Dulcimers, Dreams & Delights

Dulcimer Day registration opening soon

2012-01-16T10:12:00.000-08:00

The schedule is coming together nicely for Dulcimer Day in Duluth #11 which will be held on the 1st Saturday in May. As soon as the workshop descriptions are in I will be posting the schedule and opening up for registration. DDD is a great chance to get together with dulcimer players throughout the upper MidWest and to hear and learn from wonderful players. Check again soon for signing up.

More than Dulcimers

2011-12-28T11:55:00.001-08:00

Hope you've had a nice holiday. We finally did have snow 2 days before Christmas. The day after Christmas was a record breaker with high temperatures. It's been a strange December with not much snow but there still is more winter to come.
Just wanted to remind everyone that besides dulcimers, I also carry Strumsticks (very portable, played like a dulcimer fret-wise, but you can stand and play) and Bowed Psaltries (notes are written on, simple to play, interesting sound). I also do have assorted percussion instruments : Box Drum (also known as a cajon), wooden spoons, and the always fun to play and watch - Limberjack.
I have a few assorted whistles - the basic pennywhistle and some ocarinas. Ocarinas come with a cord that you can wear this instrument. I have them in plastic and ceramic. I actually just saw on the internet you can even make them out of a carrot - maybe I'll give that a try as a year-end project. I'd wonder about making one out of a chunk of ice. In Ely, MN - about 2 hours north of here - there is a neat snow sculpture weekend in early Feb. Master carvers from other parts of the word turn giant blocks of compacted snow into masterpiece sculptures. There are some blocks for the amateurs. Maybe I'll make a good size dulcimer. Dulcimers make great sounds and actually are neat to look at. One wall in our living room is covered with the assorted hourglass and teardrop dulcimers. So many sweet sounds out of 3 strings.
Speaking of 3, here is a recipe I just used today from a recipe book my brother from Texas gave : Quick Beer Bread: 3 cups of Bisquick, 2 tab of sugar and one room temp beer. Mix (don't over mix) and bake for 20 min at 400F. It was pretty good and yes, nice and easy.
Happy and healthy new year all - time to play Auld Lang Syne.

Blue - and green, red, yellow - Christmas

2011-12-15T06:21:00.001-08:00

Actually, right now Duluth is covered in fog. You can hardly see the house across the street. It's foggy because of the warm, mild weather. The little snow we had melted and we don't have any more in the near forecast. I'd really like to have a blue Christmas - I mean a Blue Sky Christmas. When the sun is out it changes everything. What is nice about Duluth is that we have the beautiful great lake, Lake Superior along miles of our border. The color of the lake changes all the time based on time of day and weather. When the lake is blue, blue and the sky is blue, blue it extra gorgeous. Another wonderful sight is come February when more ice has formed on the lake and some chunks of it displace and stack up on the shore. The chunks have yet another shade of blue - almost a glowing blue. Have you ever seen this? You can also hear the ice chunks move and shift in a bass tone. I do like blue in the winter.

Other colors this time of the year is the Bentleyville light exhibit. It covers our Bayfront Park and has many many lights and figures up. There is a giant steel Christmas tree - tallest in the U.S.? - that lights to the music. There are tunnels of lights, scenes of lights ranging from dinosaurs, to musicians, to 12 days of Christmas, and even golfers. An outdoor ice rink is nearby and the silhouettes of skaters and people walking on ice are there with the lit skyline of Duluth. Pretty nice.
I hope you have a great holiday season and that you color your world with music. Play some Red Wing, some Greensleave, some Yellow Rose of Texas and Orange Blossom Special. Dulcimers had no-calorie sweetness to the day and a sound that is sweet by day and by night.

'Tis the Season

2011-11-27T05:55:00.001-08:00

Are you hearing holiday music on the radio, in the stores, even out on your main street? It's that time of year for hearing music but even more so to Make Music. Holiday tunes often make great beginner tunes because you already know how the tune goes. Even beginner players will learn Away in a Manger or Jingle Bells quite quickly by ear. Or, if you'd like to use tablature, I have assorted books. Some are simpler (either Christmas volume of the Shelley Stevens Baker's Dozen books)and mostly use your melody string only for the melody versus the Helen Johnson book - Favorite Christmas melodies has a bit more harmony and melody from other strings. I also carry a Christmas song book with duets to add more variation when two or more players are playing together.

