@alegre1
Phenomenal job, Linda. I enjoyed every page of Pluck.
Blessings,
Ethan
Hi Ethan, thank you for the kind words--your message means a lot; I'm so glad you enjoyed it! If you get a chance, please leave a review on Amazon. Every good review helps others find the book.
Happy playing! Best regards, Linda
Awww…..I truly mean it! I’m enthralled!
P.S. Karen, Also, if you haven't visited the Pluck Blog yet, you might want to take a peek there. Lots of overflow that I had to cut from the book due to length, plus interesting bits discovered since then. If you're new to the Blog I recommend you start at the beginning. Best regards and thank you, Linda
I see two bushy trees in the background and they seem to form a triangle with David's dulcimer being the third point. David's arms & hands almost form a heart-- traditional symbol on mountain dulcimer.
That is very insightful. I didn't know how to interpret the tree on the far right because it appears to be cut off, but you're absolutely right. And the arms/heart connection is interesting.
I see two bushy trees in the background and they seem to form a triangle with David's dulcimer being the third point. David's arms & hands almost form a heart-- traditional symbol on mountain dulcimer.
What a wonderful portrait! It calls to mind his love of surfing. And the carved dulcimer on the little door is just the right touch. Thanks for the additional information, @alegre1!
Hi Robin, I am glad you caught the surfing metaphor, too. I have been struck by his feeling at home in "waves", whether of sound or water. That it was taken in a natural setting is a nod to his love of nature. (I met a woman named Karen who was good friends with him on Friday at the Blair School of Music's 75th Anniversary party. I asked her what she would tell someone about him who had never met him. She was emphatic: he loved nature. He used to write her little notes whenever he saw a mole or bunnies!)
Even the door is a kind of metaphor--the dulcimer and David are inseparable, and in order to "get" to him, all you have to do is open the dulcimer door so to speak. I am still gobsmacked by that portrait and how many layers of meaning one can find in it. What, if anything, do you make of the lone tree in the background?
What a wonderful portrait! It calls to mind his love of surfing. And the carved dulcimer on the little door is just the right touch. Thanks for the additional information, @alegre1!
Greetings everyone; since so many people on this forum knew David Schnaufer, I decided to share this latest Blog post about a little-known portrait of a legend! I hope you enjoy it.
https://www.davidschnauferpluck.com/post/a-most-revealing-portrait
I'm 2/3 through the book - it's amazing to read about so many people, in addition to David, that I've met and had no idea all that they have done in and for the dulcimer community for decades!
Okay, one question - there are comments in the book re: David being "small, thin," "gnomish," etc. I always assumed David was over 6' tall, yet I'm wondering.... Does anyone know how tall he was? Was he a tiny guy? Inquiring minds....
Hello Jill, sorry to reply so late. I queried people who knew him and they said he was about 5'7" give or take. He was fine-boned and often thin, they said, so I suspect that John Lomax's comment that he looked like a gnome was due to the fact that he was slight and had long hair that day he showed up at John's door. Once he got to know him, I don't think he referred to him that way. Later, people also referred to him as "Amish-looking" and indeed after the point in which he gave Tramp all his clothes, he supposedly only wore pants that were made for him by the Amish, and their style of shoes and shirts. Photos from earlier in his career show him in jeans and cowboy boots and either t-shirts or western style shirts. Melanie Lomax told me that in the eighties, when he "dressed up" for events he looked extremely sharp; loved clothes and had a suit she liked a lot with faint tone-on-tone paisley designs. I hope that answers your question :-D
Hiya Jill, I do the same thing re movie stars. I always imagine them to be super tall, but when you see their actual heights, they tend to be on the smaller side with some exceptions. It's strange!
My favorite quote from Pluck:
"'You do not master a musical instrument,' he insists. You learn from it. If anything, it masters you!'" - David Schnaufer
Linda, I enjoyed the book lots and will return to it again.
