What a cool photo Dean! 

Thanks Struemlia!

The magic of the dulcimer endures. I am overjoyed to have found this community after so many years!

Thanks again for all you do for the community! 

Great photo!

And to think you are both here now over 30 years later, tapping away on your computer keyboards at other dulcimer players.    

Oh and I just realized THAT is my $100 friction peg kit dulcimer I mentioned in my profile.

I miss you old friend.

The dulcimer, not you Frank.

I composed and Frank harmonized every tune we played at Folklife and I used that kit dulcimer to do it.

That's one reason I really wish "seasoned" dulcimer players not diss the cheaper dulcimers. Sometimes, as in my case, it is all some folks can afford. 

If you are one of those "seasoned" players, keep in mind when you post something negative about a particular brand of dulcimer, you are likely posting where someone who can only afford that "cheap" dulcimer can read. It might be their pride and joy and it is cruel to introduce doubt of their shiny new instrument.

If you play with passion, you can make beautiful music with a Diddley Bo! " I'm looking at you, Wayne "  :D

I met Wayne at the Menucha Dulcimer Festival - wow has it been only 1 week ago? Wayne is in a wheelchair and is missing fingers from both hands. I don't know how, it doesn't matter.

Every night we jammed and Wayne joined in with his hand-made Diddley Bow. He has just enough of his thumb on his fretting hand to hold a slide and most of his thumb on his strumming hand. But boy can he play.  And he is passionate about it - so much that he glows.

It was a shame that a couple of players approached him and he inferred they were disappointed he was in the jam and all because  his instrument was different .

Sound familiar?

When he told me about it, I saw a cloud cross his face. I told him to ignore them and never let anything or anyone take away his music.

If this happens to you, maybe you're in a circle and not quite up to speed. and perhaps there is one or two who will act irritated because they "have to play at your speed".

Firmly but with kindness, defend your music and suggest perhaps could they practice their dynamics or articulation.

When I attend our circle, I use the time playing the basics with "less seasoned" players to strengthen my own weaknesses. I am (currently) a very slow sight reader for tab  - I haven't used it in 30 years -  so this helps me to practice.

But if you''re already adept at sight reading, why not practice harmonizing? You get more chops under your fingers and the less seasoned get to hear what it sounds like to step away from tab once in awhile.

Or perhaps you could use the time to practice articulation. Chet Atkins was a master at using one single note and letting it ring true with just the right splash of vibrato. Maybe you could develop your own lick?

I apologize for the length of this post but I really wanted those folks, whoever they are, to realize Wayne was not wrong for jamming with his Diddley Bow. I could understand, if not condone, the action if he was interrupting a class, but THEY obviously didn't think before discouraging a fellow musician who perhaps is not an adept.

<climbs down from cigar box>

Peace and 

Dean

Yep. And they were really good! I had to douse myself before I went on stage lol.

But it made for a great joke during our set at Folklife. 

I remember we did a little humor like:

Frank: "We just returned from our international tour."

Dean: "International tour, Frank?"

Frank: "Well we did play the World's Fair in Canada."

Then we proceeded to tell audience the perils of following a belly dancing act. They loved it lol.

Thanks for jumping in Robin!

Dean

Way cool photo.   

Belly dancers, eh?  :)

This is the photo we submitted with our audition tape for the1986 Seattle Folklife Festival and the 1986 World's Fair in Vancouver, B.C. This was back when I had hair and Frank wasn't so ugly. 

LOL - love ya Frank!  :D

We had the distinct misfortune of following an act of belly dancers so all the guys in the audience ran off douse themselves with cold water, lol. But the dulcet tones of the dulcimer drew a nice crowd any way.