• Dulcimers are getting lots of radio play in Tennessee!!! The Nashville Dulcimer Quartet and David Schnaufer joined host Will Griffin on December 31 for "Live in Studio C," a weekly program on local public radio station WPLN, 90.3 FM. In addition to cuts from their CD, the quartet played their new arrangement of "Southwind" featuring the sounds of an ocean drum! The program was also posted on the station's website in streaming audio for the entire week following the show. Will invited the group back for a performance on March 4 at 11:05 am. Put it on your calendar!!
• Since October, Mountain Laurel has been heard every Saturday evening between 7:00 and 7:30 pm on Radio Station WDVX in Knoxville on Gary Daniels' program. He continues to play selections from their CD, Wildwood Flower, and says that the response from listeners has been great! Mountain Laurel also recently had a recording session with a songwriter here in Nashville who heard them play at Ellington Agricultural's Music and Molasses Festival and fell in love with the sound of the dulcimer...so much so that he invited them to lay some tracks down to give one of his songs a real Appalachian flavor.
• Sarah Elisabeth's premier CD, Spirit of the Wood is ready for release and you are invited to help her celebrate! Sarah invites you to her CD Release Party at Park Place Retirement Center, 31 Executive Park Drive, Hendersonville, TN, from 6:30 until 8:00 p.m on January 25, 2003. Sarah will play selections from her CD and will be joined by special guests David Schnaufer, Sandy Conatser and Lee Rowe, dulcimers; G.R. Davis, tuba; and T.J. Larkin, guitar. CD's will be available for purchase at a special release party price of $10. Bring your family and friends!! (Directions: Take I-65 N. Bear right onto Vietnam Veteran's Bypass. Take Exit 6 - New Shackle Island - Bear right at end of ramp. Travel to end of New Shackle Island Road. Turn Left at light onto Gallatin Rd. Stay in right lane....McDonald's on right....Street immediately before McDonald's is Executive Park Drive - turn right. Go around curve - Park Place is on right, across from child care center.)
• Zada is updating the club website to include links to individual members' websites. If you have a website and would like a link from the club page, email Zada and let her know! Zada just ran a full marathon in Hawaii and says that she still had enough energy left to play her dulcimer! Congratulations!!!!
• Scott Conner has moved back to Indiana but is hoping that his work will bring him back to Nashville soon. He received an older dulcimer as a gift and is restoring it.
• David Schnaufer's students had a great time at their December recital on December 19. Many of the club members were there. David is working hard to expand the dulcimer section of the Blair School of Music Library to include additional books, CD's and references for his students.
• The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum is open free to the public from 1:00-5:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 18, as part of Governor Bredesen's Inaugural Celebration. If you haven't been to the museum, this is an excellent time to go. It's a Nashville treasure!
• Jorge and Angela Rojas have finished recording a CD. Jorge plays the mountain dulcimer and Angela plays the hammered dulcimer.
• Please let me know if you have news for the newsletter. I would like to include more news about the things club members are doing, but I can only write about what I know! Thanks....Sandy

Getting to Know Us: Judy Beier

What inspired you to play the mountain dulcimer?A little over two years ago, I noticed that "Introduction to Mountain Dulcimer" was being offered at Gilda's Club. Gilda's Club offers support and enrichment services for those who have had cancer or friends or family who have had cancer. There I met Sandy Conatser who volunteers her time and dulcimers, sharing this wonderful instrument. She said that if you can count to 10, you can play the dulcimer. Since I am left handed, and she only had right handed instruments there that evening, I was all thumbs. I had never played an instrument but sure wanted to learn. I tried to strum right handed but it did not look promising. I couldn't even manage to strum it that first night. But I was intrigued with such a such a beautiful sounding instrument. And besides, I assured myself that I could count to 10. So, I went back for a second meeting. There it was. MY dulcimer. Sandy brought a McSpadden dulcimer that was strung for a lefty to that second meeting. She said that David Schnaufer had checked it out. Without hesitation, I wrote her a check for it. I have been trying to count to10 ever since.

How many dulcimers do you have? I have my first left handed McSpadden and a cardboard dulcimer. I will soon own a right handed McSpadden which my sister bought but decided not to play.

How did you learn to play? Let's re-phrase that question! How are you learning to play? I had about four sessions at Gilda's with Sandy. Then I came to the monthly club meetings. When I started taking lessons at Blair with Steve Seifert, I had just learned what a "measure" was. That was the extent of my music knowledge. Short term memory problems didn't help either. But I was encouraged by meeting informally with Marilyn Bagford, Ed Newkirk, Glen Wilson, and others. I have since been blessed with lessons with David Schnaufer at Blair. What can I say about that? Well, David has more than the patience of Job. I told David that he was going to get an extra star in his crown in Heaven for teaching me! He said, "Will you play 'Down Yonder' at the awards ceremony?" Sure will. At least I know that then I will, at long last, get the beat!

Do you play any other instruments? Years ago, I bought a cheap guitar at some place like Western Auto or something like that. I thought I might be able to teach myself. It sat in the corner collecting dust until it was finally given to Goodwill. No, I do not play other instruments.

Do other members of your family play the dulcimer? No one in my family plays the dulcimer or any other instrument. One of my four granddaughters, two-year-old Drew, always expects me to have my dulcimer with me. She wants to hear the dulcimer sing.

What type of music do you like to play on the dulcimer? I like to play on the dulcimer anything that I can play. Whatever song I am currently learning is my favorite. I love it all.

What do you do when you're not playing the dulcimer? I retired after 34 years teaching fine arts, commercial art, and design technology in public schools. For the past year I have been doing some freelance work for LifeWay Christian Resources. Working from my home office on a Mac, I have been the graphic designer for a pre-school publication. Prior to that I was a quick sketch artist, doing caricatures for parties, trade shows, events, etc. For many years, I have been involved in dramatic presentations at church, doing everything from set design, set building, script writing, choreography, directing, costuming, etc. Over the years, I have said yes to almost any project in the art area. Being a "creative" person, it has been frustrating to not play a musical instrument. The dulcimer has brought a special joy into my life. I am grateful to Sandy for the introduction and to everyone else who has offered encouragement to someone who usually plays with, not one, but two left hands.

These days I am no longer jumping into the big art projects. Sometimes, saying "NO" has to be learned. Now I mostly focus on my three wonderful children and their families and the dulcimer, which I love.

Hang in there with me David! I CAN count to 10. One day it will be to the beat.......1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5......

In partnership with Metro Parks, The Grand Old Dulcimer Club sponsors Grand Old Dulcimer Day each year in May at Two Rivers Mansion.

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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