Top 10 Reasons to Attend the 20th Annual Winston-Salem Dulcimer Festival

1. Affordable
2. Located in our "back yard"
3. Old friends will be there
4. New friends are waiting to meet you
5. Lots of different instruments to see / hear
6. Books, CDs, accessories for sale
7. Swap table - bring your own instruments and accessories to sell
8. Jam sessions at all levels
9. Nationally acclaimed instructors
10. Inspiring performances

May 2-3, 2014

20th annual Winston-Salem Dulcimer Festival

College Park Baptist Church

Winston Salem, NC 

Register today!

DIY Hammered Dulcimer Festival

A group of like-minded individuals

Gather to practice and play music

The setting is lovely

The hostess is the best

The hammered dulcimer IS the road to fun and fellowship!

This was Martha's 8th Annual Dulcimer Day on the Mountain! It's become an eagerly anticipated, weekend-long event that works as a group effort. Martha and hubby provide the space. Sue Wilson puts together some intense practice for Saturday. Everyone pitches in for meals and snacks and associated clean-up. The neighbors come in for a casual house concert and dessert on Saturday night. In between we share everything from music to gadgets to life situations to … well, by the end of the weekend we almost certainly have learned something significant from each person! I encourage you to put together your own magical dulcimer "day"!

CTO … Instructors Named for 2014 Winston Salem Dulcimer Festival

The 20th Annual Winston Salem Dulcimer Festival will be held May 2 - 3, 2014. The website is still being updated for this year's event, but the list of instructors has been posted. What a line-up!

Check This Out … The organizers of this festival bring in top-notch local and nationally-known teachers. Check out the impressive group of instructors expected at this year's Winston Salem Dulcimer Festival. Mark your calendar. Make your plans. I can't wait to see you there!

CTO ... Dulcimer Day on the Mountain 2013

What a hard-working group! Chord patterns - inside, outside, upside down. I think that's how it felt at times. But here we are in the middle of the afternoon with smiles on our faces.

Check This Out ... Last Saturday, 14 experienced hammered dulcimer players came together to spend the day practicing back-up strategies. We were stuck in 'reel' time all day, but nobody seemed to mind. Bass lines, various rhythmic patterns, chord inversions, snippets of harmony ... I just kept bringing it on and they soaked it up!

At one point, we had fun backing up Cindy Ribet's band using her recording, The Slow Zone, which includes 8 fiddle tunes played at a slower than usual tempo for practicing lead or backup. Check out her web site, or see her in person next month at the Winston Salem Dulcimer Festival May 3 - 4. She'll be teaching a couple of repertoire classes ... "Old Time Tunes" and the popular Christmas tune, Sleigh Ride. Hope to see you all there!

Winston Salem Dulcimer Festival - Registration Time!

The 19th annual Winston-Salem Dulcimer Festival is scheduled for May 3 - 4, 2013 ... less than one month away! Click here to read all about it. Registration is currently underway. Make plans to attend now!

I've been making my plans. I'll be teaching several classes for various skill levels:

Understanding Modes (Advanced)
Who cares about modes? Why do hammered dulcimer players need to know about modes? Knowing the mode of a tune helps you determine WHERE the tune will be played on the instrument and WHAT CHORDS will likely be used. Learn to recognize common modes. Practice by looking at real tunes.

Two-Chord Tunes (Intermed)
Lots of tunes are made up of only 2 chords. Learn how to create ascending and descending bass lines using chord inversions to fit these 2-chord progressions. Use these ideas in arranging or playing backup.

Playing Syncopated Rhythms (Novice)
What is syncopation? How do you play it? Practice musical rhythms that shift the accent from what is expected to be the “strong” beat to what would normally be considered the “weak” beat.

Playing for Homebound / Hospice (All)
Many of us feel the need to share our music. Playing for those who are homebound or living in assisted-living / nursing-care facilities can be a rewarding way to do this. Come with questions and stories as we discuss what is expected of the musician in such a situation. Learn how to: Find your audience ~ Behave at bedside ~ Include family and other care givers ~ Develop a playlist.

As usual, the festival organizers have assembled quite a good line-up of teachers. Here's your chance to get a variety of perspectives and styles. Check the website under "Class Descriptions" to see the full menu. There's something for everyone!