I'll be having a dulcimer book at the Holiday Center in Downtown Duluth on Dec 1. I'll have dulcimer books, other instrument books, instruments, CDs and accessories.

As a reminder or if you didn't know I can make custom metal buttons. Maybe you'd want to wear an I Love Dulcimers button or Music Makes the World Go Around. Or, I can also put your picture with you with your dulcimer on a button. Send it over. Custom buttons are only $3.75 and there is no minimum order. Go to WendyUpNorth.com for more information. I also would love to put your pet photo on a button. I also can have the button be a magnet instead for $4 (25c more than the pin button). The button size is 2.25". Maybe your dulcimer club would like their name on a button to wear or to pin to their book bags. Order early.

Holiday shopping in November

2011-11-01T07:50:00.000-07:00

I'm pleased to announce that I'll have more Dudley Quick Trip capoes in stock again starting the 2nd week of November. I also would like to offer free shipping (in the continental U.S.) on any in-stock order over $150 before November 15. Maybe you'd like to give a dulcimer to a child this year or pick up another one for yourself. I will also have an Open House in December with some specials. Pick up a dulcimer CD to give as a host thank you gift or to give to a school teacher. I do have a couple apple shakers left, too. The Dulcimers In Duluth dulcimer tab books are quite extensive with a tunes ranging from old-time to holiday to classical to hymns. A hand-painted dulcimer wood magnet makes a nice gift for a dulcimer enthusiasts.

Depending on who you are you can call yourself a musician, a folk music fan, or a part of the dulcimer family. All of us are part of carrying on traditions. Play some traditional music, enjoy the sounds from a strummed or fingerpicked dulcimer or let hammers bring out the fun sound on the hammered dulcimer. Add a little vibrational acoustics to your day. I'll end with an adventure from last weekend. In Duluth, there is a place along Skyline Parkway in a park area called Twin Ponds. Enger Tower sits up on a hill from the location. My husband and I happened to go under the bridge separating the 2 ponds after we were caught in the rain. I started doing a little singing and the acoustics were pretty neat - both the bridge and the water made the voice ring. For the last 2 weekends I've invited people to sing under the bridge. Seven people joined it over the 2 sessions for a little chanting on 'aut(d)umn, welcome, flow and other words. Pretty cool. Now I want to go back again before it's too cold and bring an ocarina and yes, a dulcimer, too.

Write a Parody

2011-10-13T07:25:00.001-07:00

What is fun about both dulcimers is you can play a simple melody you know and then change the words. Last month I wrote a song called Eat Wise to 'roughly' the melody of Shortening Bread. Here it is in case you want to give it a try.

Eat Wise
by Wendy Grethen 9/2011
(tune Shortnin' Bread)

Working out is kind of fun
Drink more water is #1
What we are is what we eat
We need to keep an eye on our calories.

1. One day I stepped up on the scale.
I was so saddened; I let out a wail
The number was high - how can it be?
I'd eaten too much food- woe is me.
I couldn't get my jeans up over my knees
My belly and thighs were a sight to see.
My arms would jiggle - almost touch the ground.
Time to reduce and take off pounds.

2. When I learned my BMI
I bent over and I cried.
I'm obese, like one in 4
As the years went by, I weighed more.
So I dusted off my Nordic Track
Lift some weights n' stretch like a cat,
I hit the Lakewalk with my tennis shoes.
I keep moving, no excuse.

3. I wrote a goal down on a sheet.
And I record my weight each week.
The chart jiggled up and wiggled down
Looked like an E K G gone wrong.
I couldn't despair, had to stay strong.
I had to figure out what I was doing wrong.
I lessened fats and upped my fiber.
Now I'm feeling so much finer.

4. I plan my meals one week at a time
Try new recipes that I find.
Two main items that really helped me
Were protein shakes and cottage cheese.
I now have good habits in place.
Eating down foods won't be a race.
When the holidays come this year
I won't be adding to my rear.
instr.
5. I know temptations are ev'rywhere
But my health is what I care
I love to see inches disappear
I'll be patient and have no fear.
A final thing I'd like to say
We ALL can do it - day by day.
We come in many shapes and sizes
What can you do to EAT WISE?

I played it at a variety show at a local hospital. Pounds sneak up on many of us and they aren't easy to take off - but it can be fun to take them off - finding a variety of way to work out, trying new recipes, but there is the being patient part, too.

