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@ Frank and Jane Gabor WV Folklife Center , Squibb Wilson...
Open jam for all acoustic string instruments.
Old-time music.
10 AM to 3 PM
Lunch 12 to 1, pack a lunch or visit a local establishment
Learn new tunes. Play well known tunes, Slow or fast. This event was held at different locations in the past. It now has a home at the Folklife Center. It is a great venue, and they have been gracious enough to host the Wartz event. Rob Lackey was a key organizer for this event, along with Jim Fawcett and Kevin Messenger. It began as a mountain dulcimer gathering but has grown to include all acoustic instruments, with an emphasis on the old-time music. The first Wartz was held in 2012, and has been held once or twice a year every year since, except for the Covid break. We had a great gathering for the recent event, we hope this next event will also be wonderful.
Rob was always very active on this website. He, unfortunately, passed away in December 2023. We lost Rob, let's not lose this gathering. Rob would've wanted this.
The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center on the campus of Fairmont State University is dedicated to the identification, preservation, and perpetuation of our region's rich cultural heritage, through academic studies, educational programs, festivals and performances, and publications.
I never saw Gainer, although I became aware of his presence on campus soon after I arrived here in 1964. He played an important part in Mountaineer Week every fall. I had stepped away from music while doing graduate work in engineering.
He was an attraction as a living "hillbilly" character as well as for the good music he played. I knew that sort of role because I had known Peter Yarrow while he was the "Romp and Stomp" songster in Dr. Thompson's class in New York State Folklore at Cornell. I suspect there was someone similar in almost every state university in the 1950s..
It shouldn't be surprising if he played a genuine Pritchard dulcimer. He was pre-revival, and quite likely was offered a good many, and a variety, of instruments taking up space under beds across the state.
If "management" wants to organize a Gainer thread, I give my permission for my remarks to be shifted there.
Maybe we should start a thread on Patrick Gainer. I wonder where the photo on the YouTube site was taken. The dulcimer he is holding looks like a Prichard with Champion friction tuners.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Wally, thanks for those links about Dr. Gainer. I may have mentioned that I took two courses from him at the Appalachian Regional School for Church Leaders. They were week long summer classes. I shared a couple of meals with him in the cafeteria. He was a character. Since I built my first dulcimer in 1974 and it was the only one I had at that time, he played a tune on it.
The second link for photos didn't work for me.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.
Morgantown and West Virginia University (WVU) are only abut 15 miles from Fairmont.
Dr. Patrick W. Gainer was associated with WVU from the early 1920s until his death in 1981.
He is listed among the "old Timers" in Jean Ritchie's Dulcimer People.
Pat Gainer
https://www.wvencyclopedia.org/entries/2018
Photos of Professor Gainer
https://wvhistoryonview.org/?f%5Bpersonal_names_sim%5D%5B%5D=Gainer%2C+Patrick+W.
On YouTube:
Dr. Patrick W. Gainer Sings Songs of the ...
Dr Gainer published an album of songs, included herein. West Virginia Public Radio also aired a recording of one of his lectures.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4kcz_zzGeUeVB7li5kwA2Tm8lrcfZqV6
13 Rebec Dance Tune
Patrick Ward Gainer (1904-1981), Collector, Papers
Extent
10 Linear Feet (Summary: 10 ft. (21 document cases, 5 in. each); (1 records carton, 15 in.))
https://archives.lib.wvu.edu/repositories/2/resources/4336
I don't see any indication that WVU has one of his dulcimers. They probably are still being played by a descendant.
Fairmont is part of North Central West Virginia. We haven't had anyone who has developed a distinctive style or produced a large number of high quality instruments, so there is little in the way of interest in "West Virginia" dulcimers.
On the other hand, we have had a good many community groups playing Appalachian dulcimer, some of which stretch back several decades.
We have a fairly large number of people who make, or have made, a modest number of playable instruments. A number of years ago there was a barn/workshop outside of Fairmont where the owner would help anyone make a dulcimer or a psaltery.
Same thing goes for hammered dulcimers.
As you know from personal experience we have a number of gatherings which welcome and feature dulcimers and can draw from 25 to 250 people, although the public interest is more focused on "country" and "bluegrass."
We are in regular contact with the Elkins and Charleston dulcimer folks, plus the south-east Ohio ones.
We enjoy making and playing them and owning more than one. We just don't revere them.
(Nor do we, as far as I know, have a museum or local literature for violins, trumpets, organs, etc. except for World Folk Percussion. And we have two nationally recognized steel drum manufacturers in the Morgantown community. And a "conservatory" which includes bluegrass in its curriculum.)
Bob, I'm glad to see Wartz-n-all continuing. I've been to a few of them, but find that I no longer have the energy to drive the 3 1/2 or 4 hour drive down to Fairmont and back. The Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center is a beautiful venue. I stopped in and visited on my way back from the Hindman Dulcimer Homecoming back in April. Alas, they had very little information on West Virginia dulcimers. I did share a photo of the Charles N. Prichard dulcimer reproduction I make. I would have showed them an actual dulcimer but it was in my vehicle in the parking garage on the other side of the campus. This old body was too tired to walk back and get it. Have a great time.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."