Concert THIS Saturday!

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

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?

CTO ... Shining Light Project brings the joy of music to the underserved in Asheville

Musicians can and do make a difference. Here's a story to inspire!

Kate Steinbeck, flutist and founder of the chamber music ensemble, Pan Harmonia, says, “I’m on the planet to play music and share the light, and music has the power to do that.”

Check This Out ... Pan Harmonia is an independent artist collective based in Asheville, NC. They perform professionally throughout the region. They started the Shining Light Project to bring free music programs to various groups of people who may not otherwise have access or means to hear it. Read more at Shining Light Project .

Does this story inspire you? Or do you regularly share your music gratis? If so, who do you play for? Why do you do it? Tell us your stories!

CTO ... Ruth and Steve Smith's television appearance to be re-aired

Check This Out ...The episode of the PBS TV series, "Song of the Mountains", featuring  Ruth and Steve Smith, will be re-aired Saturday, February 9, at 6 pm on North Carolina Public television UNC-TV. Ruth and Steve perform the second half of the show.

And if you're in the western part of the state this weekend, they will be appearing that very same day, live, at the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis, NC (12-3 pm). It's free!

Ted Yoder Visits the Triangle

I met a new-to-me hammered dulcimer player the other night.  Ted Yoder, of Indiana, performed a house concert in Durham on Sunday evening.  He presented an informal program of original and familiar tunes, including such crowd-pleasers as Chocolate Skies (the title track of his new cd), Bach's Cello Suite, Carol of the Bells, and Eleanor Rigby. Now that's diversity!

On top of that, he accompanied himself on a few vocal pieces.  I'm not talking about striking little chords here and there in between phrases.  He was playing full out arpeggiated chords throughout the entire song!  A member of the audience asked if singing and playing at the same time is difficult.  He said no, that his experience singing with the piano helped. Impressive!  I would have given a different answer to that question.

Ted's background in piano is evident in his varied repertoire and his use of interesting chord progressions.  He plays with the deftness of a drummer ... hand separation, stick control, rhythmic variety ... but denies having previous percussion experience.  I consider Ted to be a member of the "new generation" of hammered dulcimer players.  His percussive style breaks away from the more traditional manner of play.  Yet, with that full wall of sound he has enough control of the dynamic range to allow the melody to stand out.

I'm inspired to incorporate some of this type of play into my own practice ... better hammer control and better execution of complex rhythms seem like good goals.  And I have to admit - I do have damper lust!

Click here for more info:  Ted Yoder's Music

PS  It was great seeing some of my students and dulcimer buddies at the concert, too!  I'm curious ...  Are you ready to "yoderize" some of your arrangements?