Flatbranch Pickin Parlor
Joe has always been entranced by music of all kinds. Being a teenager in the 1970's sort of led him away from the roots of the old time stuff he grew up with. However, in the early 1980's he received his first fiddle for Christmas. From there it went like wildfire. Enter the mandolin, banjo, dulcimer, guitar, and mix that with a WIFE and you have a recipe for disaster. However, being so sweet and understanding (wife is writing this) she stuck it out for years and was happy when the noise finally turned pretty. THEN along came the idea of playing the BAGPIPES!! Well, wife said "I put up with all the other stuff you learned over the years and I am NOT going to listen to you learn the BAGPIPES!" Now when anyone asks Joe "What ever made you want to play the bagpipes?" He replies, "My wife said she would leave me if I ever started playing the pipes, BUT SHE'S STILL HERE!"
Finally, after years of this Kathy finally decided, if you can't beat em' join em'. That is why we now have THE FLATBRANCH PICKIN PARLOR. Joe's dream is to have a gathering place where all kinds of musicians that play acoustic instruments can get together and play. He remembers the days when he was learning. A lady in Moweaqua named Mildred Perryman opened up her home to musicians every single Saturday night for about 25 years. This is where Joe learned to play. He was taken under the wing of Francis (Zeke) Zindel. Zeke taught him all about fiddle playing and woodworking. Sadly, Francis has passed on but he left many musical legacies behind him.
Our dreams are for the Flatbranch Pickin Parlor to be just like Mildred's. A fun gathering place.