Another New Year

"Where do we go now?" - Guns 'N' Roses

2011 was the biggest year that I've ever had and that's largely due to the many of you who read this blog, buy my merchandise, come out to concerts and take lessons/workshops with me. Thank you. It's an honor, a privilege and a real joy. Happy New Year!

So, now what?

As you might've noticed, there was no huge rolling out of intent OR content on January 1st, 2012 from this camp and I'm just now getting around to posting the first blog of the new year. Going back in time to read past posts from the flipping of the calendar pages revealed the typical plans going forward, like here, here and here.

This time around, during the first week of the year, it's all about a little less talk and a lot more action: namely, those projects that have been brewing for awhile and some new ones that suddenly got ushered to the front of the velvet rope line. More than anything, this low-key approach to the beginning of 2012 is all about scoring precious time simply sitting with my instruments and working on the basics. If there's one thing I learned while on The RV Project Tour (besides how much people hate driving behind Winnebagos) it's that, despite all best intentions, not a whole lot gets done on the road. Practicing, writing, creating - it's all there in fits and spurts, enough to keep the plane leveled out and soaring, but most of my downtime in the spring, summer and fall last year was spent doing a whole lot of nothing. No thing.

That's not exactly true. There was visiting with folks in RV parks, campgrounds and festival parking lots. Many hours spent relaxing under the green canopy and red/orange sandstone and granite cliffs of our nation's state sanctuaries. Quite a lot of time madly pedaling my mountain bike on actual mountains. Soaking in the beauty of the United States of America and resting up before the next event. And sure - some recordings were made and some light administrative business was conducted but, for the most part, I came home in November to not only a huge glut of unfinished business but also to some tough choices that I had to make regarding activities in other areas of my career. Something like a total of two hours of video was shot on tour and that was by design. I wanted to live life as it happened. Not later while editing together Dulcimerica episodes. I had to pick and choose my battles last year in order to get through without imploding.

As the economy continues to take its nose dive, there has been a lot of evaluating going on here - looking at ways to work smarter and faster. Knowing when to step in and when to step out - sort of like a cosmic Hokey-Pokey because, you know, that is what it's really all about.

That's why no books were published and only a handful of videos were produced in 2011. I had to make some choices in order to move forward. Upon returning home from tour to find a deficit of registrations for the Key West Dulcimer Fest, there was a decision to make there too; not a popular decision in the least.

And after enjoying the holidays with Mrs. Futch, puttering around the house, getting caught up, re-oriented and blowing out my vice-ridden ya-ya's, I'm emerging, blinking, into the sunlight of a new year with some better plans. I'll let you in on a few of them before I get back to it.

Music

I've been producing "Dive!" now for almost four years and it's going to drop this year; period. If the Mayans are correct, then I've got 12 months before we're all turned to sheet rock or something. I will be a happier piece of sheet rock having birthed this bad boy, so it's priority number one.

Though "Storm's Sigh" and "Live At Old Songs!" have been available since the end of last year, the official release dates of both projects will be accomplished this month. (Mainly for digital distribution to pipelines such as iTunes, Spotify, Napster and more.)

As for Mohave, the trio (along with Roger Zimish and Tom Sharp) has been dead in the water since drummer Gil Oliver left town for the northeast. I've been busy on the road and with solo performances even as the guys have wondered aloud when we would get together next. Really, the next time needs to be magic in order for us all to pour the time and energy into it. It would take the right drummer and the right environment to make it work. That time may come this year and it mayn't. I know better than to make promises where there's more personality than just me involved, so stay tuned on that one.

I don't have as many festivals booked this year, but am still going to quite a few places for the first time including the Colorado Dulcimer Festival next month, Palestine Old Time Music and Dulcimer Festival in March, Augusta Spring Music Week in April and in May, the NGFDA Spring Thing and the Lone Star State Dulcimer Festival. Of course, I'll be back at Folkcraft headquarters for the Indiana Dulcimer Festival in July (with a return trip to teach ukulele in August at a brand new fest - stay tuned for details.) I haven't even begun to plan the in-between concerts and workshops but the idea is already to travel less across the country and more right here in my (now) home state of Florida.

Books

From no books in 2011 to at least three to be published this year, I'm right now working on some method books. Two of them concerning diatonic mountain dulcimer and one in support of the chromatic dulcimer. Before I get a load of ball-busting e-mails, yes - the oft-mentioned diatonic blues book will finally land. There may be more, but I kind of doubt it. I haven't knocked out more than four books in a year since 2010, I think, and I had a lot more time on my hands then.

