Lots Of Awesome & New Dulcimer-Related Stuff Going On
Good Morning, Y'all - Happy Friday!
I hope you've all had time to play your dulcimers this week. I hear that these instruments get lonely if they're not strummed regularly, so definitely spend some time with each of them. It is good for your dulcimers' mental health, getting to (with your assistance) make music. Any type of music will do just fine, but my personal instruments have expressed a preference for a more traditional repertoire - Gospel, American folk tunes, English ballads, and Irish dance tunes. I'm sure that some dulcimers prefer more contemporary music, and that's great, too.
We got a new book into our inventory this week. Ellen Pratt's latest book of arrangements for mountain dulcimer ensembles:
Ellen's a fine arranger, and has some amazing books. This is her 13th volume of dulcimer ensemble music. CLICK HERE to see the complete collection.
Our new workshop is very nearly ready for us to begin using. Last winter, we cleared about an acre of trees to have room in our woods for the new building (and road, and turn-around area). So in the middle of the dense forest, we have a small patch of clear sky. I took this photo last weekend, early on Saturday morning, right before sunrise:
Cheyenne's been working on making up some dulcimer parts. Can you guess (from the photo below) what he spent a good portion of last week making?
DulciVox parts! Dad made the fretboards, Cheyenne has been working on flat heads. Each head has a two-piece (bookmatched) bottom block, a top part with four holes, a cut-out shape, and a laser-engraved logo. There's a lot of fitting, shaping, and sanding that goes into making one of our dulcimer flat heads.
Dad's been working on making scroll heads for our walnut dulcimer kits. The first step (after we get a piece of wood cut, jointed, and sanded to dimension) is to make a series of notches. Here's Dad's progress on making some scroll heads:
The Eastern red cedar at the top of the photo isn't part of the scroll head project...
Now I'm heading back to the shop. Hopefully I can get another six or eight hours of productive hand work done before my mind gives out for the evening.
Thanks for reading, Y'all - have a great weekend!
Richard Ash - luthier-who-loves-making-instruments-for-all-of-you
FOLKCRAFT® DULCIMER PLAYER OF THE WEEK: MICHAEL McCORMACK
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Michael: I've been playing dulcimer for about six months after investigating a sweet sound I heard wafting from a practice room in a church basement. The player, John, invited me to join his bimonthly group (Mountain Dulcimer Circle of Southern Illinois).
So I bought a Backyard Music cardboard dulcimer online and dove in.
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Michael: I found a 2012 Folkcraft CSH Series instrument on eBay in August, which was in my price range, and is beautiful. Thanks for building it.
Folkcraft: Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
Michael: I generally play to myself at home (a not-ready-for-primetime soloist), and with the very generous, and forgiving, MDCoSI players. I've been to two live workshops this season (Gateway and Chatauqua on the Wabash) and have been...
CLICK HERE TO READ THE REST OF MICHAEL'S INTERVIEW & ABOUT OTHER FOLKCRAFT PLAYERS LIKE MICHAEL & YOU!
FOLKCRAFT® PLAYERS - WE LOVE HEARING FROM YOU!!!
We are thrilled to welcome new Folkcraft Player, Michael McCormack, to our wonderful online dulcimer community today. "Party on, Mike!"
Who's Going To Write In Next? Keep The Family Growing?
It really is super-easy to join our online dulcimer community. Just three easy steps:
1) Send an email to: newsletter@folkcraft.com
2) With the answers to the four questions below
3) Attach a photo of yourself with your Folkcraft dulcimer(s)
We look forward to receiving your submission & featuring you in our newsletter real soon!
1. How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
2. When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
3. Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
4. What other hobbies, or interests, do you have besides playing dulcimer?
WE'RE OFFERING A $25 FOLKCRAFT GIFT CARD TO ANYONE WHO ANSWERS THE FOUR EASY QUESTIONS LISTED ABOVE, AND SENDS IN A PHOTO (OF YOU WITH YOUR FOLKCRAFT DULCIMER). IT'S REALLY SO EASY TO DO!
YOU COULD ALSO JUST WRITE A LETTER TO THE LUTHIER (by replying to this email.) NO QUESTIONS TO ANSWER, NO PHOTO REQUIRED. WE JUST LOVE HEARING FROM Y'ALL!
This Week's Featured YouTube Video:
This week Mandy takes you through an easy song while giving you tips on how to learn to sight read other players and start ear training. Fun city! Click on the image below to listen & learn.
We have a slew (that's a fancy luthier word for "bunch") of videos for you to watch on our YouTube channel. Click here to see the full list. Be sure to comment on a video, and subscribe to the channel - either action helps us a LOT with YouTube's suggestion algorithms.
DULCI-MERRY CHRISTMAS - Volume 1 & 2
by Shelly Stevens
Christmas is coming soon! Time to get ready to strum along to your favorite Christmas carols with Shelley Stevens' "Dulci-Merry Christmas" songbooks! These two volumes are part of the incredibly popular "Baker's Dozen" series. They each contain skillfully-arranged songs for the mountain dulcimer, all in easy-to-play DAD tuning (one song in Vol. 2 requires a capo). With standard notation and tablature included, you'll be jamming to this Baker's Dozen (or two) of Christmas classics in no time. Don't miss out on this Dulci-Merry collection! (23 pages)
These books are published by Folkcraft® Instruments, under the Fingers Of Steel® imprint.
SONGS INCLUDED:
Angels We Have Heard On High
Away In A Manger
Cantique De Noel (Oh Holy Night)
Deck The Halls
The First Nowell
Good King Wenceslaus
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Jingle Bells
Joy To The World
O Tannenbaum
Oh Come, All Ye Faithful
Oh, Little Town Of Bethlehem
Silent Night
SONGS INCLUDED:
Angels From The Realms Of Glory
Bring A Torch, Jeannette Isabella
The Cherry Tree Carol
God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
Good Christian Men Rejoice
Go Tell It On The Mountain
The Holly And The Ivy
I Saw Three Ships
I Wonder As I Wander
Still, Still, Still
We Three Kings
What Child Is This?
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks