Question Of The Week: Where Is Your Practice Area?
And now it's time to add your own two cents to the Folkcraft newsletter.
They say that practice makes perfect. Whether we're looking to check "Learn A Musical Instrument" off of our bucket list, or aspiring to headline a sold out crowd at Wembley Stadium, we know that practicing our instrument will help get us there. So this week we ask...
Where is your practice area? Do you have a music room? Anything about it make it special?
I asked Richard Ash, Folkcraft's owner, to contribute to this week's question. Here's his take on the matter:
"I don't really have a "music room" - my entire apartment would qualify. My practice area has ready access to all my instruments - grand piano, guitar (my grandmother's 1930's National resonator), various tinwhistles, mountain dulcimer (Folkcraft Custom Series), hammered dulcimer (Folkcraft Legend 16/15), and ukulele (Druid Moon Olivia model). I use a folding chair, which matches what I find on stage most of the time when I perform. There's a small PA system/amplifier setup, so I can rehearse using a mic and also the pedalboard with various effects. I try to duplicate "stage conditions" as best as I can, so that there's nothing new to deal with when I go from the practice area to a performance. My practice area is in my living room."
Your Answers
Where is your practice area? Do you have a music room? Anything about it make it special?
We got a good variety this week. Thank you ALL for your feedback! Your replies and pictures are posted below.
Name: Tabitha
Location: Wooster, OH
"Our 2nd floor family/TV room is where I often practice, or if my husband is not practicing in his studio (he plays the double bass) then I practice in the adjacent-to-the-studio living room on the first floor. He certainly doesn't care if I practice near where he is practicing, but he records all his sessions and hearing one recording of Dan playing a beautiful bass solo with me singing and playing the uke in the background was enough to send me elsewhere. I have one ukulele upstairs and two on the first floor, so I just have to carry the music back and forth."
Name: Shirley M
Location: Waterloo IN
"I have a piano room (which also subs as an extra bedroom for guests) and a mountain dulcimer room with bookcases full of MD music. All this said, I have to keep my hammered dulcimer and steel drum in MY large bedroom, but the best thing is that they are available to play at any time. So, no one room, but all instruments readily available."
Name: Wayne Anderson
Location: Kingston, ON Canada
"I do not have a dedicated music room, but where I play and practice most is in my home office, keep my Walnut and Butternut FolkRoots here by my computer and my Custom Folkroots is in our family room. I play every day and great way to unwind and relax. Keep on Pickin and Strummin"
Name: Jon L.
Location: Charlottesville VA
"Definitely a music room - electric keyboard, ten lap dulcimers, two hammered dulcimers, four guitars, three ukes, banjo, mandolin, harmonicas, recorders, a dan bau, a tashogoto harp, and various percussion instruments. It's the first room the grand kids gravitate to when they arrive. Also plenty of CDs and tapes for listening."
Name: Douglas John B.
Location: Hoboken, NJ
"When the weather allows, I practice outdoors, whether it's in the city or in the woods. In part that's because our band performs at festivals and other outdoor events quite often. In part it's because, at least in daylight hours, I can refine my hammer approaches (or disabilities!) for a given tune or run without eye strain. But I think it's mostly a desire to let any music breathe outside a confined space -- one hopes not generating angst about that noisy box from too many neighbors -- that prompts a greater freedom to experiment and explore, or to just listen intently to whatever notes and timbres and cadences are being produced in relatively open
space. With less stress, I use the same approach for guitar work -- strictly rhythm."
Name: Patrick D
Location: Fall Creek Wisconsin
"I wish I had a practice room. I started out with a small room but it has acquired the closeness and looks of a back street used bookstore and has me looking for a place to practice. My living room was the next choice but My Wife and our 2 year old granddaughter either don't want it there (wife) or find it too interesting not to play with grandpa's stuff (granddaughter) So I set up wherever I can and run to get things put away when the grand kids
come calling."
Name: Ellen J
Location: Grants Pass, OR
"With an empty nest I have converted a bedroom to my music room. It keeps everything all in one spot, I can leave music and instruments out, it's a nice quiet spot and allows my husband to watch TV without interruption. However, when fellow musicians come over we play in the living room or on the deck (weather permitting)."
Name: Judy S
Location: Auburn IN
"My husband and I practice/play in our sunroom. It's a nice big area with a lot of light and room for most of our instruments (a ukulele, a guitar and 2 dulcimers-soon to be 3-yay!) We have 2 chairs with a small cabinet in between. The cabinet has a drawer which is perfect for picks, noters, extra strings, pens-all the little things and the bottom is where we keep all of our music books. There is enough seating that friends could come and play too."
Name: Richard Ash
Location: Woodburn, IN
"I don't really have a "music room" - my entire apartment would qualify. My practice area has ready access to all my instruments - grand piano, guitar (my grandmother's 1930's National resonator), various tinwhistles, dulcimer (Folkcraft custom series) and ukulele (Druid Moon Olivia model). I use a folding chair, which matches what I find on stage most of the time when I perform. There's a small PA system/amplifier setup, so I can rehearse using a mic and also the pedalboard with various effects. I try to duplicate "stage conditions" as best as I can, so that there's nothing new to deal with when I go from the practice area to a performance. My practice area is in my living room."
Name: Yvonne M
Location: Eldridge, ND
"Years ago my dear hubby remodeled our garage into a large music room. It has a square grand piano in the center, surrounded by shelving that holds the vintage sheet music I've collected for over 25 years. My music room is also home to an organ, my mountain dulcimer, and a banjo dulcimer. I have another antique Steinway grand piano in our living room - I love it, but also love playing the square grand so usually practice on that, since all my music is located there."
Name: Biff F.
Location:
"My practice area is my living room (I live alone), I enjoy playing solo, but play with a string band. Our practice area is the basement of a church. We play for anyone who will listen. We have played for several hundreds of people, and once played for an audience of two (an assisted living center). Playing alone, or with a group is always fun. Biff F."
Some of you may have uploaded a photo with your response to last week's "Question", and there's a possibility that (if you uploaded a photo) your entire response was lost somewhere in the Internet. If you replied, and you don't see your reply on this page, please accept our apologies - the bug has been fixed, and future replies should make it to this newsletter!