Yes, We Have Not Bloggedy

Well sir and well ma'am, got halfway through the month-long tour and suddenly, time sped up. That and connectivity continued to be sort of off and on throughout the Roscoe Village and Kentucky Music Week forays, so needless to say, I'm catching up with it all now. Sort of.

EverythingDulcimer Discussion :: View topic - Just A Dulcimer Geek Musing

So, I'm sitting here thinking about Dulcimettes and Eedie Beede's and other soprano mountain dulcimer creations and how little tiny they are - so cute - dainty things. Then I think about your bass and baritone dulcimers, always a little, if not a lot, bigger. I'd say honkin', even. And if you've ever played Mike Oliver's legendary bass dulcimer "The Blue Whale", then you've known that whole "bigger is better" thing rings true.

And then I started geeking out and thinking: "what about a super-big body for a dulcimer strung soprano?" Say for example, it's the same scale length and body length as a Dulcimette or Eedie Beede (am I spellin' that right? Dennis has got one, so that's what I"ve got pictured in my head), but instead of it being shallow - you extended the body straight down, like a platform shoe. You could even make it like a Sitar, where you have to be seated on the floor, and the amount of extension brings the dulcimer to a comfortable spot in your lap. Small scale, big sound box = I'm thinking, some kind of cool extra vibes that would open up the soprano dulcimer sound, like natural reverb.

I dunno. Just geeking out.

It was this thread that inspired Paul Conrad to explore the possibilities of a bigger, roomier soprano dulcimer:

EverythingDulcimer Discussion :: View topic - Just A Dulcimer Geek Musing

aaahhh, Bing you would have to go and mention something like this. Once upon a time, I had a train of thought very similar to yours and actually built a soprano dulcimer with a proportionally wider, deeper body. I ended up naming it Squeaky, and thought I was being pretty generous at that.

But the idea has taken root in the back of my mind (along with half a dozen other sorta non-standard designs I'd love to explore someday, when i get the time) and I keep thinking about it. I'm wondering what would happen if six strings were used and you went to the outer limits on the thinness of material. . .one of these days. . .

paul c

It was in Lisbon, Ohio this past May that Paul presented his creation to me, a soprano dulcimer unlike anything constructed, with a large voice box, floating fretboard, guitar bridge and six strings. It was a prototype, he said. "I'd like to build another one and let you take it for a test drive."

The prospect of being a test pilot for a new form of mountain dulcimer was high on the uber-cool scale, so I happily agreed. It was in Coshocton, not long after I finished my concert set, that Paul presented the instrument to me, wrapped in swaddling clothes that just happened to be a bath towel.

He had made some changes based on specs discussed at Dulci-More 14 in Lisbon; since I tend to anchor when I play, he lowered the fretboard and added a piece that allowed me to anchor comfortably.

It had the familiar Conrad wooden quilt design and an adjustable bridge. And odd-looking creature, but the sound was exactly what I thought it should sound like, what had inspired the muse in the first place. It's a much bigger sound than the usual tinny tone that comes from the small-bodied instruments, much more sustain and resonance. With the six strings, it bears an aural resemblance to a mandolin, but is unmistakably dulcimeric in tone quality.

It also has a L.R. Baggs pickup system installed and it's wired for sound. Since I just got home, the tests have only now begun and I'll post some sound samples here in a little while, but it's pretty cool - another great voice for the album.

Paul's website, Timbre Hill Dulcimers,
is filled with lots of cool eye-candy and a philosophy that comes with the manufacture of each instrument. I'm pretty stoked to be working closely with Paul in developing a new step forward for mountain dulcimers!

There's more to come from the road - such as the wildness of GOBA peeps and the week-long to-do that was this year's Kentucky Music Week, but I've got to get the DP News Online podcasts finished and posted before the night's over, along with Dulcimerica, and hopefully somewhere in there, a little practice and/or pool time if, no - not if but when time allows.

Back to Coshocton

Connectivity has been spotty and time sort of precious these past few days since leaving Morris, Illinois. The Gephard Woods Dulcimer Festival was an absolute blast - a beautiful setting and a whole bunch of time to kick back, visit with folks and pick a little. I only taught two workshops, so the rest of the time was spent hanging out and getting interview material for the podcasts. And performing, of course.

Saturday's weather was perfect, a little hot, but kind of windy and simply gorgeous. After my workshops and musical set - I went over and hung out at the booth of Greibhaus Instruments, where I met Jerry Cripe and Nancy Lewis. Jerry was interviewed by Ted Yoder (whom I also met) for a recent Dulcimer Players News podcast and it was great to meet him in person. His solidbody electric dulcimers are quite a thrill - with sweet tones and wonderful playability. Dan Landrum, DPN editor, let me play one on a couple of visits to his home in Chattanooga and I secretly lusted after one. Funny thing, that.

Jerry handed me an endorsement deal after I sat and played for a spell - he's building me a solidbody dulcimer in exchange for some publicity and references; my first dulcimer endorsement. This comes at a great time, as I'm just about to begin recording some projects and wasn't happy with the solidbody tone I've been getting from the Lapblaster. Don't get me wrong - it's great for rocking out with the band, but it doesn't have the dulcimer tone that I need for some other quieter situations. Jerry's instruments sound great even unplugged, so this was an amazing offer and I'm looking forward to receiving the instrument in about a month or so.

Saturday evening found a large group of us dining at Maria's, an Italian restaurant. Got to spend some time hanging with my friend Lauren and Ken Kolodner, which we did again Sunday morning at McDonald's. Lauren's just a cool chick, great hammered dulcimer player - and Ken is a phenomenal player also, not only of hammered dulcimer, but also fiddle. He graciously played some tunes into a recorder for me to learn later during the Friday night jam at the Days Inn and we got to know each other a little better. Ultimate respect. There were so many folks there that I got to hang out with, Keigh and her brother David Lynch - the Jackson family, who brought smiles and farm fresh eggs, the wonderful Susan Trump. I roomed between Dan Landrum and the legendary Brian Bowers, though I didn't see or meet Brian until Sunday, when he complimented me on my set; very cool. Unfortunately, 60 m.p.h. winds and rain ended the festival early during Brian's set on Sunday afternoon and the crowd dispersed pretty quickly. I met a lot of new friends, some of whom came out specifically to see me, and that's something that I'll probably never get used to. I mean, wow Talk about a mind-blowing thing. When someone tells you that you're the reason they've driving for miles, how humbling is that? That's not something I'll ever take for granted - and I hope I'll always be able to spend time with the people who make those journeys.

The drive out from Illinois wasn't too bad - stayed in Connorsville, Indiana overnight and then continued on to Charleston, West Virginia where I stayed at the home of Bob Webb and Heidi Muller. Bob is a consummate performer and producer; we had a lot of fun hanging out and talking late into the night before arising on Tuesday and heading down into the city where he and Heidi sponsor a Music Mentor program for inner city and at-risk kids. Considered the "bad part of town", these kids were full of love and appreciation for the mountain dulcimer, which has been instilled in them by a year-round music program designed to help them find outlets and alternatives to drugs and violence. One of the kids there was Shalor Gore, 2nd place winner of the youth mountain dulcimer contest at the Vandalia Gathering. 1st place winner, Hunter Walker, was also there (we met in Townsend, Tennessee when I played at the Pickin' Porch earlier this year) and we had a good time playing and jamming later on that evening at the home of Jim Probst, out in Lincoln County - true country in the hills of "Almost Heaven." These kinds of trips are just amazing, there are blessings to be found everywhere.

I left West Virginia this morning and am now shacked up in a Super 8 located next to Roscoe Village, where festivities will get underway on Friday. Didn't get to visit with Kendra Ward and Bob Bence or Jerry Rockwell like I wanted, but got here nice and early, which means I can catch up on some of the mountainous editing that needs to be done for Dulcimerica. Upon arriving in Coshocton, I made a bee-line for Wildwood Music to say hi to Don and Marty (who is celebrating a birthday today) and to play some of the exquisite mountain dulcimers they've got hanging on the wall and hidden in the back. I can't afford a $1700 Blue Lion, but it was sure nice to pick on it. I can't even afford a $500 David Schnaufer model McSpadden, but it was nice to pick on it. I might be able to afford a, well, nevermind - perish the thought.

Reason number four that I love my wife: no matter how many instruments that I bring home, she never threatens to turn them into firewood or sell them on eBay. That is one of the marks of true love.

