Banjo question

I finally, after six months worth of good intentions, managed
to get along to the acoustic music club at my local this
evening.

It wasn't quite what I expected (this is always good). It turned
out to be an acoustic music club (why was I surprised??).

Two violinists (fiddlers), two guitarists, one Irish bagpipes,
one mouth organ, one banjo, sundry singers (including two
without instruments).

I got a lot of subliminal characterisation out of it. I think.

[Dialogue between me and other me.]

"Well, that was an interesting new experience."
"What was interesting about it?"
"I hadn't realised that ... actually, although the musicians were
not what I expected, I was distracted by the gnome."
"The gnome?"
"Yes. There was a gnome trapped in the wall of the cellar."
"A gnome?"
"If he ever gets free, he's going to be *really* angry. But I
don't think any of them were even aware of him."

Anyway, gnome aside (I'll need to take a photo, so you can see
what I saw), one guy turned up, beaming with pride, because he
had bought a shiny new banjo.

One girl[*] borrowed it to use it as a drum accompaniment to her
singing. She didn't touch the strings. (*He* did, of course,
but not very expertly, which is ok for a newly acquired
instrument. Quote: "Practising at home is not the same as
playing in front of a group of people.")

I'm not sure if this will have caused JF apoplexy or a nod of
approval but, since this is the first time I've been within
18 inches of a real banjo, I can't help wondering what the
white stuff stretched across the disc of the round bit is made
of. Any answers? ["Any answers?" On this newsgroup?? <g>]

Jonathan
[*] A not-yet-middle-aged woman with the body language of a girl.
.