within traditional styles.

“Lydia is a wonderful banjo player with depth and technical expertise.” -Tony Trischka

Lydia Martin has performed and taught in the Maryland traditional music community since 1995. She is a member of the Martin Family band and is involved with other collaborative projects. Lydia plays old time banjo, guitar, piano, and other instruments. She also sings and writes music and lyrics. As a writer, Lydia holds an M.F.A. in Creative Nonfiction Writing and a B.A. in Biological Sciences from Goucher College. She writes poems and essays in a lyrical style which is influenced by her work in music.

Lydia plays traditional Irish and old time Appalachian music with her sister, Emily Martin, and their nieces and nephews. Growing up, the two sisters played in a trio with their brother, Claude Martin, who was one of the most talented and influential young fiddlers in the Maryland traditional music scene. Their parents, Carl and Jeanean, also play mandolin and hammered dulcimer. The Martin family has roots in Southwestern Virginia, Ireland and the Philippines. The new generation of cousins includes her niece, flute and guitar player Elora Paul-Martin. Lydia also collaborates with friends including Boonsboro fiddler Rob Caruthers.

Her traditional music is influenced by the playing of West Virginia musicians such as Dwight Diller, Dave Bing, and the Hammons family, and by Kentucky musicians such as George Gibson and Roscoe Holcomb. She was also influenced by the Maryland old time scene. At Common Ground, Lydia also studied blues with players such as Guy Davis, Scott Ainslie, and more. In Irish music, Lydia, Emily and family have studied with numerous traditional music masters including Karen Ashbrook, Billy McComiskey, and singer Nell Ni Chroinan. Emily and Lydia learned vocal harmony techniques from Ginny Hawker and Tracy Schwarz.