It was great that you could make it, Debra. We had a nice turnout yesterday, including the couple from Carson City who attended our inaugural meeting over a year ago but hadn't been back since then. And we also had two brand new beginners. A nice mix indeed. I think we have a decent structure now, with a beginner's hour at first, then group play when we go over the songs in our slowly expanding repertoire, then a song circle at the end. I hope you'll be a regular, Debra!

Dusty, great picture! I can't wait to hear you all

Nice group you got there, Dusty. You gonna put up a video of you playing?

Ridiculously, we waited until Mark Richardson left Sacramento to start the first Sacramento-area dulcimer group.

After the 2012 Redwood Dulcimer Day, Ron Beardslee encouraged me to start a local group. I was skeptical at first that we would have enough people. We started with a list of 6 or7 possible members andI now have about 24 on my general list. We've met every month for a year now, with our numbers at each gathering ranging froma low of 6 to a high of 12 or 13. At first I did a lot of outreach trying torecruit people, but that has not beennecessary for a long time.While some members only attend from time to time, new folks continue to contact me about joining. I just received an email from a local newbie yesterday, in fact.

Hopefully soon we'll post a video or two of some music we've been playing together. And we've begun talking to DJ Hamouris about coordinating an event or two with a group she runs in the Berkeley/Oakland area. It's all pretty fun. For the first year that I played the dulcimer, my own was the only dulcimer I ever heard live. Now I play with others on a regular basis. And although I enjoy meeting at Gloriann's home, two local music stores--The Fifth String in downtown Sacramento and the Strum Shop in Roseville--have offered their space for our gatherings. Should we grow enough, we might have to start meeting in public in one of those retail spaces.

A handsome group! Who got it started up?