Adventures both expected and non

I've known Denny and Rose Brouse for a good long time, since 1995 when we were all members of the Prodigy community. We literally ushered in the internet, chat and instant messaging and had a real good time doing it through the magic of Disney. Starting on the Hobbies bulletin board, we lobbied for a Disney Fans board and got it, which resulted in skyrocketing attendance for Prodigy. I later became a special contributor and, finally, a full-fledged board leader and content provider for Prodigy Services, making $2000 a month at one point when the web was still new.

The Brouses live in Gilford Township in Ohio, somewhere between Medina and Seville. I got to know them pretty well back in the days, pre-internet, and over the years, we've gotten to know each other real well. Early on, I'd head up to visit them and they had a standing engagement to come down and visit Walt Disney World each year. We've had some very good times, both in Ohio and in Florida! Denny was with me for some legs of the Coast-2-Coast Coaster Tour, which has been copied by everyone from Jefferson Graham at USA Today to the Discovery Channel.

In between Yellowbanks Dulcimer Festival and Gebhard Woods, I've been hanging out with the Brouses here - and we went up to Cedar Point, a theme park that has 17 COASTERS! I love this place and it's been since 2000 that I've visited; Denny and were there for the opening of Millennium Force in 2000 and 1996 for the opening of Mantis. They've got some new rollercoasters there this year, Top Thrill Dragster and Maverick, so there was some catching up to do. Had a great time riding and walking around - then got out to the van afterwards and, nothing, dead, battery or alternator. After being assisted by the helpful Cedar Point parking control, we were shuttled by Triple A to the Quality Inn on the causeway, where there just happened to be a restaurant, water park and bowling alley (!). It was an unplanned stop, but we made the most of it. It could've been a lot worse.
Rose came up and got me and Blake, Denny hung around and waited for the van to be fixed. We reconvened in the evening together and had a good laugh about it all. They are some of my dearest friends - and what a joy to spend time with them!

Got back today and began preparations for Gephard Woods, which I'm looking forward to. I've got to say that the prevailing conversations on the road have been about the gas crunch and how tough life is becoming, it's hard not to think about these changes that we're going through. At the same time, I'm continuously stoking a fire under myself to bring the positive to the surface. We need to believe and hope in order to move forward - and I hope we can continue to band together and do that. Life can be fun - life can be rough - and life is what we make of it, which means there is a lot more control in our hands than we realize.

Reason number four that I love my lovely wife - she is right dead sexy. I won't go into details here, but the woman is a spitfire and you can just call me a happy man where that is concerned. Whoo! Okay, enough of that - she's far away and that just ain't fair.

Hitting the road in the morning - what a beautiful time spent with The Brouse Family - and hopefully it won't be too long before we do it all again, north or south.

Hope you all are having a great week - aloha! There are new pictures in the gallery.

Music and love is flowing

I woke up Friday morning and went down to the Ohio River, took off my Crocs and dangled my feet in the cold water while sipping coffee. The muddy brown expanse slipped past me, the occasional flotsam and jetsam bobbing along in the terrific current. Down the banks a bit, the Executive Inn, rumored to be closing, jutted out from the foliage. Last time I was in Owensboro, it was for the Ohio Valley Gathering and we partied, made merry, a great deal in that hotel. Kinda sad to hear it may be going away (confirmed by newspaper this morning, the hotel closes on Monday.)

The first day of the Yellowbanks Dulcimer Festival was amazing; great to meet so many new and wonderful people, all commenting about how windy and warm the weather was. My workshops went well and I had a good time visiting with folks like Gary and Toni Sager, Steve Stapleton, Bob and Rose Taunton, all vendors that I'm delighted to run into at numerous festivals.

The evening concert was a revelation - I always enjoy seeing performances from folks I've seen before like Peggy Carter, Gary and Toni, Jeff Hames (whom I had to follow - nothing like a little pressure.) But what a joy to behold Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly and Kara Barnard! They rocked my world and I'm looking forward to taking some of their music home with me. It's going to be a busy night at the concert this evening, as Kara asked if I'd come up and join her during her set and Jeff and I worked out "Every Breath You Take", which we'll do as a bridge between my set and his closing set. Then we're all going to take the stage and do something as a group of performers. I don't jam with other performers in situations like these as much as I'd prefer - so when it does happen, it's a tremendously gleeful experience!

Now - onto reason number 2 that my wife rocks so much: she's patient and understands that she married a complete and total dork. She still loves me and is there for me even when I do things that make her wonder why she didn't leave me stranded in Key West that first date back in 2002. She'd be first to tell you that I put up with her as well - but these are my tributes to her in the blog this month - she'll have to start her own blog to give testament in my direction.

Busy day - make the most out of it and love a lot!

Rest for the weary

Wow, I'm getting old. Feeling a little pooped already after one weekend festival and about 1200 miles of driving.

Okay, so maybe that would make anyone feel a little creaky in the bones.

We jammed until about 12:30 a.m. central time early Sunday morning and ended with "Amazing Grace" there in the dining room of the Owensboro Sleep Inn; a nice way to round out a beautiful weekend. There will be video from the festival coming after I wrap up the Dulci-More 14 experience, but as a teaser, I'll just say that it was a total blast jamming with Kara Barnard towards the end of her set. Man, what a picker! I had one track by her, "Salt Creek" (which you can hear on her website) on my iPod; don't know where it came from since I didn't have any of her albums. But when I found out that she was going to be at Yellowbanks, this guy was stoked. She's a great entertainer, incredible player and alternately funny and poignant - the best kind of show. So when she asked me to join her on-stage for Saturday night, it was with glee and beads of shiny sweat that I did so. We winged it through "Amazing Grace", a tune that I'll presume is called "Come On Home", and a wild swing through "Arkansas Traveler." Kara's a hoot - I really enjoyed talking with her afterwards too; real down-to-earth.

If that weren't enough, got to jam with Jeff Hames as well. It's been very cool getting to know Jeff and his mom and dad since meeting them at Unicoi last fall - and this is the first time that we've done a duet, been talking about doing "Every Breath You Take" by The Police and worked up a version that we performed during my set on Saturday night. We also hung out by the Hames family's Bounder and had a marathon McSpadden try-out session (got me lusting after a couple of those instruments) that included some laid-back jamming on tunes like "Hey Jude." Jeff really knows how to tear it up on a mountain dulcimer; I hope some of that leaked out and got all over me during the weekend. There's nothing like sharing the jam with accomplished players to keep you honest and working on your game.

A couple of times on Saturday, all the featured performers shared the stage for some improvised jamming, Kara, Jeff and myself along with Aubrey Atwater and Elwood Donnelly, Gary and Toni Sager and Peggy Carter. Playing in a situation where you're not sure what's going to happen next is extremely invigorating and exciting as well as a little nerve-wracking, but such a rush! Peggy is delightful, it was great meeting her officially (she's a MySpace buddy and I saw her perform in Mt. Dora earlier this year) and I've shared many happy jams with Gary and Toni. Every once in a while, I get to experience an act that just makes me smile inside and out; that would be Atwater-Donnelly. Not only an incredible musical duo, but just really cool people as well.

And people say such nice things - it's humbling and an honor all at once. What a joy to discover that what you do is appreciated.

Sunday morning brought some pleasant conversations, spilled coffee and breakfast plus a dip in the pool before heading north through Indiana (the Hoosier National Forest!) and then into Ohio for a 400 mile trek up to Medina/Seville area where I'm staying with my dear friends the Brouses. The photo of me leaping in mid-air in front of a barn was taken on their property last year; I always stop by when I can - and was just up here last month shooting video of Blake's 4th grade talent show. This week, we endeavor to make a movie out of a script he's written; we'll see, he hasn't actually casted the project yet!

I'm spending today catching up with video production and administrative stuff - there's lots going on right now. My apologies to those who have sent me movie quizzes and the like; there just isn't enough time in the day to participate and I'm trying to drop "hello" notes when I can. The day is quickly approaching when I'm unable to be as in touch as I'd like to be - but it's always nice when someone says "it's cool that you actually respond when I write." Granted, that don't always happen, but it's not for lack of trying.

Cool thing number three about my dear wife, Jae: she's silly. She hasn't allowed 40+ years of living to take the child out of her and she can be just as silly as she wants to be. I'd like to think that part of that comes from encouragement; I don't look at her strange when she acts like a 1920's flapper girl in our kitchen, or when she makes fish faces at me - I make them right back and dance right along with her. She knows the times and places to be serious and business-like. Thankfully, most of the time, our time together is devoid of such strict behavior. We like to laugh and we do quite often. And when you read this, honey , I'm thinking about that realtor guy's picture on the trash can in Memphis. Grrrrrr. LOL!

Well, back to editing - because for the rest of the week, I'm chillin'. Hope everyone's having a beautiful Monday - much love to you.

