More Buckeye Photos

Use the Photographs link to the left and navigate to more pictures from the Buckeye Dulcimer Festival. The newest entries are under the date March 11, 2005. I'm fortunate to get these shots as Angie and I accidentally left a camera bag in our hotel room at the Carlisle Village Inn. I'm grateful that they found it and shipped it and camera safely back to me. ¶ 7:23 PM 0 comments

Buckeye Photos

I'm working my way backwards through my photo collection. It has been so long since I've had a high speed internet connection I didn't realize how far behind my picture posts were. The latest batch of new photos are from our Saturday night performance at the Buckeye Festival in Ashley, Ohio.

I taught advanced hammer dulcimer classes in the three days leading up to the concert. I'm sure that my students, all women, and all fine players wondered what they had gotten themselves into. I was quickly labeled 'drill sergeant' when I told them if they weren't sweating then they weren't working hard enough. They sweated, and I'm proud to say they all stuck with it for two tough days of hammer drills and complicated patterns.

Use the photographs link at the upper left to navigate to the March 11 concert photos. ¶ 9:55 AM 0 comments

More Ohio Pictures

Angie and I made it back safely to Chattanooga last night from our Ohio trip. It is so good to be home.

Today I swam, napped, took a hike, went out to eat at the Pastaria with Angie and clicked through dozens pictures we have from the past couple of weeks. Use the photographs link to the left and see the most recent postings. I'll probably put up a few more tomorrow. ¶ 10:46 PM 1 comments

Ohio Wesleyan Concert Pictures

Mark, Randy, Bob and I had a great time performing at Ohio Wesleyan University Thursday night. You can use the photographs link and navigate to pictures or just click the link above. Thanks Brad for your excellent photography.

Tonight we perform at Carlisle Village Inn in Sugarcreek, Ohio and then we'll travel back to Powell Ohio for a Sunday Morning Concert at Liberty Christian Church. ¶ 9:18 AM 3 comments

Buckeye

Angie and I had a great time at the Buckeye festival in Ashley Ohio. I have plenty of pictures to post but still no high speed internet connection from which to post them. Hopefully I'll be able to get some posted on Monday from Randy Clepper's house. That's where we'll be rehearsing for our upcoming Hammer On! performances. ¶ 11:14 PM 0 comments

Stinky Road Trip

If you read my last post you'll know I'm Ohio bound on the highway right now. We just stopped for gas at a rural station just south of Berea Kentucky. Angie went in to use the restroom and I, started pumping the gas. The smell of gas fumes has always bothered me so I make it my practice to start the pump and then walk far enough away that I don't smell the fumes.

I hate it when I end up at a pump that has the little flap of metal removed that keeps the handle engaged. Fortunately this station still had the device attached.

I started the filling the tank and noticed how quickly at a buck 94.9 the numbers rolled. Then they stopped. I started it again and it stopped again, repeatedly. It seemed to know when I was just out of the smelly zone and then it would click off. I actually looked around to see if someone was playing a trick on me. This went on for about five minutes when I finally decided to just stand there and hold the silly thing.

The moment I gripped and squeezed the pump handle I heard a pop, a whooshing sound and felt my leg get wet. The breakaway joint on the gas pump had popped open, briefly soaking my leg with regular unleaded and and left me holding the handle and smelling like a refinery. Gas pump 1, Dan 0.

We are now back in the car headed down the highway breathing gas fumes and toothpaste with an intensity that may make me pull over and throw my pants away. The toothpaste got there in an attempt to wash out the gas smell. Toothpaste was the closest thing to soap I could find. It doesn't work. ¶ 12:00 PM 1 comments

It was Fun While it Lasted

I’m back on the road again, having spent only one all to brief week at home. My destination this morning is Ashley Ohio and the Buckeye Dulcimer Festival where I’ll teach advanced hammer dulcimer classes and give a performance or two. Angie and I will be there through Sunday.

The last couple of weeks of the Yanni tour went by like a whirlwind. I was so focused on finishing my own projects that I almost didn’t notice everyone else was just as busy working on their own projects. At some point toward the end it was as if we all collectively decided we weren’t going to get much else done so why don’t we just enjoy a little hang time with our friends. I’m glad I did as I already miss my buds as they all begin the next chapter of their lives.

Hussain (URL) arrived home from the tour and flew out the the very next day for a week of shows with Al McKay. He just arrived back in LA Monday and said he had a great time and got to meet James Brown. When I talked to him yesterday he was having coffee with his wife Marita and making plans for a vacation.

David (URL) made it back to Australia a couple days earlier than expected and surprised his wife Cindy and daughter Jedess by attending Jeddess’s 11th birthday party. When I get back from this trip David and I are going to set up web cams so we can video chat from time to time.

I spoke to Alfreda (URL) Monday of this week as she was already aboard a cruise ship on which she’ll be performing for several months. They were just getting ready to push off into the Atlantic and she was calling to say bye. No one would have ever guessed that Alfreda and I would have become the best of friends over the past couple of years. I’ll miss her, and we talk on the phone any time she’s in the states.

I haven’t given Walter (URL) a call yet but I know he’s on top of the world after arriving home to be a daddy. His newborn is now five months old and I know he has his hands full giving his wife Hosannah a break from constant infant care.

Zach and I have talked on the phone a couple of times working out details for our upcoming Chattanooga Waterfront Grand Celebration gig which involves Hussain and my band ‘Hammer On!’ as well. Zach is making plans for a research project in Italy for which he’ll be leaving in a few weeks.

I guess I don’t have time to chronicle everyone’s new course, I haven’t even had time to write about my own.

I spent all of last week putting my solo show back together again as I’m mostly back on my own. There is very little time to practice when on tour so I was feeling pretty rusty and a bit apprehensive about only having a few days to prepare for upcoming gigs. My nerves eased as playing my repertoire revealed I hadn’t totally lost my chops. I’m excited about getting to spend several days next week practicing with the ‘Hammer On! guys.

There’s so much stuff to write about that I don’t really know where to start or stop. In the coming days I’m going to try and post more regularly, but I’ve also said that in the past.

Next week’s gigs include a St. Patrick’s Day (3/17) fundraiser concert at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, a Saturday night (3/19) dinner concert at Carlisle Village Inn in Sugarcreek Ohio and a Sunday morning (3/20) performance at Liberty Christian Church in Powell Ohio.

I have a lot of pictures and a short video from the last couple of weeks of the tour ready to post but I have to wait until I get somewhere with a high speed internet connection. I’m writing this update as we head north on interstate 75 through Kentucky. Don’t worry – Angie is driving.

Angie and I have completed the brochures for the Chattanooga Dulcimer Festival, June 24 – 26, so email or snail mail me if you need a registration form and brochure. I’ll post everything that is in the brochure to the CDF web site, if you can download it there and save some trees I’d appreciate it. Email Angie with registration for requests: angie@danlandrum.com

Speaking of email, I am sooooooooo behind it is not even funny. After I get this posted to the web I’m going to spend the rest of the trip, which means until Angie gets tired of driving, catching up. - TTFN ¶ 11:56 AM 0 comments