The cats are too happy today. It's a wet day. The colored and browning leaves are falling to the ground making a tapestry on the ground. I have another one of the local art fairs that I organize this weekend. I call it GET TO THE POINT. Duluth has a skinny stretch of land - mostly sand - and I rent the community center building for a local art & gift fair. People can walk out on the beach after the fair. There is a nice variety of artists coming to the fair.

$5 CDs

2011-09-02T05:47:00.000-07:00

For the first half of September, I am offering any in-stock CD or DVD for $5 with a $100 purchase. It's a new month and great dulcimer music can be a nice part as we change seasons.

I've changed my calendars to September and am working on putting together 5 local art & gift fairs in Duluth. Our earth oven in our backyard is ready to be test fired. We made it from clay dug up in our yard. Our yard was under Lake Superior about 10,000 years ago and we have loads of clay under the top soil. The oven was built with clay and we mixed in sand. There were deep cracks that formed (don't know if we put the mix on too wet)but we patched those and are ready to back a pizza crust in it. The oven as it was drying had a visitor who left their imprints - a racoon. This weekend will also be a zuchinni cook-off as there is plenty of zuchinni from the garden. Nice red tomatoes are inviting, too.

We love word games and we'll play Say Go - a crossword-like game that we bought at the Grand Canyon National Park gift shop. We also have Spill n' Spell -that's fun to whip together words with. Perhaps, I'll experiment on the computer realm and make a crossword for dulcimer enthusiasts. The world of music definitely has many terms, as does any specialty. I love biology terms and teaching biology and learning more about nature. Dulcimer players also have their own new words. Yes, I plan to post a crossword or search a word this month - sort of a back to school project - all with dulcimer terms.

Music as Color

2011-08-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

In the Northland here, leaves of some shrubs and leaves are already starting to change. We'll will get the red, oranges and lots of yellow over the next month. Now there also are the Black-eye Susans, liatris, goldenrod and a whole lot of white baby breath out my window - and even some more orange squash blossoms. To connect the flower colors to music - have you ever through of music as colors. Different notes, some "blended" notes, intensity (sound vs color) and even the feature of being temporary or even changing. If you pluck a string on the dulcimer you will first hear the main note of the string but then other notes will come in as waves vibrate. Your electronic tuners picks up the changing or incoming notes with the different waves that are produces as the sound changes - all with that same single plucked string. What's neat about color is that it has other colors inside it too - except for the primarily colors.
In some science classes techniques are done to separate DNA or do Chromatography (spectrochromatography) and people can analyze what molecules or components are in a substance. Colors and sounds have more inside.

As for a basic tip - make sure you look at your electronic tuners right after or even as you pluck the string - if you wait you may be accessing a different note from the new waves that form. As for enjoying the fall colors - it's neat that the colors were there all along and it wasn't until the green chlorophyll starts to break down that you see these other beautiful colors. Green is beautiful and nature has a bunch of shades of green and it can go on to be mixed with other colors to form new colors - or like in the case of leaves - has other colors inside that are seen when the green pigment is gone. Music or even one note is beautiful and can go on to form new sounds when mixed with other notes. Happy color exploring and music playing. Keep on exploring and experimenting.

New organization

2011-08-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

A friend and I formed the Lake Superior Therapeutic Music Association. We are ready to do a combination of music visits in hospitals and assisted living places one-on-one for patients. The new organization is partly to find positions to work in this field but also for awareness of music as a therapeutic instrument and dulcimers work great for this. I've played many, many times in nursing homes in their Activities department but with therapeutic music it's more about the individual, not entertainment, but can be a source for physiological change. There are a fair amount of 'mays" in the description but patients may have their pain reduced, become more relaxed, enjoy the benefit of the body being better prepared to function normally and not under anxious conditions. I can say I've put many people to sleep and rest is beneficial after a surgery or again if someone is very stressed. The simplicity and light sound of the mountain dulcimer, especially when plucked, gives a gentle route to relax the mind and soothe the soul. I was trained through the Music for Healing and Transition Program and my friend was trained through the Harps for Healing program.

I love play dulcimers slowly and generating a healing rhythm but I also do love the fast fiddle tunes. There's a nice range of melodies to play and what you do with your right hand (strum fast, strum slowly, fingerpick, etc) is as important as the left hand's melody note selection. Get your right and left hands making some music!

Lake Superior

2011-07-18T09:13:00.001-07:00

I am pleased to live in Duluth. Lake Superior is definitely an attraction and part of the area's natural beauty. My husband and I camped just a few feet from its shores over the weekend and went to some Lake Superior Day activities. It is a day of celebrating the lake and working toward protecting it. I have a dulcimer booth at a fair and had written a song (to the tune Battle Hymn of the Republic) about Lake Superior. Dulcimers are great instruments to play around with song writing especially on some of those old-time folk tunes. I had a button making setup where people would draw/color/write in a circle and I'd make a button (2.25") of their work. I had some maps of Lake Superior images to put in buttons, too. People like to abbreviate the event day - LSD and have that as a button or tshirt. I also have the setup for people to dye their own silk scarf. I have several shades of blue. The lake changes all the time - blues, greys, pinks, oranges, purples and the colors on the silk look water-like or maybe even like a blurred field of flowers. Last week I did a class at a local nursing home and one lady's scarf had an area that look just like two dogs smooching. Another time someone had one just like a person sitting down playing a piano. The way the colors move on the fabric or the notes and rhythms you mix together can bring some pretty pleasant surprises. Contact me if you'd like to have a dulcimer or music (or any) button made. It would be words, images, photos, anniversary message, or whatever. This Saturday, July 23 is one of the six art fairs I'll be organizing this year. For more info, go to WendyUpNorth.com. There will be over 35 female Northland artists.

Dance Music

2011-07-06T17:24:00.001-07:00

Tunes can be played for singing verses, calming a child, adding energy to a gathering, for praise, and for dances. I'm always amazed at the diversity of cultures around the world. Going to some ethnic or cultural fairs brings on interesting music, let alone food, outfits, and dances. Some dances go back centuries. What came first the music or the dance? In many cases, both go together. Look in my NEW section and see that I now carry a couple books on English Country Dances - mountain dulcimer tab - and a CD called Dances with the Dulcimer. Yes, I love traditional folk songs and was playing around with the Housewife's Lament yesterday and a few other pioneer songs. I'm eager to get playing some rhythms and tunes specific to certain countries. Ireland and Scotland have their share but what about Asian music, music of Tibet, or French or German music? Perhaps if you're playing a song you can imagine how dancers would dance to it. Lucky for the whistle players who can dance and play at the same time.

Be careful with instruments in the heat. Don't leave them in your car or preferably not even in a window where the sun shines through often. Cases give some protection to temperature changes but still it's better to be cautious.

Have you tried other tunings besides DAD and DAA? I recommended DGD for some key of G music - great for Angelina Baker. There are plenty of tunings to explore. Keep on exploring.

Accessories

2011-06-17T07:30:00.001-07:00

Besides dulcimers, dulcimers, and dulcimers, in Duluth I also organize local art fairs. I put together 6 a year and they are open to artists in the area. For many of the artists it is their first opportunity to sell their creations to beyond their family and friends. People make and sell many great accessories for women or for people's home and garden. Jewelry, pottery, rustic chairs, and many other cool things. Plus, authors are in the fair. The next one will be July 23 in Duluth. Check WendyUpNorth.com for the schedule for the year and more information.

I carry accessories for dulcimers - and plenty different ones. Cases, picks (finger and flat), hammers for mountain dulcimers, wrist wrests (Mt. Dulc), straps (range of colors - brown is the most common), and stands (H.D.) One person at Dulcimer Day blessed my husband for showing him the sit-down hammered dulcimer stand - he only had a stand-up stand and really preferred to sit and play.

If you're visiting Duluth, such as coming for Grandma's Marathon, the Park Point Art Fair, the Rhubarb Festival (check visitduluth.com and see their calendar for Duluth events) or want to set up a private dulcimer lesson - or a group dye a silk scarf class (nice neck accessory that you make) send me an email.