Video

I officially got out of the video production biz (for hire) some time ago and realized last year that the state of the art was beginning to change without me. You know how it is with technology, right? First you need to upgrade the software. Then you've got to upgrade the hardware. Then you have to search for patches for the software because someone went "oops" at the hardware design phase. When it comes to media tech, especially video, which accounts for so much of our entertainment medium these days, it can be a full-time job just keeping the equipment happy and in working order so you can do what you do. The shift has slowly been tilting towards getting rid of tape altogether in favor of a fully digital format and I am very excited to embrace that. Once you shoot - you just move it onto the hard drive and you're in like Kevin Flynn. No more real time encoding and logging. It was largely the sheer amount of time that it took to produce individual episodes of Dulcimerica that kept me from doing more last year; just prohibitive in terms of actual hours in pre and post-production, especially during 19,000 miles on the road with only occasional whiffs of wi-fi. With a staff, I could make that work no problem. As the only elf in the shop, well - there I am picking and choosing battles again.

Sometime this month, I'll be taking delivery on a fully digital means of recording HD video. It's an experiment and I hope it works, greatly reducing the amount of production time so that I can shoot, cut and post as quickly as possible. In the immortal words of Dr. Walter Gibbs (Barnard Hughes) from "Tron", "Won't that be grand?" He said something else, eerily predicting the future, right after that but I'll leave it to you to find that chestnut.

So, new Dulcimerica. Soon.

Back To It

Many of you came up to me last year while on the road, or e-mailed, saying that I sounded a little off my game in this post from April of 2011 and you couldn't have been kinder or more on the money. Everyone has their breaking point and something, many things, had brought me to the brink of it back then. Thankfully, the cri de coeur was a brief one, partially soothed by the outpouring of love that was The RV Project. Then, as now, I plan to be less visible (as opposed to Les Visible, for there can be only one) so I can get to work on all of this cool stuff that's brewing. My headspace is 180° from almost a year ago. If indeed this is the last year of civilization, then I'm going to continue living the dream, making the music and loving the life. Honestly, I think we're about to enter another age of enlightenment and this is no time to be cowering under hollowed-out spaces for fear of what "might get us." If there ever was a time to be alive, alert, awake and thrilled for each second we are blessed to live - this is it.

It.

And on that note. Thanks for reading. I appreciate you and hope that you are receiving something of value from me. If not: be kind enough to tell me so and I'll do my best to deliver.

Wishing you peace, joy and, most of all, love, in this new year. Let's all win together!

Sho na bish,

Bing

Dulcimerica 187 - "The RV Project Tour"

Gotta Lotta Catchin' Up To Do

Well, that look says it all, don't it? "MAN! Staying connected online when roving parts of the country with little to no cel phone service is difficult!" Suffice it to say that a LOT has happened since July 4th. Which is why you see me standing above on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium; former home of the Grand Ol' Opry.

Common Ground On The Hill was fantabulous - had a lot of great interactions with musicians and plenty of good jam sessions, some of which were captured on recording and will be heard in the upcoming "RV Project: Official Album." After departing, McDaniels College in Westminster, MD - I headed out on a mini-tour of Pennsylvania State Parks, stopping at Cowan's Gap in Fort Loudon and spending a few idyllic days at Trough Creek in James Creek.



Rita and I enjoyed a week of camping, hiking, mountain biking and just plain sitting around and doing nothing, which was mighty nice after that last burst of rushing around between New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland! After that bit of recharging, I headed up to Portage, PA for Portage Dulcimer Day and had a great time with JT Taylor and the folks who came out for a day of workshops and the concert.






With the final stop on the first leg of tour complete, I angled for setting out early in the morning to begin the long journey back home. Up to this point, Rita held together fast and braved the harsh weather and road conditions for a spectacular shakedown tour. However, knowing that the alternator wasn't long for this world, I knew that there would be trouble up the road and, as it turns out, it wasn't that far up the road. In fact - after rolling out at 6 am to traverse the Dutch country hills, Rita made it fifteen minutes before the engine began to sputter up those inclines and the headlights began to dim in concert with the dash lights - classic signs of a failing alternator. I cruised to a stop in front of an old abandoned restaurant and wrestled with the lack of cel reception before finally landing Triple A and getting a ride down to Bedford, PA where Rita was fixed up and ready to go for the rest of the way. A quick stop over north of Richmond, Virginia and we made it home in decent time.

