Home Rules

I've finished all my pre-Christmas gigs and will get to spend some time with my family this week.

I also hope to get back into my studio to accomplish a few things. Before I could do that I had to put away the hundreds of items that somehow managed to occupy my floor. It seems while I'm away anything that anyone in my family knows belongs to me somehow ends up on my studio floor. I'll confess to quickly stowing a few things there myself.

Add a little leaky basement issue that occured while I was gone which meant one of my closets had to be hastily emptied and I ended up with a pile of stuff waiting to be put away. Check out the movie I posted via the Photographs link for the speedy conclusion to this story.

¶ 7:46 PM 0 comments

Back Home!

I'm settling in back home in Tennessee and it feels great! I just got back from my first hike with Hershey and posted a few pictures you can see via the Photographs link.
¶ 6:19 PM 0 comments

Teotihuacan

We have two Mexico City shows behind us now with the last one tonight. Tomorrow I get to see my family again. Words can't express how much I love and miss them.

Yesterday a group of about 25 band and crew members had an incredible time visiting Teotihuacan - the City of the Gods. Take a few minutes and read about it. The place is incredible. Our guide for the day was the best treat of all. A descendant of the native indians of Teotihuacan, he was anxious to give us his take on what actually happened there over two thousand years ago. His presentation centered around sacred tradition. At first I wasn't sure what I'd take away from the tour but in retrospect, the gift we were given of participating in, rather than just hearing about, tradition was priceless.

Our guide called himself Gorilla (pronounced horilya) because thats what people say he looks like. He was full of life and invited us to adorn headbands and join him as brothers in a sacred walk though his ancestral home. Along the way we he explained the significance of the pyramids as they pertain to seasons and ceremony. He showed us certain places to stand where if we clapped we'd hear unique echos that sounded like birds chirping. Move a few steps and the bird sounds disappeared.

After leading us to a room underneath one of the pyramids, we sat in silence in a room lit only by a small flame of burning twigs and incense as Gorilla told his stories. It was an experience that I'll never forget. April and I were then chosen to bear the flame to the top of the Sun Pyramid. Not everyone made it to the top but those of us who did were greeted by an unbelievable view.

I've posted pictures of Teotihuacan and an informal jam session from earlier today in Hussain's room. View them by clicking the Photographs link.

I fly home early tomorrow so I'll spend the rest of the day packing, and practicing Christmas songs for gigs coming up later this week in Chattanooga.

I'll probably write down a few more stories while on the plane tomorrow so check back and don't forget to sign the guest book!

Dan

¶ 1:53 PM 0 comments

Working with Hussain and David

Hussain, David and I spent the morning setting up journal pages on their websites. We are supposed to be out shopping for our wives! Don't tell them.

We made a little progress this morning which you can check out at:

http://www.davidhudson.com.au

and

http://www.bossa-usa.com

Now we have to go shopping.

¶ 1:46 PM 0 comments

Laredo

We performed our last US concert of this leg of the tour tonight in Laredo, Texas tonight. Both tonight's concert and last night's in McAllen were high energy crowds filled with Mexican-Americans. The applause for our trumpeter, Ramone Flores who is originally from Mexico himself, was deafening. I can hardly imagine what it's going to be like in Mexico City which is our destination tomorrow.

We have three shows there Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. Monday I fly home. Woooooooo Hoooooooo!

My friends Bill, Jean and Vicki drove all the way from San Antonio to see tonight's show. Here's a picture we snapped just after the concert.


¶ 2:08 AM 0 comments

Calendar Update

I just updated my calendar page. You may have to hit the refresh button on your browser to see the latest December and January Dates. Here are the changes added today:

December 16, 2004 12 to 4PM
Fuerst & Associates Open House
6005 Century Oaks Dr - (423) 899-8555

December 16, 2004  7PM
Chattanooga First Presbyterian Christmas Party (private)

December 18, 2004 evening
Christmas Party, Randy Finnel home (private)

December 19, 2004 7PM
Tennessee Aquarium Dive Into Winter
www.tnaua.org

December 26, 28, 29, 30, and 31, 2004
Rock City Gardens 7PM
www.seerockcity.com

December 27, 2004 evening
28 Jennifer Jones Wedding Reception (private)

January

January 6, 2004 (private)
Chattanooga Christian School

January 8, 2004 3PM
Chattanooga Bicentennial Library Concert Series
www.lib.chattanooga.gov/prog/prog.html ¶ 1:03 PM 0 comments

One More Week!

We had a long day of travel Sunday as we headed back to the US from Mexico by plane, spent a couple of hours in customs and then 3 more hours crammed on busses after a mix up caused us to not have enough seats for everyone.