I'm teaching a couple classes in Cable, WI on Saturday at the Big Brook Greenhouse. Intro to the Mt Dulcimer (instruments supplied) and a Dye a Silk Scarf class.
It might be a wet day but we will have fun - playing with colors and playing with music notes.
Wendy

Early Days

2011-06-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

I'm back from a trip to England and France. Sorry to report I didn't see or hear any dulcimers there. I did go to several music shops, including one in London that was established in 1811. With touring some of the old castles and palaces I did come across some different instruments, such as a very early violin at Dover Castle. There were tapestries for sale in Paris and I almost bought one that had a hammered dulcimer-like instrument on it but the images was a bit dark. A piano in Charles Darwin's house in Downs was played every night by his wife and was interesting to be the center of the room - in those historic pre-television days. Today I'll do some playing from a tune book I purchased at an Early Music store in London. One of my favorite sounds on the trip was hearing an accordion player out on the streets in Paris. A very common sound in Paris and London were the emergency or police vehicle sounds which some people say are a harsh version of a few notes in Somewhere Over the Rainbow. I did hear a cajon (box drum - I sell these now) in Grenoble, France as a local cafe with all the doors wide open so people can eat indoors or out.

The grass tried taken over the garden while we were gone so it's now time to tend the soil and plant seeds. After a few weeks, I'll have some fresh food for my husband, me and the deer, too...

Hurrah for Dulcimers

2011-05-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone - instructors, participants, Jim Hall (sound), helpers, local artists, and concert attendees. It was a full day with traditional music galore. Learning is what keeps on young. Dulcimers can be quite simple or there can be new techniques to learn, new tunes, and more combos with other instruments for new sounds.

More pictures will be up on the web soon. The main group photo is there. This was year #10. It's also my husband and my 10th anniversary this year (in November). Terry has been the #1 helper for all that goes on before the event and for helping at the event.
It was great to see some new faces and returning folks, too. It's good to see on the Evaluation forms when people respond to the question What did you like most about Dulcimer Day? and they respond Everything. It wasn't just one person with that response.
Duluth showed off with some nice weather for the day and yes the Coppertop Church has been a great home for the festival - even with the blip this year of the broken partition door. I hope people did enjoy the dulcimer classes but also took the opportunity - if they wanted - to try the ukulele or the Shape Note singing intro classes. Over the years, this festival has had autoharp, mandolin, fiddle, banjo, clogging, tin whistle, bodhran drum, harmonica, percussion, kantele, harp, music theory - but it was a first for those two workshops. I always like to try new things, too.
I also now have completed teaching the intro to the dulcimer classes at 10 libraries in NE Minnesota. The last bunch in Grand Rapids were terrific.
As a Northland business, I do appreciate the business from local customers as well as web customers. I have plenty of instruments in stock by different makers and in different price ranges. Instruction books, cases, strings, tuners are also in stock. I'll be updating the website this weekend with some new items - cajon drum, wrist rests, dulcimer magnets on wood cookies, and a few other things.
Now that the weather is often nicer - you don't need to only play music indoors.

Tenth Year for Fest is tomorrow- May 7

2011-05-06T05:04:00.000-07:00

It's turned into a pretty good turnout for the fest tomorrow. Thanks to those who have signed up (and signed up early). Yes, you can still sign up at the fair. A couple extra handouts have been made for the classes. There are two dinners available, too.
For people just wanting to listen - go to a concert (1 pm or 7 pm) and shop at the local vendors. DDD is a great exposure for learning to play several instruments, improve your techniques and get a glimpse at more styles of playing. These instruments can be simple but can be versatile to dabble in a variety of music types.

Lots to do today. The tshirts look great. I'll have dulcimers painted on rocks and magnet wood cookies for sale. I commissioned a local artist to do them. I also will have most of the dulcimer books I carry out and at least 9 mountain dulcimers and 5 hammered dulcimers for sale. The newest items I have for sale are cajon drums and a very basic ukulele.

Wendy

Barely a week to go until Dulcimer Day festival

2011-04-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

It's exciting to see the registrations come in from towns throughout WI and MN and some new and returning names. There will be ample opportunity to learn more about these wonderful instruments and to learn from other players, too. Every instructor has their own style and we all learn at our own pace. The more songs and tunes we find out about then we might want to give them a try, too.
Thanks to those coming out to the library dulcimer classes. There was a great turnout in Grand Marais. I will still be teaching the free beginner classes coming up in Virginia, Gilbert and Grand Rapids over the next couple weeks. I provide the instruments.
I have stocked up on some new instruments for sale - more mountain dulcimers - more McSpaddens and a couple from Musicmakers. I also will now have Cajon drums - just sit and tap. Oh yeah, and I will have some basic ukuleles.
I'm playing music tomorrow night at the Humane Society of Douglas County fundraiser. Many of us love instruments but also love pets. So many pets need homes. I've taught biology for years and I am naturally curious about many things. I also am recognizing the importance of what nonprofits do in the community and the difference we all make - with buying from local businesses, volunteering in your community, and even visiting with your neighbors. Music gives us a tool for meeting people, for giving, and if you're in the Northland stop by a pick up a new instrument, or even a kit, and some new songbooks. I have a variety of instruments in stock. I also have a new 16/15 Songbird hammered dulcimer in stock for those wanting a very affordable, larger instrument. Share some music today. Hope to see a bunch of you May 7. If anyone has any items they may wish to donate as small prizes for the day let me know.

