Class Description

I'll be doing weekly posts prior to Dulcimer Day to give more information on classes and all the activities for the May 5 Dulcimer Day. Thanks to everyone who has already registered. I'm seeing plenty of returning attendees and several new people to welcome.

Here is more info on the class that will be offered at 9 a.m. on Dulcimer Day. There hasn't been a class like it in the 11 years of running this festival. It's simply listed as Arms on the website and Making Your Arms Works for You in the brochure.
The info is supplied by Lucille who will be teaching the class.
“Making Your Arms Work for You”: What is this workshop all about, anyway? Well, how can it be that two people can each draw a totally different sound from the same instrument, be it mountain/hammered dulcimer, autoharp, guitar, bass, banjo, whatever? Much of the answer lies within how we use our arms in the background (this is unrelated to technique, meaning fingering, finger or hammering order, chord patterns on frets, etc.). When our arms are free, right down to the ends of our fingers, we can make music freely and easily—and it sounds wonderful, too! (Think of it: gorgeous sounding mistakes!!) By means of comparison, we will determine what is free, stuck or yet to be discovered in our arms, especially while making music. I will also talk about instruments vs. personal size and stature, why “no pain, no gain” doesn’t fly (if you make music in pain or even mild discomfort, you’ll want to be here), what makes stretching warm-ups beneficial, and an astounding musicians’ statistic. At the end of the workshop, you will have time to play your instrument(s) and apply what’s been covered, so bring it/them along. (Leave instruments in cases when you arrive so we have ample space for the first part of the workshop.