Author Archives: Phill Gibson

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About Phill Gibson

I’m from Huntsville, Alabama where I work as a Hospice Chaplain and part-time banjo instructor. My former careers were in Research Biology and Software/Systems Engineering. My wife Miiko and I worship at Rivertree Downtown. I’ve been playing various instruments since my teen years. I started mandolin and dulcimer at about age 17 and banjo at 20. I love just about all kinds of music. In terms of banjo styles, I play and teach Scruggs, melodic, clawhammer, and 2-finger styles. I’m also very keen on theology, being a Trail Care Partner with the Land Trust of North Alabama, photography, urban planning, astronomy, ATM (amateur telescope making), birding, and about 30 other distracting hobbies to a (mercifully) lesser extent.

The Coming Winter Storm

Posted on February 14, 2021 by Phill Gibson

We seldom get real winter weather here in Huntsville, Alabama. But occasionally, it does give us glimpses of snow and ice, maybe even several inches of winter precipitation. The record for snow here in Huntsville came around 1962 or 1963. … Continue reading →

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Reciprocity in Music

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Phill Gibson

Those of you who remember film in cameras will recall, perhaps, the notion of film reciprocity and the associated attribute of reciprocity failure; that quality whereby film, upon being exposed, started to lose its sensitivity to take in photons at … Continue reading →

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Winter – The Season of Textures

Posted on February 4, 2021 by Phill Gibson

With winter comes barrenness. No bright spring or even fall colored leaves. Yet, winter has its own fascination that is devoid of bright color – you see it in the textures, shapes and patterns, hidden underneath the more obvious colors … Continue reading →

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5 Balances in Your Music

Posted on January 28, 2021 by Phill Gibson

All of life is a series of balances. At least, that’s what I think. I often say that in response to discussions of complex topics, as though it is the be-all and end-all of the subject. In reality, I do … Continue reading →

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Trail Building: How I Got Started

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Phill Gibson

I’ve mentioned here and there that I am a volunteer Trail Care Partner with the Land Trust of North Alabama. I’ll call them just ‘the Land Trust’ here for simplicity. Been a volunteer with them since April of 2016. That’s … Continue reading →

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When the Teacher is Taught by the Student

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Phill Gibson

Teaching, by its very nature, implies a certain terminus. Courses are scheduled for a finite period of time and are completed. One reason being that no teacher could possibly teach someone forever. Teachers have finite information which they share; when … Continue reading →

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Patterns in Nature

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Phill Gibson

Here are some photos I’ve taken over the years of something that is rather fascinating to me: patterns found in nature. Wikipedia has a great resource on these.  Although patterns are found almost everywhere you look, these particular patterns are … Continue reading →

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Rethinking My Online Content

Posted on December 31, 2020 by Phill Gibson

It’s time I revisited my various online sites; this blog, my website (especially my outdated website!) and my photography portfolio hosted on Wix. With three different online sites, it is starting to get confusing. I need a more cohesive collection … Continue reading →

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Remember Your Early Goals

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Phill Gibson

I remember when I first started playing the banjo, one of my main goals was to sit under a pine tree (a very specific one) and play Foggy Mountain Breakdown. Somehow, that goal got lost rather quickly for me, and … Continue reading →

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Strength, Accuracy, and Speed

Posted on December 14, 2020 by Phill Gibson

If you’re the type of musician who just likes to grab your instrument and start playing without much analysis of techniques, you probably won’t get much from this post. It’s a very in-depth look at what you are really asking … Continue reading →

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