The Gulf Coast Banjo Society (GCBS) began back in 1988 with a small group of about 12 musicians getting together weekly to play their banjos and build connections. Today, the group has nearly quadrupled to include around 58 members playing various instruments, still with the same mission of sharing music and friendship. Fans can find them entertaining the crowds at the historic Florida fish camp restaurant, Snook Haven in Venice, every Thursday from 11am to 1:30pm from October through May.

Music Director Paul Jacques has been playing the bass guitar and leading the band for over 31 years. “We’ve grown a lot over the years and we now have more instruments playing with us than ever before. However, we still play the same music we always did from the ‘20s all the way up to maybe the ‘70s and ‘80s and we still have the same big crowds that come to see us at Snook Haven,” says Jacques. “I look around at the crowds and I see we're entertaining them, they're having fun and we're having a ball, so we just try to keep a good thing going!”

While everyone in the group is now considered a musician, they did not necessarily start off that way. Jacques explains that some members have joined the group because they were interested in learning and meeting new people. “Just like anything else, if you really want to do it and you're really having a good time, you'll buy some music books and you’ll work it out in time. Maybe you won’t play every song in the beginning and that’s okay. We have enough experienced players in the group to carry the whole thing until the new players get up to speed.”