The Next Generation of Bluegrass: Meet Watauga Student and Banjo Player Liam Lanham

Lanham and his band “The Blue Ridge Stringbenders” perform at Floyd Fest. Photo credit: Bradley Pearce

Selah Greer, Editor in Chief of The Spark

Most who call these mountains home have heard of Doc Watson or have been graced by his bronze smile on King Street, his hands forever frozen over the same chord. Doc is now a legend, but there is still room in the field of bluegrass for innovation.

Here at Watauga High School, a new generation of old time is in the making. Clawhammer banjo in hand, sophomore and award-winning musician Liam Lanham is carrying on the musical tradition of the High Country. 

Lanham started seriously playing the clawhammer banjo - a traditional style of picking on an open back banjo - four years ago. Though Lanham grew up surrounded by a family of musicians, it was the local bluegrass community that ultimately inspired Lanham to dedicate himself to his music.

“I started playing at the jam program, which is hosted at the Jones House,” said Lanham. “The most I ever learned was at the Jones House Jam.”

The Jones House jams are just one example of the rich environment for musicians in the High Country. From live music at the Valle Crucis park every Friday during the summer to fiddle camps and weeknight jam sessions, somewhere in the community, musicians are constantly gathering to create something beautiful. 

“We practically have a jam every night of the week. I took that for granted for a while, but after I've gone away from here and talked to other musicians. I have learned that a lot of places don't have as many places to learn,” said Lanham. “If you want to play music here, especially in Boone, there's so many opportunities to do that.” 

Lanham has also taken advantage of opportunities off the mountain to play the banjo: music conventions. At these conventions, old time musicians from all over the country gather to play their instruments, and sometimes even earn recognition for their talent. Lanham has traveled to countless such conventions since he began playing the banjo, including a prominent bluegrass competition in Galax,Virginia where he achieved national recognition.

“This summer, I won on the banjo, and that's the biggest competition for youth. That was a pretty big accomplishment to play at Galax,” said Lanham. “But other than that, I really felt successful last summer when I played at Earl Scruggs Musical Festival. That was really fun, and I played really well.”

Though Lanham enjoys picking old-time classics like “Johnny Don’t Get Drunk” at music conventions and local gigs, he also enjoys composing his own music. 

“When I'm trying to write a song, my favorite way to do that is I'll just sit down with an instrument, whatever it may be - guitar or banjo or whatever - and just play around with it until I find something that I think sounds cool or could become something that sounds cool,” said Lanham.

Writing his own music is both a passion and creative outlet for Lanham and has provided Lanham with a deeper appreciation for music, even music outside of his genre.

“I love listening and making music as a form of expression,” said Lanham. “I think it's an important form of art. It's the same as drawing or painting, right? I think it's important to be able to appreciate music and not just like the style of music that you particularly like. I appreciate all music. Even if it's not necessarily something I like, I can appreciate how difficult it was to make and the time it took to make a song.”

Aside from his solo banjo career, Lanham plays with his band, “The Blue Ridge Stringbenders.” Together with his brother, Noah Lanham, Orson Cornett, Whitleigh McGee, and Patrick Walker (9), the band plays music festivals and gigs around town.

“This summer we played at the Jones House Summer Concert Series and Floyd Fest, and we are playing Earl Scruggs Fest in September,” said Lanham.

At the high school, Lanham plays the bass in the school orchestra. Though the banjo remains his primary instrument, playing in the orchestra has greatly expanded his musical knowledge and talent.

“The first month or so of orchestra, I had no idea how to read music,” said Lanham. “That was a real challenge. But after I learned how to read music, I also learned about music theory. It has expanded me as a musician so much because now I can now write music. I can write down stuff I do on the banjo.”

For Lanham, creating music is far more than an extracurricular. It is a community, passion, form of expression, and way to see the world. 

“I've made a bunch of really good friends playing music, but playing music has also shaped my outlook on doing hard things, " said Lanham. “Initially, when I was learning, I couldn't play anything. And when I was at a jam, I played very quietly, even on the songs I did know. But now I can go to a jam and I can sit down and even if I don't know the song at all, most of the time I can pick it up quite quickly. [Playing music] has made me a lot more confident.”