Funky Forum

My forum isn't working this (Saturday) morning and the friendly folks at Serversanddomains.com promise to correct the problem as soon as possible. If their track record remains true it will be working again quickly. I'm just glad I wasn't the one who broke it this time. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Dan ¶ 10:22 AM 0 comments

Home Again

I'm slowly catching up on dozens of tasks now that I'm back home from my two week road trip of concerts and workshops. In the coming days I'll post pictures and share a few stories but I wanted to share an excerpt from an email I received upon returning home that made my day! I've edited it only to make it anonymous. The writer attended one of my classes at the Upper Potomac Dulcimer Festival (UPDF). While it is certainly nice to hear that people enjoy a class it is thrilling to hear from students that put the techniques I teach into practice:

"(Since the class) I have practiced more hours per day and
use my metronome most of the time. We all really enjoyed the “permission” to play
a little louder and harder than ever before while taking a class.
I have not learned to play one new tune since the festival. But I have
created more music! I can now single, double and triple roll when I make the
choice, a lot of the time and getting better. Your focus on rhythm, so
obvious to me now, was that special thing I went to UPDF to find.

If I may be so bold to suggest a project, profitable for you and a learning
opportunity for developing HD players. If you could create a CD that would
not teach tunes but style and rhythm. Some 2 or 4 or 6 measure licks that
could be used to train listening and timing skills. A listen and play along
CD similar to your approach in the Advanced Beginners Toolbox class.
An opportunity to play along, at some musical aerobic workout level, for the
development of rhythm and timing would be just the ticket. You provide the
metronome, buried in the fun of what people play the dulcimer for. I’ll be
your first customer.

I have spent hundreds of hours learning a dozen or so great tunes but almost
no style or magic. I had learned a small amount of heart but no heartbeat,
no “Hammer Rhythm” only song rhythm. I am now experiencing the fun of
playing the dulcimer I was looking for. You helped me find that.

It is my belief motion and emotion is the basis for most learning. You have
the gift of creating both in a teachable moment."

The teaching CD suggested above is in the works now and will also contain a book and DVD. Thanks for the suggestions. ¶ 10:38 AM 0 comments

Your Pet's Best Friend

I just added a couple of links to the list on the left hand side of this page. Someone pointed out that I had forgotten Stephen Humphries. Oops and sorry Stephen! The other new link is to the blog of an old friend of mine, Dr. Everett Mobley.

Everett is one of the most unforgettable people I've ever known and whom I describe without hesitation with one simple word - genius. He's a writer, radio show personality, actor, comedian, singer, instrumentalist and the most passionate vetinerarians you will ever meet. He recently started a blog when after 20 years of producing a radio show entitled "Your Pet's Best Friend" some knucklehead canceled the show. Check it out, I read through it this morning and the advice is great and free! ¶ 9:29 AM 0 comments

Calendar Page

I got an email from a confused friend who said he didn't see tonight's Carlisle Inn gig on my calendar page. It's there. It is confusing though since the calendar defaults to a weekly view rather than a monthly view. In the weekly view you have to scroll down the page to see the times.

I'd like to find a way to make it default to a monthly vew automatically. For now you can make the default view be monthly yourself. Just click the preferences button on the calendar page and reset the view to monthly. ¶ 9:45 AM 0 comments

SSHHHHHHH

Randy and I played our library gig last night. It was fun to do an all acoustic, literally (pun intended) in the middle of a library. I took a small djembe with me as well so I could accompany Randy on some of his Irish music that I don't play on hammer dulcimer. Playing a drum in the middle of a library was freakishly fun. It was the kind of thing I always wanted to do as a kid.

Library applause is very polite.

Tonight we head to Sugarcreek Ohio to play at Carlisle Inn. Thanks to Lori Miller for assisting in setting up this gig! ¶ 9:40 AM 0 comments

UPDF

The intersection of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers was my home for the past few days as I taught, played, laughed and cried my way through the Upper Potomac Dulcimer Festival.

Here's a link to a discussion about the festival on EverthingDulcimer.com

Here's a link ty my friend Marcy Prochaska's blog about the UPDF

My road trip began in the middle of last week with a sad goodbye to my daughter Missy who left home for a nearly year long trip overseas while I was away. On Friday night during the festival I decided to play a song I'd written for her, Spinner's Waltz, as part of my set. Whether or not it was a good idea doesn't matter now. It was hard and I'm not ashamed to say that I was overwhelmed with sadness and had a hard time making it through the song. Missy, if you read this, please now how proud your mom and I are of who you are, and who you are going to become in this exciting year ahead.

I'm now back on the road headed to Columbus Ohio where I'll begin a series of gigs Wednesday through Sunday. Check out my calendar for specifics. Remember you can click the links on the calendar page for more information about each event.

I'll get back to the forum discussions after I get to Randy's house in Gahanna tonight, which I've been reminded numerous times is pronounced Guh han uh, not guh hahn a.

Right now I've got to get out of this hotel room before checkout time. ¶ 11:07 AM 0 comments