60's Sing Along -- During the 1960's our nation was involved in the "Folk Revival". Folk music was everywhere -- on commercial radio stations, in bars and nightclubs and on university campuses. Take a trip down memory lane and join AbNormal Sines in singing songs from the heyday of folk. (Vocal workshopÑintroduction to a genre) 10 - 10:50 Room 4
Rock and Roll (50's type) -- uses 3 and 4 chord standard progression as a painless way to learn music theory. Areas covered are basic chords, rhythm, and transposing -- but don't tell them because we'll have them doing it before they realize that they are actually learning something. They will also learn to play 26 rock and roll songs in this one workshop. Lots of fun. (All levels of MD) 2 - 2:50 Room 1
Arranging Slow Tunes -- We'll take a simple waltz and discuss and learn how to add harmony, add bass notes, use flams, arpeggios, repeated melody notes, turns, rhythmic changes and different types of rolls to build an arrangement that has an arc over several verses. 10 - 11:50 Room 6
Haunting Waltzes -- We'll learn the melody and an arrangement of one of my favorite waltzes. Original and alternate chord changes will also be provided. 3 - 3:50 Room 6
Musical Conversations -- Whether you play as a duo or with a larger group or club, this workshop covers ideas that will be helpful in creating arrangements that are interesting and engaging. We'll discuss the roles Bryan and I use to create a full and varied sound, including texture, range, accompaniment, rhythm and musicality. 2 - 2:50 Room 4
Anatomy of a Medley. This is a 2 Hour Workshop. -- What makes up a Medley? How do I string tunes together and have them make sense? What do I do with these tunes after I've picked them out? This class will answer these and other burning questions. We will attempt to demystify the playing of the Irish jig, as well as help the student to learn three "new" (familiar) pieces (two jigs & a hornpipe). Come to class with an open mind and your dulcimers tuned in dGD (which is Key of "G"). 3 - 4:50 Room 2
Playing Better -- Playing Better - That's our goal and dream! Here are some specific ideas picked up along the way that have helped the beautiful instrument I bought sound better and better over time. Geared for beginner to novice. 3 - 3:50 Room 1
Repertoire (Int.) -- learn as many new tunes as time allows, selected from a wide variety of genres, such as classical, old-time/fiddle tunes, waltzes and aires, hymns and gospel tunes, rag-time, jazz, and contemporary. D-A-d tuning, capo may be required for some tunes. 9 - 9:50 Room 2
Arranging -- this 2-hour class will focus on how to apply some basic music theory techniques to create interesting arrangements for the mt. dulcimer using chord substitutions and "embellishing" the chord progression. We will learn a number of new tunes that demonstrate these techniques. D-A-d tuning. 1 - 2:50 Room 3
The Simplest Chords! -- One, Two, Three, and you're ready to go. Take basic chords and enhance your music. Or back up chording in a jam session. 2 - 2:50 Room 2
Ensembles -- Mixing it up with dulcimers. Learn simple, yet very effective, techniques that will help you arrange tab for dulcimer ensembles. Whether it's an extensive voiced dulcimer ensembles, or you just want to workout some duets tunes with your favorite dulcimer pal, this workshop is for you. OR if your tunes are becoming a little tired in your ear, this workshop might aid you with ideas of how to spice up the same old same old tunes. 11-11:50 Room 2
Ohio Shakers and their Music -- The Shakers were a group that set themselves apart from society. They established their own communities in Ohio in the early 1800s and thrived until the end of the century, growing their own food, making their own clothing, housewares and furniture, and creating their own religion, government and music. Music was an integral part of their culture, a unique blend of individual creativity and collective folk process, rich in beautiful melodies and lively rhythms. In this lecture/performance students will learn about the history and lifeways of this fascinating culture, and how their music reflected their shared experiences and the things they valued. 1 - 1:50 Room 4
Get A Good Start -- Get a good solid, fun start on the hammered dulcimer. 11 - 11:50 Room 5
Repertoire Development -- Continued hammered dulcimer instruction and repertoire development. 1 - 1:50 Room 5
Dulcimers for Wellness: the Use of Dulcimers in a Therapeutic Context -- This will be a panel discussion and intro to the therapeutic use of both mountain and hammered dulcimers -- in hospitals, hospices, and other care-giving facilities. 3 - 3:50 Room 4
Intro To The Harp -- Beginning instruction and general intro to playing the harp. 4 - 4:50 Room 4
Getting Started in D-A-D -- We will cover some of the most popular beginning dulcimer tunes, and make sure you get started with a solid foundation in all the basics. 9 - 9:50 Room 1
Slow Easy Lullabies -- Beautiful simple melodies to put the babies to sleep from Ireland, Scotland and Wales. This workshop is for those who can already play a few simple melodies on the HD. Tips on how to include simple harmonies will be included. 10 - 10:50 Room 5
What to Play in a Jam -- Learn some of the most common jamming tunes, and what to play if you don't know the tunes in a jam. Players should be able to use both hammers and play one or two simple tunes. 3 - 3:50 Room 5
Beyond Simple Gifts -- Lesser known simple Shaker tunes that work well as a medley or on their own. We will introduce droning and beginning harmony techniques. 4 - 4:50 Room 6
I Found a Tune -- Now What? -- Ideas and techniques will be presented to the participants so they may develop their own style and repetoire from songs they have heard. 11 - 11:50 Meeting Room
Audio Recording With Your PC -- Making a good recording is the foundation for all future uses of a sound recording, be it a master for pressing a CD or making a compressed audio file for a low bandwidth network. You can take stuff away from the sound in the recording, but if it isn't there in the first place you can't add it later.
