Alex_Lubet

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Location: St. Paul, MN
Country: United States

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Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • 4 days ago • comments: 2
Posted a new Comment on Waves by Iris Shiraishi:
"Thanks, Robin, more to come."
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • 5 days ago • comments: 2
Created a new Group discussion "Waves by Iris Shiraishi":
"This piece was composed for me by my wife Iris Shiraishi, who joins me on percussion.  The percussion is optional, but the piece is much better with it."
Rockin' in the Free World
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • 5 days ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "New to the group, several questions":
"Thanks again, Nate.  The tunes I've posted actually use pretty standard tunings, DAc and DAD with a first fret capo.  I'll be sending some others with more..."
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • 6 days ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "New to the group, several questions":
"Thanks again, Nate.  I have three dulcimers, one of which cost me $20, is on loan, and I may never see again.  I keep three strings on one, four on the..."
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • 6 days ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "New to the group, several questions":
"Thanks, Nate.  With only one exception, all the tunings I've used go low to high, which would eliminate some of those possibilities.  The only exception was..."
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • one week ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "New to the group, several questions":
"I had to look up Galax tuning.  I use all-unison tuning sometimes on both 3 and 4 strings and it's indeed powerful. I spend a lot of time exploring..."
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • one week ago • comments: 5
Posted a new Comment on @forums:
"Good morning and a good week to you all.  Has anyone else seen this?  Thoughts?"
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • one week ago • comments: 2
Posted a new Comment on Gunung Singgalang:
"Thanks so much, Nate.  Being well played is partly a function of the recording studio and multiple takes.  The tone (I play McSpaddens) surely owes much to a..."
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • one week ago • comments: 2
Created a new Group discussion "Gunung Singgalang":
"Hi All, This piece was written for me by one of my former students, Jay Afrisando, who's from Indonesia and uses folk music from his country.  It's been..."
Rockin' in the Free World
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • one week ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "New to the group, several questions":
"I spent some time this morning trying out your suggestions.  They offer some new possibilities.  I've been playing 4 equidistant strings for over a year.  I..."
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • one week ago • comments: 0
Posted a response to "New to the group, several questions":
"Thanks for your answers.  My answers to yours: 1) I knew about Stephen Seifert.  I wonder if he started on guitar, like me. 2) There's a whole literature..."
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • one week ago
@alex-lubet is now following @forums
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • one week ago • comments: 0
Created a new forum topic "New to the group, several questions":
"Hi All, I hope you're having a great weekend with better weather than here in MN. I'm relatively new here.  I'm completely self-taught on dulcimer.  I've..."
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • one week ago • comments: 2
Liked a group discussions item created by @alex-lubet: Alex Lubet At a Place Far Away
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • one week ago • comments: 2
Posted a new Comment on Alex Lubet At a Place Far Away:
"Thanks so much.  You can stream lots on almost any streaming platform. New album dropping pretty soon."
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • 2 weeks ago • comments: 2
Created a new Group discussion "Alex Lubet At a Place Far Away":
"Hi All, I suspect this is pretty unusual, as is everything I do on mountain dulcimer.  It's a fantasy on a Chinese folk song that I composed for..."
Rockin' in the Free World
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • 2 months ago • comments: 3
Posted a new Comment on Rockin' in the Free World:
"Hi All, I attempted to post this link to the group a few days ago, but don't see it here: If I'm doing something wrong, please let me know.  Otherwise,..."
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • 2 months ago • comments: 5
Posted a new Comment on @alex-lubet:
"Hi All, I hope everyone is doing well. I've done a lot of recording and, at the risk of hubris, gotten some good reviews, though these are from beyond the..."
Alex_Lubet
@alex-lubet • 2 months ago • comments: 5
Posted a new Comment on @alex-lubet:
"Thanks for your kind words, everyone.  It's great to be here. I think my dulcimer journey might be a bit unusual.  I started on guitar almost sixty years..."

Latest Group Discussions

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Alex_Lubet

Waves by Iris Shiraishi


This piece was composed for me by my wife Iris Shiraishi, who joins me...
@Alex_Lubet 5 days ago - Comments: 2
Alex_Lubet

Gunung Singgalang


Hi All, This piece was written for me by one of my former students,...
@Alex_Lubet one week ago - Comments: 2
Alex_Lubet

Alex Lubet At a Place Far Away


Hi All, I suspect this is pretty unusual, as is everything I do...
@Alex_Lubet 2 weeks ago - Comments: 2

Latest Audio

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Latest Videos

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Comments

Alex_Lubet
04/18/25 04:56:46PM @alex-lubet:

Hi All,

I hope everyone is doing well.

I've done a lot of recording and, at the risk of hubris, gotten some good reviews, though these are from beyond the dulcimer community.  Here's a link to "At a Place Far Away," my take on a Chinese folk song that I wrote for a concert in China.  It's from my album, "Three Strings and the Truth:  New Music for Mountain Dulcimer."  Would love to discuss and share more music if folk are interested.

Have a great weekend and a Happy Easter to those who celebrate.


Alex_Lubet
04/13/25 05:14:26PM @alex-lubet:

Thanks for your kind words, everyone.  It's great to be here.

I think my dulcimer journey might be a bit unusual.  I started on guitar almost sixty years ago and have played most every fretted instrument in the American-Western European music sphere, largely self-taught.  I started on mountain dulcimer about ten years ago and it's now my main instrument for playing and composing.

But I'm also a classically trained composer and have taught composition at the University of Minnesota since 1979 (and will retire next year).  For a long time, I've mostly composed for instruments of American folk music, which I play myself.  I got seriously into dulcimer when my wife Iris Shiraishi composed a work for her Japanese music fusion group, Ensemble Ma.  Dulcimer was the closest she could come to an instrument we didn't have.  Since then, I've performed in China and South Korea, including works written for me by composers from those countries (and Indonesia).  Despite its distinctly non-Asian history, dulcimer lends itself to Asian aesthetics.  My Asian friends have really enjoyed it and few if any had ever seen or heard one before, which made it especially interesting.  I have to admit that another reason I love dulcimer is that it fits in the overhead bin on planes.  Traveling on planes with a guitar had been a major headache (plus foreign audiences all know what it looks and sounds like).

I've had lots of other influences as well, including Jewish music and even free jazz.  My entirely self-taught technique is quite non-standard and sometimes includes some unfamiliar, but totally acoustic, sounds.I've made quite a few albums (including earlier ones on other instruments.    They stream on lots of platforms and I'll be posting links in the Rockin' in the Free World group.  I'm pretty sure you'll find them unusual and I hope you'll give them a chance and might even enjoy them.  I'm not trying to sell any of my music, just share it, as well, of course, as listening to and learning from you.

I know this was a long post and I thank you for your kind consideration and time.  I'll be posting links to some music soon.

Happy Easter and Passover (and any other holidays I've missed).  Have a great week.


Ben Barr Jr
04/11/25 08:48:39AM @benjamin-w-barr-jr:

Hi Alex, and welcome to the wonderful world of the Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer.  It's a good place to come, spend some time, learn about the dulcimer, and to meet some good people.

Ben


Richard Streib
04/10/25 01:43:33PM @richard-streib:

Glad you joined Alex_Lubert. Welcome to Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer. There is a lot of information here and a lot of great folks with much expertise and experience. I am sure you will enjoy being a part of our little family.


Ken Longfield
04/09/25 10:41:44PM @ken-longfield:

Welcome to FOTMD, Alex_Lubet. It's good to have you aboard. I look forward to your participation here.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."