Sorry for the late announcement, but Jerry Rockwell's 4th Annual Southeast Ohio Dulcimer Festival is Friday, November 11th, and Saturday, November 12th 2005, at the Federal Valley Resource Center in Stewart, Ohio.
For more information - see Jerry's site:
http://www.jcrmusic.com/
(scroll about midway down......)
4th Annual Southeast Ohio Dulcimer Festival
-
Random notes
- Posts: 416
- Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2004 9:21 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Horsepoo Country
I got all excited there for a moment. Then I found that it's just for MOUNTAIN dulcimers. Feh.
BTW, the E-town festival was a lot of fun. It's obvious that the club is mostly mountain dulcimers. The event was held in the State theater, and while the MD beginners were spread out in a large hall, the beginning HD group was stuffed into the Ladies Dressing room. No, I'm not kidding - 8 dulcimers in a tiny little hard-tile-walled space; some of the the beginners had loaners which were large 16/15 or chromatic instruments, and bending down to pick up a dropped hammer could have lead to many dollars worth of nice tropical hardwood crashing down. Tuning was impossible and a couple of the instruments were spectacularly out of tune. Of course, we made up for it by playing LOUDLY with the door open.
Then the afternoon multi-level session was held in the theater itself - of course, the MD players had the theater section and we had about 12 large dulcimers crammed into the backstage area cheek to jowl with stacked chairs, lighting racks and other bits of backstage hardware. I'm beginning to think the HD players are a persecuted minority in Kentucky.
But the lunch was good, the company excellent and I learned enough to keep me busy for a while.
Roger
BTW, the E-town festival was a lot of fun. It's obvious that the club is mostly mountain dulcimers. The event was held in the State theater, and while the MD beginners were spread out in a large hall, the beginning HD group was stuffed into the Ladies Dressing room. No, I'm not kidding - 8 dulcimers in a tiny little hard-tile-walled space; some of the the beginners had loaners which were large 16/15 or chromatic instruments, and bending down to pick up a dropped hammer could have lead to many dollars worth of nice tropical hardwood crashing down. Tuning was impossible and a couple of the instruments were spectacularly out of tune. Of course, we made up for it by playing LOUDLY with the door open.
Then the afternoon multi-level session was held in the theater itself - of course, the MD players had the theater section and we had about 12 large dulcimers crammed into the backstage area cheek to jowl with stacked chairs, lighting racks and other bits of backstage hardware. I'm beginning to think the HD players are a persecuted minority in Kentucky.
But the lunch was good, the company excellent and I learned enough to keep me busy for a while.
Roger
Non omnes qui habemt citharam sunt citharoedi
-
missy
- Posts: 5833
- Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 7:46 am
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Contact:
AH - we were posting at the same time - see your pms!!!
Jerry has had hammered dulcimer teachers at the festival (Kendra Ward for one), but he's limited on space this year (and money -although that's a perpetual thing with Jerry!!).
Sorry your first experience wasn't all that great - but at least you weren't up on the third floor - as was done at one festival we worked at! We told the organizers that the hammered dulcimer classes should ALWAYS be on the first floor!!!!
Jerry has had hammered dulcimer teachers at the festival (Kendra Ward for one), but he's limited on space this year (and money -although that's a perpetual thing with Jerry!!).
Sorry your first experience wasn't all that great - but at least you weren't up on the third floor - as was done at one festival we worked at! We told the organizers that the hammered dulcimer classes should ALWAYS be on the first floor!!!!
-
Random notes
- Posts: 416
- Joined: Wed Jul 14, 2004 9:21 pm
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Horsepoo Country
Hi Missy -
I'm sorry I gave the impression that my experience wasn't that great - I did have a blast!
The morning group was led by Martha Richard and it was a lot of fun. It also gave me chance to relax about being around other people whilst I whanged away - I'm one of those people who believes that I have to get it right before I play around anyone else and it is good to get over that. One of the MD players I chatted with afterwards noted drily that he could hear the session while they tried to play, and I said a silent "Ha! Serves you right!" Of course, next time we will probably be in the parking lot...
