Forum Activity for @paul-certo

I watched some of the contests at Roscoe years ago, but I was a brand new player, and the idea of competing was way off in the distance. It was fun to watch, but at that time I was more interested in attending workshops,and learning to play, so I only watched when no classes were being held. I suspect many new players might feel that way, too. I never developed much interest in competing, and I now find I would rather jam at festivals than anything else. I also take less workshops than I did in the early days. Concerts are more appealing to me than contests, as I feel the performers have more time to display the depth of their abilities. Those on a level, and of a mind set, to compete may prefer to watch the contests, and probably enjoy them. I kinda lost interest. I haven't been able to attend Roscoe for a good many years, but hope to again in the future. The jams were always fun, even when I didn't know many songs.

Paul

I organize the Coshocton Dulcimer Days festival and we have the Mid-Eastern Regional Hammered and Mountain dulcimer contests. Winners receive a trophy, money, and entry into the Walnut Valley Festival in KS. This festival has had contests since the first festival in the early '70's.

I am just curious about what ya'll think about contests, if you would ever compete, if you have competed, what you think judging criteria should be, and any other comments. Since we are sanctioned by Walnut Valley, we do have go by their rules, but we can change minor things with their approval.

Me, personally, I cannot compete....it makes me physically ill!!! LOL I have not competed since about 1985. I could do it when I was a kid, but it is just not my thing now. Isn't that weird???? I remember one time, Bob (my hubby) and I borrowed Dad's courting dulcimer to compete against mom and dad....We tied!!! .....and had to have a play off!!! Isn't that too funny.....Bob and I did manage to beat mom and dad, but I don't know how!!!! Bob and I still play that courting dulcimer today....I guess it is our good luck dulcimer!

I hear people say all the time that competing makes them better players and I can see that. It makes them practice and to be able to be in front of people. It gives them a goal to work on.

What are your thoughts and opinions? I thought this would be a fun topic to discuss.

Back in the '70's, the entire structure of the Coshocton Dulcimer Days....then Roscoe Village Dulcimer Days....was all based on contests. They had a courting dulcimer contest, a kid's contest, a club contest, traditional contest, men VS women, duet contest, band contest, hammered, mountain, best male singing, best female singing, and so on. Today, I don't think there are enough people who would be interested in these contests, but some people have mentioned that they would like to have a duet contest and a vocal contest come back. What do ya'll think of this?

I am looking forward to reading your comments. Thanks........

Kendra,

Yup, Amazing Grace or Southwind. . . Please let me know the preferred keys for the tunes and I'll see what I can do.

Thanks Geeks.....I have missed everyone!

Robin, it will be wonderful for Mark to join you, I didn't mean to leave him out....

We can also try Amazing Grace or Southwind or something else that you suggest....so sorry about your neck problems, hope they go away soon!!!!!! Doggone it is right!!!!

Wish you could come, Stephanie!

Got it, Kendra! I'll fiddle around with Old Joe Clark & Golden Slippers on the BD and make some kind of noise. Mark and I will probably play together (guitar & BD) for my demo if that's okay. (I've been struggling with neck problems for months and that's curtailed my music play of late, doggone it. )

Thanks ya'll for the welcome back! I hope I can stay awhile!

Robin, check the Sat. concert schedule on the Coshocton Dulcimer Days website. The spot called "Meet the Dulcimers" is where I would love you to join us with your bowed ducimer. I think it is at 11:45-12:20...... we will probably play something easy together like Old Joe Clark, or Golden Slippers, or........suggestions please.....

For the rest of you to know what I am talking about, at Coshocton Dulcimer Days this year, I have taken one of the 35 minute concert slots and introducing the people to the different kinds of dulcimers/styles......I am playing noter/drone style, Hunter Walker is demonstrating a modern style, Robin is demonstrating bowed dulcimer, and Theresa Halsey is going to show the hammered dulcimer. Each person is going to say a little about the instrument/style, then play an example of a tune. At the end we are all going to play a tune or two together as time allows. I think it will be awesome and also prove that all dulcimers can be played together. I can't wait to try out this idea......

Anyway, I am glad to be back and thanks again everyone for the welcome back....

Dulcerina-

I think you all had it worse in far southern Ohio than we did, Kendra. Our satellite internet goes out when there's heavy rain and, surprisingly, we had working internet through most of April and May.

Won't be long 'til Coshocton!

Glad to see you back. God hasn't told me to build an ark yet, and that's beginning to make me nervous. I been good, ain't I?

Paul

Wow! It seems like forever since I have had a chance to check out "Friends" here! I even missed out on the great new buttons that everyone else has.... but me...... I will be getting mine soon though...

It started with all the rain we had. I never had time to get online trying to work outside and then the rain took out our phone for about 3 or so weeks.

