Forum Activity for @d-chitwood

I found him by contacting his brother at the probst furniture company. Rick can be hard to find but his dulcimers are amazing.

Noticed that.  Great idea Lisa!

Update:  In addition to being able to see all your Followers from the "My Followers" TAB on your own profile page, I've also added a LINK in the dropdown menu when you hover over your name at top right of the site (when you are logged in).  There you'll now see a link to Pending Followers followed by the number of any followers that are currently pending your Approval.  It's a quick way to see if someone's waiting.   :)

Hi Cheryl!
To send a message, please read through this thread- it has step by step instructions.  Hope it's clear!

NOTE: the private message system on FOTMD is now independent of the "Follower" system.  Members can now send PMs to any other member, regardless of whether they are 'following' each other.  Yay!

I wanted you all to know that if I wasn't already scheduled to be out of state at another dulcimer event that weekend, I would, for sure, be joining y'all in Berea. Just a suggestion...if someone writes the John Jacob Niles Center at the University of Kentucky, you may be able to get permission to make a quick stop at JJNiles' home just outside Lexington, not far off I-75 at exit 104.  It is private property, so I'm sure people don't want a bunch of cars parking in the driveway and poking around without permission--part of the building is still being used for storage and office space, I think.  John Gribble and I visited the site when he was working on his JJNiles article for Dulcimer Player News in 2016. The house, which is right by the road, looks like it is partly in ruins, but if you stand in the center of the courtyard and look past the vines that seem to be covering everything, you will spot some treasure such as the small niche with the figurine of St. Francis of Assisi, beautiful handmade tiles inlaid in the stonework, and a leaded glass window.  Not far from the house is the small Episcopal Church with the double doors that he hand carved. The pretty stone-walled cemetery behind the church has the grave of JJNiles and if you're lucky there will be some flowers and trees in bloom! The church caretaker lives across the road and can tell you more about why this beautiful small church is located in (seemingly) the "middle of nowhere."  

Hi Linda, thanks for your inquiry!

It's surprising how most of the Groups associated with particular states tend to languish.  Some I have actually deleted because of no interest for years, after an initial enthusiasm by a handful of members. Your suggestion was considered by several of the site moderators.

Rather than having a new group created, I suggest that you make a new discussion in the General mtn dulcimer forum, here:

https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/general-mountain-dulcimer-or-music-discussions

(click the plus+ button to start a new thread)

Put 'Maryland' in the title, and ask for others to chime in if they live near you.  You might get a good response, and you can always continue the discussion there as long as you like, if others join in.

Thanks!

Linda, proposals for groups go to the site owner Strumelia and she discusses them with the Moderators.  I'm sure we'll talk about your idea.  I can tell you, though, that a lot of the groups get started with a fair amount of activity and then go dormant.  Most of the state-centered groups are really small and don't have much going on.  When I posted about a month ago in the California Group to publicize a dulcimer festival in Berkeley, I noticed that the last post was me a year ago announcing the same festival! No one had posted in a year!  The largest state group is Michigan with 60 members, but even there the last post was 2 years ago.  And some state groups are really small. Indiana, for example, only has 12 people.

I am of mixed sentiment on this. I can understand the desire for a central place to find people in a local area, but I also fear that too much content gets hidden in groups and now we have too many groups with too little going on.  I joined the California group for exactly the reason you explain, and yet it hasn't worked out too well.

I'm sure Strumelia will get back to you.

You fellas planning on taking sponge baths and sleeping in your cars?  

Yes, that is indeed a Youtube setting in your YT preferences... I have no idea where to find it now but I remember setting my prefs for that in my Youtube settings.

Peter, if it's possible to stop that, it would be a YouTube setting.  I'll poke around there and see if I can find anything. 

Does Vimeo do the same thing?

Hey Ken Longfield, Follow me so we can private message each other.  I would like to join up with you in Berea and may be able to help find a place where we can play.  I live abour 45 miles from Berea and play there once a week.  Dulcinina

Ken,

How about a 5 gallon bucket full of sponges?

Thanks. Looking forward to it.

I add a video to FOTMD having saved it as a YouTube video.  At the end of playing the video YouTube then displays a selection of recommended further videos.  Is there any way to stop this and just end cleanly at the end of my video?

It's heartening to hear that some of you will be getting together even if the official event has been cancelled.  You can't keep a good dulcimer player down!

Richard -- bring yer sponge -- that way you can soak up lots and lots.  This should be a great gathering!

Richard, at this point we are planning to meet in Berea on March 8. I am staying at Boone Tavern and so are David and Karen Bennet. KenH is staying at an AirBnB. I don't know what the any of the others are doing. There are many places to stay around Berea. We have exchange mobile phone numbers and will make contact with each other via phone when we arrive. At this point we are thinking of going to Hindman on Friday and maybe U of K's JJ Niles center on Saturday. The rest of the time we will talk and play.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

So sad that it is canceled. Driven as everything nowadays by the bottom line.

I am certainly open to coming. What kind of structure is anyone thinking of?

I don't do well jamming for hours on end. I never have been able to play well in a group. Too much auditory input drives my meager mind crazy somehow. I am probably not skilled enough to teach anyone anything so I'd be soaking up info from others. Sure would like to meet some of the folks from FOTMD.

