I dont live in that neck of the woods but if I did I would surely check it out thank ya all !!!

                                                                                                        Jeff

Lexie, I hope you'll be able to travel southeast someday and visit, play some tunes and share in fellowship at a mountain dulcimer gathering! 

Actually, it was given to Jean when she won an award (the name escapes me), and donated to HSS by Jon & Peter upon her passing. Four of those "award chairs" are in the Great Hall - James Still, Albert Stewart, and (I think) Loyal Jones.

And the rocking chair in Ken's picture is the one Jean used when she came to the school.  Quite the tableau there!

Sounds like a great time! I've got to try to make it out there.

Here is a photo of the Ritchie family dulcimer that Ron Pen shared with folks at the Homecoming.

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Sounds like a blast!

Great write up, Rob--I could picture it all, you described it so well!

Now I'll have to see Ken's photos....

Yep, it was a fun time, and the weather was great.  Lots of music, history, friends, and good times. 

Things in Hindman seem to be progressing well now.  And the new dulcimer museum is fantastic!

Yes, I had a great roommate for the Homecoming.  I had a great one last year, too, but this year's didn't snore!  Dusty, Lexie, I hope y'all can make it East some time.  Hindman is a great place to be.  Robin was telling about her room, Ron had Jean Ritchie's Thomas dulcimer with him.  So we saw some special history (as if the museum didn't have enough history for you.)

Aw, man, you made us blush.

Rob that was an amazing report of your time at Hindman, so happy you did so well with your classes and glad you enjoyed it all.

I would so love to be able to make it all that way to soak up all the history of the mountain dulcimer and meet all the great people who keep it singing today. It especially is a dream of mine to meet some of our members/ Friends and learn from you and play a tune with you.

Thank you Ken, Rob and Robin for sharing your time there and Ken thanks for the wonderful tour of pictures. 

Sounds like a great time. Maybe someday I'll be able to make the trek from the left coast.

Nice summary of your activities Rob, but you forgot to mention how great your roommate was. LOL! I did something a little different this year and decided to have a table in the vendors area to show my J.E. Thomas dulcimer and have some dulcimers and accessories for sale. Although I did not sell any dulcimers, I did sell some books, picks, noters, a tuner, etc. I had a wonderful time, enjoying workshops and the seminars, playing dulcimer and guitar, renewing old acquaintances, and making new friends. I'll post some photos of the museum.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Rob, great run- down of the weekend!  I felt like I'd made it to Appalachian Dulcimer Promised Land in Hindmam!  I hope to go back! 

PS- Kathy V and I had been, unknowingly, assigned to the apartment Jean Ritchie, George Pikow, and Edna Ritchie used when they visited Hindman.  It seemed the history of the school and the village was present.

I knew I would miss something good when I couldn't go this year. Sounds like a fun time for sure. I know last year was great, so next year will be even better.

Thanks for your imput , Rob. You whetted my appitite for next year.

The folks at Hindman, Ky, outdid themselves; this 2nd festival was better than the 1st one. We registered on Thursday.  It was great to see the other presenters/performers again.  Don Pedi, Anne MacFie, Randy Wilson & Cari Norris, none of them I'd seen since last year.  It was also great to see our fellow members John Knopf, Dan Cox, Ken Longfield, Robin Thompson, and Mike Slone.  After a visit with Mike & Doug Naselroad at the Dulcimer Shop (and future School of Luthierie)  the festivities began Thursday night in the new Museum of the Mountain Dulcimer in beautiful downtown Hindman.  We were treated to a concert by banjo performer/historian/collector George Gibson with one of his students, followed by Bob Young on dulcimer and vocals.  After some conversation both at the Artisan Center after the show and at the cabin, we all retired for the evening, anticipating tomorrow's activities.

After a splendid breakfast of biscuits & gravy, eggs and sausage at the Hindman Settlement School we trekked across the campus to the School of Crafts to begin our workshops or man our sales tables.  If you are unfamiliar with the Settlement School in Hindman, it has had connections to the dulcimer since its beginning.  Uncle Ed Thomas was a visitor there, Josiah Combs was a student, Jethro Amburgey taught, and John D Tignor was a student as well.  The 1st workshop I was to teach was "Accompanying your Singing," and I'll have to admit, though, I do it every day, I was a little nervous about this one.  I had 7 students to face and as I started the nervousness left, and we had a great time, singing and using different methods to accompany ourselves.  I believe they enjoyed it as much as I did.

When it was over, I wandered back across the campus and into town for lunch. After that great refreshment at the Artisan Center Cafe, I went back to the School of Craft to catch a little of Anne MacFie's rhythmic strumming workshop.  After trying to teach something at least similar for a while now, I thought a new perspective on how to communicate with the students might be in order and, thank you Anne, got some ideas from you.  When I got back to the Settlement School, there was Alan Darveaux sitting at one of the picnic tables outside the May Stone Center playing away.  So I did what any fan would do: immediately sat and listened.  Hung out 'til supper was over then Randy Wilson, Anne MacFie and I had to get ready to perform.  Great concert, tho' my part could have used a little more polish.  A little jam on the front porch of the cabin before bed followed.

Saturday morning found me up and at 'em although since my workshop wasn't until the afternoon I hung around the cabin for a bit after breakfast then moseyed over to the dulcimer shop.  I got to play some great instruments there (at Doug's request) for folks who were coming in the shop.  After lunch it was back to the School of Craft for my workshop on Tunes from the Sacred Harp.  Again, small attendance, but because of it we were able to get into the songs and techniques for playing them a little more perhaps than in a bigger class.  That night after a fine supper we enjoyed Ron Pen, Cari Norris and Don Pedi in the evening concert.  Following that, who'd uv thought it, a jam.

I forgot to mention the seminars: Don Pedi, The Way of the Dulcimer and Ron Pen: Singing Family of the Cumberlands, both of which were excellent presentations. 

What more is there to say?  Come next year.  The setting, the people, the music makes this a great place to come and drink in the atmosphere saturated in dulcimer history.  Josh and Jessica of the Artisan Center, Brett at the Settlement School, Mike of the Dulcimer Shop and all the others who have had a part in the festival did an excellent job of making this a great time for all involved.  Get yourselves down there, up there, over there next year and be a part of historic Hindman and its dulcimers.