2017 Workshops & Events Information

Click HERE for 2017 SCHEDULE PAGE!

Sample Tune:
"Keven's Coma”
 Composed & Performed by Joellen Lapidus on Mountain Dulcimer,
Yvette Devereaux on Violin, Gordon Peeke on Spoons on her NEW CD 
 ‘Dulcimer Music for the Pelican Ballet’
www.lapidusmusic.com

 

Click Orange Buttons to go Directly To Workshop Sections

Hammered Dulcimer 1

Click Here For Explanation of Hammered Dulcimer Class Levels

Patti Amelotte   "Absolute Beginner Hammered Dulcimer"

9:00 - 10:00 am
Learn basic skills, get an understanding of the layout and learn a tune or two to start or restart your hammered dulcimer playing.

Brenda Hunter   “Simply Awesome Tunes”

9:00 - 10:00 am
(In Conference Room: See Other Workshops 1)
Advanced Beginner/ Intermediate – If you have taken even 1 Absolute Beginner HD workshop – you belong in this class
The key word here is “simple”. Great tunes aren’t necessarily difficult tunes.
Expand your repertoire with some fun, distinctive, and easy to learn tunes. We will do some learning by ear first but copies of the tunes will be provided.

Patti Amelotte   “Quick and Easy Tunes for the Hammered Dulcimer”

10:15 - 11:15 am
All tunes are fun to play on the HD--right?--but not all are easy.  In this class we'll work on a set of traditional tunes that are nicely compact, easy to memorize, and accessible to beginning players.



Ruth Smith   “Dulcimer Layout & Tips for New Players"

1:30 - 2:30 pm
Are you intimidated by the “sea of strings” on your hammered dulcimer? We’ll start from the beginning and cover topics YOU would like to know, including how brilliantly simple the layout is on the dulcimer. According to class interests, we’ll cover hammers, tuning, technique, chords, and more, plus we’ll learn a great beginner tune.

Karen Harvey   “Farewell to Tarwathie"

2:45 - 3:45 pm
Learn Farewell to Tarwathie, a beautiful Scottish sailing tune that has a story theme conceptually related to Veteran’s Day. You’ll include a repeating baseline for the tune and practice triplets and flams for embellishments. If time, you will also learn an English sailing tune with a beautiful, haunting melody, Rounding the Horn, which pairs nicely with Farewell to Tarwathie. By the end of the class, you will have the sheet music and an opportunity to record both tunes.

Hammered Dulcimer 2

Ruth Smith   “Arranging Holiday Music" 

9:00 - 10:00 am
The hammered dulcimer is the perfect instrument for Christmas music. Learn various embellishments (including a little hand independence work) for the hauntingly beautiful Appalachian Christmas melody, "I Wonder as I Wander."



Ruth Smith   “Playing with Expression”

10:15 - 11:15 am
Learn to play with greater expressiveness. We'll study specific arranging tools and exercises to help accentuate the beauty in melody lines and emphasize the underlying theme of the music. Repertoire will be drawn from expressive, lyrical music. (a slow air, waltz, or lament)

Brenda Hunter  “Swedish Tunes”

1:30 - 2:30 pm
Looking for something different? These Swedish tunes are fun to play and sound great on the dulcimer. We will learn a polska (different than a Polka!) and a march.

  

Ruth Smith & Steve Smith  “Blue Ridge Mountain Music”

2:45 - 3:45pm
HDs & All Acoustic Instruments!
Team taught with Steve Smith, multi-instrumentalist!
Learn the song "Blue Ridge Mountain Sky", written by Steve and a traditional mountain song "My Home's Across the Blue Ridge Mountains" while learning how to put that mountain feel on your own music. Vocal lyrics, melodies, and backup playing will be taught. Singers and all acoustic instruments welcome.

