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The Perfect Wrong Note
by Linda Ratcliff
If you ever strum the wrong note, or strike the wrong string with your hammers ... just tell them you were playing the jazz version. - Linda Ratcliff
The Perfect Wrong Note
If you ever strum the wrong note, or strike the wrong string with your hammers ... just tell them you were playing the jazz version. - Linda Ratcliff
The Perfect Wrong Note
My 16-year-old grandson plays the saxophone in his band at school, and he was telling me about trying out last week for the school jazz band. All the kids waiting for their turn were troubled by one note in the arrangement - an Eb. They thought if they could just play that note 1/2 step higher, it would sou…
Music Confounds the Machines
by Steve EulbergFocusing on the challenges that artists face in the current digital and mechanistic day and age, T Bone Burnett gave the keynote address at the AmericanFest in September of this year.
I found these words echoing in my soul:
"Music is to the United States as wine is to France. We have spread our culture all over the world with the soft power of American music. We both have regions- France has Champagne, we have the Mississippi Delta. France has Bordeaux, we have the Appalachian Mo…
Historical Music Printing
by Steve EulbergNow, for a taste of History!
Luís Henriques has posted a terrific video that illustrates and describes the challenge and results of printing music using a printing press in the Renaissance.
Understanding the challenges of musical notation in the printing process can help us better appreciate the tools that are available to us today as we produce original music, arrange music for playing with friends and create tablature to translate our ideas for playing on dulcimers.
Stay tuned for…
Introducing a New Instructor!
DulcimerCrossing is excited to welcome Aubrey Atwater 
(of Atwater-Donnelly) to the instructional team. Aubrey teaches mountain dulcimer, from the Jean Ritchie family tradition. Visit the Teacher Page and watch her introduction video. Or, visit the Live Events page and watch the highlight video of her recent Premium Concert Window Show. Subscribe here, to have access to all of her lessons!
Neal Hellman Featured in Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast
Episode #014 The Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast features DulcimerCrossing teacher Neal Hellman
Wayne Jiang and Patricia Delich host this informative conversation with players of the mountain dulcimer across the country and across genres. This edition features samples of music from several of Steve's recordings:
Neal Hellman has played the mountain dulcimer for more than 40 years and is the founder, director, and one of the primary artists on the Gourd Music record label. Gourd Music recordings ar…
Wayne Jiang and Patricia Delich host this informative conversation with players of the mountain dulcimer across the country and across genres. This edition features samples of music from several of Steve's recordings:
Neal Hellman has played the mountain dulcimer for more than 40 years and is the founder, director, and one of the primary artists on the Gourd Music record label. Gourd Music recordings ar…
Erin Mae Lewis featured in Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast
Here is another resource for mountain dulcimer players!
Each episode features several explorations of the dulcimer, its history, its players, its past and its future.
This episode features the playing…
Wayne Jiang and Patricia Delich, the producers of the Hearts of the Dulcimer DVD, have created a regular Podcast, called Hearts of the Dulcimer.
Each episode features several explorations of the dulcimer, its history, its players, its past and its future.
This episode features the playing…
Don Pedi featured in an article
DulcimerCrossing Instructor, Don Pedi is featured in this article on the facebook page:See Again Sunday: (From Humans of Central Appalachia)
"When I moved back into the mountains, I moved back in with people who had lived there for generations. My neighbors to this day still plow with mules and horses."
Don Pedi, Renowned Old Time Mountain Dulcimer Player; Born in Boston, rambled around until he found his home in the mountains; Marshall, North Carolina:
“I got interested in traditional music throu…
"When I moved back into the mountains, I moved back in with people who had lived there for generations. My neighbors to this day still plow with mules and horses."
Don Pedi, Renowned Old Time Mountain Dulcimer Player; Born in Boston, rambled around until he found his home in the mountains; Marshall, North Carolina:
“I got interested in traditional music throu…
Dulcimercrossing.wordpress.com Blog Year 2014 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog. 
Here's an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 11,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 4 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Click here to see the complete report. Thanks for reading and commenting and sharing this blog with others who love dulcimers! Let us know if there is something …
Some Copyright Issues for Dulcimer Players of Music
by Steve Eulberg
May I offer a few musings on a recent conversation that has been seeded and is taking root in my brain?
Like many dulcimer players, I am just giddy when I discover that I can quickly play my favorite Jim Croce or John Denver, or Elton John or Blood Sweat and Tears tunes on the dulcimer I love! And....I get very confused when I am told that I have to respect copyrights when I want to share this music with others.
Copyright Laws were created to protect the intellectual property…
Koto--the Japanese Cousin of the Mountain Dulcimer
by Steve Eulberg
I thought I had caught a glimpse of this long, distinctive instrument while passing by one of the Private (Guerilla) Showcases on the music floor of the Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto, but it wasn't until I was rewarded by meeting its owner in the hall in the early evening (before all the craziness of the late-night schedule of "concertettes" begins) that I was certain.
It WAS a Japanese Koto, in the hands of (and nearly as tall as) a Londoner who, after exploring his music degree…
I thought I had caught a glimpse of this long, distinctive instrument while passing by one of the Private (Guerilla) Showcases on the music floor of the Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto, but it wasn't until I was rewarded by meeting its owner in the hall in the early evening (before all the craziness of the late-night schedule of "concertettes" begins) that I was certain.It WAS a Japanese Koto, in the hands of (and nearly as tall as) a Londoner who, after exploring his music degree…
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