Long enough to have a visit to Epcot and then.....

Jae, Sheri and I hit the road again - this time heading for Kentucky where we planned to visit some bourbon distilleries en route to the Indiana Dulcimer Festival.



The Indiana Dulcimer Festival was great, sharing the staff duties with Stephen Seifert, Lois Hornbostel, Butch Ross, Aaron O'Rourke, Rob Brereton and Katie Geringer. There was also Woodburn Day In The Park going on simultaneously, so Folkcraft dulcimer players were featured in the parade (we rode on a flatbed trailer.) There was also some razzle-dazzle showmanship going on that introduced me and Steve Seifert to a concert in the park, opening for and then sharing the stage with the Dixie Bee-Liners.






Unfortunately, Jae got ill during the festival; complications from the bronchitis that had been plaguing her while I was on tour. Luckily, she recovered enough to enjoy the rest of the trip; a journey to Nashville and all that goes with it!

While in Nashville, strolling Broadway, I sat in with the Craig Curtis band at Legend's Corner and Bart Hansen (guitarist for Loretta Lynn) at the Whiskey Bent Saloon. (Including The Stage, that makes three Honky Tonk Row establishments that I've performed at now.) We wrapped things up with a visit to the Ryman and then brought it on home.

We're enjoying some downtime, though a lot of this being home involves just getting ready for the next leg of tour! Coming up will be a return to The Pickin' Porch in Townsend, TN and a first-time stint at the Gateway Festival in Belleville, IL. I will do my best to stay on top of things as we go. The next big outing will be in September as I hit the road for the southern United States, west coast and midwest for a month. Of course, I've been pretty diligent about getting pictures and recordings (the latter, I'm working on) and you can catch up with all of the photos on Facebook using the following links:

RV Project Tour: Part One

RV Project Tour: Part Two

RV Project Tour: Part Three

RV Project Tour: Part Four

THE RV PROJECT TOUR: Update!

Che hun ta mo!

Just a quick note to say that a couple of big dates have been added to the schedule:

June 4th - Nashville, TN - 11 am

Davidson Academy
Upper School
1414 Old Hickory Blvd.,
Nashville, TN 37207

http://www.davidsonacademy.com/

$30 per person ($25 if taking more than one workshop)
You can see the workshop choices here:

http://darkstudios.com/bfworkshops.html

OR, I can create something on the fly and we can work on a piece of music with a look at the technique to play it. It's up to you - if you're interested in attending the Nashville workshops, drop me an e-mail and let me know!

July 1st - Gettysburg, PA - 6 pm

The Garryowen Irish Pub

http://garryowenirishpub.net/

I'm still playing a house concert the very next day in Gettysburg - this is an added show and should be a lot of fun, as my Irish pub gigs are a VERY different breed of show!

You can access my entire schedule right here: http://tinyurl.com/bingcalendar for details on the other tour dates.

Also a mention that t-shirts have been ordered! Be one of the first to get the official RV TOUR PROJECT t-shirt at:

http://darkstudios.com/rvproject.html (and scroll down - you'll see the shirt designs there.) Allow two to three weeks for delivery (or pick yours up at a tour stop in person!)

That's it for now - please check the schedule as some details have changed (starting times, workshop offerings, etc.) - also, I'm working on a couple of new dates!

Thanks, everyone - sho na bish!

Bing

"Juke Joint Hen" with Stephen Seifert at Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat!

Ending On A High Note

The Swannanoa Gathering rolls out over the course of five weeks in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with the final week devoted to the music of mountain and hammered dulcimer. It was my first time experiencing this mix of community, family, instruction and beauty, leaving me breathless from the journey. Besides wonderful students in intensive workshops throughout the week, the fantastic fellowship among everyone, the gorgeous campus of Warren Wilson College and incredible food in the cafeteria and during mid-morning breaks, there was plenty of jamming to be had and evening concerts that entertained as well as enlightened. I, once again, had the distinct pleasure of sharing the stage with Ken Bloom and Ken Kolodner at the Monday night instructor concert, as well as joining Kolodner and Rob Brereton during the informal lunchtime concert series.