Thank you so much for the kind words Robin. I really appreciate your taking a chance on the book and am glad you enjoyed it. Best regards, Linda
My favorite quote from Pluck :
"'You do not master a musical instrument,' he insists. You learn from it. If anything, it masters you!'" - David Schnaufer
Linda, I enjoyed the book lots and will return to it again.
Hi Jill, I love that quote about who masters whom, too! And I had a long couple of chats with David's good friend T.J. Larkin about how he interpreted the second quote in which David said "I play the sound of the ground I walk on." T.J. said he thinks he meant that no matter where he was in the world, the music specific to that particular place was infused in and around him. . The music is in the air and in the ground. It was such an evocative image.
If you haven't seen this blogpost , you might want to read about Jan Pulsford's electric mix called "Twanging Dude" and listen to the song (link is in paragraph six). I put the lyrics in the book, but, you really have to listen to him to get the full effect! And he says that quote!
So glad you enjoyed David's story! If you get a moment to review it on Amazon, please do; every review helps others find it. Best regards, Linda
My favorite quote from Pluck:
"'You do not master a musical instrument,' he insists. You learn from it. If anything, it masters you!'" - David Schnaufer
Linda, I enjoyed the book lots and will return to it again.
My favorite quote from Pluck:
"'You do not master a musical instrument,' he insists. You learn from it. If anything, it masters you!'" - David Schnaufer
Linda, I enjoyed the book lots and will return to it again.
I'm 2/3 through the book - it's amazing to read about so many people, in addition to David, that I've met and had no idea all that they have done in and for the dulcimer community for decades!
Okay, one question - there are comments in the book re: David being "small, thin," "gnomish," etc. I always assumed David was over 6' tall, yet I'm wondering.... Does anyone know how tall he was? Was he a tiny guy? Inquiring minds....
Hello Jill, sorry to reply so late. I queried people who knew him and they said he was about 5'7" give or take. He was fine-boned and often thin, they said, so I suspect that John Lomax's comment that he looked like a gnome was due to the fact that he was slight and had long hair that day he showed up at John's door. Once he got to know him, I don't think he referred to him that way. Later, people also referred to him as "Amish-looking" and indeed after the point in which he gave Tramp all his clothes, he supposedly only wore pants that were made for him by the Amish, and their style of shoes and shirts. Photos from earlier in his career show him in jeans and cowboy boots and either t-shirts or western style shirts. Melanie Lomax told me that in the eighties, when he "dressed up" for events he looked extremely sharp; loved clothes and had a suit she liked a lot with faint tone-on-tone paisley designs. I hope that answers your question :-D
Received my copy yesterday from Amazon. 19 pages in so far and I’m enjoying it 🙂 Looking forward to the rest.
I live in the Nashville, TN area and was involved with The Grand Ol’ Dulcimer Club, of which David was a founder.
I Never had the honor of being around David, but was around *many* of his students. In the stories they would pass along, it was easy to see he had a big impact on their lives and their playing.
Ethan, I wanted to let you know that the Grand Old Dulcimer Club will finally be getting together at the Tennessee State Museum on Sunday, 10 April at 1:15 for our first playout together in two years. Stephen Seifert will be leading us. I do hope you'll come and pick a little with us! Anyone else who lives in south central Kentucky or the Nashville area is most welcome.
I'm 2/3 through the book - it's amazing to read about so many people, in addition to David, that I've met and had no idea all that they have done in and for the dulcimer community for decades!
Okay, one question - there are comments in the book re: David being "small, thin," "gnomish," etc. I always assumed David was over 6' tall, yet I'm wondering.... Does anyone know how tall he was? Was he a tiny guy? Inquiring minds....