Starting off with a bang

Los Reyes Mexican Restaurant

This mural represents the pre-hispanic history of the beginning of Colonization. Before the Spanish came to Mexico there was the Aztec Kingdom . From this comes the take of the Volcanoes next to Mexico City . The great Popocatepelt (Great Smokey) and Ixtlaxiwal (sleeping lady).

Okay, maybe starting with a "bang" is sort of dramatic, but 'tweren't far from the truth, just sayin'.

But first - provided I have connectivity on each of the days I'm gone away from home, I'm going to post something wonderful about my lovely wife every day, because she is absolutely the reason for me to be anything.

1 - She can hang like a pro. Doesn't matter where we are, or who we're with, or how she feels, or why we're even there in the veryfirst place, she can adapt, adjust and be as pleasant and as engaging as an angel. She's gracious, caring, genuine and full of joy - just one of the many reasons that I love her. She's a pleasure to be around. Miss you already, honey!

Okay, so - we kissed goodbye this morning as she left for work and I prepared to head out for four festivals in as many weeks; the longest time we've been away from each other since we met in 2002. It's going to be tough, though we've both got more than enough to keep us busy in the meantime. Our doggie Bella is undergoing some treatments at the vet right now and will be convalescing all month, so Jae's got her hands full there, not to mention her already full hands with work and the house.

Then I'll be in Kentucky, Illinois and Ohio for four festivals, in West Virginia for a school program, lots of driving, plus a visit with my dear friends The Brouses for a week. I love travel - but coming home is nice. And this is serious travel, not only performing and teaching but also shooting video and producing programming all along the way. And the driving. I love Buster, my little Geo Metro LSi convertible, to death - but he's a tin can bred with a roller skate. Great gas mileage, lousy on sticking to the road when 18-wheelers blow past at mach 7. In any case - we had a blown tire last big trip, just south of Nashville. Bubble in the tire caused a shimmy that was present for most of the trip and it finally shredded towards the end. Well, I've been driving Buster since 1991 and we're almost the Borg - one unit. So, when something's not right, it's obvious, even though his engine mounts and front end alignment leave much to be desired.

So, when I started hearing a rhythmic slapping sound as I cruised up Interstate 75 earlier today, I began checking things to see what it could possibly be. My left-side rearview mirror, never-fixed and jerry-rigged by my first wife with steel wire, might've been the source of the noise, but shifting it around didn't make the clatter cease. Not long after that check, the shimmy grew more pronounced in the front end and I knew what that meant. Pulling over to the right shoulder, I hit the hazard lights and took the first exit, inquiring about the location of a Wal-Mart.

Now, I'm not a big fan of Wal-Mart for many reasons - but when it comes to tires, they are cheapest on earth (will I go to hell for buying affordable rubber?) and that's who I went with on the first blowout this year. After an inspection revealed there to be a bubble in the left front tire, I took it over to Wal-Mart and they fixed me up in about 15 minutes, back on the road again.

Do we have the automotive hijinks out of the way for this trip? I sure hope so!

That was in Perry, Georgia - and after sailing through Atlanta at rush hour with no problem, finally got hung up in Kennesaw with nasty traffic, so I've settled in to a place called Los Reyes, with free wi-fi and really killer grilled shrimp. There's also a huge, amazing mural on the wall that commands your attention when you walk into the place and reminds me of something out of Disney. (El Rio del Tiempo, anybody?)

I've still got five hours if I want to make it into Owensboro - or I can stop short and have a brief trip into town for tomorrow's festivities. We'll see how it goes.

A big "I love you" to everybody who reads this - and until next time....

Aloha!

4-Year Anniversary

Today marks four years of matrimony for Jae and I, begun here in Key West where we have a number of traditions, including karaoke at Two Friends. On this trip, however, we've decided to do some things that we've never done before, which has been a real blast as we sort of "rediscover" the island.

Usually, at Two Friends, I go up and sing "Rock Lobster" with Sheri, my sister-in-law, and also "I Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool." We went "down, down" with the B-52's as usual last night, but for the first time in our marriage, Jae and I performed together at karaoke. Check this duo out!

http://www.keyslive.com/pages/jaebing52908.html

Too much fun! There were quite a few tunes in the mongo-sized karaoke book that weren't there last year, including one that is part of my solo sets, "Texas In My Rearview Mirror":

http://www.keyslive.com/pages/bing52908.html

All of this came just after I spent two hours performing as part of the Mallory Square Sunset Celebration for the first time. I'm willing to bet that mountain dulcimers don't get a fair amount of action there, as even the other performers were intrigued when I was given my first-timers slot, right in between Warren the magician and Reid, the fire juggler. Viva Key West!

We're at the Duval Beach Cafe currently, having just taken an exciting ride in my brother-in-law's open cockpit Stearman bi-plane. Tonight, who knows? Sheri has something planned for us, which she'll divulge after lunch. More pictures and video to come!

Thank you for all of the anniversary wishes - we are having a blast!

Aloha,

Bing and Jae

300 Subscribers and more!

YouTube - dread66mon's Channel

I just hit 300 subscribers on YouTube, and that's just people who have actually signed up to be notified about new videos. The number of people who simply cruise YouTube looking for material is probably larger than that since there is so much out there.

The two most recent videos I've posted are from The Dulcimerica Video Podcast and are from the Cumberland Gap Dulcimer Festival in Virginia. There will be two more coming soon from my trip to Townsend, Tennessee, where I performed at the Wood 'N' Strings Pickin' Porch and had a superb time visiting with Mike, Connie and Cherith Clemmer.

When I got back this week, there was plenty of video editing to do, not just for Dulcimerica and not just for Dulcimer Players News, but also for some local clients, since I won't be in town much after this weekend; there's Dulci-More 14 that I'm flying to this weekend and after that, Jae and I are heading down to Key West for our yearly anniversary celebration - this one will mark number four.

You know, as much as I love traveling and being on the road, it's so wonderful to come home again. Jae is a homecoming queen, knows just the right kind of kiss to deliver on the front lawn after I roll up, gives just the right length of firm and loving hug, says goodnight in the most warm and embracing way imaginable. Our brood takes turns snuggling up to me, Bella Dolce stands on her hind legs and jumps up on me; the cats, Sluefoot Sue and Blackjack Savage are more subtle, yet they are vociferous still and full of loving head-butts. When I'm away for awhile, it's easy to see the growth in our backyard estuary, from the herbs and water plants to the flower beds. Even the goldfish in the pond seem to have gone through some kind of growth spurt.

It's already Wednesday and I've been an editing fool, time is slipping past quickly. In the evening, it's been mixing the Manitou record with Roger Zimish - again, just chock full of things to do.

But I am blessed by God for all of these involvements and bright lights in my life. I'm truly thankful for the guidance that I've received over the past year and am delighted to witness the newest fruits as they grow heavy on the branches. It makes the next series of trips even more exciting.

More to come down the road - until then, be well and joyful, cousins!

Travelin'

What a long strange trip it's been,
hangin' at the Holiday Inn

Those of you who know what that means know what that means. : )

The Cumberland Gap Dulcimer Festival was such a blast! First of all, the countryside is simply breathtaking; second, camping with a bunch of dulcimer folks is a real hoot, and I made a lot of new friends. One thing I've now noticed, in this 21st century, when you go out and perform, it is more than likely that you will end up on YouTube, so you'd better not suck. As a result of my performance and workshop at the festival, I've gotten my first booking of 2009 already. How sweet is that?

It did rain both nights, so when I arrived in Chattanooga to do some production work for Dulcimer Players News, I put the tent up in the driveway to let it air out. I've been producing the audio and video podcasts for five weeks now and the word is just now really getting out about the new weekly service. Editor Dan Landrum also recorded me playing mountain dulcimer and Native American flute on a tune to be included in the next issue (each issue of DPN comes with a CD of music - for subscribers, anyway.)

Today, I head up to Townsend, Tennessee where I'll be kicking back for a couple of days at Wood 'N' Strings where I'll get some interview material with Mike Clemmer, the guy who built the double-necked dulcimer that I've been favoring lately. Then, I'll be teaching three workshops on Saturday, May 17th and performing a concert later on that night. Sunday morning, I head home for a busy week with videos to edit, albums to finish mixing and ground to till.

Sending you lots of love from the road and hoping life is good where ever you are!

A nice word from Charley Groth

Charley Groth - Music Man: Last Hurrah In Florida For Now

I thought the music this weekend was fine throughout. I had the pleasure of making music both on and off stages and visiting with many old friends. Made a new friend too, and that's always especially cool. Getting to know mountain dulcimer virtuoso, fine singer and entertainer, and excellent guy Bing Futch was a highlight of the weekend for me. Here's Bing:

http://www.bingfutch.com/

Don't miss this accomplished musician and entertainer! He is good!