Jae and I are actually heading back up to this area of North Carolina this weekend to spend time with friends who are having a vow rededication ceremony in the mountains. I'm looking forward to sharing this beautiful spot of the country with my wife and also getting a chance to explore it some more, as I never left the campus during the week, picking and visiting and hanging around near the beer tent with the other students and instructors (now, a dulcimer festival with a beer tent, that's a novel idea!)

Next up: I'll be starting early tomorrow night at McWell's (5 pm) and performing throughout the evening for Simon Time Trivia, which begins at 8 pm. Then, Manitou is having a partial reunion in Manitou Springs, Colorado on Saturday, August 28th where our album "In The Garden Of The Gods" was recorded, followed by a gig at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver on Tuesday, August 31st. After that, I'm actually home for awhile (imagine that.)

I'm working on getting back into the groove of things - including updating "Dulcimerica" - but for now, I'll settle for cleaning the studio, getting caught up with e-mail and, of course, picking.

Dulcimerica 161 - "Key West Dulcimer Fest Pt. 3"

This Week's Shows and A CHALLENGE!

Two out of three gigs this week are passed and it's been quite a lot of fun! First, The Pub Thang at McWell's for Cinco de Mayo and then last night at The Plaza Theater with K-G & the Band. Great grooves - two big nights of music, you'd think my fingers would be worn out, but I'm ready for more jamming and will do so tonight at Fresh Aroma Bistro Cafe in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

It's a unique show, sort of what we used to do with Open Mic Extreme; have an open mic with also featured performers. The open mic begins at 7:30 p.m. and I go on at 9 p.m. with the open mic continuing after that, I believe.

After this, we're back at McWell's for The Pub Thang next Wednesday, the 12th on our regular night, second Wednesday of each month.

Interval Ear Training Contest

Many of you are familiar with the Interval Ear Trainer that I blogged about here at some point. Understanding, and being able to recognize, intervals is one grand step towards building better melodies, playing chords on-the-fly and generally becoming more at-ease with your instrument. I typically will test myself on 100 to 200 intervals every day. The more you keep at it, the better you will get.

Starting something new here, occasionally I'll issue a challenge to equal or beat my interval score, which I'll post here. In order to participate in the challenge, you must be able to take a screen capture of your score from the Interval Ear Trainer site:



Here's my first challenge:

1. Score 100% by correctly identifying 50 intervals.
2. Be one of the first three to post a comment to this thread.
3. E-mail your .jpg proof to me at bingfutch@yahoo.com
4. I'll send you your choice of CD from my store.

Sorry about the perfect score for a starter. : ) Trust me, it's not always the case, so some of these challenges will be a little easier to match or beat. Anyway, have fun with it and do it every day - you'll find that not only do you get better at it, but you'll start to "hear" the music in your head before you play the notes on your dulcimer, making for lots of magic!

Chord Voicings - "Figure Eight"

One of the best ways to get acquainted with your mountain dulcimer, diatonic or chromatic, is to figure out songs on them, trying as hard as you can to perfectly match the chords. As many dulcimer players well know, this can be pretty difficult with a diatonic dulcimer, as there are notes missing.

That's one of the reasons that I got into chromatic dulcimer - wanting to maintain a relative ease of play (the chord shapes for dd-A-D tuning are the same, you just have to adjust for an additional fret space here and there) but eager to perform and write songs without having to do a whole bunch of "leaving out" or "fudging" of chords. I'm currently working on a method book for the chromatic dulcimer which will include examples of how to discern not only standard chords (Majors, minors and sevenths) but also so-called "extension" or "color" chords (the term "chromatic" comes from the latin root "chroma" which means "color") like 6ths, 9ths, Major and minor sevenths, minor sixths, augmented, diminished, etc.

This is yet another very simple look at figuring out chords on chromatic dulcimer, in the same vein as our looks at "Wichita Lineman" and "Her Diamonds." Chords for both of those songs are readily available online as guitar tablature. Trouble with that is sometimes the author of the tab gets it wrong. Another problem with that is if it's anything more than chord symbols, you're going to have a time transposing guitar tablature to dulcimer tablature due to the different tuning. One of the best reasons for coming up with your own chord charts, lead sheets and tab is that if you trust your ear, you're bound to come up with the truest version of a tune that anyone could find.

That certainly goes for this tune, beloved by many, which has haunted me ever since early childhood. "Figure Eight" is the somewhat dark and classical ditty that has helped millions of kids learn their 8 timetables through that bastion of whimsical and entertaining education "Schoolhouse Rock!" "Figure Eight" and "Little Twelvetoes" were two of my favorite songs due to their complex chords, beguiling melodies and nifty arrangements. As I learned while sussing out the chords for "Figure Eight", this tune's a real workout when it comes to the changes.