Hello Jill, sorry to reply so late. I queried people who knew him and they said he was about 5'7" give or take. He was fine-boned and often thin, they said, so I suspect that John Lomax's comment that he looked like a gnome was due to the fact that he was slight and had long hair that day he showed up at John's door. Once he got to know him, I don't think he referred to him that way. Later, people also referred to him as "Amish-looking" and indeed after the point in which he gave Tramp all his clothes, he supposedly only wore pants that were made for him by the Amish, and their style of shoes and shirts. Photos from earlier in his career show him in jeans and cowboy boots and either t-shirts or western style shirts. Melanie Lomax told me that in the eighties, when he "dressed up" for events he looked extremely sharp; loved clothes and had a suit she liked a lot with faint tone-on-tone paisley designs. I hope that answers your question :-D
I just watched this wonderful video on YT:
I received my copy of the PLUCK book in the mail today. I'm just starting to read it. Looks to be a wonderful book.
I love this quote from the book…
A dulcimer resonates deep inside its owner. If it connects with a good heart, the Muse will take note and inspire the player to learn how to summon joy, overcome pain or sorrow, forge a sense of discipline, build character and community. The dulcimer will serve as a leader, a follower, and a lifelong companion on a personal musical journey that has no end as far as it is concerned, only new and satisfying experiences along the way. It’s a handcrafted escape for lonely and troubled times, a healer for the sick, a teacher of history, a catalyst for singing, dancing and expressing gratitude, and a companion for mourning.
This means more to me than you might imagine, Laurie. Thank you for the kind words. 
I’ve just finished reading this book. It’s really a wonderful read. Moving at the end, tears welling up. Some of the people mentioned in this book I have either met, or have contact with through social media. I believe it should be read by all those either currently playing a dulcimer, or those simply interested in the instrument. It has changed my playing perspective. Now I’m leaning more towards learning the older tunes. I’ve also started listening to WSM on the radio. And thru Apple Music I’ve been listening to many of the recordings mentioned in this book. Thank you for writing this excellent book.
@jill-geary Thanks for sharing the Fisher's Hornpipe video-- been a long time since I've watched it. What fun!
I'm soon to finish the book and have learned lots along the way.
In case you're reading the book (or even if you aren't!) - here is the video that is mentioned re: the Barn Dance/Fisher's Hornpipe. So amazing!!!
Jill, thank you for the kind words about Pluck. I am just as amazed as you at how the "Fisher's Hornpipe" video stands the test of time. :-D
Believe it or not, a new version of the Cactus Brothers is still performing. If you're not familiar with their fiddle player, Tramp, he's well worth looking up: https://trampcamp.net . Here's "Redhead", one of his older compositions that I really like:
And, here's the old Cactus Brother's cover of "Sixteen Tons", another favorite. You'll see glimpses of David in the van:
@alegre1, I haven't even received my copy of the book yet, but the description moved me to tears: "David’s story brings hope through his conviction that the dulcimer and its music have an infinite capacity to unite people and ensure a lifetime of enchantment for anyone who has ever wished he or she could play an instrument."
Thanks to Jan Pulsford, I'd like to share a bit of rare 2001 audio that you might enjoy: "Twanging Dude" ... link is enclosed within the post.
https://www.davidschnauferpluck.com/post/jan-pulsford-the-twanging-dude
I’ve just finished reading this book. It’s really a wonderful read. Moving at the end, tears welling up. Some of the people mentioned in this book I have either met, or have contact with through social media. I believe it should be read by all those either currently playing a dulcimer, or those simply interested in the instrument. It has changed my playing perspective. Now I’m leaning more towards learning the older tunes. I’ve also started listening to WSM on the radio. And thru Apple Music I’ve been listening to many of the recordings mentioned in this book. Thank you for writing this excellent book.
Dave, thank you for these comments, and I'm smiling at your writing that it has "changed my playing perspective" because that is exactly what happened to me as I did the research. I started the project with a somewhat narrow focus: "Who was this guy, and what made him tick?" I ended up learning about a whole lot more than I ever dreamed thanks especially to the Dulcimer Boomers such as Doug Berch, Bonnie Carol, Neal Hellman, Bob Force, Leo Kretzner and many others ... their work and recollections taught me to elevate the dulcimer as an equal partner to its player, and to appreciate a much wider range of music than I had before I started. They were and are a group of the most admirable people for their creativity, passion, dedication, and inspiration and contributions of joy to the world. These days I think often the world would be much better off if people such as dulcimer players were running things!