  

Fretted Dulcimer 1
(Fretted/ Mountain/ Appalachian Dulcimer = different names for the same instrument)

Ellen Hahn   “From the Very Beginning" (2 hour workshop)

9:00 - 11:15 am
We will be starting from the beginning in this class, learning how to hold, strum, fret, and tune your Mountain Dulcimer. You’ll learn how to read tab, and use back up chords, time and rhythm to play fiddle tunes. Bring your Mountain Dulcimer, a pick and a tuner if you have one. Come join us!

Heidi Muller   “Easy Waltzes”  

1:30 - 2:30 pm
Learn how to strum with a dancing lilt on slow, pretty songs played in three-quarter time. Working with strum patterns and dynamics to create a pleasant flow, we’ll play some simple tunes from around the world with easy one-finger melodies and a few simple chords.
 

Joellen Lapidus  “Absolute Beginners Class”

2:45 - 3:45 pm
Learn 2 rhythms, 3 chords, how to read tablature and little fingerpicking. All the basics you need to start your dulcimer career!

Fretted Dulcimer 2

Heidi Muller   “Calypso!”

9:00 - 10:00 am
Put yourself in a carefree mood playing tunes with a syncopated calypso strum. We’ll learn about air strums and different strumming patterns while we channel our inner Jimmy Buffett on songs like the Sloop John B, Jamaican Farewell, and Yellow Bird.

   

Heidi Muller & Bob Webb  “All Together Now”

10:15 - 11:15 am
For Mountain Dulcimer and All Instruments!
Team taught
Add some fun tunes to your repertoire! Learn both melody and backup from Heidi and Bob, as they share tips for bringing out the best in your playing. They’ll provide dulcimer tab with standard notation and chords, and have additional guitar and mandolin tab available.

  

Joellen Lapidus   “The Exhilarating Rhythm Bootcamp"

1:30 - 2:30 pm
Get your strumming hand in shape! Learn the difference between 2/4 (hoedown), 3/4 (waltzing), 6/8 ( jigs and maybe even an Indian raga).  We'll work on speed, clarity and learning how improvise with rhythm to make any song more fun and interesting. If there's a song you want to spice up rhythmically, email me a copy in tablature and we'll make it sizzle!

Bob Webb   “Chord Shapes and Capos” (Intermediate FD)

1:30 - 2:30 pm
(In Conference Room: See Other Workshops 1)
Learn the underlying principles that will free your left hand from being chained to the lower end of your fretboard. Bob will demonstrate the four basic chord shapes as they progress up the fretboard. He will also show how chord positions relate to playing with a capo when it is placed on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th frets. Learn how to play songs and chord progressions in the keys of E minor, G major, A major, and A minor.


  

Heidi Muller   “West Virginia Fiddle Tunes"

2:45 - 3:45 pm
Enjoy playing some toe-tapping, old-time music from West Virginia’s fiddle tradition in the keys of D, G and A. Learn tunes from the Hammons Family, Harvey Sampson and other legendary West Virginia fiddlers using strums, slides, hammers and pulls. Please bring a capo.

Other Workshops 1

Brenda Hunter   ““Simply Awesome Tunes” 

9:00 - 10:00 am
(In Conference Room)
Advanced Beginner/ Intermediate – If you have taken even 1 Absolute Beginner HD workshop – you belong in this class
The key word here is “simple”. Great tunes aren’t necessarily difficult tunes.
Expand your repertoire with some fun, distinctive, and easy to learn tunes. We will do some learning by ear first but copies of the tunes will be provided.

  

Terry Gucwa   “Moods, Modes, and Choices"

10:15 - 11:15 am
Open to All Instruments, Singers and Non-Musicians!
After an overview of a few of the modes commonly used in American and European folk music, and how mode suggests mood, we’ll examine the chords to a waltz by a well-known contemporary folk music composer.  We’ll hear how accompanying chords contribute to the haunting mood and unique character of this composition.   Then we’ll take an unpublished waltz melody without chord symbols and, as a group, propose, debate, and vote on our own set of chords for the melody.   Open to all instruments, vocalists, and even non-musicians who want to participate in our chord selection committee.

Bob Webb   “Chord Shapes and Capos” (Intermediate FD)

1:30 - 2:30 pm
(In Conference Room)
Learn the underlying principles that will free your left hand from being chained to the lower end of your fretboard. Bob will demonstrate the four basic chord shapes as they progress up the fretboard. He will also show how chord positions relate to playing with a capo when it is placed on the 1st, 3rd, and 4th frets. Learn how to play songs and chord progressions in the keys of E minor, G major, A major, and A minor.


  

Dennis Hergert & Patti Amelotte   “ ASK US: DULCIMER Services & Support for Fretted and Hammered Dulcimers"

2:45 - 3:45 pm
FREE WORKSHOP!
Open to All!
Q&A: Bring in your Fretted and Hammered Dulcimer questions, and Dennis and Patti will try to answer i.e. how to restring, causes of buzzing, care and maintenance, how to choose an instrument or stand, advice on minor adjustments/ repairs.

Dennis Hergert – Fretted Dulcimer luthier - surprisingfolk@gmail.com
Patti Amelotte - Hammered Dulcimer Services - http://www.pattiamelotte.com
 		  
 

Other Workshops 2

Steve Smith   “Ukulele Tunes & Techniques”  (Adv Beg/Intermed)

9:00 - 10:00 am
Learn the variety and styles of music that can be played on the ukulele with an assortment of chords, strums, and fingerpicking patterns. You’ll learn and get to use these techniques on Hawaii's Israel 'Iz' Kamakawiwo'ole’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.”

Steve Smith   “Songwriting”  (Open to All)

10:15 - 11:15 am
Steve, an ASCAP award winning songwriter, shares the steps and methods for creating a well-crafted song, both lyrics and music. Students will learn to start writing a song from just an idea, build that idea into a complete, well-structured song, and finally how to rewrite until the song is all that it can and should be. The crucial art of creating music that sets the right emotional platform for your lyrics will be explained and demonstrated.

Steve Smith   “How to Accompany Others on Guitar ” (All levels)

1:30 - 2:30 pm
Learn the key factors needed to make your guitar and the other instrument involved sound as though they are one instrument. How to follow and support the lead instrument with complimentary chord progressions and leading runs will be taught, along with how to play with dynamics and expression.

Ross Altman with Leo Kretzner   “When a Soldier Makes It Home: Songs for Veterans and Their Families"

2:45 - 3:45 pm
In honor of Veterans Day and our veterans, Ross will lead songs and share stories of veterans from a number of America’s wars over the past 241 years—going all the way back to the American Revolution. Some are well known in the modern folk repertoire and many others more recent and novel. Leo will be accompanying Ross on some songs and showing the fretted dulcimer chords for these. Join Ross and Leo for a musical tribute to the service of all veterans! Bring any instrument or just come to sing!
 

Other Workshops 3

Dana Whitney   “Autoharp

9:00 - 10:00 am
This is a Beginning workshop and your chance to try Autoharp! Participants are encouraged to bring their own autoharps to the workshop, but loaner instruments will be available for up to eight students during the workshop, as well.  We will cover the basics about autoharps and about Autoharp!  autoharp playing, such as tuning, what kinds of autoharps there are, and most important and fun -- how to play one!!!!   We will learn a song or two and will provide words and chords for those songs.  

  

Gregg Schneeman   “Bowed Psaltery”

10:15 - 11:15 am
Gregg will bring his collection of many Bowed Psalteries and bows for people to use during the workshop. He will cover from the introduction for beginners to the advanced, two-bow style of playing. No previous musical experience required! Gregg was declared the National Bowed Psaltery champion in 2012. See Gregg’s Bowed Psaltery and Mountain Dulcimer Videos on his YouTube Channel “Gregg Schneeman”.



