A Batch Of Resonator Dulcimers

Resonator dulcimers in the works...

One of our projects for the next couple of weeks is to finish off a batch of resonator dulcimers. The instruments shown in the pictures have already been built, and just need the "resonator" parts installed and to be strung up. One of the reasons to do a large batch of a specialty instrument like the resonator dulcimer is to have them on hand at festivals that offer classes in resonator dulcimers. In this case, Steve Eulberg will be teaching a class on resonator dulcimers at Kentucky Music Week in just a couple of weeks.

This leads me to one of the things that a lot of folks don't think about - all of the work and travel that the festival organizers and instructors go through to make sure that we all have a good time at the festivals. I talked to Bing Futch the other night and he was 3000 miles away from home in Portland, OR. John and Karen Keane were 1000 miles from their Louisiana home in Florida. For the festivals we host this year, the Midwest Uke Fest and the Indiana Dulcimer Festival we will have instructors from Wisconsin, New York, West Virginia, Florida, Indiana and California. Our Second Saturday Clinics feature instructors coming from Florida, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Louisiana. That all adds up to a lot of driving!