What great photos!
In the bottom photo, it appears Alice Gerrard is in the middle of the photo, behind those jamming? Also, it's something to see Raymond Melton and Roscoe Russell in the other pictures. Nice.
Dear Robin, glad you liked the photos! I am going to nudge Rick into joining FOTMD because he has lots of historic treasures he is still finding in boxes and sharing. It makes me wonder how much gold is out there in shoeboxes that should be archived for future scholars of folk music.
I just watched this wonderful video on YT:
@jill-geary Thanks for sharing the Fisher's Hornpipe video-- been a long time since I've watched it. What fun!
I'm soon to finish the book and have learned lots along the way.
In case you're reading the book (or even if you aren't!) - here is the video that is mentioned re: the Barn Dance/Fisher's Hornpipe. So amazing!!!
I'm 2/3 through the book - it's amazing to read about so many people, in addition to David, that I've met and had no idea all that they have done in and for the dulcimer community for decades!
Okay, one question - there are comments in the book re: David being "small, thin," "gnomish," etc. I always assumed David was over 6' tall, yet I'm wondering.... Does anyone know how tall he was? Was he a tiny guy? Inquiring minds....
I love this quote from the book…
A dulcimer resonates deep inside its owner. If it connects with a good heart, the Muse will take note and inspire the player to learn how to summon joy, overcome pain or sorrow, forge a sense of discipline, build character and community. The dulcimer will serve as a leader, a follower, and a lifelong companion on a personal musical journey that has no end as far as it is concerned, only new and satisfying experiences along the way. It’s a handcrafted escape for lonely and troubled times, a healer for the sick, a teacher of history, a catalyst for singing, dancing and expressing gratitude, and a companion for mourning.
I love this quote from the book…
A dulcimer resonates deep inside its owner. If it connects with a good heart, the Muse will take note and inspire the player to learn how to summon joy, overcome pain or sorrow, forge a sense of discipline, build character and community. The dulcimer will serve as a leader, a follower, and a lifelong companion on a personal musical journey that has no end as far as it is concerned, only new and satisfying experiences along the way. It’s a handcrafted escape for lonely and troubled times, a healer for the sick, a teacher of history, a catalyst for singing, dancing and expressing gratitude, and a companion for mourning.
I’ve just finished reading this book. It’s really a wonderful read. Moving at the end, tears welling up. Some of the people mentioned in this book I have either met, or have contact with through social media. I believe it should be read by all those either currently playing a dulcimer, or those simply interested in the instrument. It has changed my playing perspective. Now I’m leaning more towards learning the older tunes. I’ve also started listening to WSM on the radio. And thru Apple Music I’ve been listening to many of the recordings mentioned in this book. Thank you for writing this excellent book.
@alegre1, I haven't even received my copy of the book yet, but the description moved me to tears: "David’s story brings hope through his conviction that the dulcimer and its music have an infinite capacity to unite people and ensure a lifetime of enchantment for anyone who has ever wished he or she could play an instrument."
I received my copy of the PLUCK book in the mail today. I'm just starting to read it. Looks to be a wonderful book.
According to a young friend of mine who is friends with Alice Gerrard, he let me know this (about one of the posted photos from @alegre1): I wanted to tell you AG confirmed it's her in the pic or she said it looked like her.
Nice.
What great photos!
In the bottom photo, it appears Alice Gerrard is in the middle of the photo, behind those jamming? Also, it's something to see Raymond Melton and Roscoe Russell in the other pictures. Nice.
Hi everyone, it's really interesting to read stories from those of you with first-hand knowledge of the seventies festivals. I have been working a little every day to catalogue all the files people have shared for the Vanderbilt Archives, and yesterday came across some photos that Rick Freimuth* sent me from that time period that I think you might enjoy. I will post more if you are interested, and have posted many already and with more to come on https://www.davidschnauferpluck.com/blog
*Rick was a good friend of Keith Young's, and a young admirer of David whom he met through the Youngs.
