Forum Activity for @bvmaestro

Dulcimer Players News demise

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

So let me make sure I understand this...Popeye was once a Saturday cartoon?!  So there really is something to this "55 and older crowd"?  I am 52 and I only remember watching Popeye on weekday afternoons with many of the other cartoon show reruns.  I am too old for Nate's crowd, too young for the 55 and older crowd....where do I belong?

I am very glad to hear about this development.  When I was originally starting learning to play dulcimer, I was researching over the internet and found DPN, I was completely bummed to learn that I couldn't subscribe and it was ending.  Now that this phoenix is rising from the ashes, I have already subscribed. 

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Now that I have been a member for a couple of months, I better introduce myself.  I am David Wheeler and I currently live in Bainville, Montana (hence the BVmaestro user name).  I am the K-12 music teacher for the local school.  I teach all elementary music, JHS and HS bands and choirs.

I have heard of the dulcimer throughout my lifetime, but never took a nibble at the hook...until recently.  I am at a point at which I need to foster my own music making activities to continue being useful in my job.  I got so busy preparing and helping students make music, I was neglecting my need to do the same.  So I bought a banjo, mandolin, and new guitar so I could study bluegrass and learn to play it.  I reread about dulcimers and decided to rent both the mountain and the hammered dulcimer.  Needless to say, the banjo, mandolin, and guitar are sitting safely in their cases whileI have been focusing on both dulcimers.

Since starting I have already accompanied a student on a folk song using the mountain dulcimer, and at the upcoming Spring Concert, I will be using the mountain dulcimer to accompany 2nd graders singing Shenandoah.  I fell in love with the instrument.  As soon as I am able, I will be purchasing my own mountain dulcimer from June Apple Dulcimers (my deposit and rental fees go towards the puchase).  As I have been preparing for starting my Doctorate degree in music education, I also decided to include dulcimers in my music program.

I grew up a brass player, expanded out to other instrument, and began playing with guitars, bass, and keyboard when I started implementing Little Kids Rock into my program.  I love the sound of bluegrass and folk music.  Dulcimers are the next step and I love them.

I also teach Drivers Education during the summer (this is my last summer), and I enjoy camping, hiking, photography, and music composition.

If there is anyone who is in Northeast Montana or Northwest North Dakota, I would be interested in connecting.

The Joy of Sharing Dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Although the conversation happened a couple of years ago, I found the idea of replacing recorders with dulcimers interesting.  I am finding that kids are aging with less fine motor skills.  More students struggle even with the most simple recorder fingerings.  I am looking at using dulcimers during my primary grades music instruction.  As early as kindergarten, students will learn to count the frets (which correlates with the simple counting curriculum) while making music using the noter style.  As they progress, they can learn to use fingering on the melody string to increase finger dexterity, and eventually chords.  This would probably last through the second grade.  At this point, then I can branch out to ukulele, recorders, guitars, etc.  I will never replace recorder or ukulele, but the dulcimer will definitely prepare students for such making them invaluable in school music.  Best part, kids will make music quickly and fall in love with it faster.  I think I got the plan.