Be sure to stay around for the Saturday evening concert. The headliners are fabulous entertainers ... not to be missed!

This festival is held every year on the first full weekend of May. It's a great place to meet up with old and new dulcimer buddies. Expect top-notch instruction, inspiring and entertaining concerts, jam sessions, dulcimer related cd's, books, accessories for sale, and a whole lot of fun ... right here in central NC.

Make it a tradition!

http://winston-salemdulcimerfestival.wikispaces.com

7 Reasons Why I Subscribe to Dulcimer Players News

The winter edition of Dulcimer Players News arrived in mail boxes this week. I subscribe to a number of magazines, but the DPN is the only one that immediately grabs my attention and demands that I sit right down and read it cover to cover! So, what's the big attraction?

• All issues are archived ... all the way back to 1975. Once current magazines are out of print they become available in the archives, accessible on the DPN website under "Resources".
• I even like reading the ads! It's one way of keeping up with must-have dulcimer products, new cds and books, instructional materials and opportunities, festival flyers, etc.
• Festival listings make it easy to find events in your neck of the woods, to follow your favorite teachers, or to make plans to try something new. Attending festivals and workshops is a great way to find out more about your instrument, to learn new skills and tunes, to enjoy the work of quality instructors / performers, and to meet up with old and new friends.
• Meaty articles for inspiration and education.
• Sheet music for practical application.
• The Sampler CD, included with every issue. Such diversity in the projects out there!
• And the #1 Reason I like reading the DPN ... Connection to the wider dulcimer community (both hammered dulcimer and mountain dulcimer). It's fun to see what my dulcimer buddies are up to!

Speaking of buddies in the Dulcimer Players News ....
One of our own Triangle Trapezoids, Helen Wolfson of Durham, is featured in the "Music and Book Review" section of the current DPN. Look for Helen's write-up of her new solo album, "Silver Lining," on page 46. PLUS, the title cut, "Silver Lining Waltz" is included on the Sampler CD. Congratulations, Helen!

From the western part of the state, our friends Ruth and Steve Smith have had yet another cut selected for the Sampler CD ... "Along This Crooked Road", from their Heirlooms CD. This new recording includes both vocals and instrumental tunes. Well done, Ruth and Steve!

While you're checking out the archives ...
I wrote a couple of articles that were included in past magazines:

"Getting Around on the Hammered Dulcimer", an exercise in shifting octaves.
Please note that the sheet music printed in the magazine is incorrect! The correct music may be found on Sue's website. Look for the link on the home page.
DPN, Summer 2011, volume 37 - #3, page 36

"The Power of One - Using Drones"
DPN, Fall 2011, volume 37 - #4, page 30

Check out the DPN web site. Maybe it's time you subscribed, too!
Already a subscriber? Tell us what you like best about the magazine. What great features have I missed here?

Marya Katz - New Book - "Songs and Tunes from the Time of the Underground Railroad"

A dozen of us spent Monday in Winston Salem at a workshop taught by Marya Katz of Blacksburg, VA. She led us through selected tunes from the collection she has recently put together in her new Dulcimations VI book, entitled "Songs and Tunes from the Time of the Underground Railroad". It seemed a fitting thing to do on January 21, 2013 - Inauguration Day and MLK Day - as the nation celebrated the second inauguration of President Obama and honored the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Music has always been important in the heritage of African people, used for telling stories and bringing people together in common cause. Many believe that the spirituals of the slavery era were used to convey coded messages to help bring the slaves to freedom. It's not difficult to ascribe symbolic meaning to "the promised land" as the north, or "Moses" as a conductor of the underground railroad. At the very least, this music would have served as encouragement as slaves made plans to escape oppression.

During the workshop we had fun playing Steal Away, Tryin' to Get Home, Wade in the Water, The Lord is my Shepherd, and Bonnie Dundee. We played AND sang Follow the Drinking Gourd. That was a challenge!

The book contains 39 tunes ... well-known spirituals as well as several fiddle/banjo tunes from the period .... harmonized and arranged by Marya for solo or ensemble performance. Lyrics are included, as well as interesting trivia.

Marya will be teaching at the Winston Salem Dulcimer Festival, May 3 - 4 (see "Schedule of Events" tab on this blog for more information about the festival).

Interested in Marya's music? Want a copy of the book for yourself?
Here's the link:  Marya's website