Coleplay: Everyday Life of Cole Larsen

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Cole Larsen in the fall of 2019 playing his guitar in the afternoon.

The pandemic has been challenging for the music industry. Concerts have been cancelled. Many music groups are unable meet regularly to play together. One-on-one lessons have been made more difficult with social distancing.

While Covid has put up barriers for performers, MSA musician Cole Larsen has found a way to play through and continue progressing as a student of stringed instruments and bluegrass.

Utilizing MSA’s unique Student Success Center Independent Study Program, Cole developed his own curriculum to learn banjo over the past nine months. He used the lockdowns caused by Covid as a stage to discover a new passion. Listen to the outcome and read an interview with Cole! You’ll be amazed.

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INTERVIEW WITH COLE LARSEN

Tell us about how you started this journey to learn banjo?

It’s pretty simple, actually. Last summer I decided to sign up for a banjo class and try out the banjo. After my years of playing guitar, I found that with some determination I was able to play a few tunes on the banjo. With this experience and my new found knowledge, I decided to sign up for an independent study at Miller to better expand my knowledge of the banjo.

How did you find a banjo course during Covid restrictions?

It was a little difficult to find an online class that I could take while we were away from campus. Through a couple weeks of researching, I was able to find a program called JAM (short for Junior Appalachian Musicians). I have had some previous experience in the program and have found it fun and captivating with great instruction and a friendly atmosphere. I called the head of the organization for our area to see if I could join the banjo class. She said that I could and gave me the zoom link. The class takes place every Thursday at 3:15.

You developed this into an independent study at MSA. How did this work?

I would learn the lesson. Practice all week. And then record and send to Mrs. Brubaker in the SSC every Friday. I would then dive into a new lesson and begin preparing for the next week’s recording. This has been very enjoyable as there is pressure each week to deliver a good performance—even if it is for an audience of one.

What have you learned to play?

So far I have learned tunes like “Pretty Polly,” “Frosty Morn,” “Elk River Blues,” “Rebel Raid,” and “Lonesome John.” I have learned techniques such as pull offs, and drop thumb. And even had some time to create songs such as “Apple Tree Shade,” “Mid Morning Jam,” and “Caffeine Rush.”

What have been your biggest challenges learning a new instrument via Zoom?

I learned a song in A that was supposed to be in G (two different tunings). I confused the instructor when I played it, and he discovered that I was playing the wrong tuning of the song in the correct tuning of the banjo. It was complicated and it even surprised me when he pointed it out. It might have been easier if we were together in person, but it all worked out in the end. Overall, we adapt and play on.

*Photos in this story were taken in the fall of 2019.