Steve, I recall everyone saying the same kind of thing about 'locals' being preferred at the contests in Mt Airy and Clifftop as well. One could often hear little negative murmurings somewhere in the crowd whenever some band or musician from California, New York, or Vermont etc came to the stage. Just the way it was, and likely still is.
I don't recall Galax as having any preference towards progressive playing- if anything I'd always heard that traditional players had the advantage.
Stumelia,
after re-reading my post, it dawns on me that it’s a little confusing. David was entering the Galax contest and that is where someone said the judges preferred local players (from the area and Galax style). David’s comment was in regards to a 1976, if I remember correctly, contest at Roscoe Village in Coshocton, Ohio. Sorry for the confusion. Also, David said he was fine with third place. He loved the Galax style and Bonnie Russell was one of his greatest inspirations.
Steve, I recall everyone saying the same kind of thing about 'locals' being preferred at the contests in Mt Airy and Clifftop as well. One could often hear little negative murmurings somewhere in the crowd whenever some band or musician from California, New York, or Vermont etc came to the stage. Just the way it was, and likely still is.
I don't recall Galax as having any preference towards progressive playing- if anything I'd always heard that traditional players had the advantage.
Just finished reading this, as the old Scotsman would say “Kiver ta kiver!”
What a great read! Not only a history of David, but a history of the dulcimer revival as well! An interesting note for me was David talking about entering the Galax, Virginia dulcimer contest and others telling him that the judges preferred local players. He said, “Yep, one year I finished third behind some old man who couldn’t finish ‘Red River Valley!’” That was the contest I was in that I mentioned below. It was a very controversial win as Ron Ewing remembers. It was supposed to be about progressive new styles of playing. But, Doug Berch came in second and I don’t how, but David came in third. The man who won played noter style.
I just ordered and I very much look forward to receiving and reading this biography! Thank you for researching and writing!
Dear Jill, it was a great pleasure to research and write because I learned so much. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I did. I've met very nice people thanks to this project, and now you! Please let me know if you have any questions; I will be happy to answer.
While you wait, you might want to visit the Pluck Blog because there is and will be a lot of overflow in terms of photos, audio, documents and stories to supplement the book. Also, I've heard that people are getting together with friends to talk about it, so I just posted Book Club Discussions Starters for anyone interested. Thank you so much for writing. Best regards, Linda
I just ordered and I very much look forward to receiving and reading this biography! Thank you for researching and writing!
Dave,
I was in an early dulcimer contest in Roscoe Village, Coshocton, Ohio in the 70’s. Doug Berch went first, David Schnaufer second and guess who followed David? Yep, me. I was nervous wreck after listening to those two play.
Oh. My. Goodness! Reading this made me about fall off my chair!
I was at dulcimer week held at Appalachian State in 1999. If I remember, I thought I heard him there. Not 💯 % sure.
I was at dulcimer week held at Appalachian State in 1999. If I remember, I thought I heard him there. Not 💯 % sure.
I’ve just begun to read this. The history in the beginning is wonderfully written. Anxious to get deeper into the book.
Dear Dave, thank you for the kind words! I am so happy you are enjoying it. Going to publish the abbreviated timeline for part 2 on the Pluck Blog in a few minutes. Did you know or ever see David perform? I'd love to hear about either. Best regards, Linda
I’ve just begun to read this. The history in the beginning is wonderfully written. Anxious to get deeper into the book.
Just ordered this! Thanks for your hard work. I know how challenging writing can be!
Dear Steve, thank you so much; I hope you enjoy reading David's bio as much as I enjoyed researching and writing it. It was one of the hardest experiences I've ever undertaken, but one of the most worthwhile.
