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Chuck Levy has earned the title of Florida's Old-Time Banjo Champion, as well as being a prize-winning Florida fiddler. He is equally at home on 5 and 6 string banjos (five strings plus a short string), whether fretted or fretless, playing clawhammer and minstrel styles. Chuck is also a respected banjo scholar who has visited Senegal and Gambia to investigate the African roots of the banjo. He learned to play the akonting (ekonting), a 3-string banjo ancestor, with Jola master musicians Remi Diatta, and Ekona Diatta. His scholarly work has been featured in the Old-Time Herald and in the upcoming book, “Banjo Roots and Branches” edited by Robert WInans. Chuck’s mastery has been recognized by Gold Tone, which has developed a 6 string banjo, the OT-6, to Chuck’s specifications.  http://www.goldtone.com/products/details/w/instrument/373/OT-6 ) . Chuck is a past president of both the Florida Banjo Society and the Florida State Fiddlers Association, and co-directs the Suwannee Banjo Camp with Ken Perlman, www.suwanneebanjocamp.com/ and the Stephen Foster Old-Time Music Weekend with Jim Strickland http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephen-Foster-Old-Time-Music-Weekend/195008896686 . Chuck taught banjo at the Mars Hill College Blue Ridge Old-Time Music Week in 2011.  Chuck is also active with the University of  Florida Center for Arts in Medicine as a performer and as Chair of the Board of Directors.  http://www.arts.ufl.edu/CAHRE/senegambia.asp . In 2009, Chuck was honored to receive the Thelma Boltin Award at the Florida Old-Time Music Championships. This annual award is given to an individual who has made outstanding contributions to traditional music in Florida. Chuck plays banjo and fiddle in the string bands "Polliwanna Crackers" and "Ferrets of the Mall” and teaches fiddle and banjo in Gainesville, Florida. Chuck is featured in videos regarding the akonting/ekonting at http://shipsofthesea.org/video

 

Competitions:

 

o 2008: Longleaf String Band contest: 1st place: Florida State Fiddle Contest: 2nd Place

o 2007: Florida State Fiddlers Convention String Band Contest: 1st Place

o 2006: Florida State Fiddle Contest; 2nd Place

o 2005; Florida Old-Time Music Championships Banjo Contest 1st Place: Florida State Banjo Contest 2005: 1st Place Southeast Pickin' & Fiddlin'Contest: Old-Time Banjo 2nd Place: Southeast Pickin' & Fiddlin'Contest: Old-Time Fiddle 3rd Place:

o 2004: Florida State Fiddlers Association Annual String Band Contest (Fiddle) 1st Place: Florida State Fiddle Contest 2nd Place: Florida Old-Time Music Championships Banjo; 4th Place: Florida State Banjo Contest 3rd Place:

o 2001: Florida State Fiddlers Association Annual String Band Contest (Fiddle) 1st Place:

o 2000: Florida State Fiddlers Association Annual String Band Contest (Banjo) 2nd Place .