Picking and grinning

Published October 21, 2009 12:06 am - Brett Beasley, a Westmoore sophomore, walked into the Double Stop Fiddle Shop in Guthrie last February and played a few of the banjos they had for sale.
He played so well that recording artists Byron Berline and John Hickman, "were pleased," Sherita Beasley, Brett's mother, said.

Picking and grinning


By Peggy Laizure

Brett Beasley, a Westmoore sophomore, walked into the Double Stop Fiddle Shop in Guthrie last February and played a few of the banjos they had for sale.

He played so well that recording artists Byron Berline and John Hickman, "were pleased," Sherita Beasley, Brett's mother, said.

Berline, a fiddle player, gave the Mike Clark Music scholarship form to Beasley and asked him to apply.

The scholarship is sponsored by the Oklahoma International Bluegrass Festival board of directors and is awarded to youth 10-19 who play an acoustic guitar, fiddle, mandolin, bass, resophonic guitar or banjo.

"The scholarships are awarded to musicians seeking to establish or build up their knowledge of traditional acoustic instruments and music styles," said OIBF scholarship committee head Jim Garling. "Most often these scholarships are used to help cover the costs of lessons, camps and other music classes needed for students to fine-tune their skills and add to their musical repertoire."

"We have the privilege of not only helping young musicians, but also adding to the future of bluegrass," he said.

Beasley received the scholarship and he will take lessons with fellow banjo player Hickman.

Although he has played the banjo less than three years, he is "doing quite well," Sherita Beasley said.

He has played at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kan., Stage 2, Stage 5 and the Flood Stage. He has played with Tall Cotton String Band and New Elephant Revival.

Beasley said he would like to find other teens to play that are interested in the same type of music.