Yesterday was a day off here in McAllen and after I caught up on my laundry I did absolutely nothing. It felt great and my batteries are fully charged for our last five shows. I smile when I think forward to this time next week knowing I should be relaxing in my own living room in Tennessee. I have quite a few public and private performances while I'm home. Check out my Calendar page for the latest.

A cut from my CD Questions in the Calm was used on NPR's All Things Considered yesterday afternoon. It seems to be making it into their rotation more often lately.

Christmas is just a few of weeks away and I hope you'll consider ordering a few of my CDs as gifts. There's still plenty of time to ship them anywhere in the US. Drop me a note if you'd like to pay by check, rather than using your credit card online.

Here are some comments from people who've recently purchase CD's:

I have really been enjoying your cd's, especially "for the beauty" - just
BEAUTIFUL! TARA Oct 19, 2004

I just bought your new CD! I have them all and love them all. LAURA
PARSONS Oct 27, 2004

Hammer On sounds great! When are your CDs going to be on iTunes?
ERIC VAUGHEN Oct 29, 2004

Dan, received your CD yesterday, and it is playing non stop here on my
computer. I love Cluck old Hen, as you know I will play along on my
dulcimer. And let me tell you guys, I want more, more like Sweet Georgia
Brown, wonderful. Thanks for a great job. HELEN October 29, 2004

Hi Dan and Angie,
I received "Hammer On" yesterday...and it's great! I was baking cookies
this morning to Sweet Georgia Brown and I was hopping all over the
kitchen...I would challenge anyone to stand still while listening to that
selection!

What a terriffic assortment of tunes.
You've done it again, Dan. "Hammer On" is fantastic! SUSAN Oct 30, 2004


WOWWWWW! This is an awesome CD. My faves are Sandstone and Deep Dive. I
really enjoy this music. Great job! JOHNNA Nov. 1, 2004

I just finished listening to your new CD,"Hammer On!" Any one who listens
to I will feel that it is very heart filled and ingenious. I am glad you met
up with Mark, Randy, and Bob. Your combination of talent and professionalism
make a great team. Every tune on your CD has so many interesting
arrangements that I kept wondering what was going to happen next. There is
no skipping tracks or forwarding to hear the next song on this CD.

Respectfully yours,
Joe Ridolfo Tuesday, November 02, 2004

DAN, I've been listening to HAMMER ON
for days now. Another GREAT piece of
work!!!! You should be extremely proud
of it. YOU DID GOOD DAN!!!!!!! DONNA Nov 4, 2004

I love the whole CD, but especially CAT TALES. Deep Dive sounds wonderful
with volumne at mega loud in my car. I also am quite fond of Icy Rain. But
it's all wonderful. BARBIJOY Nov 4, 2004

Dan, I really love this CD. I played it all the way from Las Vegas to Los
Angeles last night. I helped keep me awake with the wonderful rhythms and
fun sounds. LINDA Nov 8, 2004

WOW! I love Icy Rain and got a big smile on my face when I heard Sweet
Georgia Brown. What a great CD! SANDY Nov 8,2004

Hi there Dan! Just thought I'd let you know, that I had listened to your
wonderful CD and all I can say is, holy moly you really did a fantastic job.
DEBBIE Nov 8, 2004

Comments: Who would think that you could squeeze that much rich resonant
tambour out of hammer dulcimers, cittern, and giutar? Its easy to see what
happened when Dan and his seasoned musician friends found this new sound.
They road tested it on all kinds of genres an created a CD that gets more
interesting the more you hear it--and that's the kind of wonderful magic
anyone hopes for when they listen to something new. MALCOLM CHILDERS Nov 20,
2004

Your skill and your professional presence both on and off the stage make all
of us at Dusty Strings proud to be your "maker." We'll have your new "Hammer
On" cd for sale in the store on Thursday. That's a fine piece of work too by
the way. What a fresh and innovative sound. I'd recommend it to anyone who
has a love of the hammered dulcimer. In fact, I'd recommend it to anyone who
doesn't as well because after they hear it, they will! RAY MOOERS Nov 23,
2004

Thanks so very much for your new CD. I listen to it in the car regularly -
it's terrific! SUE Nov 23, 2004

¶ 11:55 AM 0 comments

Story from Breakfast

We're back on the bus in south Texas somewhere between Laredo and McAllen. Our plane flight was short and sweet but the trip through customs took close to two hours. I of course understand and appreciate the job that is being done. Our group represents so many nationalities and their associated green cards and passports that it is bound to be complicated.