Love that Hot Brown; also Burgoo.  We'll find someplace to take over!

Dan the Man!  It would be great to see you and the others in Berea or Hindman (or the Museum of Appalachia, for that matter).  The Dinner Bell restaurant has the official "Kentucky Hot Brown", which I learned about down there.  

I'm flexible as far as dates and times.  There are several inexpensive motels around there that I know of.  The big question is if we can find an indoor space somewhere to inhabit for a while.

Yes, I'm going to try to make it. I'll drive there just for the Dinner Bell to eat! Let me know where....

DAN

dulcimoredan@gmail.com

(yes this is a public address)

Just sent y'all an email.  I'll be there!  Just booked an AirBnb room in Berea for $30 a night -- hard to beat that!

I sent out an email tonight to a few folks who expressed interest in still getting together. If you want to be included, please let me know.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Having been involved in the 1st 3 Homecomings, I am very saddened that they are having to cancel after scheduling it this year.  I hope they will be able to set something up for next year and keep it regardless of the perceived attendance.  They were a fun time.  Even the last one when there was no water was a good one.  Let's see what we can do.

I see posts from there every once in awhile... maybe every couple weeks.  Certainly not much traffic at all.

I could do Friday and Saturday. I have a reservation at the Quality Inn for Sunday night, but don't mind moving.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I was just curious- does the Sweet Music Index (dulcimer listserve on majordomo Clearspring) still exist?  Is it still running?
I know Dwain still has some pages about it on his Bearmeadow site, but is the list still alive and running?

I wonder if people knowing about the recent flooding in Hindman had any impact on the low registration.

I have a couple of friends in my local club that were planning on just showing up without pre-registering so they wouldn't be out any money if they had to back out, a legitimate concern. Several weeks ago I tried to get them to register arguing that the planners needed to know ahead of time how many would be there, especially as meals were provided. But they still wouldn't pre-register. I'm wondering if there were others planning on showing up without pre-registering. I'm not busting on these folks. But if this was a factor in cancelling the event perhaps it shows the need to pre-registering. But I could be wrong!!  :)

For those planning on going to the Hindman Dulcimer non-Home Coming and now thinking about meeting in Berea we need to decide on dates in order to make reservations.

The Hindman Dulcimer Home Coming was scheduled 8-11 March. The 8th is Thursday. Do we want to meet on the 9th and 10th (Fri & Sat)?  I'd probably need to leave Sunday but might be able to adjust with enough notice.

Maybe Warren May would have some ideas where we could meet.

I am so sorry to see this!  And hope some folks may still get together.  

It is sad to me that an area which has figured prominently in the development of the modern lap dulcimer will not have a fest to celebrate the people and its history in the development and popularizing of the mountain dulcimer. 

Andre; you do realize that, except for farmrusts' post last month, the rest of this conversation is 5 years old, right?  AFIK we haven't heard from Mike Anderson or Robert Terdeman since then...

Maybe we can meet in Berea.  We always like staying at the Boone Tavern on the campus of Berea College and on the same block as Warren May's shop... What do you think?

Here's part of the email I received:

"My name is Brett Ratliff and I’m the Director of Cultural Heritage Programs at Hindman Settlement School. I regret to inform you that it is not viable for us at this point to move forward with the Hindman Dulcimer Homecoming due to low enrollment and the risk of not covering our costs, which is a risk we are simply not in a position to take. In light of this, we have made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s event. We realize that you have made special arrangements in order to be with us, so we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your support..."

Is the Hindman gathering really cancelled?  Have they given a reason?

I'm currently planning to still go down there personally, to see the guys at the shop. 

Berea can work for me.  I always look in on Warren May when I go through there.

I have not received the official notice yet. While I am not out as much as you are Ken, I do have a non-refundable motel reservation in Berea for Sunday night. Is there a way a few of us who might be interested can meet, visit, and play together? It doesn't have to be in Hindman (not lodging there).

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

CANCELLED!!!!  I'm sorry, but that's really tacky to cancel an event two weeks before it's supposed to take place!  Now I'm out $400 because I'm betting the airline won't refund my airfare; and the rental car agency my deposit.  Theoretically we'll get our Festival money back... provided they haven't spent it on something already.

Not just disappointed; I'm really peeved!  I've seen several Festivals fail over the years, but they just didn't schedule any others.

Hi Adrian,

Rick never had a website to my knowledge, but he's still around.  He moved recently, but he had a koa dulcimer for sale a few months ago, so he must still be making them.  He is a member here:  https://fotmd.com/rick-probst .  Try to contact him.  If he doesn't get back to you, send me a personal message and I'll contact him on your behalf. (I don't think it's my place to hand out his email.)

I'm pretty sure Rick is still making dulcimers, but not that many.  He's been making ukuleles and other instruments with a steadier market.  But luthiery was always a side gig for him anyway; he has a day job, so his production is limited.

I found this listing, no longer available, on line..... it may provide some leads?  https://reverb.com/item/1629254-f-w-pete-belcher-jr-8-string-dulcimer-1976-cherry-ebony-gold-new-lower-price