That's super-cool. Thanks, Charley! I look forward to jamming with you again sometime.

Great Show!

It's always a pleasure to play the Central Florida Fair and tonight was no exception. Thanks to all who came out and listened to the band. Got some great comments from fair workers, who hear lots of music come through there, as well as the sound guys. But most importantly, our dear fans who came out and supported us during this gig. Here's what our set-list looked like:

Set 1 – 6:00 p.m.

Ring-A-Ding (extended) – Bing Start
One Way Ticket – Bing Start
At The Fair
Flip Side (extended) – Bing Start
Tribal Groove (key of F#m) djembe, flute
F#m/A – Bm/D – C#m/E
Positive Vibes – Bing Start
Come On With Me – Gil start (floor toms)
Caught – Bing Start (watch ending – 1, 2, 3)

Set 2 – 7:00 p.m.

Time Bomb
Mary Jane’s Last Dance (Roger start)
Juke Joint Hen (key of Em) extended
Tribal Groove (key of Em) djembe, flute
Em/G – Am/C – Bm/D
Big Alligator
Run On (extended percussion breakdown)
Casualties Of Faith – Bing Start

Set 3 – 8:00 p.m.

Boy On Rock (extended) key of Em
House Un-American Blues Activity Dream – Roger start Tribal Groove (key of Am) djembe, flute
Am/C – Dm/F – Em/G
Music – Bing Start
Interstate 10 Blues (Key of G) Bing Start
Ring-A-Dingian Improv (slower tempo) Bing Start

The last set was changed up a little.

This was the first live show that my daughter Casey was able to see, and it was a joy to have her and her mom there. Also, one of my dulcimer students, Haley, came out with her brother Harrison and her mom Laura. There was also the man, John Beedle, of Beedle Promotions, and a number of good friends who came to hang out.

Afterwards, I got a much-needed spin on the Zipper and will be going back tomorrow for even more food and fun. The fair is where it's at!

Thanks again to everyone, most especially the band; it was a great run tonight!

Aloha -

Lapidus On Dulcimer

Joellen Lapidus - Dulcimer and Klezmer Musician, Songwriter, Builder, Teacher, and Author - PURCHASE

When I visited Stephen Seifert and family in Nashville last month, he had a book called "Lapidus On Dulcimer" that completely blew my mind. Published in 1978 by Joellen Lapidus, who introduced Joni Mitchell to the mountain dulcimer, it's a fabulously exhaustive guide to the both the instrument and how to approach it as a player. My covet machine was in full roar by the time I got home and sought out a copy on Ebay.

It didn't take long to arrive (it popped magically into the mailbox yesterday) and today will be spent soaking in the very descriptive text and illustrations. While flipping through it at Steve's place, I recall thinking and saying "this is the wheel, no need to re-invent it", in reference to my current plans towards a mountain dulcimer method book. Steve made a good point about it being out-of-print and therefore hard to find (Lapidus offers used copies on her website for $65), plus - my approach to the instrument is different, and a divergent book would emerge as a result.

Still - it's a pretty hard act to follow.

Today's The Day



Dulcimer Players News - Podcasts

It's official today - I'll be producing audio and video podcasts for Dulcimer Players News and the first episodes are out of the bag and on the website!

Weekend Show Canceled

This weekend's workshops and concert at The Bluegrass Shop in St. Petersburg, Florida have been canceled due to the shop's untimely closing. Of course, it's disappointing to have a gig canceled - but it's really a drag that Florida has lost another fantastic small shop owned by really terrific people. It's an alarm call that we need to support the independents more, especially in these times of recession, or we'll all be buying our dulcimers from Wal-Mart.

Note To Mother Nature

Can you tell Winter that check-out time was last month?

Tonight's Show

MyArlingtonSun.com: Performer plays a variety of music on dulcimer

When it comes to dulcimer devotees, Bing Futch is as unusual as his moniker.

He's been playing Appalachian dulcimer since 1985 and is one of the highest-profile performers on the unique and old-timey instrument.

Futch, who tours worldwide, will give a special performance at 7 tonight at the St. Paul United Methodist Church, 8264 Lone Star Road, in Arlington. He was invited and is being sponsored by a club called River City Dulcimers and Friends, also based in Arlington.

Blues on mountain dulcimer

I posted this to the Jeff Hames forum on blues dulcimer this week and thought I'd cross-post it here.

Lately, I've been looking to raise the personal bar and really challenge myself to play better, a process that all musicians go through, no matter what level they're at. Going back to the basics is the right route for me, since I'm self-taught and basically skipped a lot of the music theory on dulcimer that is the foundation for well-informed playing. Not everyone needs "music theory" per se - what I like to tell people is that everyone pretty much knows music theory, we just don't know all the terms.

So, here is a bit of capsulized info about the blues and how to get them gushing out of your mountain dulcimer:

Although there are all kinds of blues, there is a primal kind of blues that comes right out of Africa and into the cotton fields of the south. Africans came to this country as property, so the music not only allowed them to voice their despair, it also offered them hope of reprieve from the toil as they lifted their songs to God.

Even after the slaves were freed, many descendants of Africans could not read or write - they learned to communicate, through words and music, by listening. Therefore, the best way to learn the blues form is to listen to early blues and also those who continue to perform in that style. Robert Johnson has been mentioned, how can you not? Along with others mentioned here, I also submit:

Leadbelly, Muddy Waters, Big Bill Broonzy, John Lee Hooker, Johnny Copeland, Etta James, Junior Wells, Willie Dixon, Sonny Rhodes, R.L. Burnside, T-Model Ford, Pinetop Perkins, Buddy Guy, Little Milton, Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown, Koko Taylor, Bo Diddley, Bessie Smith, Albert Collins, Howlin' Wolf, James Peterson, etc.

Also, check out The Digital Library of Appalachia online:

http://www.aca-dla.org/

Besides being a fantastic archive of culture from the Appalachian region - it's also got some great field recordings of blues music - just search for "blues" and you'll find some sweet and lowdown tunes.

After you've soaked in enough of this music, you'll get a definite ear for the form and can then follow your heart, soul and fingers to the mountain dulcimer and apply what you've heard. A great starting point for gaining skill in playing licks and creating improv is based in the scales that Steve posted. I'd like to add a few to that list and make one correction (it had to have been a typo, because Steve knows his stuff!)

What Steve posted are minor pentatonic scales - they take their cue from diatonic major scales, but only use five notes, the 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 with the third and seventh being flat. 1 b3 4 5 b7

Key of D - D F• G A C•

Key of E - E G A B D [this was posted as E G A G D]

Key of F# - F# A B C# E

Key of G - G Bb C• D F• (Bb can be bent upwards from A - A# = Bb)

Key of A - A C• D E G

Key of B - B D E F# A

Key of C# - C# E F# G# B

I added some scales and would like to note that you can play these scales across the strings in a box that will become recognizable to you as you practice them and play them more. For the most part, these scales won't require you to do any bending if you play them straight, unless you're playing in G. A • after the note indicates that you'll need a 1+ fret to play it without bending.

As some mentioned here, bent notes are core to the blues and the pentatonic blues scale or hexatonic blues scale requires you to do at least one bend in every scale that you play - these notes are marked by the * symbol and can either be bent and then plucked, or bent from the preceding note. A • indicates an existing note on dulcimers with a 1+ fret. This scale is based on the pentatonic minor scale but adds the flat fifth to the flat third and flat seventh. 1 b3 4 b5 5 b7

Key of D - D,F•,G,Ab*,A,C•

Key of E - E,G,A,Bb*,B,D

Key of F# - F#,A,B*,C•,C#,E

Key of G - G,Bb*,C•,Db,D,F•

Key of A - A,C•,D,Eb*,E,G

Key of B - B,D,E,F•*,F#,A

Key of C# - C#,E,F#,G,G#,B

Blues chord progressions have historically been based in major keys with harmonic and dominant seventh colorations, though as been mentioned here, minor blues progressions are also steeped in tradition, particularly spiritual forms.

A blues in E, for example, could go:

E - - - A - - - E - - - E7 [dominant 7th]

A - - - A7 - - - E - - - E7

B - - - A - - - E - - - E7 [or a B7 for a turn-around V7 chord)

Whooosh!

I haven't been blogging much because the past couple of weeks have been pretty fast and furious. Both the Ohio Valley Gathering and Will McClean Festival were a blast and the video is starting to surface on The Dulcimerica Video Podcast. Made lots of new friends at both events and got lots of playing time in.

