Person Record

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1 of 1977 Mike Currao

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Name

Currao, Mike

Role

Banjoist

Spouse

Margaret (Marge) Currao

Places of residence

Florida Long Island New York/North Eastern Pennsylvania

Titles & honors

Veteran of the Armed Services
4th Degree Member of the Knights of Columbus
American Banjo Museum Hall of Fame Class of 2014

Sphere Of Activity

Banjoist Mike Currao was born into a musical family in Brooklyn, New York in 1939. As a youngster, Mike began taking tenor banjo lessons from his father, Charles Currao, an extraordinary musician who had performed with such notables as Paul Whiteman, Bing Crosby and Jimmy Durante. Following in their father's formidable musical footsteps, Mike - along with his twin brother Vince - were performing professionally by the age of ten.
After winning the Ted Mack Amateur Hour, Mike and his brother came of age with the popular music of the 1950s. Billed as the Twin Guitars, the duo's performances ranged from nightclubs to concert halls, always striving for and achieving a high degree of musicianship. In addition to playing guitar for the likes of Paul Anka and Neil Sedaka, Mike Currao's consummate musicianship soon also found him playing his tenor banjo with major orchestras in their performances of works such as Rhapsody In Blue, West Side Story, and Porgy and Bess.
Although skilled on any instrument with frets, the tenor banjo was - and is - Mike Currao's favorite instrument, representing to him what it does to many people...fun and good times. Yet even with such a lighthearted attitude, Currao was a very serious student of the tenor banjo, ultimately studying with the legendary Wizard Of The Strings, Roy Smeck. During his studies it was not uncommon for Mike to practice at least four hours a day in his quest for perfection, leading to an unexpected compliment from the jazz age banjo pioneer.
Having firmly established himself as a banjo performer of the highest order, in the 1970s, Mike Currao began a new phase of his musical career as he endeavored to share his knowledge of tenor banjo playing with others. Not one to settle for anything less than perfection in his own playing, Currao's teaching methods - experienced in settings ranging from one on one lessons with his son Michael to master classes at banjo events around the country, are all aimed at bringing the best out in any banjo student. In the course of his teaching passion, Mike Currao has positively affected the musicianship of hundreds of students including fellow Hall of Fame inductee, Frank Rossi.
Recently, modern technology has harnessed Mike Currao's skills as a banjo educator, seeing him engaged by a popular website known as the Banjo Hangout to provide tenor banjo instruction to its nearly 90,000 members. Additionally, current internet technology has allowed Mike to return to his first love in teaching, namely offering live, individual lessons to enthusiastic banjo students from all over the world.
Today, in addition to teaching Mike remains active in performance as the lead banjoist with the Gulf Coast Banjo Society as well as the All American Banjo Team. His musical career of over 50 years is certainly a testament to his dedication and talent as a performer. Yet, equally important will be the legacy which Mike Currao will leave behind as a banjo educator - a significant musical gift to the banjo world, the effects of which will be heard and seen for many years yet to come. Johnny Baier, American Banjo Museum