COMMENTS, CONNECTIONS AND ADVENTURES BY AND FOR MOUNTAIN DULCIMER LOVERS
Leo Kretzner sends us two anniversary celebrations a la dulcimers; read more about Leo here: https://fotmd.com/leo-kretzner
It was the hottest of hot August nights in Woodbury, Tennessee. Sitting in the open air audience, my clothes were already wet with perspiration. After driving to Cannon County, 50 miles southeast of Nashville, to enjoy David Schnaufer in concert, there was no turning back. No matter how uncomfortable I was, I knew the three performers on the metal stage, under the metal roof, had to be miserable. Dripping with perspiration, performers they were.
David Schnaufer was more than a teacher to his students. All in a day’s work for the encourager, mentor and friend.
David closed the concert with his “really hot" arrangement of Rubin's Train.
Photos from top to bottom:
David Schnaufer
David plays with Lee Rowe.
David and Sarah Elizabeth Musgrave McWhirt-Toler.
Several members of the Grand Old Dulcimer Club performed at the Downtown Nashville Public Library on 12/13/19. A little boy and his father watched us. We gave the little boy jingle bells on a ribbon. The little boy shook them in time to us playing that song. The dad expressed interest in the Club so we told him when we meet again and to visit our website thegrandolddulcimerclub.com to get information.
It’s the third and last early morning of Stephen’s Three Day workshop this year in his hometown. As I wake up, I wonder how in the world he will find even more topics to fill my head than he already has. I busy myself with the morning routine of farm life: getting dressed, feeding the animals, checking the seeds and plants for the quickly coming spring. But spring is barely on my mind. For just these three days, I’m only going through the motions with My Other Life, the one that seems only peripheral now to playing music. It’s because my mind is full of mountain dulcimer wonder: the emerging growth of the countless seeds of all kinds that Stephen has planted over the last two days in the minds of the students in his workshop.
Imagine thinking that you’re walking into a fast food restaurant, but, instead, you’re served a 14 course gourmet meal by a five star chef. Or, imagine you need a lamp to bring light to your very dark barn, but the manager at the hardware store hands you a 500 watt bulb and shows you how nicely it will fit into what you thought was a 60 watt socket on your lamp. Voila; your world is changed. That’s what taking a workshop with Stephen is like.
I take some useful learning skills of my own to any classes and workshops I attend. In a former life I was an educator of new teachers who needed to know how students learn most effectively. In other words, I know what works for most students, and the kinds of challenges that teachers face in the classroom. A professional lifetime of being a teacher (in a non-music field), observing other educators and studying teaching and learning means I know how to define excellent teaching in a learning milieu. No matter how many times I’ve attended his workshops, I always leave with the same sense of wonder and awe and feeling that I am perhaps the luckiest music student ever. Think about it: this past weekend, twelve of us got to be able to sit in the classroom of a person widely acknowledged as the best mountain dulcimer musician in the world, who also has a passion for teaching and a sensitivity to students that seems to equal his passion for music and learning. That is a rare combo; take my word for it.
It is a most delightful irony that the man who literally wrote the mountain dulcimer world’s most beloved playbook, “Join the Jam”, spends very little time teaching us how to read the sheet music in his book. Instead, he spends almost every minute of our time together seducing us into believing we are all musicians in the making. We walk out each day standing a little taller, with a newfound sense of confidence that no challenge, no jam, no group, no song is going to be too much for us, no matter how lowly our skills or how many secret self-doubts we might have in our hidden baggage. One fellow student, a very advanced mountain dulcimer player who also teaches piano for a living, told me that she had a whole new world open to her because of the workshop, and learned many ideas for helping her own students. She wanted, she said, to apply what he taught us to get even better at how she approaches music. Another fellow student who was brand new to the dulcimer told me she was so excited to be a part of this; she was having the time of her life.
One of Stephen’s many gifts to us is his full permission to not play the “Join the Jam” tab as it is written. Music, he says, is a living tradition. Tab, he insists, is not a destination, but a point of departure. Stephen spends much time teaching the foundation for approaching any song to play it, no matter how complex, and shares many, many techniques to make it your own. Stephen doesn’t just give you a fish; he teaches you how to fish.
I write this blog entry as an invitation to everyone: to those who have ever considered playing the mountain dulcimer to those who—like me once—believe they could never play a musical instrument, yet have a nagging sense of something wonderful missing in their lives. Pick up a mountain dulcimer and make your way first to a Stephen Seifert lesson or workshop before you do one more thing. If you would like a lesson via Skype, or if you can take a lesson or workshop in the Nashville area, do it. You’ll have the time of your life. Go to stephenseifert.com to learn more, and check his calendar to see when he may be teaching in your area.
Overlooking Lake Cumberland.
John Tierney in Period Costume.
Old Time Jug Band.
Last week my son, Stephen, and I headed over to the Rhodes Scholar Rendezvous Festival in Kentucky. Stephen was teaching a Dulcimer class there for five days along with two other teachers. Many people call it the Jabez Festival. They hold it twice a year in Nancy, Kentucky: once in the spring and once in the fall. It’s a wonderful festival directed by John Tierney and his wife, Lalana. Its so beautiful there. One afternoon we carpooled to a high point nearby overlooking Lake Cumberland and John gave us a history of the area in period costume. With a short walk from the lodge you can also look out at Lake Cumberland.
John is a really interesting naturalist. He has done so much for the state of Kentucky that they gave him a Lifetime Achievement Award this year! He knows everything about nature. On some days he gives walking tours in the afternoon.
In the evening, weather permitting, we jam on the large front porch that has rocking chairs. One evening an old time group puts on a show for us complete with dancing dolls. Another evening you can watch the Jean Ritchie movie “In The Cumberland’s” about her life story. Thursday evening is when the classes perform for us lead by their teachers. Then we have open stage to play something or tell a story. At the end John leads a jug band handing out unusual instruments such as kazoos, washboards, Jews harp, etc. while John plays an autoharp. We sing along old time songs like Old Susanna or She’ll be coming around the mountain among others. Sometimes we do a little jamming in the evening.
One of the most interesting things to see and do is to go to this old-timey store they have nearby where you can find the most usual things that you can’t hardly find any more. At the festival it’s known as the Jabez Mall and they have the best creamy whip ice-cream. But it’s only available in the spring.
You never go hungry with three meals a day, including a salad bar and snacks in the morning and evening. Coffee is available 24 hrs. a day.
When you go to this festival, you stay in a 4-H lodge that has rooms decorated with all different kinds of themes.
At the spring festival they have four teachers and the fall three teachers. The classes are broken up into levels.
At the open stage Stephen and I were asked to play a duet of the old Hank Williams song, “Kaw-Liga”. We can’t post it because it’s copyrighted, so I hope you enjoy these photos instead.
Anne McFie taught the beginners this fall. Stephen watches in the background.
A picture of John Tierney in modern clothes accepting his Lifetime Achievement Award from the Commonwealth of Kentucky.