Selfless Kindness
Topic: Grace in the Dulcimer Community

One of the things I love and appreciate about this dulcimer community is the selflessness of people as they strive to share the music and help others to learn it as well.  Just last Sunday one of our faculty wrote to tell us:

 “As much as I hate to write this, I am not going to be able to teach at the Pocono festival. Yesterday morning I fell down some stairs at a church where I was preaching. I have fractured at least two bones in my right wrist, one of them also affects the right thumb. It will be at least a week before the doc can cast it and then a minimum of 4-6 weeks in the cast.

I can't tell you how disappointed I am nor how excited I was to teach for your festival. I may try to come anyway and just listen to all the great music.

I'm so sorry to let you down.”

Lynn

 

After sharing with our festival team I contacted Alf Bashore to see if he might offer a class in the slot now vacated by Lynn.  Alf wrote back suggesting, “I just had a revelation: I can volunteer to be Lynn's hands and she teaches the workshop. All I would need is her workshop music/tab to rehearse a bit. It's a thought. Let me know what you think. (If she teaches and I volunteer, then she gets paid and I get to volunteer.)”
Alf

 

While this was happening Lynn shared with her friend, Nina Zanetti, the circumstances of her injury and disappointment to which Nina replied by offering to be Lynn’s hands!!

 

So now Lynn will be teaching her classes and Nina and Alf will be her “hands” in those workshops!  I don’t know about you who might read this but I think that is just an awesome act of unselfish kindness and an inspiration to me (I hope you too) as to the power and beauty of selfless giving – something I not only see this time of year, but many times in this dulcimer music community.

WDF 11 - what a great time!!!
Mood:  celebratory
Topic: Festival thoughts

So it's been two weeks since the 9th Annual Winter Dulcimer Fest! I have to say that this year was one of the smoothest festivals we have had.  We had lots of great help and organization from the PDC; Fantastic Faculty and performers… and the workshops were terrific.  Almost every comment I heard was positive.  Lorraine & Bennett, Guy & Sherri were just terrific Saturday night.  We also had some new-to-us faculty this year and we are so glad they were with us.  Wonderful comments from participants made it clear that these new faculty members are “keepers!”

This year our vendors were kept pretty busy as we were down 3 of those who have annually participated.  We are glad to hear that Rich Carty is on the mend and continue to lift Steve Miklos in our thoughts and prayers.  We hope that Kayla will see her way back to us (although Florida is probably a nice change from the Poconos in January).

 Just want to make note that once again the Pocono Arts Council helped out with a grant and we really appreciate that.  We also give a great big THANK YOU for the Wesleyan Church who hosted us for the 7th year!  They are awesome to work with and very supportive.  We really appreciate then a lot, particularly Felicia who was there to assist whenever we needed help.

 We're looking forward already to next year and should have the featured performers announced shortly.  We are looking carefully at the comments from the evaluations and will take them very seriously as we plan for next year. 

Thanks to each of you who came and participated – without you there is no festival and we are so grateful to each one of you for making this such a great winter musical experience.

To Jam or not to Jam... is that a question??!
This past month I've been able to jam with some very diverse groups (although I am personally partial to old time jams).  Often I suggest folks come to a jam and get responses like, "I'm not a good enough player," or, "I don't really know tunes, I'd be embarrassed," or, They play too fast for me."  Now I must admit that the first jam I went to as a dulcimer player I ended up playing my guitar most of the time because I was uncomfortable. However once I let go of my pride - yes, I said pride - and played I found that I was putting into practice things I was learning and I was also really learning rhythm, something I had been a little weak in.  As I went to jams, mostly dulcimer related early on, I began to pick up some of the tunes people were playing and I met a lot of neat people. 

 

In 2005 I started attending an old time jam in Bethlehem and was the only mountain dulcimer there.  They played pretty much up to speed and a lot of tunes I didn't know but I hung on the side, played the chords a little and listened a lot.  As I went each month I started to pick up the tunes and after a while got to know them... it was a revelation because my playing was also improving and I was feeling much more comfortable with the instrument.  I was amazed!!  I began to find and join the jams at festivals and heard and played lots of others stuff, besides old time tunes, and was surprised to realize that I could pick things up.   I tell you all that to tell you this... Jamming helped to improve my playing... a lot!  And I believe, if you're willing to try, it will help your playing too.  So... get out there, find a jam, or 2, or 3 and play!  See what you can learn.

Ramblings of a Dulcimer nut
Topic: New Club has formed!
After several years managing this site I thought it was time to add a blog and make comments about the club, its events & happenings or whatever from time to time.  I would also like club members and guests to make contributions which can be posted for anyone who might be interested...The dulcimer has been an integral part of my life for the past 13 years bringing joy and comfort, challenge and growth into my life and opening up a whole international community to me.  The friendships made have been amazing and many of these musical folks I consider to be close friends.At our 8th annual Winter Dulcimer Fest this year I put out a sign up list for folks who might be interested in starting a new club in or near the Lehigh Valley.  About 20 people signed up.  After some initial encouragement a couple in Bucks County stepped forward and started to search for a place to meet.  Since the majority of the folks interested in forming a new club lived south of the Valley the initial meeting took place in Quakertown at the First United Church of Christ 0n 4th Street.  The first meeting took place on March 14th and about 38 people showed up - mountain dulcimer players, hammered dulcimer players and autoharp players.  It was a great first meeting.

During the ensuing weeks several names were suggested for the group and the one that stuck was the "Quakertown Area Dulcimer and Autoharp Society" (QuADAS).  The second meeting was also well attended on April 11th and on April 12th the church voted to allow the new club, QuADAS, to meet there.  So a new club is born!!  [For more information you can contact Obie & Bobbie @ obediahbreadboard@verizon.net

This is really exciting for us at the PDC because it is the first formal spinoff from the club and its activities over the past few years.  To kick off their first year the QuADAS will be presenting Atwater-Donnelly on June 26th.  (Aubrey Atwater was a featured MD performer/faculty at the PDC's Winter Dulcimer Fest in 2006)  Aubrey and Elwood will present a workshop or two in the afternoon, joined by HD & Autoharp teachers, and a concert in the evening - watch for more details.

QuADAS meets the 2nd Sunday of the Month at First United Church of Christ, 151 South 4th Street, Quakertown, PA 18951 from 2 - 5PM.  Contact Obie & Bobbie @ obediahbreadboard@verizon.net for information, directions, etc.   The club is for Mountain & Hammered dulcimers and Autoharps.

 Norm dulcinut@ptd.net