I just remembered a story from breakfast that I wanted to share. David Hudson, an aboriginal Australian for those who don't know him, always has oatmeal and tea for 'breaky.' Our waiter could not understand what he was asking for when he repeatedly stretched out the words ooohhhht meeeeeeeeal (think about the "We thought you was a Toad" scene from Oh Brother Where Art Thou). The waiter brought in reinforcements to translate but I was still pretty sure the message wasn't getting through when the last word he said as he left the table was "hot?" Who's ever heard of cold oatmeal. I told David to get ready for goat heels or goat with eels or something because I was pretty sure they still didn't get his message.

When the waiter returned with a bowl of milk we thought he must of actually gotten it. David proceeded to get some food from the breakfast bar as time dragged on and repeated attempts to talk to the waiter, who seemed to be avoiding us now, were futile. After a time David grabbed his bowl of milk to find it was piping hot. Hot milk in a bowl was apparently what he ordered. ¶ 3:40 PM 0 comments

Monterrey Show

Today we fly back to Texas I have nothing but positive things to say about Monterrey. I'd like to come back and visit with more time. The food was good, the people were friendly and the surrounding scenery begs to be explored. Maybe someday.

The crowd was thunderous last night and it sounded like the roof would fly off when Yanni introduced Ramone Flores, who is of course from Mexico.

Everyone signed autographs until they could sign no more.

I posted new pictures this morning. Use the Photographs link to see them.

¶ 11:00 AM 0 comments

Hey from Monterrey

Our show in Dallas was one of my favorites so far. We were in a theatre, rather than an arena setting which is a much better listening environment. The rise of the seats means you get to see more people and they feel so much closer that it feels like you're actually performing for real people rather than rows and rows of shadows. (I definitely miss street performing.)

The back stage halls were lined with paintings of other performers who've taken the stage there. I took a picture of some of the paintings, including Yanni's, that you can see by using the pictures link. I've had a couple of people tell me recently that they aren't sure what to do when they get to the photographs page in order to see the most recent shots. The top row has a picture of my dog Hershey. Click on Hershey's head and you'll see and index of the most recent photo groups.

We spent Friday traveling by jet to Monterrey Mexico. The flight was short but it took us a couple of hours to get through customs. It took another hour to get to the hotel by bus. Everyone was hungry and a little grumpy by then. I hooked up with Pedro, Walter, Alfreda, David and Hussain and the concert promoter who took us to an incredible restaurant. We all felt much better and of course ate way too much.

This morning I had a mexican breakfast with David in the restaurant downstairs and I headed out to try and find something to photograph. We're in a very commercial area and if it wasn't for the fact that hardly anyone speaks English, you wouldn't know that we're not in anytown USA. There's even a Kentucky Fried Chicken accross the street. It makes me a little sad that North America has become so homogenous. I walked a few miles from the hotel and was able to get one decent picture of a Mexican hillside housing development.

Our show tonight will be in front of a sold-out house of 13 thousand people. It should be fun. Tomorrow we fly back to Laredo, TX. We'll then take a bus to McAllen, TX. ¶ 4:07 PM 0 comments

Better Now

I allowed my journal to slip behind for a couple of days as I've been a bit under the weather. I picked up a nasty head cold somewhere around Salt Lake City and it landed me in bed for a couple of days with all available energy funneled into doing the show.

The worst part of it was the plane ride from Denver to Houston and not being able to clear my ears for takeoff and landing. That really hurts. I was in bed just a few hours after we landed. Twelve hours later my head was still stuffed but I felt a lot better - good enough to get together with my friends Chuck and Peggy Carter. They were the sponsors of SAMfest at which I played earlier this year. I picked their brains for the ups and downs of putting on a festival as Angie and I are planning one for June 2005 in Chattanooga.

There are so many details that need attention early on in the process of putting on a festival. Here's what I know so far:

When - June 24 - 26 (should we make it 4 days instead of 3?)
Where - The Mountain Arts Community Center (MACC), Signal Mountain TN (7 miles from downtown Chattanooga)
Who - The instructors we know will be there are me, Mark Wade, Bob McMurray, Randy Clepper, Butch Ross, and Christy Burns. There are a few others I'd like to get involved in the first one but I'm still working on it. We're working on our mission statement and name for the festival. I'm leaning towards something like "A non-traditional approach to traditional instruments." I'm open to suggestions from anyone who has ever taught at or attended a dulcimer festival. Email me and explain what you like and don't like about the way festivals are presented these days. We're early in the planning process now and are eager to learn!


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I uploaded two new groups of pictures this morning you can see by using the photographs link. One set is from our trip from Denver to Houston. I have never been so happy to get off a plane and step into humid weather. The second set of pictures I should have posted a month ago. They are from the fan 'meet and greet' in Las Vegas November 6, prior to the first performance on this tour leg.

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One last note, as you're planning your Christmas gift purchase please consider my CD's! There are four of them now and you can order them online or drop me a note and I'll tell you how to purchase with a check. - Thanks ¶ 4:18 PM 0 comments