Workshops
1. Appalachian Ballads for Mountain Dulcimer – This is a repertoire-building workshop for intermediate dulcimer players. Participants will be taught several songs from the Appalachian Mountain Region. (DAD tuning)
2. Easy Appalachian Tunes - This is a repertoire-building workshop for novice dulcimer players. Participants will be taught several songs from the Appalachian Mountain Region. Tab will be given in both DAA and DAD tuning.
3. Celtic Ballads for Mountain Dulcimer – This is a repertoire-building workshop for intermediate dulcimer players. Participants will be taught several songs from Ireland, Scotland and Wales including Bard of Armagh, Mingulay Boat Song, Mairi’s Wedding and Balinderry. (DAD tuning)
4. French Dances and Licks – This is a repertoire-building workshop for novice to intermediate mountain dulcimer players. Participants will be taught three French tunes: a “Bouree” from France, “Branle du Village” from Brittany and “Mes Parents” from Cajun country. Participants will also be shown some licks to add interest to the tunes. (DAD tuning)
5. Dance Around the World - This is a workshop for novice to intermediate mountain dulcimer players. Participants will try different dance tunes including a French Bouree, a German waltz, a court dance and a modern waltz. Participants will also get the chance to see and hear two relatives of the dulcimer : an epinette and a Kratz zither. (DAD tuning).
6. Canal Songs for Mountain Dulcimer – This is a repertoire building workshop for intermediate dulcimer players. Participants will explore several songs by Pearl Nye that describe life on the Ohio and Erie Canal at the turn of the century. (DAD tuning)
7. Nature Songs for the Mountain Dulcimer – This is a repertoire building workshop for novice dulcimer players. Participants will be taught several songs about the outdoors including “O How Lovely is the Evening,” “I Walk in Beauty,” and others. (DAD tuning)
8. Going Cuckoo – In this workshop, participants will first learn how to play the Appalachian ballad “Cuckoo” on the mountain dulcimer. Participants will then be shown several variations of the tune as an example of how to enhance and add variety to a performance. This workshop is geared towards novice to intermediate player. (DAD tuning)
9. Starting from Scratch on the Mountain Dulcimer – This is a workshop for the very beginner. Participants will be shown how to tune the mountain dulcimer and how to play several easy melodies. (DAD or DAA tuning)
10. Spicing Up Melodies – This is a workshop for a novice mountain dulcimer player who can play simple melodies but would like to add a little more interest to them. Participants will be shown how to add a few chords and harmonies to make their songs fuller. (DAD tuning)
11. Minor Melodies for the Mountain Dulcimer – In this workshop, participants will learn several ways to produce minor tunes on the mountain dulcimer including DAC and DAG tuning and the use of a capo. This workshop is geared towards novice players.
12. Easy Fiddle Tunes – This workshop if for the beginner to novice player to learn some easy fiddle such as Old Joe Clark, Gray Cat on a Tennessee Farm, Liza Jane and others.
13. Playing Harmony on the Mountain Dulcimer – In this workshop, participants will start with a simple song and will be shown how to make harmonies using octaves, thirds and fifths. Rounds will also be explored as a method of harmonizing. (DAD tuning)
14. Mountain Dulcimer Styles – In this workshop, beginning to novice players will get a chance to try several different styles of playing the mountain dulcimer including fingerpicking, bowing and using a noter. (DAD tuning)
15. Appalachian Clogging – Clogging is a dance style that is traditional to the Appalachian Mountains. In this beginning workshop, participants will be shown how to do several clogging steps including the “shuffle,” “basic,” “bertha,” “Alamo” and “kick the cat.” The steps will then be used in a simple dance routine.
16. Easy Stephen Foster for the Mountain Dulcimer - This is a repertoire-building workshop for novice players. You will be taught several easy tunes including Nellie Bly, Camptown Races and Some Folks Do. The tunes are primarily in drone style with some simple chords for those that are ready to try them.
17. Intermediate Stephen Foster for the Mountain Dulcimer – This is a repertoire-building workshop for the intermediate player. The songs are presented in chord melody style and include Gentle Annie, Old Black Joe, Old Folks at Home and others. (DAD tuning)