The goal of this workshop is to present a BRIEF explanation of what digitized sound is, an explanation of what the sound parameter choices mean, things to consider as you set up your computer, and to discuss and demonstrate a few simple editing functions.
There will be a demonstration of recording, adjusting the volume, and removing noise from a recording. If time permits other editing functions will be demonstrated. The workshop participants will be given an opportunity to record and edit a sound file as time permits.
The computer program, Audacity, will be used. It is a free program readily available on the Internet which looks and works the same on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Unix based computers. 2 - 2:50 Meeting Room
Oxford Carols -- Repertory of songs from the Coford Book of Carols. Different keys and several different timing changes. Words are also supplied. 1 - 1:50 Room 2
Improvisation 101 -- This workshop will concentrate on embellishing the melodies to very simple well-known folk tunes, thereby expanding them and taking them into the jazz realm. Very strong emphasis will be placed on feeling the "groove" or the underlying rhythmic structure of the tune. 9 - 9:50 Room 3
Improvisation 102 -- Taking up where the 101 class ends, this workshop will show you how to play over chord changes. We will use many of the same simple chord progressions from the folk tunes covered in the 101 class, only now we will not be referencing the melody. You will not believe where "Skip To My Lou" can go if we have TOTAL melodic freedom to improvise over the changes! 10 - 10:50 Room 3
The Right Stuff -- Unless you're a southpaw, you'll be using your left hand for drinking coffee in this workshop. We'll be concentrating on the right-hand fundamentals, rhythm, strumming, accented rhythms, and dynamics. tune: Bile Dem Cabbage. 11 - 11:50 Room 1
Join the Jam Playing Backup Chords -- This workshop is for folks who want to participate in jams, but are a little hesitant because they don't know all the songs or don't know how to play certain songs. We will discuss and practice fingerings of chord positions in the Key of D (other keys if time allows), discuss and practice strumming techniques in 4/4 and 3/4 time, then combine these two facets of playing backup chords while listening to and following melodies. We will also discuss and practice changing chords by listening to the melody without anyone saying the chord or without reading it from a tablature book. There will be no tablature or handouts in this workshop. As we may get to discuss playing chords in other keys, we may use capos also. 4 - 4:50 Room 3
Troubleshooting, Repair, and Maintenance for the Mountain Dulcimer -- This session will offer the dulcimer player/owner a chance to ask some of the most common questions concerning the health and maintenance of their dulcimers: How do I find out what is causing a buzz? When do my frets need to be replaced? How do you adjust the action? My dulcimer is very hard to get in tune. Is there a way I can improve the intonation? These questions and many more will be covered. 10 - 10:50 Room 1
Beginner Autoharp -- We will learn how to chord, how to keep time and how to strum. The first part of the class we will have sheet music to look at. The second half we will listen for chord changes. 9 - 9:50 Room 4
Using the Melody Strum for Autoharp -- The purpose of this workshop is to introduce the participants to the melody strum method for playing melody and harmony on the autoharp by strumming up to the melody note (and recognizing it when it is heard) using fingers, a flat pick, or a thumb pick. Since frequent smooth changes of the chord bars are essential to melody playing, left hand technique will be emphasized along with the right hand strum and listening. 11 - 11:50 Room 4
Minor Mode Melody and Drone -- The purpose of this workshop is to introduce the participants to the plaintive sound of the Aeolian and/or Dorian modes on the mountain dulcimer. Participants will be given assistance in retuning to DAC and/or DAG (and back at the end of the workshop if desired), will get to recognize and try some minor scales, and play some common minor tunes with traditional drone accompaniment. 1 - 1:50 Room 1
Playing HD During a Group Sing -- The purpose of this workshop is to acquaint the participants with some options they have for playing hammered dulcimer while they are part of a group sing. Naturally, playing melody is an option, but there are other options as well. Participants will be encouraged to listen for and experiment with some of the options such as chords, arpeggios, trills, decorations, harmonies, simple bass parts, and bass runs while playing some simple and familiar tunes. 2 - 2:50 Room 5
Duets On The Mountain Dulcimer -- This workshop is for the intermediate player. Participants will divide into two groups and learn to play one part of 2 or 3 duets. Hopefully we will be able to put them together so that they can be played as duets before the workshop is over. 3 - 3:50 Room 3
Basic Blues -- Yes, you really can play the blues on the mountain dulcimer. It's fun, it's easy, and it sounds GREAT! In this class we'll go over the basics of the instrumental 12 bar blues pattern in several keys, all while tuned to DAd. We'll introduce a few different styles of "turnarounds" and rhythm patterns. Rather than teach a couple of individual songs, I'll show you the basics of a popular blues pattern so you can improvise your own music. By the end of the session we'll all be jammin' hot on some cool sounds. Capo required. A limited number of extra capos will be available. 10 - 10:50 Room 2
EZ Modal Melodies -- What are the Modes? How do they work? We don't care! Actually learning about the Modes is boring and confusing and you never have to know a thing about them because they are built right into your dulcimer! We will learn some simple tunes in four of the Modes. (capo required) 4 - 4:50 Room 1
Playing Irish Jigs -- Tom & Missy will demonstrate and teach a right-hand/left-hand technique on the mountain dulcimer that is useful in playing Irish jigs and other music in 6/8 time. The skill level for this workshop is intermediate to advanced but novice players are welcome. DAd tuning and capo are required. It is recommended that a single melody string be used for this workshop but that is not a requirement. 11 - 11:50 Room 3