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"Your dulcimers are so
appealing and the music just
fascinating."
John Mork, Producer, Women In The Redwoods Music Festival Today, like every other day, we wake up empty and frightened. Don't open the door to the study and begin reading. Take down the dulcimer and play. Let the beauty we love be what we do. There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. Rumi HISTORY OF THE APPALACHIAN DULCIMER The dulcimer has been called "America's Oldest Folk Instrument," which means it's actually relatively new, just like America itself. The dulcimer is a fascinating example of cultural diversity and assimilation. It's an instrument that could only evolve in America, as immigrants came to this country and began to mingle and exchange ideas. The word dulcimer means "sweet melody." Some theorize it evolved in the early 1800s out of a Pennsylvania German zither called the scheitholt. As the German people moved down the hills in the late 1700s and early 1800s, they encountered Scots-Irish people who were also in the area. Scheitholts were adapted for playing fiddle tunes and other Anglo-Celtic music. Eventually, the settlers made their own instruments, sometimes with little more than bent nails for frets. The dulcimer is appealing for a number of reasons. First, it's easy to make music on right away. It has a diatonic scale and drone tunings. You can sound good pretty quickly! Second, old-timey music sounds good on it, but it also lends a unique sound to more contemporary music. Third, it's an instrument that offers lots of options in terms of tunings and string spacing, and it can be plucked, flat picked or strummed. Just like America, it continues to evolve.DULCIMER PEOPLE WE ADMIRE: Laura Allan, who can be seen and heard playing dulcimer on David Crosby's classic album "If I Could Only Remember My Name"Connie Allen, who knocked us out with her dulcimer and "banjomer" playing at Redwood Dulcimer Day Janita Baker, master of the four equidistant string fingerpicking style and builder of Blue Lion Dulcimers Bonnie Carol, a wonderful maker and player based in Colorado Richard Fariña, the first "mainstream" dulcimer player of the 50's folk movement Jana Heller, an exciting singer/songwriter and dulcimer player we met recently and highly recommend Neal Hellman, dulcimer master, author, and president of Gourd Music Janet Herman, dulcimer master and co-founder of Redwood Dulcimer Day Redwood Mountain Dulcimer Group, a fabulous Bay Area resource Joellen Lapidus, songwriter, teacher, dulcimer maker Joni Mitchell, who introduced the dulcimer to millions on her classic album "Blue" Al d'Ossche' & Robert Force, from whom Laura received her inspiration to play dulcimer standing up! Jean Ritchie, who brought the dulcimer from her home in Kentucky to New York City during the folk revival of the 50s Howard Rugg, legendary luthier of CapriTaurus and Rugg & Jackel Dulcimers Michael Rugg, dulcimer master and founder of Capritaurus Dulcimers Peter Tommerup, dulcimer master and co-founder of Redwood Dulcimer Day |
In their 12 years together, Jayme
Kelly
Curtis
and Laura Devine combined
heavenly vocal harmonies with
the ethereal sound of the mountain
dulcimer on originals, folk ballads, old timey and spirituals.
Dulcimer Girls music was down home, yet out of this world. They played numerous festivals and gigs of all sorts and made one CD, "Old Ways Are Leaving." Dulcimer Girls have moved on to other projects, but a few copies of Old Ways Are Leaving are vailable for a limited time. Send $15 and your shipping address to: P.O. Box 278 Felton, CA 95018 Dulcimer Girls were also included on the Redwood Mountain Dulcimer All Star Collection celebrating 10 years of Redwood Dulcimer Day. The CD features instrumental selections from an all-star list of dulcimer artists. Hear clips and get your copy at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/cmssantacruz All proceeds benefit future
Redwood Dulcimer events and
the Community Music School of Santa Cruz,
a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Image from California Contemporary Craftsmen,
View
a
brief
history
of
West
Coast
Dulcimer
Culture, featuring Laura Devine, Neal Hellman and more Find Dulcimer Girls performances on YouTube Santa Cruz Harmony Vocal Showcase, Peachwoods Inn, Scotts Valley American River Acoustic Music Festival, Coloma-Lotus, California Bluegrass on Broadway, sponsored by Northern California Bluegrass Society Brookdale Bluegrass Festival, Brookdale, California Dulcimer Summit, Peninsula Christian Center, Redwood City, California Loch Lomond Celtic Society Highland Games, Ben Lomond, California Palo Alto Festival of the Arts, Palo Alto, California Otter Opry Concert Series, Santa Cruz, California Boulder Creek Art & Wine Festival, Boulder Creek, California 5th Annual Women In The Redwoods Music Festival, La Honda, California The Cayuga Vault, Santa Cruz, California Henflings Firehouse Tavern/International Folk Series, Ben Lomond, California Espresso Garden & Cafe, San Jose, California Redwood Dulcimer Day – song leaders, Bonny Doon, California Nomad Cafe, Okaland, California Art & Wine Garden, Boulder Creek, California Ananda Books & Music, Boulder Creek, California Brookdale Lodge, Brookdale, California Lupin Nature Resort, Los Gatos, California Three Bells Cafe, Santa Cruz United Methodist Church Willow Glen Coffee Roasting Company, San Jose, California House concerts, memorial services and gatherings of all kinds ... Dulcimer Girls Tunes: |
