Forum Activity for @robin-thompson

I'm glad you were able to put the honey dipper to good use! 

Thank you for the link, Ken L!  I plan to attend online, too.  

Enjoy that beautiful dulcimer! 

I use what might be thought of as hybrid tunings-- tuning a wound bass and a doubled drone course to the same note yet an octave apart (as one would for Bagpipe tuning) then tuning the melody string as one would for straight Ionian or Dorian scales.  

The diatonic Jean Ritchie model Blue Lion I have shines in C.  It's a Kentucky hourglass shape, the top is Spruce, and at 23 years old it has aged nicely and is a joy to play.  I came by it 'used' in '07, I think-- diatonic dulcimers were falling out of favor  with lots of players at the time.  I feel lucky to have it.  

I play out of different tunings so it's not unusual for me to play out of *whatever* sounds good to my ear.    

Excellent, Ken-- thank you!  

I wish the Ohioan lots of happy strumming! 

Lisa, what time should we all be there for supper?  :)  Sounds good!  

Mark makes overnight oats, too.  I don't even know what all he puts in it yet he adds that dollop of yogurt on top before eating.  

A lovely collection, Ken L! 

What a beauty!  

@dusty Thank you for sharing-- another beautifully sad ballad in the old-time tradition.  

Here's one link with a bit of information on Mr. Massengill:

https://www.thevillagetrip.com/david-massengill/ 

I'm glad you enjoyed it, @shopdad! 

@ken-longfield you're welcome!  It was shared on fb and I thought I'd share it here at FOTMD.  

How David Massengill got an Edsel Martin dulcimer: 

https://youtu.be/8M8ycobVd9A?si=XPCDFVnPOqXOg92F

Happy birthday and happy strumming, John! 

Thank you, @ jennifer-wren !  I hope if you and others have some recording or reporting of how the '26 edition of PMOTPD unfolded it'll get posted here.    

@shopdad, the last Saturday in March is International Appalachian Dulcimer Day.  Folks are encouraged to post recordings, videos, or just share in a message how they marked the day.  I'm not sure how many years we've been celebrating-- I'd have to go look for the video I made encouraging celebration of the first IADD. 

@ken-longfield I'm not in any clubs so can't provide any insights regarding whether there is broad interest in the history of the mountain dulcimer.  In my case, I sought out to learn some mountain dulcimer history.  In undergraduate school, I majored in history so it seemed the thing to do was to learn something of the history of the instrument as my interest in the dulcimer grew.  Jean Ritchie's story is the one with which I've spent the most time.    

Welcome to mountain dulcimer play, @kittiwake1!  It's neat you're coming up with your own tunes.   

I enjoy making up the tunes my husband and I play-- making music at home is our hobby.   

While I'm at it, here's a link for the 2026 Hindman Dulcimer Homecoming:  

https://troublesomecreekguitars.com/2026-hindman-dulcimer-homecoming/

@john-c-knopf Correct, the dulcimer in the video is not a Troublesome Creek dulcimer.  I only mentioned the Troublesome Creek dulcimers to let Strumelia know Don was playing them a lot lately in the videos I've seen.  At least that's what I think Don's been playing.   

@strumelia https://troublesomecreekguitars.com/instruments/uncle-ed-series-dulcimers/

I don't know whether it's an older Modern Mountain Dulcimer or not in the video. 

These days, I believe Don has been playing the very cool Troublesome Creek dulcimer(s) patterned after, I believe, Uncle Ed Thomas's instruments.  

A cool clip of fiddle & mountain dulcimer from Clifftop this year: 

https://youtube.com/shorts/tiIaSp8hTZE?si=3SGbSm5sk9KXe99c

I play with leather picks all the time.  I don't buy these-- they are leather tabs cut off worn dungarees.  So, I imagine folks might've just used whatever was handy to make the sounds they wanted to make on instruments.  

Wow, FOTMD has passed 17 years online!  This is me now waving around my noter:  

@homer-ross Many thanks!  Hoping others will share how they marked worldwide PMOTPD! 

Please, feel free to share your recordings for PMOTPD 2026 in this thread! 

Thanks for sharing the video @alex-lubet!  I'd seen it on YT some time ago yet had forgotten all about it.  

A beloved musician, actor, businesswoman, and philanthropist has died.  There will never be another Dolly.  

This link shows a photo of Dolly with her decorated mountain dulcimer (the body was made by John Rowden of Newcomerstown OH) at an event at the Opry: 

https://onlineonly.christies.com/s/nashville-auction-benefit-acm-lifting-lives-covid-19-response-fund/dolly-parton-10/102893

You're welcome, @studentofrhythm!  It was a cool video to watch.  

Mark and I have been playing/practicing a tune to make a video for worldwide PMOTPD.  

P.S.- @ken-longfield, I hope y'all have a lovely anniversary! 

Wishing lots of happy strumming to the owners of your Box Dulcimers, Richard! 

Yay-- the link works!  I hope whoever gets your Uncle Will enjoys it-- it's got that old-timey sound, for sure!  

John, I got the message the video is private, is unavailable.  So, we're getting close to hearing the Uncle Will!  

Yikes-- my mistake in not noting John's recording is a "video".  I can read, I promise!    

@john-c-knopf You can either upload to the "Audio" from your personal page on FOTMD  or you should see a little box below the comment box in this thread which reads "Attach File". I look forward to hearing your recording!  

@john-c-knopf When I heard you playing an Uncle Will Singleton design dulcimer on a sidewalk in Hindman.  Your new Uncle Will build is gorgeous and I imagine it sounds great-- just like the one you were playing in Hindman that day years ago.  

Yay!  Many thanks, @ken-longfield, for letting us know!  

What a neat Box Dulcimer, Richard!  Happy strumming to the person who gets it!  

Lisa, "About two in a hill" is, perhaps, a very localized colloquialism.  Though we haven't heard the phrase used in years, Mark and I heard it from older people and we take it they were casually downplaying health woes related to aging.  We both think the reference was to a hill of potatoes which didn't amount to much when dug.  

We have high hopes for our potato crop this year.  Last year's crop was poor-- way too wet a Spring here!   It'll be nice when time comes to dig the potatoes and find out how all has been growing underground.  

P.S.- I don't know whether anyone still uses the response I used to hear older folks give when asked how they were doing: "About two in a hill."