While you wait for the book, you might want to head over to Davidschnauferpluck.com and visit the Pluck Blog. Yesterday I just published the first of seven abbreviated timelines for each of the sections in the bio thanks to a suggestion by a friend. It was a great idea; wish I had thought of it! Each of the chronologies will list the people and places that start longer threads through the book. More coming very soon.
I have been and will be also posting on more rare photos, stories, documents, audio and video that are associated with the bio's content, both on the Pluck Blog and on Facebook. For example, today I posted this music video of Richard and Mimi Fariña whom I learned about in the course of the research.
I confess I was and still am absolutely gobsmacked by the history behind this humble instrument. When I started playing the dulcimer eight years ago, I had NO idea where it would eventually take me. I am a bit of a history nut, so it has been such a joy!
Best regards and thank you for writing, Linda
Hi Ethan, thank you very much for taking a chance on Pluck and I hope you continue to enjoy it. I'm a current member of the GODC, and I'm happy to see you live in Smyrna--whenever Covid dies down, I hope you come back and play. Watch the website ( thegrandolddulcimerclub.com ) for updates on our situation. (We haven't met in two years, unfortunately.) There are still a few of David's students/friends in the Club. I never met him either, but after two years of research/writing I feel like I "know" him and was really sad when the writing was over. Although, I guess it's not over; there was so much I had to cut due to length limitations that the overflow is going into the Pluck Blog You'll find entries with videos, lots more photos and rare audio that obviously couldn't be in the book. Thank you again for writing! It's exciting to "meet" you on FOTMD and I hope to meet you in person in the future at the GODC. Best regards, Linda :-D
Received my copy yesterday from Amazon. 19 pages in so far and I’m enjoying it 🙂 Looking forward to the rest.
I live in the Nashville, TN area and was involved with The Grand Ol’ Dulcimer Club, of which David was a founder.
I Never had the honor of being around David, but was around *many* of his students. In the stories they would pass along, it was easy to see he had a big impact on their lives and their playing.
A new book about David Schnaufer is a wonderful (and much needed) addition to the body of dulcimer history and knowledge. David was so talented, he influenced and taught a great many people! He had enriching views on music and on life in general.
I did actually meet David just once around 25 years ago (!) at a music camp in 1997 or '98. I remember us standing outside on a walking path and having a cool conversation about music and dulcimers. It was sunny and he was wearing his brimmed straw hat and blue work shirt with suspenders. I was impressed by his easy going warmth and humility. It also struck me how he did not seem to be in a rush like most folks there.
Have other FOTMD members here had encounters with David or taken classes with him long ago?
I explored your Pluck blog as well, Linda- thank you for offering us so many dulcimer adventures to enjoy and absorb this winter!
Greetings to fellow dulcimer aficionados! I am grateful to Strumelia for her beautiful advertisement for my new biography of David Schnaufer.
Whether you knew David or not, I hope you will find Pluck an enjoyable escape from winter weather. It took two years of research and writing that allowed me to travel to a time and to many places that I miss reading and hearing about now that the writing is finished. I wrote it for readers who may be unfamiliar with dulcimers and traditional roots music, so it might make a good gift for anyone who likes biographies.
I never tire of hearing the stories and I love answering questions about the research and writing behind Pluck. if you have your own stories about David and/or the Dulcimer Boom of the sixties and seventies or have questions, I'd love to hear from you. I'll even invite you to contribute a guest post on the Pluck Blog if you are interested.
If you'd like to read excerpts from the book or the Pluck Blog , please visit DavidSchnauferPluck.com (I just put up a new video featuring an unusual cover of David's music that you may never have heard before!)
Pluck is now available as an eBook or in print on Amazon.com
Thank you for taking a peek at a work that brought me considerable joy and a newfound zeal and approach to dulcimer playing. I've attached a few photos of David that I hope you enjoy. (That's David at age 19 with the long blond hair, and his photo for the Smithsonian. The former is courtesy of David's friend Norman Jordan and the latter is courtesy of Dan Loftin/Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit Service.)
Best regards, Linda Paulus
