Forum Activity for @ken-backer

The first dulcimer I owned was an original JE Thomas made in 1912.  As many of you know, I found it at a flea market.  Not recommended as a "first dulcimer".

Hi Rob, I have been doing this song since the 60's, and now do it on the dulcimer.  Had their original LP but don't know what happened to it.  For those of you who may not know,  Richard died in a motorcycle accident just after his book came out.  Mimi (Joan Baez's younger sister) died of cancer around 2003.

once again Lisa...

Anybody... When I try to add a vido, it will not accept the copy and past of the Youtube link, nor will it accept the link if I type it in.  I get the message "unable to extract Youtube ID from url".  Am I missing a step on this new site?

Cheers Ken

Last night Lin and I had the best time with Rob Lackey, and Jim and Bev Fawcett.  After supper we sat on the porch at the Fawcett's lovely home in the country and played music.  And I have to mention Bev's delicious zuccini pie!

Oh, and Patty.... Thanks for giving me the designation of "gentleman".  Sure beats my usual title of " old geezer" 

Patty, you were the first FOTMD member I ever met in person and it was a pleasure.  Tomorrow Lin and I are having supper with Jim Fawcett and Rob Lackey, followed by a jam session.  Looking forward to it!

I, too, would like to give a big thanks to our moderators.  I know they help make Lisa's job much easier.  

Good grief, I rotated my tablet to vertical and..wala..I can see.its a miracle!

My dulcimer life is very simple... I only own two (not counting "Stubby").  I do all performing on my Homer Ledford, and play my Warren May around the house.   If I had more dulcimers I would only confuse myself.

I use a little black Fender clip-on.  I don't put it on the dulcimer, I clip it to my possum board, the edge nearest to me.  Pet peave.... seeing a beautiful instrument with tuner clipped to the end.  When the instrument is tuned, take it off before you perform.

You know you own too many dulcimers when:

-You start using them as bird houses

-You put one in a pond just to see how well it floats

-You can't afford to change the strings on all of them

-You keep one on your desk to hold pens and pencils in the soundholes 

-You can't count them all without loosing track

Site works fine on my Nexus tablet.  Unfortunatly I can't bring it up on my stone tablet.. but then I got it ove 2000 year ago.

Hi Everyone,  I always use a possum board, and there are pictures of mine in my photos section.  As I have mentioned in another forum, the most important thing is to only support the dulcimer on the head and tail stock.  Any part touching the back will not allow the back to vibrate freely.  Other uses for a possum board are as a lap tray table if they are serving food where you are playing, and as a shield if they start throwing things while you are playing.

When a dulcimer player goes out busking, they throw money in the case when he is NOT playing..

I love this one, I have to grown to dislike the sensative singer songwriters.

Hi Lisa, it would be nice when you go to a forum, like Drifting Thread, that the newest posts come up first instead of the older ones.  Down the road, I'm sure you are still up to your eyeballs.

I was 17 here, learning to fly with hopes of becoming a crop duster.  I never became a duster pilot, which is probebly for the best.

All these pictures are great!  Loved looking at them.  I am about 10 in this one, warming up for a performance.

Lisa, I am impressed!  Did you have turtle soup that night with you duck dinner?  Did you dive in after them or were they cooperative.

Lisa, you were a doll in that picture  (and still are)

Congratulations to all the winners, and three cheers for Lisa for making all thishappen!

I have a habit of naming inanimate objects myself. For example, my two-tooth partial plate is called "Chip and Dale"

My android device is called "Rufus". But I have never named any instrument I have owned - funny. My "Uncle Eddie" is just called the Thomas, and imagine my new ones will be called The Homer (Ledford)and The Warren (May).

Pete was my hero back in the sixty's. He was the one that really got me singing and playing. My second banjo was a long-necked Vega because "it was what Pete played". I feel sad, but I am sure he and Woody are now making music again in the next world.

marymacgowan said:

Ken, okay, so where does a gal get a simple old fashioned country dress?

Women, any advice on that?

Mary, go to the Salvation Army or the Good Will Store. You would be amazed atwhat interesting stuff they have that you can dress yourself up in.. seriously.

And yeah, we're performing, not just getting up and doing a song. For me that's tricky, because I want my performances to be about the songs and yet I do acknowledge to myself that it is a performance. I just don't want to be insincere.

Ken Backer said:

Hi Mary

I may be old fashioned but I think one should dress for the music they are doing. For me, jeans, hiking boots, and at-shirt for guys doesn't work. You want to stand out a bit more, and remember you are performing not just getting up and doing a song. For gals, look at what Jean Ritchie wore most of the time. A simple country dress. I think a long, colorful old fashiond dress goes very will with the old songs played on a dulcimer.Cheers Ken

Hi Mary

I may be old fashioned but I think one should dress for the music they are doing. For me, jeans, hiking boots, and at-shirt for guys doesn't work. You want to stand out a bit more, and remember you are performing not just getting up and doing a song. For gals, look at what Jean Ritchie wore most of the time. A simple country dress. I think a long, colorful old fashiond dress goes very will with the old songs played on a dulcimer.Cheers Ken

Phil, my heart goes out to you on this tragedy. As stated by others, although mateial loss is hard to take, the most important thing is that you, your family, and pets are okay. You are in the thoughts and prayers of many people here.

Ken

Hi All

ah... how about Onetoomany...

I just havea singleplain three string dulcimer with wooden tuning pegs.. not much of a collection!

Cheers Ken

Thanks, Stephen, for the info. It is such a pretty, haunting song. I have the "Song Catcher" DVD and just happened to watch it again a few days ago. I have been doing the song for some time using the dulcimer. I use a different, less clunky rythm than is heard in the movie.

Stephen Addison said:

The songwriter( of When the Mountains cry) has posted a lead sheet on his web page, its fairly easy to play from it - I've used this for banjo and dulcimer versions as well as guitar versions. Here is a link to David Mansfield's lead sheet. You can make it sound just like the movie - it's also easy to make it too pretty.

Ellen Rice said:

Any chance of the TAB being posted some place ?

The funeral song from the movie "The Song Catcher" (When the Mountains Cry). It is one of the most simple, haunting songs I have ever heard. I sing and play a version of the it on the dulcimer.