A postscript to last week's article about counting ...

Here's a story to illustrate a creative strategy for keeping your place in the music.

"For the Future" is one of the songs I performed with the Binkley Baptist Church choir last Sunday from Malcolm Dalglish's Hymnody of Earth. It's a round that keeps coming back around with the dulcimer part repeated six times. It's a fun piece. The dulcimer part is plucked and consists of a D pattern repeated four times, a G pattern repeated three times, then one A pattern that moves back to the beginning.

• The first time through the dulcimer plays an intro, alone.
• The second time the first round of voices begin, in unison.
• The third time the round begins, with all voices joining in at designated times.
• The fourth, fifth, sixth times voices are weaving in and out. Lovely!
• Tags and retard at the end.

Here's the trick: (Pay attention, now! If you ever play this you'll want to know.) When the round begins during the third time through, the dulcimer must play the D pattern five times!

In my practice everything was working out pretty well the first three times through ... up to and through the point where the round began. I could successfully play the intro alone, then with voices in unison, then the odd part when the round began. After that I knew I had three more times to the end, but I was having a hard time counting to 3! There were too many things being counted at the same time and "1 - 2 - 3" just wasn't getting it. Then I came up with this bright idea ... I named each part after one of my children.

I would think of Noah while playing Round 4. Abi was on my mind during Round 5. When I got to Round 6 and envisioned Andrew I knew I was finished. Ha, ha! It worked!

Plucking "For the Future" with Binkley Baptist Church choir

What creative strategies have you used successfully to keep your place in the music?

CTO ... Malcolm Dalglish's "Hymnody of Earth" to be performed at Binkley Baptist Church, Chapel Hill, NC

"A ceremony of songs for choir, hammer dulcimer, and percussion. Composed and arranged by Malcolm Dalglish. Featuring the poetry of Wendell Berry. Songs are in praise of the beauty and glory of nature."

I agreed to take this project on during the winter. As expected, it has been a lot of work!

• choreographing written music to the instrument
• working out hammer patterns
• listening again and again to recordings of the dulcimer parts with the choral parts
• playing along with my best friend - the metronome
• rewriting sections that are beyond my skills without losing the 'feel'
• getting help when I needed it (thanks, Marya)
• memorizing everything
• practicing whether I felt like it or not
• practicing some more
• attending rehearsals
• focusing on focusing 

Don't get me wrong. It hasn't been all bad. In fact, I would say it's all good! I am certainly enjoying the benefits that come from intense practice ... in all my playing. And now it's time to perform!

Check This Out ... The choir at the Olin T. Binkley Baptist Church, 1712 Willow Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, will perform selections from Malcolm Dalglish's "Hymnody of Earth" this Sunday, June 9, during the regularly scheduled 11:00am worship service. Sue Wilson will play the hammered dulcimer accompaniment. (There will not be a percussionist performing this time.) It's a beautiful work. Come on out and hear what it's all about!

For those who are interested in which songs will be performed:

• The Dark Around Us
• The Wild Geese
• For the Future
• Thrush Song
• Walking at Night
• Hunger and Thirst
• Plus, more that do not require dulcimer accompaniment

Warning: Serious Practice in Progress

My intention has always been to say, "Yes!" if at all possible to opportunities to perform. Scheduling gigs has provided meaning to my practice, has pushed me to grow, and has helped me learn to manage stage fright.

This winter / spring, I've taken on a big project ... Malcolm Dalglish's "Hymnody of Earth."  It is a collection of songs composed and arranged for hammered dulcimer, choir, and percussion, featuring the poetry of Wendell Berry. I've taken on the responsibility of playing six selected songs from the complete work. That would be six complex pieces to work out, learn, memorize, eventually to coordinate with the choral director, choir, and percussionist. Sometimes I wonder, "What was I thinking?"

But I got smart. I arranged a tutoring session with my friend, Marya Katz, who performed some of the pieces last fall. That was a big help! She provided not only specific tips and suggestions for playing a couple of the pieces, but also the special encouragement and support that a good friend can provide.

Events have been put into motion. Practice is underway. I feel alternately capable and overwhelmed, sometimes both in the same practice session! No matter what, of this project I am certain:

• It will require structured and focused practice.
• It will sometimes take more time than I have to give.
• It will bring on fear and trembling.
• It will get me out of the "minimal practice" rut.
• It will improve my overall playing.
• It will be fun to be a "part" of the "whole".
• It will be over on June 9.

I've been "tweeting" my progress. You can follow me if you like @hammerdulcimer

Have you taken on something big? Is it worth biting off "more than you can chew?" How will you know, if you don't try?