It wasn't too long ago that I was still in what could be considered a musical wilderness of sorts; all alone grubbing on the tuneful equivalent of locusts and honey. So it is absolutely amazing to me that I find myself hanging out and jamming with some of the best players of the mountain dulcimer including Stephen Seifert, Butch Ross, Aaron O'Rourke, Gary Gallier and many others. It's really sometimes very overwhelming because, you know, there are so many questions and so many ideas floating around in this head-trippin' head space of mine.

The push right now, along with maintaining balance, is to really put the pedal to the metal and raise my performance bar. I was honored to jam with Charley Groth and Marge Chavin at WillFest while sipping coffee and enjoying the smells and sounds of breakfast cooking by the campsite Saturday morning. He later invited us on-stage to perform with him during his set, a definite honor that was somewhat marred and pre-empted by sound issues, including the absolute deluge of rain that fell upon the festival grounds. Still, Charley's an internationally traveled performer, and that kind of recognition and encouragement wasn't lost in translation.

I've got some serious video work to do this week before heading up to Jacksonville for a house concert this weekend. There are also events next weekend and the weekend after that, so festival season has kicked in hard. In all reality, you may be seeing a lot more video than words in the next few weeks, but I'll try and shed some light on the backstage action as well. Mohave has a rehearsal this week for our show at the Central Florida Fair this month and seeing as how this blog was originally started as a chronicle of the times of that band, I figured it was a good idea to mention that.

Busy Season

Besides being tax time, just about everyone we know is terribly busy these days and not always in a good way. That's the nature of the lives we live sometimes - life is a run-on sentence and we're in need of more commas and periods.

For me, those essential bits of punctuation are any moment when I can sit down with the mountain dulcimer and make some music. Production in the video studio has been pretty intense the past few months, so stealing time away for the music proves to be a challenge from time to time. When that time finally arrives, there really is a concerted effort to maximize that time and use it in a way to accelerate the moment. In other words, what is it that I need to work on the most?

It might be creating worksheets for workshops or writing lead sheets with tablature and chord diagrams, just as much as it may be a run-through of scales and finger-exercises, or the performance of a piece that floats across the front of my mind right then. The more flexible I am going in, the more productive I feel when emerging from these delightful cocoons of creativity.

And it's time to get crackin' on some projects - I always was a horrible organizer of to-do lists, rather leaving most things till the 11th hour and then scrambling like a frothing chemist in order to get everything completed and ready to go. The last bit hasn't happened nearly as much since Jae and started using the Yahoo calendar and e-mail to synchronize our communications. It's like those Dayrunners everyone used to have in the 80's - but you can't lose them or misplace them or have to buy all kinds of specially created filler stationary for a centrally located database online. Of course, you need an internet connection to access it - so perhaps the odds are even between the Dayrunner and the virtual one.

Good Times At The New Day Cafe

www.thenewdaycafe.com - Intro

Another great night at The New Day Cafe - thanks to everyone who came out, had dinner, chilled and partied into the night with us. Also, huge thanks to Roger Zimish, John Hawk, Barry Hall, Philip and those who fed us lots of yummy energy. We're doing it on a larger scale next Friday, the 29th - so think about coming down for lots of great food and music.

A while back, I did the open mics at Dante's in Orlando and there is a little connection between New Day and Dante's; so it's once again a beautiful thing to be involved with people who make great food, have great staff and support local music. It's almost deja-vu, if it wasn't so different!

Great moments in Memphis

Jae and I just got back from Memphis, Tennessee. We were there for The International Blues Challenge and the Orange Blossom Blues Society, of which Jae is vice president, had sponsored the Smokin' Torpedoes, so we there to lend our support as well as drink up the galactic amount of blues bands all crammed into a small number of venues up and down Beale St.

It was our first trip to Memphis, and there was plenty to see and do, not only at night, but during the daytime as well. First on our list was The National Civil Rights Museum, housed inside what used to be the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated on April 4th, 1968. Walking past the motel facade was slightly eerie as we approached the museum, two late 60's model cars parked just below the balcony where he was shot. Inside, the museum journey begins with a short film about the American civil rights movement and then proceeds to unfurl gracefully like a bud metamorphoses into a flower. From simple glass display cases and wall-mounted documents to fully immersive sets, video loops and figurines, the effect is like a slow-motion explosion. By the time we arrived at the room where MLK spent his last night alive and then suddenly found ourselves standing practically on the balcony, looking down at the spot where he was killed, the tears had begun to flow from both of our eyes.

The powerful "you are there" presentation takes on another highly visual perspective when you cross the street over into a second-wing, separate from the Lorraine motel. Here, amid recordings of news reports and reactions to King's death, the focus switches to the investigation into his murder and similarly leads you to the boarding house bathroom from where James Earl Ray fired the fatal bullet. Evidence and police procedurals make up the larger part of this journey before heading downstairs for the denouement, a collective look at the ongoing nature of the civil rights movement, not only in America, but all around the world. By the time you've exited into daylight once more, you've taken a remarkably personal journey into the very real history of, and ongoing battle against, racism.

Needless to say, a trip to Sun Studio the next day wasn't nearly as emotionally draining. In fact, it was sort of a rush to be in the exact studio space where Lightning Hopkins, Howlin' Wolf, Ike Turner, B.B. King, Little Milton, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and others helped to form the sound that we know as rock 'n' roll. Truth be told, I was a little more stoked to be standing in the same space where U2 recorded part of their record, "Rattle and Hum."

As you might imagine, by the third day, I was swimming in musical ideas, inspired by the places we'd been and the people that were rockin' stages on Beale St. Since I always travel with a mountain dulcimer (makes air travel so much more bearable), I had planned to bring along a battery-powered amplifier and do a little busking on Beale at some point. This was early Saturday afternoon and, before I was chased away by someone official-looking ("you need a permit," I was told), I had made about $50 during the one hour that I sat in front of Silky O'Sullivan's. Many of the IBC participants stopped to listen and drop a buck or two, which is always nice, to be appreciated by fellow musicians.

The Torps didn't make the finals, but they had a great couple of shows and held their own against a stellar assortment of bands from all around the world. One in particular that we both enjoyed enough to purchase a CD were The Nouveaux Honkies, who were a highly entertaining four-piece band out of Stuart, Florida, which meant that we could go see them in our home state, good thing for that.

Through all of this, Jae and I acted alternately like a couple of kids, newlyweds, horny young lovers and The Bickersons, fueled by the excitement and history of the places we went, stoked by the music that we heard and spirited by the copious amounts of booze that we drank, though we imbibed far less than our usual, probably because we're consciously trying not to dance so close to the fire. The trip was still, in my opinion, a victory for us, because what we loved, we embraced, and what we didn't, we discussed. It all came down to hand-holding and smiles across the airplane aisle on our way back home to Orlando, so we're getting better at the balance of love, which ain't always peaches and cream, as anyone in love can surely tell you.

The highlight of the Memphis trip happened in front of the Orpheum Theater where the IBC finals were taking place. I'd been carrying "Helen", my new Mike Clemmer dulcimer, around all day, never knowing when the inspiration would hit. Well, in this down-time before the solo and duo competition, I decided to sit down on my little tripod chair in an alcove just to the left of the Orpheum's entrance. I'm always wanting to play - and always looking for ways to get my name and music out there - what better chance than to play a little as a huge chunk of the international blues community strolled by?

Well, some folks came along and stopped, smiled, threw in a buck or two, took pictures and whatnot. Then along comes a man who I'd seen earlier in the theater - someone had thanked him for the fabulous show he put on, so I knew that he was probably a heavyweight blues cat. I just didn't know who he was. I was jamming a little riff in the key of Dm and he stepped over to my side, said "I know that tune" and began singing. Dirty, gritty, smoky vocals, he was oozing "real deal", and then he brings out a mouth harp and starts wailing on this thing. I was looking at him and smiling, wanting to stop and just listen, but realizing that this was a duet, kept on jamming the changes.

I tell you, suddenly there were a lot of people standing around, taking pictures, flashbulbs going off, and though I was vaguely aware of the crowd that was forming, the whole universe was me and this man, having a musical dialogue and riffing this tune. Through some signal in spirit, we both ended the tune and shook hands while the collected onlookers clapped and kept stuffing money into my hands and case. I thanked the mystery bluesman and he was smooth and gracious. I really needed to find out who he was.