 

Bill Dempsey   “How Can I Keep from Singing"

1:30 - 2:30 pm
Group singing workshop with Bill, master of participation music! He accompanies himself and others on fretted dulcimer/ guitar/ 5 string banjo/ harmonica/ trombone/ pocket trumpet/ cajon/ etc! Join in for all the fun!
Bill has a brand new CD out, “Bill Dempsey – Dulcimer” with vocals and all mountain dulcimer. http://billdempseymusic.com

Kathryn LaMar   “Ancient Music Circle – Drums & Flutes"

2:45 - 3:45 pm
Want to have a positive experience with music that is no work and ALL FUN? Connect with your soul and entrain to the rhythms of the universe? Come to our “Ancient Music” (drum and flute) circle! If you have a beating heart, you can play drums and other percussion, and if you can blow out a candle, you can play the Native American Style Flute. Together, we will learn basic sounds on the drum and how to play a pentatonic minor scale (fancy words for five notes) on the flute. Then we'll explore universal rhythms accompanied by your very own melodies! No experience necessary, instruments provided. Your own instruments are welcome, as are observers.
  

 "Free" Activities - Participate or Listen -
Open Jams, Mid-Day Concert, Workshop on Jamming, Community Jam

Marianne Scanlon (HD, guitar)   “OPEN JAM LEADER"

9:00 -11:00 am
All acoustic instruments welcome in this INDOOR jam in Fellowship Hall, near the food area. Bring your favorite music resources such as Fiddlers Fake Book or play by ear. All are fine.

Coloring For All Ages!   “Souvenirs"

  • 9:00 am - 11:15 am and 1:30 pm - 4:00 pm
  • Fellowship Hall

Dennis Hergert & Patti Amelotte   “ ASK US: DULCIMER Services & Support for Fretted and Hammered Dulcimers"

2:45 - 3:45 pm
Open to All!
Q&A: Bring in your Fretted and Hammered Dulcimer questions, and Dennis and Patti will try to answer i.e. how to restring, causes of buzzing, care and maintenance, how to choose an instrument or stand, advice on minor adjustments/ repairs.
Dennis Hergert – Fretted Dulcimer Luthier - surprisingfolk@gmail.com
Patti Amelotte - Hammered Dulcimer Services - http://www.pattiamelotte.com




Free Mid-Day Concert!

Patty McCollom (Fiddle, Whistle, Banjo)   “OPEN JAM LEADER"

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm
All acoustic instruments welcome! in this INDOOR jam in Fellowship Hall, near the food area. Bring your favorite music resources such as Fiddlers Fake Book or play by ear. All are fine.

Bill Dempsey   “Playing Together - Focus on Fretted Dulcimers" - Beginning/Early Intermediate
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm

FREE WORKSHOP on Jamming!
Open to ALL ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS& ALL LEVELS!
Tips covered on how to: join in on tunes; follow the rhythm; jam etiquette; simplify tunes on the spot; listen to other players; build a repertoire; suggestions for tune/song resources; start a tune when it’s your turn; counting in/ potatoes/ other starts. This workshop will include running through some simpler jam tunes!!

Barbara Gershman (HD) & Terry Gucwa (Cello)   “Free Community Jam"

  • 4:00-5:00 pm
  • All levels!
  • All acoustic instruments welcome!
  • Terry Gucwa's Jam Book
  • Fiddlers Fake Book
  • Stephen Seifert’s Join the Jam Book
  • Your favorite music or ‘by ear’ tunes are all fine!
  • See the JAM TUNE LIST on the scdh.org website for ideas.


 

Evening Concert in Sanctuary plus Opportunity Drawings and Instrument Drawings

Special Activities

Focus Workshop: Early Intermediate to Advanced Hammered Dulcimer & All Acoustic Instruments
APPALACHIAN HERITAGE MUSIC

  With Instructors Ruth Smith and Steve Smith
Sunday, Nov 12th, 2017 - 10:00am - 2:00pm
Private Home in Fullerton
Address will be given after registration

Focus Workshop: Intermediate to Advanced Mountain Dulcimer & Other Acoustic Instruments
PLAYING TOGETHER IN PARTS

With Instructors Heidi Muller & Bob Webb
Sunday, Nov 12th, 2017 - 11:00am - 3:00pm
Private Home in Downey
Address will be given after registration


 


 

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