We have satellite internet from our next door neighbor and when the satellite was working her router was not. She had to finally get a new router. We do still have dial-up but of course, our phone was out.....

When our neighbor got the new router, it continued to rain and the satellite was not picking things up through the clouds. We could only get on once in a while for a short period of time......

We would sometimes take our laptops to the nearest city and use them, but then we only had time to catch up on all our business.....WHEW!

I missed you all!!!!! I am glad to be back! Yay! I hope to be able to stay for a while, kick my shoes off, and have fun!

I am glad to be back.........

Jim, we were at the shop a couple hours. Randall did a little shopping before he left and we did, too. (I love my Snark tuner and I got a neat jamming stool that Gary built.)

Yup, we've got to meet somewhere down the road. And get in some jamming.

It was so neat to meet Randall! He, Gary Sager, Mark and I jammed for awhile upstairs at Gary's shop-- what fun. (I feel lucky to have gotten to jam with such good players!) Not only that, Randall took a couple of requests; talk about a beautiful, smooth baritone voice. . .

Mark took this picture before Gary got to the shop:

Sounds like a great meet Robin (now where have I seen a tee shirt similar to yours before..............LOL)

John

Sounds like a great meet Robin (now where have I seen a tee shirt similar to yours before..............LOL)

John

It was so neat to meet Randall! He, Gary Sager, Mark and I jammed for awhile upstairs at Gary's shop-- what fun. (I feel lucky to have gotten to jam with such good players!) Not only that, Randall took a couple of requests; talk about a beautiful, smooth baritone voice. . .

Mark took this picture before Gary got to the shop:

Great photo, Jim! You two guys look like you just got everything you'd circled in the Sears Wish Book for Christmas.

Tomorrow it's mine and Mark's turn to meet Randall.

Very cool. I have more fun and learn more jammin' than anything else. I'm really looking forward to the September campout also.

Scott

Great photo, Jim! You two guys look like you just got everything you'd circled in the Sears Wish Book for Christmas.

Tomorrow it's mine and Mark's turn to meet Randall.

Very cool. I have more fun and learn more jammin' than anything else. I'm really looking forward to the September campout also.

Scott

Wow, that is so terrific !! I love it!

Well I finally got to meet Randall McKinnon. We had a fun night of jammin and talking just about anything that came up. We went to dinner at the Cracker Barrel and then went to my house for a good couple hours of jammin. The real test came when the dogs came in to greet Randall. He passed their test, so Bev and I breathed a sigh of relief. We had a great time. It was really my first time at jammin with anyone and I was like a kid at Christmas. I can't wait for for the camp out in Sept. It's gonna be great...

I own a few of the blue Snark's and am very pleased with them.

They work great and will stay clipped to my dulcimers from here on.

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I keep mine in my little bag of 'could be useful' stuff, pics, noters, spare batteries, strings, rosien, ect

JohnH

I have two red Snarks. I like them very much! Plus they are inexpensive. Good grippers on the clamp.

I like that you can pluck a new note and the tuner picks up on it right away- you dont have to wait for the old note to fade out.

A friend bought one and his broke after a day, but he was carrying it in his pants pocket, so I dont know what might have happened.

I can't go wrong with red or blue. And I'll be at Gary's Prussia Valley shop tomorrow-- I get to meet Randall McKinnon there!

My biggest complaints about the tuner I use most now (Tune Tech clip-on) are a rattling button and the tuner's not as sensitive as I'd like it to be .

Thanks, everybody!

I've got the red one.

It seems to work well on every instrument in our band - double bass, dobro, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, dulcimer.

I do have some dulcimers where finding somewhere to clip is a problem, so the mic is useful. Eventually I'll buy another and take the clip off, file off the clip lug on the back of the tuner and put a couple of pieces of hard rubber tape on it. Then I'll have just the head with a non-slip backing so I can just place it on the body of my MDs and dobros right in front of me to tune. I do find that my arm gets in the way of the display when the tuner is on the dulcimer headstock.

I use just the head of an old intelitouch tuner like this and the system works well - but the buttons are now not workingtoo goodon that tuner any more so I need to make another. The Snark is such agood tuner I may have to adapt one - it was also stop the rest of the band nicking it !

I appreciate the replies, friends! Mark and I are thinking we'd like to get Snarks. For my part, the tuners we have just aren't sensitive enough. It's not bad when you're in a quiet place so can fine tune by ear. But lots of places aren't quiet . . .lol

Red or blue? Hmm. Seems like I can't go wrong either way. I'll be using the tuner on both mountain dulcimer and bowed dulcimers.

Yep, me to think it would be interesting to have actual history of the dulcimer. I know what I have been taught about where it originated. Since I am a geneology nut as well as Dulcimer fan I think it would be great to know.