That's when a guy standing on the sidewalk shook his head and smiled in disbelief. "Watermelon Slim", he said. Aha! I thought. There's the name I'm looking for. But I'd never even heard of the man. That was one for the Google search later on. We ran into each other a couple of times and his agent gave me a card, saying he'd hook me up with some pictures of the two of us jamming. I told Slim, "I think I might've hung on the '1' too long," and he replied, "that's alright, I was playin' it loose."

When I got back to the room and looked him up, my jaw hit the floor. Watermelon Slim's life as not only a blues artist, but as a veteran, blue-collar worker and academic, blew me away. There's no hesitation when I proclaim that it was a brush with greatness - and a true musical blessing.

The story of the blues and its transformation over the years dovetails with the history of race relations in this country. Like so many different types of music, it has been a uniter and a divider, sometimes all at once. When painted purely with the colors of race, the music stands like fences that criss-cross the world. But when filtered through the color-free prism of the soul, it becomes an equalizer of powerful effect, a force that unites the troubled hearts of men and women as we struggle through the day to day of life. I've written a few blues tunes in my life, and they were borne of hardship, to be sure, but I've internalized most of my deepest troubles. And I never felt truly "authentic" as a singer and performer of blues because my life has never been anywhere near as troubling as some blues performers'. In hindsight, I know that not to be so true any longer - the troubles may be different, but the results are the same. Who was it that said, "the blues is when bad things happen to good people"? I'm not sure it can even be attributed to one person, though someone might lay claim to it anyway.

My feet stand firmly on folk and roots music, which certainly encapsulates the blues. Relatively speaking, I've had an amazing life and tend to focus on the positive through my music, not that the blues can't be upbeat celebrations of all that's right in the world as opposed to what's wrong. But as an outlet for the trials and tribulations that would kill me if I turned to anger or, worse, internalization, more and more the blues and its many cousins have spoken to me as a way of building bridges between hope and despair, white and black, American and foreigner, spiritual and secular. The more we see that we have in common, the more we'll pull together and be able to finally return home where we belong. Not necessarily a city or country or even a state of mind - but a place of Origin, a place of Light and a place of Love.

Memphis rocks, for showing that to me and re-affirming that in so many ways.

New Stuff and Travel

Aloha, familiar readers - you may have noticed the new little box from Last.FM in the top left corner of the blog. This is part of an ongoing experiment which will reveal itself more as the days pass by. Basically, I'm broadcasting music in a stream that can easily be picked up via your music player.

http://65.33.142.221:8000/listen.m3u

http://www.last.fm/user/bingfutch

The first link gets you the actual audio - the second gets you artist and song info.

There will be a big announcement forthcoming that explains what this is all about - in the meantime, expect dulcimer music during the day up until midnight - after that, hide your head, it's anything goes.

Jae and I are heading to Memphis tomorrow for the International Blues Challenge, supporting our boys in The Smokin' Torpedoes. I plan to do a lot of dulcimer playing on Beale Street - and we'll see what comes of that.

Much going on - stay tuned.

Where Did January Go?

Lordy, is it almost February? But, just yesterday, it was New Year's Eve! Who left life in fast-forward?

Dulcimerica: Second Season

The Dulcimerica Video Podcast has come roaring out of the gates for second season with six new episodes so far (and about three more on the way before the month is over.) Currently, the focus in on the 2008 Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs, Florida. If you haven't caught this mini-series yet, there's a whole lot of music and appearances/performances by Aaron O'Rourke & Mickey Abraham, Karen Mueller, Doug Felt, Joan & Jack Robertson, Steve Eulberg, John Hawk, David Beede and yours truly. Before we're done, there'll be music from Joel Paul, David Beede, Steve Eulberg, Mary Z. Cox and more!

I've stepped-up the video quality on the podcasts, so the files are larger (oy!) but the images are clearer (yay!) If you're having trouble downloading or viewing these newly beefy files, all episodes are mirrored on my YouTube site. Thanks for watching and subscribing! You know, you can catch every episode using Apple iTunes whether you're using a Mac or a PC! Click here to get The Dulcimerica Video Podcast through Apple iTunes. Don't have Apple iTunes? It's available for both PC and Mac. Plus, it's free!

Download for Mac | Download for Windows

New Performance Dates

There have been some dates added to the performance calendar, which can be found on my website, but due to its extremely friendly and portable nature, I'll post it below as well:



There are some shows in the works for both me and Mohave, so keep checking the calendar for new gigs coming soon!

Top Secret Project

Well, maybe not top, top secret, but secret enough where I'll annoyingly tease it until the official roll-out next month. All I can say is this: it's going to be weekly programming on an international scale, produced in conjunction with a well-known publication. Sounds like fun, right? There'll be more details to come, so stay tuned!

American Folk Music and The African Influence Pt. 1

Hetzler's Fakebook - Stephen Foster Notes

Angeline the Baker (1850) and Hard Times Come Again No More (1854) were written by Stephen Foster for minstrel shows.

Hetzler's Fakebook - Minstrel Show Notes

Minstrel shows evolved from two types of entertainment popular in America before 1830. The impersonation of blacks by white actors between acts of plays and black street musicians who performed with banjo accompaniment...Minstrel shows exploited stereotypes, but helped blacks enter show business after the Civil War. Ironically, early black minstrel troupes corked their faces just like the white minstrel performers.

Unbelievable as it seems today, this was considered wholesome family entertainment in the 1800’s. White and black audiences viewed the blatant racism of the songs and skits as acceptable.

EverythingDulcimer Discussion :: View topic - African-American Dulcimer Players

Treading as delicately as I can here, it's well-documented, the minstrel show traditions of the United States beginning in the 17th century. To put it mildly, much of this burgeoning musical industry was patently racist and some of the music that emerged from that era remains in the lexicon of what we know as Americana or folk music. It's history; literally and figuratively. I'd be interested in hearing views and opinions here among willing forum participants regarding the music of Stephen Foster. I love his tunes, despite their roots in minstrel music. I've come to understand that Foster identified and sympathized with blacks just as I've observed that tunes like "Camptown Races" are comic parodies of the black dialect and experience.

If I did carry a chip on my shoulder about "white man's burden" or what-have-you, tunes of this sort would be seriously offensive to me. But, instead, I take it as part of history and attempt to learn more about the context involving this music and how it has effected the development of American music. Having said that, you probably won't find the more broadly comic Stephen Foster tunes in my repertoire, though I'll play them at a jam. (Come to think of it, I've never really heard many minstrel tunes being performed at jams.) I'd prefer performing "Hard Times", which really speaks more to the Everyman rather than lampooning a certain race or culture, if that makes sense. I don't condemn anyone who performs or enjoys minstrel songs, understand. I'd rather sing and perform authentic Negro spirituals such as "Swing Low Sweet Chariot", "He's Got The Whole World In His Hand", "There Is A Balm In Gilead", "His Eye Is On The Sparrow", etc.

This can be a touchy subject - the spectre of racism is never far from any discussion about the history of America. It was only forty years ago that segregation was still fiercely alive in this country and though current times reflect more of a xenophobia against people of middle eastern descent, just listening to some of the racial bickering surfacing in the ongoing presidential campaigns is enough to prove that the Race Card, especially where African descendants are concerned, is still alive and terribly well.

On this weekend of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday - as a descendant of slaves, as a descendant of Seminole Indians, as an American and as a performer of both original Americana and traditional folk music, I wanted to re-visit this subject. Moving forward is difficult without an eye towards our history.

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TDVP Episode 57 - Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat

The Dulcimerica Video Podcast: TDVP Episode 57 - Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat Pt. 1

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Way Up Upon The Suwannee River

Monday morning after a busy and beautiful weekend; I'm lovin' this cast-iron skillet. Took awhile to get it seasoned (a year without a stove, but that's another story) and now that it's been lovingly oiled, it's used just about every day. Bliss is low-fat cooking in an old-fashioned skillet.

Bliss is also making music and meeting new friends, which was at the core of this weekend's 2008 Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat in White Springs, Florida. Just a wonderful time up at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, where the weather was just about perfect and so was the company. I'm currently assembling podcasts out of the video that was shot over the two days, the first of which is heading into the editing bay as I type. Of course, I'll post links to them here with some notes on the peripheral activity.

Blessings of the New Year: 2008

YouTube - Dulcimerica - Episode 55 - A Look Back At 2007

And it's flying already; it's the third day of 2008. How utterly wild. And so much has happened in these three days, well, it's the beginning of the the third day, so maybe I'm just being a little dramatic.

Still, so much has happened in these two days, I mean, it's like some kind of cosmic vortex opened up and said "alright, it's 2008, get yer GAME on!"

