At the March Sunday meeting, we practiced the Dulcimer Day songs and signed up for volunteer work for the day.

The most interesting part of the day occurred when we broke into three groups, one for beginners, one for "slow jamming" and one for "fast jamming." Remarkably, the jamming groups did exactly the same thing: spontaneously they went around the room so quickly that there wasn't time to hunt for tablature. Gloria Kirkland helped the beginner group get off to a good start.

If you didn't have the song well drilled into memory, you were forced to listen to learn (or re-learn) it by ear. Amazingly, if you just relax and go with the flow, your mind will let you hear the song and your fingers will find the frets. There were enough in each group that had the songs well nailed that they kept the song going as we learned. It's something you can't do at home alone, so put the club meetings each month on your calendar now!!

What a great place to learn to play by ear! There's no pressure, no audience expectations, no criticism in either group. Remember we are each invited to play in either group. We can move between the groups during jam time too! Find the most comfortable place and you're set to learn!!

Why learn to play by ear? It opens possibilities of being able to choose to learn a song that you've only heard someone else play. It helps you play better what you already know. It perhaps eventually opens the possibility of being able to compose one of your own. The only way to do it is to do it. and club meetings provide the place.

April's First Monday meeting continued this "by ear" approach on the selected songs as we are at the point, almost, of having those songs committed to memory and can better interact with each other. We need only good weather and an orchestra leader to start us off and help us keep the rhythm and it will be our best performance yet. Not even David, ever the optimist, would have expected this good a performance of Fisher's Hornpipe this quickly.

Don't miss the April 15 meeting at Two Rivers. We will go over the final set for Dulcimer Day and practice Lee's lead-ins and we will be sure that all of the work assignments are covered!

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  Above left - The Dulcimer Dandies of the Martin Center performed several times in March including; West End Church of Christ Senior Group, Woodbine Senior Center and for the Friends of the Public Library in Brentwood.
  Above right - When the Dulcimer Dandies were at the Woodbine Senior Center, Nancy recruited a new dulcimer player!! Don't worry...she's in no danger...even though they look like the real thing, they're only statues!
• Stephen Seifert's Mountain Dulcimer Folk Webcasts' guests for the month of April, on Monday nights at 8:00 p.m. CT/9:00 p.m. ET, will be: 4/9 Lois Hornbostel, 4/16 Rob Brereton, 4/23 Thomasina Levy and 4/30 Janita Baker. You can listen to previous shows under Podcast at stephenseifert.com.

• All club members are invited to coordinate opportunities for the club to perform, but we need one person to coordinate information for the newsletter.
• April 28 - The club will play for the Music City Marathon and cheer and encourage the runners. Bring your own chair and meet at 2402 Belmont Blvd., the home of Lindsay and Mark Moffitt, no later that 7 a.m. Runners will be passing by as early as 7:00. This has been a tradition for the past several years and the runners will be looking for us. We have as much fun as they do and they even cheer for us and take our pictures!! Belmont Blvd. will be closed and you need to come to Belmont from the 12th Avenue South side or you will be on the opposite side of Belmont and you can't cross because of the runners. You can park on Beechwood or any of the side streets that go between 12th and Belmont and walk up to Belmont. You can also check the newspaper for street closings.

• Click here for general information about dulcimer clubs in the Middle Tennessee area. Area clubs with information to share should email that information to section editor Wanda O'Guin by the first Sunday of each month.

• April 14 - Annual Appalachian Concert at the Blair School of Music, Ingram Hall, 8:00 p.m. This year's concert will be a tribute concert celebrating the life and career of David Schnaufer. Free and open to the public.
• April 21 - Renaissance Center, Dickson, TN, Stephen Seifert workshop will be offered on Saturday, April 21, from 10 am - 4 pm. Flatpicking on the Mountain Dulcimer. While strumming is using the pick to hit two or three strings at the same time, flatpicking is using the pick to hit one string at a time. Whether you want to add filler picking to slow tunes, play bluegrass fiddle tunes at top speeds or emulate banjo rolls, Stephen will show you this technique from the ground up. Expect a number of old-time and bluegrass arrangements. Class will break for lunch 12-1 p.m. Cost $55. Student limit 12. Register at the Renaissance Center, 855 Highway 46 South, Dickson, TN 37055. 615-740-5533. www.rcenter.org.
• April 28 - Nashville Dulcimer Quartet in concert in the Rebecca Johnson Theater in historic Rugby, TN, 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Call 1-888-214-3400 for information and tickets.
• May 5 - Maureen Sellers, from New Albany, Indiana will be in Chattanooga for novice and intermediate mountain dulcimer workshops followed by a concert on Saturday, May 5, 2007 - Where: Trinity Lutheran Church, 5001 Hixson Pike, Chattanooga, TN - Cost: $15 for one workshop, or $25 for both (pay that day) Members of Dulcimers and Accompaniment will teach a FREE workshop for beginners from 10:00 until 12:00. We have dulcimers to lend for anyone who needs them. So that we can have enough workshop materials, please register for workshops by April 30. To register or for more information contact: Becky Shelton, (423) 396-3050, email beckyshelton@centurytel.net or Judy Gass (423) 236-5294, email apisonjudy@comcast.net
• May 19 - Lee Rowe will teach some of David Schnaufer's original music in a 5 hour workshop (noon until 5:00) at the Blair School of Music. Limit 20 participants. Cost $50. Pre-registration required. Contact Sandy Conatser at sandyc@usit.net for information or to register.
• June 1-2 - Yellowbanks Dulcimer Festival will be held "On the Banks of the Ohio" at English Park, 25 Hanning Lane, Owensboro, Kentucky 42301. The event consists of FREE concerts on Friday and Saturday evenings and also FREE workshops Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. Concert performers/workshop instructors are: Russell Cook, Stephen Seifert, Joe Collins and Sweet Song String Band. Instruction on various instruments (mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, bowed psaltery, clawhammer banjo, banjo, mandolin and tin whistle) from beginners to advanced, children to adults will be available. Basket making and clogging will be available. Handmade crafts, music vendors and food in a park setting add to the festival atmosphere (bring your lawn chair). We have limited R.V. space (self-contained reservation required). For overnight lodging call Sleep Inn 270-691-6200, a block of rooms are reserved for our guests, mention Yellowbanks. For more information contact Thelma Newman, Festival Coordinator at yellowbanks@bellsouth.net.
• June 24-29 - Kentucky Music Week, Bardstown, KY. Info: Nancy Barker, Box 86, Bardstown, Kentucky 40004. http://www.kentuckymusicweek.com/.
• July 28, 29 - Kentucky Music Weekend, Iroquois Park, Louisville KY. http://www.kentuckymusicweekend.com/.
• October 18-21 - Dulcimer Chautauqua on the Wabash, Hotel: 1-800-782-8605, ask for Sherrie. E-Mail Maureen Sellers at maureensel@aol.com.

Member Profiles: Getting to Know Us

In partnership with Metro Parks, The Grand Old Dulcimer Club sponsors Grand Old Dulcimer Day each year in May at Two Rivers Mansion. Don't miss our NINTH annual Grand Old Dulcimer Day on May 20!

The club and its members perform at festivals and civic events and often take their music into special needs facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, and other care facilities.

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