Ahhh, spring

2011-04-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

In the Northland here (note: I am in Duluth, MN not Duluth, Georgia) the winter can stick around for awhile. This week we've been treated to some spring weather. It's great to unpack the shorts and lighter shirts. It's also a good time to play the dulcimer outdoors. We have an Earth Day Art Gallery Hop this weekend. I'll be playing music beside one of the galleries with over 20 local artists artwork inside. Last year it was gorgeous enough to play outside. This year a bit of precipitation (rain, snow?) is in the forecast so maybe it will be indoors this year. Music, art, nature it all goes together. I'm also an advocate of connecting it to healing, relaxation (for player and listener), creativity (write songs, play with new rhythms), a piece of history, and a connection to community. Certainly music can be played at your own home with no one listening, other than your pets. The dulcimer also sounds great with the fiddle, guitar, banjo, harmonica, let alone the fun shaker eggs and limberjack. A dulcimer play can sing or play the harmonica using a brace or get together with some others.

Dulcimer classes in the community

2011-03-29T20:49:00.000-07:00

I have started my round of teaching mountain dulcimer classes at libraries throughout Northeastern Minnesota. I will be going to 10 libraries in the Iron Range. I have my Santa bag filled with dulcimers ready for people to sample what it's like to play a dulcimer. What is especially fun is that youth and adults pick up the dulcimer so easily. Strum, pluck, move a finger around and new sounds come out. The sounds sound good, too. I always show how to use the noter (little wooden stick) to slide around the dulcimer and to even use a stick as a striker in the right hand for more sound variation. These library classes are requiring many more hours of driving than class time but that's what it takes to go around - even up to the Canadian border. I know many people don't know what a dulcimer is - let alone that there are two types. I do appreciate the opportunities to introduce the dulcimers to others. After all, the mountain dulcimer is an American folk instrument.

I wonder if televisions weren't invented if more people would be making music. Duluth area does have quite a few musicians/music makers. I'd like to see schools introduce the dulcimers and not just keyboards, recorders, and band instruments. I admire Terrance Smith, a local enthusiast of folk dance. He's taught many people of all ages to feel music and dance to the beat. When I was in college I was on the Synchronized Swimming Team and we had special speakers we'd place in the pool. We'd design/choreograph routines to the music. I always liked making the movements and shapes as a group. Imagine if as we create music on our instrument if colors and shapes would appear around us. I think once we develop our hearing and listening sense our other senses can improve, too. We are much more than vision/sight creatures. Go ahead and make a little music today - even if it's only a vocal piece or repeat of a commercial. All of us our instruments.

Dulcimer Day Dulcimer Day - 2 months to go

2011-03-09T12:38:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who has signed up for Dulcimer Day. This is the 10th year. The fest is a great place to build dulcimer skills but also to take a new class on other instruments or even Shape Note singing or Needlefelting. The 'old-time' activities are a part of our heritage.
We'll have some above freezing temps in the day time this week. Little by little snow is melting - but we'll probably get more - even in April.

Happy seeing signs of spring.