Roger Zimish and I have been mixing the Manitou album, "In The Garden", which we're aiming to get out by early spring. It's been a real joy to sit back and listen again to the music that was created in August of last year, and from a fresh perspective with the time that has passed. Several other recording projects are just about to begin or continue in the studio, including a record with John Hawk of Native American Flutes and mountain dulcimer. I've got a solo NAF/mountain dulcimer record planned called "Kokopelli Rising", which is kind of my theme for this year. And then there's the follow-up to my 2006 release "Dulcimerica: Volume 1." Although I released "Dulcimer Rock" in November, it's sort of a pre-release, as there are some more tracks that I wanted to mix and add to the list. So, I may dub it "Dulcimer Rock: Reloaded" and offer it free to anyone who purchased a copy of the pre-release. Finally, there will be a new Mohave CD sometime this year and, by request, my first record of Christmas songs. Of course, every year I vow to make a Christmas record, and every year I look up and find that it's December and nothing's been done. Perhaps this is the year where it's all different.

Gearing up for a brand new season of The Dulcimerica Video Podcast which will include a brand-new intro that I wrote and recorded this week along with a surprise outro theme recorded by Butch Ross. The year-end retrospective, episode #55, has been getting very nice reviews, including one from Jean Ritchie and George Pickow. Talk about a sweet blessing - I remember back in 1985, sitting on the porch of the Gold Trails Hotel in Knott's Berry Farm, strumming the dulcimer, looking at the cover of Jean's book and thinking, "man, I'd like to meet her someday." The power of wishes and dreams, right?

I'm humbled and honored by some of the nice things folks have been saying - from Everything Dulcimer to MySpace and Yahoo groups, in e-mails and on my voice mail. Every day, I thank the Great Spirit for the breath of life, the gift of music and the way of song. It's a joy of almost overwhelming intensity, so it's just natural to want to share it, because I'm at the Joy Buffet and I've just about had all I can heap on one plate. Thanks to everyone; the performers, the teachers, the listeners, the readers, the viewers and the doers; you've enriched my life beyond belief and I'm forever grateful.

Mahalo nui loa - onwards!

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Whew!

David Beede's home page - more quasi esoteric folk stuff on assorted semi-obscure instruments...

Man - it's good to get caught up, sort of.

In a nutshell, I had that Mac meltdown and had to scramble to get everything back and operating so I could continue my video biz, which makes the money (as much as I'd like to suggest that being a musician has led to a life of ease, it still only butters one side o' the bread.) To complicate matters, while all this is going on, we've been adding a room onto the house here at Casa de Milagro; a new studio for me. Something a little larger than the broom closet I've been working in since Jae and I married almost four years ago. Now, that room is finished and I've moved in, so life has gotten a little less hectic, thankfully, even in the midst of Christmas craziness.

I've been enjoying "Helen", my new Mike Clemmer double-neck dulcimer - she's something else. Great tone - LOVE the 1+ and 8+ frets - so much has opened up because of them and, I know, I'm skirting dangerously close to chromaticism - but as Butch Ross says, "I can quit anytime."

The Ken Light flute has been extremely soul-opening. I've taken to playing it whenever the mood strikes me, which is often. Walking through the house, standing in the backyard. I even take it with me wherever we go, just in case I'll have a moment to play a little bit - it's become that much a part of my day to day life. Well, when it rains, it pours. At the gig this past weekend, Roger's friend Tom brought along a bunch of his NA flutes for me to try, and I played one during my set. The very next day, Jae surprised me with an Island Flute by Ray Wood. Now, I'm sort of spoiled on the plastic flute, but I'll take that one traveling with me, since it's pretty much indestructible.

Today, I began working on my first structured piece for Native American flute. The chord changes are:

Bm/Em/D/F#m repeated

then G/Bm/D/F#m as a bridge.

At least that's how it's going now. These changes all mesh well with the flute, which is in F# - and I'm bouncing in and out of major and minor modes. I couldn't have picked something simple to start with, could I?

On the dulcimer front, thanks to the new fret additions, I've been noodling with quite a few tunes. Seems like I'm doing a lot more arranging than learning tab these days. And some pretty odd stuff is floating into my brain to try. I have a list here on the desk with titles like:

"Drowsy Maggie"
"Fun, Fun, Fun"
"Moon River"
"Whiskey In The Jar"
"Dead Man's Party"
"Every Breath You Take"

and a tune I'd pledged never to learn, "Margaritaville." Why? I don't know why. But there it is.

Check out this instrumental version of "Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree." Jae's going to lay vocals on it tomorrow morning - she's so stoked! It's like her inner Lucy finally came to the surface and she wants to be in the band.

The next big event is The Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat, January 11 and 12th at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs, Florida. There's a link to organizer David Beede's home page above and here is a direct quote blurb thingy about the event isself:

SUWANNEE DULCIMER RETREAT
Date: Friday & Saturday, January 11 & 12, 2008.
Description: Come enjoy a weekend of music and fun at the Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat on January 11 & 12, 2008 at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in historic White Springs, Florida. The weekend offers workshop sessions taught by foremost mountain & hammer dulcimer and autoharp players from throughout the United States. In addition, there will be concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:00 pm that will feature your favorite musicians. This year’s Mountain Dulcimer instructors include: Karen Mueller, Steve Eulburg, Bing Futch, Joel Paul, Mary Z. Cox, Susan Boyer Haley, Jan Milner, Aaron O’Rourke, Doug Felt, and David Beede. Hammered Dulcimer instructors include Steve Eulburg and Ray Belanger. Our autoharp instructors are Karen Mueller and Cheryl Belanger. The entire retreat costs $85.00, which includes entrance to both Friday and Saturday concerts and workshops.

I'm stoked to be a part of this event and really looking forward to it!

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Gig This Saturday, December 15th

That's Walt Disney's birthday - come out and celebrate The Man (or whatever else you might be celebrating this month - at
The New Day Cafe.

Roger Zimish is hosting the event, which will feature a variety of music from acoustic to full-on rock and roll! I'll be playing a 30-minute acoustic set on mountain dulcimer and then a pick-up band will join me for some more rockin' tunes, which is just one little slice of the enormous pie being laid out over the course of four hours. Lots of musicians, lots of jams, art and good food. Just add good people and you've got a can't-miss holiday event. 6-10 pm on Saturday in downtown St. Cloud. Join us!

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TDVP Back in Play

YouTube.

Our Mac Meltdown is over and we're bouncing back with a veritable marathon of The Dulcimerica Video Podcast!

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God Just Announced...

Myspace.com Blogs - SPARKS LIVE! SPECTACULAR – 21 ALBUMS IN 21 NIGHTS - SPARKS MySpace Blog


If there ever was a time when I really needed to be someplace, I'm thinking this would be the time. Holy Crap!

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Native Radio Rocks!

NativeRadio® Your portal to the beauty and mystery of Native American Music

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So Alike

I called up Ken Light today and ordered a Native American flute. Ruth Rhandle let me play a couple of hers at Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival and it was quite a revelation; it was like opening up a channel inside of my core. Of course, I'm just starting off with a plastic one - because it won't break the bank. I didn't realize just how much mountain dulcimers and NAFs had in common until reading this article:


Pentatonic Myth - Flutetree.com

There are some who take a nearly religious stance on tuning, spacing, thumb holes, keys, the warble and such. The history of the NAF is long. The plains flute that we all love appears to be a recent invention, maybe 170 years ago. When one go back to the earlier NAFs, one can see many innovations or revolutions in their design. I can say I'm glad for those innovations, because they appear to have eventually led to the plains flute. But I wouldn’t want to see it evolve into the ultimately optimized silver flute. We know where that path leads.

Ain't that something? It's two co-existing pockets of folk culture, both relatively young and highly protective of the simplicity and beauty that each instrument brings.

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NGFDA Fall Festival: What a blast!

Fest Press

West Volusia - newsjournalonline.com

Faye Henderson couldn't stop smiling, even as she belted out sad, sultry tunes Saturday afternoon. On stage, Henderson's songs with Ed McCurdy & The Intruders were full of the blues -- the hopelessness, the sadness. They talked about bill collectors banging down doors, boyfriends leaving and hearts being broken.

"Chain, chain, chain. Chain of fools," she crooned in gospel style as the audience swayed, nodded and then erupted into cheers.

But even with those serious tones, Henderson, a day care director, couldn't help break through the melancholy with her 10,000-watt smile.

This was, after all, her day on stage.

Henderson was just a small part of the DeLand Original Music Festival -- a 12-hour event on Saturday that had musicians from across Central Florida showing off their talents. But for Henderson, she may as well have been headlining in Hollywood.

Rock on, Faye! What a sweet spirit and what a voice! Nice to see the fest getting some press!