Figure Eight
Music and Lyrics by Bob Dorough


Cm                        C#
Figure eight as double four,
          G                Cm

Figure four as half of eight.
                               C#

If you skate, you would be great
              G               Cm 

If you could make a figure eight

           Fm               G             Cm 

That's a circle that turns 'round upon itself.

Cm                            C#
One times eight is two times four.

           G                 Cm

Four times four is two times eight.

                       C#
If you skate upon thin ice,
 
         G                   Cm  
You'd be wise if you thought twice

Fm              G              Cm
Before you made another single move.


C                  G/B   Gm/Bb               F/A
One times eight is eight, two times eight is 16,
Fm/Ab               C/G  Am6/F#              Fm6

Three times eight is 24, four times eight is 32,
    C/E        Cdim    Dm7  G    C

And five times eight is 40, you know.

C                  G/B Gm/Bb                F/A
Six times eight is 48, seven times eight is 56,
Fm/Ab               C/G  Am6/F#              Fm6

Eight times eight is 64, nine times eight is 72,

    C/E        Cdim    Dm7  G    C

And ten times eight is 80, that's true.

Em                     F      D7/F#                 G
Eleven times eight is 88, and twelve times eight is 96.
               D   

Now, here's a chance to get off
         G    
On your new math tricks.
           D          

'Cause twelve times eight is the same as
 
           G
Ten times eight plus two times eight

                  G7

80 plus 16 ... ninety-six!

C                  G/B   Gm/Bb               F/A
One times eight is eight, two times eight is 16,
Fm/Ab               C/G  Am6/F#              Fm6

Three times eight is 24, four times eight is 32,
    C/E        Cdim    Dm7  G    C

And five times eight is 40, you know.

Cm                        C#
Figure eight as double four,
          G                Cm

Figure four as half of eight.
                               C#

If you skate, you would be great
              G               Cm 

If you could make a figure eight
           Fm               G             Cm 

That's a circle that turns 'round upon itself.
  
Ab                                        Fm           C
Place it on its side and it's a symbol meaning         Infinity...

As with the other two songs (and many other arrangements you'll want to explore), one of the most memorable aspects of this tune is its descending bass line that runs through all of the chords in the chorus. Starting with the root note "C" at the bass of a C Major chord, the descending notes are:

C - B - Bb - A - Ab - G - Gb - F - E - Eb - D and then a resolution with the chords entering G and then C.

The trick in listening to the tune (no tablature for this tune on the web, at least not where I looked) and figuring out the chords is to maintain that bass line structure or the song just doesn't sound the same. I've done the hard work - now can you figure out how to play these chords? Can you see the pattern? Can you discover which inversion you would need in order to play these chords so that they sound correct?

Let's revisit the concept behind inversions or "slash chords":

A basic 1-3-5 or 1-b3-5 chord is going to have the root note on the bottom, the middle note in the middle and the fifth at the end or top. Using different chord voicings can change the fundamental sound of a chord, even though it uses the same notes, by rearranging the order of the notes. For example, changing the order of notes so that the third is on the bottom, acting as the bass or root - it becomes a first inversion.

So, a C major chord: C - E - G would become E - C - G.

Now, make the fifth the bottom or root note, and you have a second inversion.

G - C - E

When you write out a chord symbol for an inversion, it's often called a "slash chord." You'll see the chord symbol and then a slash and then another note. The note after the slash indicates that this is what the root or bass note should be. So, a first inversion C chord would look like this: C/E

A second inversion C chord would read: C/G


Here below are some chromatic chord shape charts. What I've done here is simply laid out the shapes for chords coming out of the key of D. By moving these shapes up and down the fretboard, paying close attention to the location of the root, you can play in any key. I keep the chromatic tuned to dd-A-D for the time being.

If you haven't already, it's a good idea to learn where all of your notes are on the fretboard. Once you've got that and the fundamental chord shapes, you can play anything!

A key to reading these charts, if you're not familiar with them. First, the number on the left side represents the fret number that it's sitting next to. For this purpose, I'm counting frets like a guitar, numbering 1-12 for an octave, no half-frets here. The numbers on the notes themselves reflect the scale degree of the note (R = root, b3 = flat or minor third, etc.) Sometimes you'll see a chord shape that doesn't include the root, in which case there's normally a trick to suss out what the root is (in the case of the minor 6th, it's three frets up from the "6th" note.)

