i won my first mandolin off a fishing bet with my dad. i was 13 and obsessed with jam bands and saw michael kang play an electric one at a string cheese incident show in asheville and became fixated. my dad makes terrible bets, and we're all happy he lost this one because who knows if mipso would have happened otherwise?!! visit north carolina recently commissioned 12 filmmakers to tell uniquely north carolina stories and my brother taylor and his friend and business partner holland were chosen to tell the tale of the bet and the mando. you can watch as a part of the #firststhatlast competition and if you like it you can vote for it - the winning film will get some cash, and will air on pbs. so maybe you'll dig it and share it and help the story be told? watch and vote for it here!

-jacob