The hand - Kind Neighbor

2011-02-21T07:32:00.000-08:00

I have a growing interest in local history in the Twin Ports. I enjoy learning more about what and who has been here and what things were like a hundred years ago. Really, every time I pick up a dulcimer it can be a form of time travel. Dulcimers weren't likely played up here. (I have seen numerous announcements of Bunco being played in Duluth in the '40s.) We have an event coming up in Duluth that is like a science fair but it's a history fair. It's interesting to see the creativity and research results of the kids putting together history topics and making displays, documentaries and even performances.
A part of the more recent history, if you will, has been a long time neighbor that has been a neighbor of all neighbors. He'd have his clothes out on the line, mow his yard and many nearby neighbors' yards, and also love to grill some meat in his front yard. He'd be the one to then take the cooked meat - pork chops, chicken, or smoked ham and pass it around the block. Sometimes he'd just sit outside on his front steps and wave to the dogwalkers but also to the cars going by on this suburban-like street. There just aren't neighbors like that anymore. Why not? This neighbor, are next door neigbhor, passed away a few days ago and will be missed. His humor also brought a lot of fun to the neighborhood. I wrote him a song this weekend. I don't know if I'd every play it anywhere but it summaries some of his overflowing kindness and willingness to share and help others every day. I'm leaving now to go to his service which I believe may not have enough space at the place for his family and friends - and so many people he touched. Good bye neighbor. Thanks for everything. How can we be better neighbors? Maybe it starts with a greeting or words. The hand is an instrument, a tool and can strum an instrument, pluck strings, or wave to a neighbor.

Hearts and Happiness

2011-02-02T10:07:00.000-08:00

It's February and Dulcimer Day registration is open. This year is the 10th year for the festival. A decade of being the upper MidWest's dulcimer gathering. It's always been mostly mountain dulcimer players but hammered dulcimer, guitar, and general folk music enthusiasts are welcome. I always like adding a hands-on "make-it" sessions and this year it will be learning to dry felt.
February is the month of love which tends to be connected with hearts and the color red. People can wear red for saying love and also the Heart Association had their Heart awareness day and effort where wearing red is to remind us to take care of our hearts. This Friday, Feb 4 is the Wear Red/Go Red for Women day. Hearts are also connected with February and yes, Dulcimers, too. It's hard to really know but I'd say that at least 75% of mountain dulcimers have heart sound holes. The Dulcimer Day brochure is off to the printer and it also is adorned with hearts. The hearts are drawn in a vine-type manner. Growing hearts which is part of sharing our love - of music, of folk instruments, and of doing things we enjoy doing.
I have to say that February might also be chocolate month. With a birthday coming up this month I may just have a chocolate treat or two. I have a new pizelle maker (Italian thin waffle-like cookies) and will give making canolis a try. The round pizelle is folded over a rod -about the size of noter - and then the tube is filled with a sweet cheese and sprinkled with mini chocolate chips. Since I'm half Italian I grew up on pasta, some garlic bread, and now want to add some Italian treat that my mom used to make. I didn't eat them when I was younger and never learned then how to make them. My mom is long gone and now I can try making the canolis somewhat like she used to do.
I think hearts also represent happiness. Most people are happy to be in love and being in love or doing things we love can also bring a red glow to our faces. I'm loving doing different art activities ranging from silk scarf dyeing (and I offer classes) to a little bit of painting. Biology topics also always fascinate me and all that we can learn from nature. There is a lot to appreciate in the world. Maybe a color could be our own reminder of thinking more about what we love to do and who we appreciate. Pick red, pick a shape like a heart, or maybe even pick a sound like the D note made on a mountain dulcimer. Take a deep breath and if you want to come to beautiful Duluth in May, sign up for the Dulcimer Day festival.

Exercise

2011-01-14T06:55:00.000-08:00

A new year and time to up the exercise. This can be not just with the body but with going back and doing some exercises on the instruments. There are plenty of exercises on the hammered dulcimers and the mountain dulcimers. Scales are a part of it but also just smooth transition between notes. We often want to head right into a tune but sometimes 'noodling' around can be a good technique for learning new techniques. Discovering what works for you and what else you can try.
Here are Five Exercise tips for hammered dulcimer and then later in this message I'll give Five suggestions for the mountain dulcimer.
HD
1. Hit the hammer on what note - left, right, left - then right, left, right.
2. Do the same with significantly making the first hit louder and the others softer.
3. Do it again but use two notes - one up from the next - note 1 (left hammer), note 2 (right hammer), note 1 (left hammer) - Then switch with R,L,R
4. Now go 3 ascending notes in a row. Rotate hammers. Try the full scale but again 3 at a time.
5. Play two scales at once and play a note from the lower scale first, then the octave high note a short time after it, play the 2nd note on the lower scale, then 2nd note on higher scale. Do this up the scale and the DOWN.

Five Exercises for the mountain dulcimer
1. Practice hammer ons going up the instrument. One note up at a time.
2. Try hammer ons going up the instrument, Two notes away each time.
3. Do pull offs down one at a time.
4. You guessed it pull offs for notes two apart.
5. Juat practice hammer on and pulloffs go to or from open strings on all your strings.