Have fun!

New Gear and Stuff

It's been over a week since I checked in but there's a good reason for that. First off, "The Pub Thang" went over well at McWell's - thanks to all who came out to support the night. My last post mentioned heading over to Guitar Center and there's a photo above of what was acquired.

The DigiTech Vocalist Live 4 is a dandy piece of equipment that allows me to layer harmonies into live performances and recording. From one voice to four-part harmony, it's programmable and has instrument effects as well. Jae hates it. I think it rocks the bells.

My friend Kaleo uses one. He said, "they're awesome - but brudda, you gotta be on-key." Since all of the harmony is modeled from your original vocal, it's only as good as you can make it (which is only half true since there is pitch-correction built into the unit - I have it switched to "off".) Harmonies are more effective on sustained notes and I have a habit of clipping my phrases, so right off the bat, the machine was in my face as I practiced tunes that have always wanted some extra voices during the solo show. Took awhile to get the hang of it, but I gotta say it's pretty freakin' sweet and I didn't overuse it at Wednesday's show. Honest.

I Can't Think Of Anything To Say: I Think It's Nice

It was about six and a half hours up to Covington, Georgia and six and a half hours coming back; not counting the horrendous traffic on I-75 just south of Perry, Georgia. Never been a trip this quick. At least driving. I set out in Buster about 6:30 a.m. Saturday morning and rolled into the Atlanta area 'round about 1:30 p.m., after lunch at Margarita's.

"Hoosonanny", as the house concert series is called, was great fun. Everyone had a great time and Bill and Teri's hospitality was tremendous - looking forward to returning sometime for more visits, music and jams. Concerts In Your Home made it possible for artist and venue to connect in this case, so thanks to Fran Snyder for creating this avenue (wow, now that's an amalgam of "artist" and "venue", i'n't? How about "artvenue"?)

I hung out, jammed and talked with folks until 2 a.m. - then hit the sheets for four hours, got up, drove back to Orlando (with more traffic; on a Sunday? Really?), caught an hour-long nap and then went with Jae to celebrate a birthday with our fabulous friends from McWell's. And speaking of which, that brings me to this:

The Pub Thang

It's a long story about how "The Pub Thang" came to be, and if you're really and truly interested, ask me to tell you about it one day.

We'll be at McWell's Restaurant & Bar this Wednesday, April 14th from 7 pm to 10 or 11 pm - depending on how many table dancers we get. Special guest will be Roger Zimish.

What exactly is "The Pub Thang"? Besides a really stupid title for something that's essentially title-proof? It's the show I've been cultivating at Dicey Reilly's Irish Pub for over two years (back when it was still O'Doherty's.) It's a blend of traditional Celtic and Americana music, originals and a wide variety of popular music styles, including rowdy drinking songs. It's not unusual (to be loved by anyone) to have Prince and the Gorillaz bouncing up against Tom Petty, Garth Brooks and selections from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." All performed on Appalachian mountain dulcimer and Native American flute. Then, I get Roger Zimish to sit in. Roger may do a set by himself, all of the mesmerizing acoustic guitar work that he does on his originals, then firing it up with Stevie Ray Vaughn and screaming Texas blues. Together, the music takes on a shape-shifting quality as Roger and I trade off "arrangements", usually improvised on the spot. Trancy good stuff; primal heart-beat kind of groove. And Pink Floyd.

In any case - we're doing it once a month now at McWell's - second Wednesday of each month through summer (with an extra show on May 5th for Cinco de Mayo). 7 to 11 pm. No cover - great food - drink specials - fifty cent wings! Come celebrate making it halfway through the week. Raise your spirits with us and cruise on through to the weekend with levity!

Dulcimers On The Green

The day after "The Pub Thang", I make my amends to the universe by driving up to Central City, Kentucky to teach and perform at Dulcimers On The Green. Other performer/instructors are Stephen Seifert, Maureen Sellers, Rick Thum and Dan Landrum. Awww yeah, nothin' but a party up here in this joint!

Gotta run - meeting Roger at Guitar Center in South Orlando. See you soon.

Aloha,

Bing

Dulcimerica 152 - "Winter In Bardstown Pt. 3

Dulcimerica 151 - "Winter In Bardstown Pt. 2"

Winter in Bardstown Pt. 1