Joe Taschetta (pronounced “tass-KET-uh”) has been a folk singer since the sixties. He has appeared at hundreds of rallies and concerts for peace and justice and other progressive causes, typically performing his own topical songs along with traditional tunes.Joe is best known as a five-string banjo player. His seminal book “The Five-String Banjo Primer – or If A Is May Then F# Must Be February,” published by Iowa State University Press, has been helping beginners learn music theory and apply it to stringed instruments since the seventies. Joe also plays guitar, autoharp, and harmonica.Taschetta, known as “Papa Joe,” has performed throughout the Midwest and Europe. He has toured with the Iowa Arts Council and the Indiana Arts Commission in community programs and as an artist-in-schools. As a solo performing artist, he has received grants through the National Endowment for the Arts. Joe’s performances focus on audience participation; he believes that music comes alive when it is shared. Over the years, Joe has worn many hats. He has been a design electrical engineer in industry and a university professor, teaching electrical and computer engineering, analog electronics, mathematics, and music. He is also an award-winning visual artist, painting primarily in oils.