Blog

Benefits for Seniors

I live in and work in the office at a 55+ Senior Resort. We have a large room called "The Diner,” with tables and chairs, games, a jukebox, a kitchen to the side, and lots of puzzles. Never does a day go by that there aren’t seniors gathered around the long table, working together to complete yet another puzzle.


While this is a pleasant pastime for the residents here, there are also several benefits to their playing brain games. I read an article, this week, on the benefits of seniors doing pu…

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Don Pedi Live Workshop

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Don Pedi Live Workshop

Songs of the Heart

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That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles

When I was a child we had a cookie jar, and my mother always kept the cookie jar loaded with cookies. My favorite was her chocolate chip cookies, and I’ve never actually matched the look and taste of hers. But desperate times called for desperate measures, and if she didn’t have time to bake fresh, homemade cookies, she would fill the jar with Oreo cookies.


We loved Oreos, and people still love them today. They started out with the name Oreo Biscuits in 1912 and have since become the best-sell…

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Look, Mom! No Hands!

Over the years, I’ve received several emails from folks who needed to take a break from practicing their instrument. For some, their living situation limits them due to quiet hours. Maybe they've slammed their finger in a door and can’t press the strings or hold the hammers until it heals. Some of you have mentioned arthritis or ongoing back issues.  Other times, we can’t practice because our instrument is at the repair shop. Or maybe you’re on a trip and didn’t want to travel with your instrume…

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Live Workshop with Don Pedi: Love Songs from Applachia

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Don Pedi will be joining us on

Thurs, Feb 10th 5 pm MST

4 pm PST - 6 pm CST - 7 pm EST 

Songs of the Heart

Traditional Songs and Ballads, or as they are called in the mountains "Old Love Songs" pertaining to affairs of the heart.
Romantic songs from Southern Appalachia.
Most with happy endings.

A mountain dulcimer-focused workshop (with hammered dulcimer translation).

 

DulcimerCrossing Workshop & Mentorship Level Subscribers have access to this Live Event and its archive video.

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New Celtic Backing Track added to the Library!

Backing Track Off She Goes

We are excited to announce a new Ensemble Backing Track in the Celtic vein.  

Off She Goes is a single jig, and we have (3) three different courses to teach this tune:

1.  Hammered Dulcimer

2.  Mountain Dulcimer in DAA Tuning (in two octaves)

3.  Mountain Dulcimer in DAd Tuning (in two octaves)

We have just added an ENSEMBLE Backing Track for you to play along with.  The Ensemble is composed of rhythm guitar, mountain and hammered dulcimers and bodhran (Irish Drum).  Both dulcimers demonstr…

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The 7 Stages of Performance Anxiety


Shopping is generally assumed to be a cathartic process that most people, especially women, tend to enjoy. The feel-good term “retail therapy” has come to mean that when life hands you a lemon, you should go shopping. In other words, if you go on a shopping spree, that will make you feel better.  But I’m not your normal woman. I don’t like to shop. I only shop out of necessity. Absolute necessity. So when I found an article titled “The 7 Stages of Shopping Anxiety,” it caught my eye. It seemed…

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Rhythm & Timing

If you want to become a good musician, it’s necessary to develop your ear for rhythm and timing. Musicians often have problems with their rhythm and timing because they don’t match the level of their skills with the complexity of composition they chose to play. If you fall in this category, here are some things you can do to improve.

  • Count out loud. Amazing Grace is written in ¾ time. In other words, when you play it, you will count 1 – 2 – 3, 1 – 2 – 3 etc. But I have written a hammered du…

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Mark Alan Wade teaches Arranging in January Live Workshop

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Mark Alan Wade is the featured instructor for our January Live Workshop at 5 pm MST on Thursday, Jan 20th.

Concert-Ready O’Carolan

We learn by doing, so rather than talking about arranging, let’s do some arranging! I have prepared for you a great arrangement of a tune by O’Carolan that used all of the tactics I teach in arranging. We will learn how to put it all together, and more importantly, discuss why the arrangement elements are there and what they do for the listener. I’ll keep the pla…

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Breakin' Up Christmas

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Breakin' Up Christmas is an Old Time Fiddle tune in the key of A that was played on the Twelfth Night of the Christmas as an energetic completion of the celebration of the season, leading into Epiphany.

We are excited to have (2) Different Courses by Steve Eulberg teaching this tune on DulcimerCrossing:

Hammered Dulcimer

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Mountain Dulcimer

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       Baritone Mountain Dulcimer AEa tuning (and Standard Mountain Dulcimer in DAd tuning with Capo, and Standard in DAA and EAA Tunings)

       Gala…

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