Janet Davis Music Print

"Who could not love the banjo from birth?" says Janet Davis Music logoJanet Davis of Janet Davis Music Company. That is the kind of feeling that brings successful banjo sales and carries you to the rank of Master Dealer for Deering Banjos! "This business was founded with the love of banjos as its basis. The store, now located in Bentonville, AR, was founded in 1977 in order to provide the quality instruments, accessories, and instructional materials especially for banjo which people around the world were seeking."

Trained as a classical musician on the piano from the time she was 4 years old, Janet Davis discovered the banjo along the way. "I found it to be as intriguing and challenging as any instrument in the world." It is this passion for banjo that keeps customers coming back again and again for advice, accessories, instructional material, and of course, banjos! "I wanted the banjo to be respected in the musical world, just as the guitar was gaining respect at the time. In the 1970's, TV shows, commercials, and several popular movies definitely helped promote the 5-string banjo, but usually with a hillbilly" image. I started writing instruction for the banjo to help people find the "key" to playing the banjo. JDMC was a natural development, to help people have a banjo and the accessories to help them enjoy playing."

Janet and Greg Deering founded Deering banjos and shared this common goal of raising the awareness and integrity of the banjo. It is no wonder that Janet Davis and Janet Deering enjoyed their interaction in the early years of both companies.

Janet Davis Music in one of the oldest Deering dealers and came on in the days when Janet Deering was on the phone calling music stores to sell our banjos. Janet Davis recalls those days fondly, "We started carrying the Deering banjos in the early 1980's. Janet was fun to talk with, and we shared a lot in common. I knew the banjos would be excellent quality and made in the USA. ...As a banjo store which specializes in banjos, Deering banjos were a natural. The first Deering sold was a GDL. Janet Davis Music Company also had booths at several big festivals in Texas, and this was a great way to let people play the Deering banjos. They sold themselves."

Jim Davis, Janet's husband, built a banjo for her in the late 1960's and she began teaching and writing for banjo. Because her column in the popular magazine Banjo Newsletter, people began to write to Janet asking for more books, instruction, and asking for quality banjos. "Traditional music stores seemed to carry the entry level imports. In 1976, Janet Davis Music Company was established with the goal of promoting the banjo and its music as a respectable, acceptable, and desirable instrument for all people." JDMC began meeting the needs of aspiring and experienced banjo players. "This is how we began to grow and develop as a worldwide resource for banjos and anything related to banjos. We now have a staff of talented musicians who are also excellent technicians and understand the banjo. They enjoy talking with people and helping them select the right banjo for their level and pocketbook. They can also help them later on when an adjustment issue arises."

"When it comes to banjos, why carry Deering banjos for your customers, " we asked. "...Deering makes excellent banjos for every price range and for players at all levels, form entry through professional. We have to have the banjos readily available, so that we can fill the orders when they come in. Also, we enjoy playing each banjo to make certain that everything is perfect before we send it. Deering  builds a wonderful instrument, so it is very worth having every model on hand." To be a Master Deering Dealer, the store must carry at least 30 different Deering banjos and a minimum of 12 varieties of Goodtime banjos. "We ship Deering banjos to banjo players all over the world. We are shipping a lot of Goodtime banjos to our solders in Iraq, too. This wasn't possible during the Vietnam times. Through our website we are able to show all the Deering models, and up close. People can even hear them on the web." "One common problems we have to deal with when helping someone select a new banjo is making certain the customer's spouse will approve of the banjo purchase. Again, it is easy to recommend a Deering! Deering Banjo Company and Janet Davis Music Company have another thing in common...customer service is of primary importance. "It is great to be able to pick up the phone and call Deering with a particular question. A cheerful voice is almost always available  who can answer our questions." Speaking of enjoying the interaction with Deering staff, "This has been ongoing since JDMC first became acquainted with Deering and it has been so much fun to meet everyone as Deering has grown. Each and every person at Deering is friendly and knowledgeable, and a joy to work with. We always tell people, when we recommend Deering banjos, that the Deering "people" re good people, and the banjos reflect this. Any time any type of issue arises, Deering has always been willing to help."

Public awareness and versatility are keys to success of any company. The successful working relationship of Janet Davis Music Company and the Deering Banjo Company is fueled with many positive examples. Among these are the Deering catalog inserts, Deering's website, and customer referrals which "are very helpful, as the customer feels the manufacturer trusts us." In the early 1980's, Deering sent us a stack of catalogs, which we included in our orders which we shipped to customers." JDMC has featured Deering banjos in their own store catalog since 1984. "At bluegrass festivals, we always had a Deering available. Now we feature the Deering banjos in our magazine ads, in our catalogs, and our website." "Another plus is that Deering continually adds to their line, and as technology advances, Deering banjos continued to offer more. This makes it possible to provide an instrument to a beginner that he can enjoy with success, or to someone playing in a band that is looking for a better sound. It is easy to recommend the Deering banjos. We can count upon each banjo as being excellent quality, easy to play, and we know it sounds beautiful. We don't have to try to sell the banjos. We love it, and just describe it, and recommend it."

Janet Davis is a lovely, petite woman who speaks with a melodic southern charm and she is a mighty champion of the banjo! Well know today for her excellent instructional material, it is hard to believe that she actually had to confront the US copyright office in the early years to get her first book published! Janet started writing instructional books because at the time, there were very few courses available. "Most books started with a roll pattern and jumped right into songs. The first book I wrote in 1974, and the copyright office refused to copyright it because it had tablature. I wrote an explanation to them about the history of tablature and how to read it, which is simple, and they agreed to register the book."

Deering Banjos and Janet Davis Music Company are truly natural companions, with common goals that strongly connect them to banjo lovers all over the world!

Through her writing Janet's "goal ahs been to put a banjo in every person's hands in the world, and make sure they could play it. I knew they would enjoy it, if they could play it." She continues, "The banjo is a fun to play instrument for people of all ages. It is not difficult to learn, yet it can be challenging for those who are looking for the challenges. And, above all, any type of music can be played on the banjo. The 5-string banjo is for everyone!"