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Unicoi Bound

North Georgia Foothills Dulcimer Association Fall Festival. That's a mouthful, isn't it? This is such a huge festival, yet I wasn't aware of how huge until it came time to prepare for it. By "preparation", I mean the printing out of worksheets that I use during my three classes. Additional to those workshops is a Saturday "core" class featuring five instructors (the others are no small potatoes; Stephen Seifert, Tull Glazener, Susan Trump and Larry Conger - wow!) that rotate among five different groups of students in skill levels ranging from novice to advanced. In this arrangement, I'll be teaching "Adventures in Ionian" (playing in DAA tuning) while my other three workshops are "Dark Side of the Dulcimer", "Songwriting Crash Course II" and, what's becoming quite the popular little course, "Primal Dulcimer."

I'm really looking forward to this, for a number of different reasons. One, it's just going to be awesome to be around this many great players of the instrument. The staff list is a who's-who of musicians, including Janita Baker, Sarah Elisabeth, Ken Bloom, Jeff Hames, Guy George, Ron Ewing, Karen Mueller and the list just goes on. Mike Clemmer will also be there - and I'm really stoked to meet him, especially because he's got a little double-necked goody that he built for me. We may get to know each other before my concert slot on Friday night (right after Stephen, talk about a tough act to follow!)

This will Jae's first dulcimer festival and I'm glad she's going to this one - Helen is somewhat of a tourist town known for its beautiful countryside and Scandinavian theming. A hofbrau haus on the rim of the great Smokies? Sounds like a killer time to me.


Mountain music

Members of the Athens rock group R.E.M played one. So did Cyndi Lauper and even Joni Mitchell.

What instrument other than the guitar could these eclectic acts have in common? They all shared a desire for the simplicity of the dulcimer — a stringed harp-like instrument that is traditionally played in one’s lap.

And nearly 400 of these dulcimer players will attend the dulcimer convention at the North Georgia Foothills Dulcimer Association Fall Festival at Unicoi State Park, taking place Thursday through Nov. 18.

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Where I Been?

This trio sort of sums up the past few weeks. We've been riding the whirlwind.

Black Mountain Rag

The "Black Mountain Rag" is one of my favorite tunes to play on mountain dulcimer, so I figured it was about time to conduct a mini-workshop on the tune in DAD, key of D. This is probably the only episode that was done in one continuous take, even though I'm using two cameras. Explains some of the nuttery.

The Dulcimerica Video Podcast: TDVP Episode 37- Black Mountain Rag

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Woot!

"I love it when a plan comes together."

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Firefox RSS Test

This would be super-sweet if it worked!

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What Did I Do?

What did I do in a former life to deserve the kind of moments that flutter by? There are times when it sure does seem like living in a movie.

So, we've just finished Mohave rehearsal and Roger says let's go down to, what sounded like "Daughtry's", to play. "They serve Guinness," and I says, "well, that's that, then, isn't it?"

The host band was rocking the blues; I was a little fried. Tired from the travel, tired from the rehearsal. I ordered a Guinness, then went outside in the humid-yet-cool night and lit up one of the cigars that Jae brought me from the Dominican Republic last month. The dulcimer case was propped against the wall. This is important.

Presently, a bright-eyed woman walked outside and went over to chat with some of the folks standing around. Some animated discussion followed with much laughter and she was about to turn around and walk back inside when she saw me sitting there. She stopped, took a look at the case and asked what I played and I told her. "You comin' inside to play?" she asked. There. Just a hint of Irish accent.

When I laid the "I'm tired" rap on her, it fired up that brogue.

"So you're not a real musician, then? You just look like one, and look suave with your cigar, but you can't play a fucking thing?" This, with a playful snarkiness - a "come on, I dare you" sort of tease. How could I back down from that? So I offered up "Rosin The Beau" and she sort of blinked, then said "alright, inside then," and into the pub, called O'Doherty's, leaving me to grab my MicroCube amp from the car and prepare to play some traditional Irish music in a traditional Irish pub.

While I'm still fiddling about, she returns and says, "I found someone to sing 'Rosin The Beau' with ye; it's up to him whether you're good or not. He'll tell ye," she said matter-of-factly. Not long after that, someone walked up and said, "wow, you're going to duet with the man himself."

That "man", as I perused the many photos and newspaper articles in glass cases along the walls, was actually Irish folk legend Cahir O'Doherty.

Whoa.

The enormity of what was about to go down wasn't lost at that point. This is a guy who knows weepy Irish drinking songs; and as the other cases came into view, containing CDs and signed shamrock-colored guitars, I knew the "A" game needed to be in play, no 'effin' around and, most of all, enjoy the ride.

Cahir came out and joyously exclaimed, "you play lap dulcimer!" He shook my hand and asked what key I'd play the tune, to which I replied "D." A moment's calculation and then he said, "okay - let's go outside for a bit of rehearsal."

Wow.

What a voice, what passion! What a pro! We played through several verses and choruses, with him indicating for me to take a lead here and there or to "bring it home." Some of the regulars had begun gathering around when we walked outside, and after emerging from the musical bubble, saw that quite a few had been standing within feet of us, big grins on their faces. Cahir did a much longer version of the song when we performed it inside, with a nice little intro explaining what the tune was all about. I gotta say that it's been a dream of mine to play in a real Irish pub with a real Irish musician some kind of real Irish song and by golly, look at my life. It's simply amazing.

So now I'm learning "Whiskey In The Jar" and "Drowsy Maggie" - just to do that again.

Incidentally, the fiery Irish lassie with the challenge is Cahir's lovely wife Theresa, who wanted to make sure afterwards that I knew she was funning and that she enjoyed the music immensely. I thanked her for the whole experience - a very precious memory gone screaming to the archives in another reel of this celluloid life.

Nutmeg, Mohave and More

New England skies were clear and blue as I made my way up Interstate 95 towards Connecticut. The drive had been smooth and uneventful, save some traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike. Nothing had quite prepared me for the sight of Manhattan island looming in the distance. I'm not terribly romantic for New York City, but it was an impressive landscape to consider, an image that no movie or television screen can ever hold. I like how crossing the George Washington Bridge just thrusts you into the guts of the Bronx. It's like shaking hands with someone and then shoving your head into their pants to see their dirty drawers. Welcome To New York. Nothing against the Bronx. Culture-shock, that's what it is. That and I-95 traffic into New Haven. The mantra for this trip was "doesn't matter where you are in the world, bumper-to-bumper traffic is pretty much the same."

Nutmeg Festival was a blast; it was too short. My hosts were David and Nancy Cross, who run a little business called Backyard Music. Flatmates were David Neiman and Gary Gallier, the former being a past Winfield champion, the latter also being a former Winfield champ and the maker of my next mountain dulcimer (I'm on the waiting list.) I arrived just in time to set up camera and get ready for the first evening's events, which featured sets by the workshops leaders and included this magical moment in time:




I've never had an audience respond that way before; it was an incredible shared experience - watching the video again gives me chills, in a good way.

Also, for the first time, my workshops spilled over into larger rooms and in one case, we ended up outside in the beautiful sunshine (temps were in the upper 70's, a rare thing in late September.) What great groups! We had such fun in the Primal Dulcimer class, I thought we were going to blow the doors off the place. Word has gotten around about that workshop. I believe someone said it best, "what happens in Primal Dulcimer stays in Primal Dulcimer."

It was a delight to meet Brenda Hunter and Mary Tulin - wow! They're both super-nice people (from Bakersfield!) and what incredible music they played. Gary was amazing as well - the Saturday night show was electrifying.

Like I said, it was too short. But a lot of love, music and pure living went on in those two full days.

Mohave Gets In Gear

The band is in the recording studio next week to cut four tracks and then our first show of the season will be November 3rd on Stage 3 at 9 pm. The event: The Deland Original Music Festival. Joining me will be Roger Zimish (guitar) and Rich Mueller (stand-up bass) from The Bad Boys of Faith along with Mohave tribal drummer Gil Oliver and special guests. It's the biggest one-day music festival in the southeast, $10 gets you in. Don't miss the fun - check out the schedule, make it a date.

In The Works

I get e-mails! Thanks for letting me know what it is that you'd like to see and hear. There is a Mountain Dulcimer Beginner's book in the works along with the "Dulcimerica: Volume 2" CD. There have been some requests for a DVD instruction video, but I'm not sure about it. I'd rather put things out there on the podcast for free - but I encourage private lessons and self-instruction because you've a better chance at developing your own style. Eh - we'll see what happens.

Sometime this month, I'm taking delivery on a Mike Clemmer MC-2 double-fretted (two necks) dulcimer. There's a little dancing going on.