Then I spent some time between sessions listening to a guy (yeah, everyone was wearing name tags, but I really suck at names) off in a hallway while he played and practiced a bit. We talked, and I learned about getting a feel for the ornamentation on the HD. The only instrument I've ever played was the Irish flute and simulating cuts and taps on the HD doesn't sound too good. I have to get a feel for playing a chord by striking the notes sequentially to build to the notes of the melody.
The afternoon session was led by Cathy Barton and she seems like a really good teacher. I tried to keep up, but the most impressive thing about that session was hearing a room full of HD's playing a tune together with some of the more advanced players improvising harmonies.
There wasn't much of a vendor area and nearly none of that dedicated to HD's but I did get to see some incredibly beautiful MD's made by Les Woodson. His web site doesn't have some of his finest instruments - what he had there was simply fabulous.
My friend Laurie also had a great time - she finally got to play the dulcimer she had Homer Ledford make for her some 10 years ago. I though it was a gift from from her husband, but it turns out that she actually went to his workshop and selected the woods and design and she was absolutely thrilled to finally be able to make it sound.
And the trip to E-town was a joy in itself. It was the perfect weekend for fall colors and the 1 1/2 hr drive was just stunning.
From time to time, you will likely hear me whingeing about you facilitating my descent into dulcimer envy and DAD, but in truth I can scarcely thank you enough for lending me your instrument and helping me get started with the HD.
Roger
I'm sorry I gave the impression that my experience wasn't that great - I did have a blast!
The morning group was led by Martha Richard and it was a lot of fun. It also gave me chance to relax about being around other people whilst I whanged away - I'm one of those people who believes that I have to get it right before I play around anyone else and it is good to get over that. One of the MD players I chatted with afterwards noted drily that he could hear the session while they tried to play, and I said a silent "Ha! Serves you right!" Of course, next time we will probably be in the parking lot...
Then I spent some time between sessions listening to a guy (yeah, everyone was wearing name tags, but I really suck at names) off in a hallway while he played and practiced a bit. We talked, and I learned about getting a feel for the ornamentation on the HD. The only instrument I've ever played was the Irish flute and simulating cuts and taps on the HD doesn't sound too good. I have to get a feel for playing a chord by striking the notes sequentially to build to the notes of the melody.
The afternoon session was led by Cathy Barton and she seems like a really good teacher. I tried to keep up, but the most impressive thing about that session was hearing a room full of HD's playing a tune together with some of the more advanced players improvising harmonies.
There wasn't much of a vendor area and nearly none of that dedicated to HD's but I did get to see some incredibly beautiful MD's made by Les Woodson. His web site doesn't have some of his finest instruments - what he had there was simply fabulous.
My friend Laurie also had a great time - she finally got to play the dulcimer she had Homer Ledford make for her some 10 years ago. I though it was a gift from from her husband, but it turns out that she actually went to his workshop and selected the woods and design and she was absolutely thrilled to finally be able to make it sound.
And the trip to E-town was a joy in itself. It was the perfect weekend for fall colors and the 1 1/2 hr drive was just stunning.
From time to time, you will likely hear me whingeing about you facilitating my descent into dulcimer envy and DAD, but in truth I can scarcely thank you enough for lending me your instrument and helping me get started with the HD.
Roger
Non omnes qui habemt citharam sunt citharoedi
-
missy
- Posts: 5833
- Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2003 7:46 am
- Please enter the next number in sequence: 1
- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Contact:
MWAHAHAHA - yes - we have suckered another one in!!!Random notes wrote:
From time to time, you will likely hear me whingeing about you facilitating my descent into dulcimer envy and DAD, but in truth I can scarcely thank you enough for lending me your instrument and helping me get started with the HD.
Roger
You WILL be assimilated. Resistance is futile!!!
That's ok - if saved you from having to take up the banjo! (I'm kidding...)