Before I'll sign up I'll say I do have a dulcimer on Ebay. It's the butterfly hole dulcimer. It has 2 more days.

Also I'm working on the Dulcimer Day in Duluth festival for May 7. Mark your calendar. I'm working to finalize the schedule. If anyone is planning to come and would like to teach a class, please let me know. It doesn't necessarily need to be a dulcimer class. It could be mandolin, storytelling, writing songs, singing. I'll likely use a part of the vendor area as some workshop space but letting people know ahead of time is the key.

Wendy

Practice and Repitition

2011-01-03T06:38:00.000-08:00

My husband teases me that I often repeat things. We now have a 5 time limit and then need to put the topic or statement away. Meanwhile, in learning music or really other subjects too, repetition is a part of it all. I remember when I was about 10 playing Born Free on the piano again and again and again. How many times have we played some traditional Christmas holiday songs? If we counted, may it would add up to over 400 times for some. I was at new year's party during the day and was talking to someone about life-long learning. A part of learning is also the willingness to make mistakes. The more we practice the more we may make mistakes but the mistakes aren't really mistakes but are stepping stones for creating the muscle memories in our fingers and also creating the new brain connections to learn a particular piece. Naturally, with embellishing there can be more options later on.
Practice applies to other things we want to learn. I dabble in taking assorted art classes and now have charcoal for sketching, water color paints, brushes, and a bunch of quilling supplies. Trying new things is exciting and the world of art is limitless. What meadia we use and how we use it is about as different as each of us. I know that if I would practice with some of the techniques - especially beyond a class - I would improve. As adults we tend to have lost or let go of the more experimenting nature and even doodling with can be thought of as idle or wasted time. We have other things to do, other things we should do, but do we really. Maybe you have set up some new year resolutions and one of mine is to officially set aside weekly creative time. I don't like having weeks where I didn't learn or try something new but now I'm looking at some trying new or learning but also some developing further.
I took a Buddhism class this fall and will take the next level class. In a beginner level class of anything you are introduced to some basics. What is fascinating is how much further in depth you can go with subjects or even skills. Having the tools - books, teaches, equipment - are a part of it but each of us is the other essential part of being the doer, setting aside time and space. We mus not let equipment - or lack of - stop us. In fact, painting can be done with household items - like coffee. Something else I've been trying to learn to do since taking the healing music training is meditation. This takes practice. I read too that for that the more you try the LESS you will be able to do it. Meanwhile, you do have to set aside time. Can it simply come to us? Can we let things come to us and improve partly with a stillness of the mind which can then help in focusing. Exercising - is probably on a bunch of people's resolution list- but I'd invite you to keep exercising but also relaxing the mind. I'm all for naps here and there but in some ways these small meditation times are more relaxing than a nap. Am I doing it right yet? We all have our own ways and we can go further by more practice.
Happy 2011 filled with practicing what you really want to be doing.

Sparkling snow, fun paper

2010-12-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

I love how when snowflakes under a partly blue sky capture the light and sparkle much like tiny falling stars. Even with settled on a branch or on the ground the sun can send shimmering light through these precious frozen water sculptures. We don't pack our sunglasses away when summer is over because when cross-country skiing the sunglasses can come in handy.
I order a few quilling kits and paper strips to dabble again in coiling the strips and shaping them or laying them out into snowflakes, holiday designs or even some music and dulcimer images. I'll also make some into 3-D images. I like simple things. Whether it's a recipe or a project there can be many things to do with just a few ingredients or few items. Our imaginations can result in unique arrangements and compilations in the kitchen, with a craft or with an instrument. I love dulcimers partly because of their simplicity but also because of their capabilities to make lovely sounds and be a part of adding some harmony to the world. Even playing on one string can be a treat to pick out a familiar song or a make a new one. Add the other strings by strumming across all and the more full sound will be another treat. Have you ever tried a mountain dulcimer hammer? Check them out in the MD accessory part of the web page. The bouncing sound adds a new dimension. Give dulcimers a try if you haven't yet. They make great gifts for our family and for ourselves. I also have kits in stock- cardboard and wood - for anyone ready to do a project. A holiday toast to making sweet music and carrying on folk traditions.

The greatest gifts

2010-12-02T09:28:00.000-08:00

Music and musical instruments make great gifts. I wonder how many households in the U.S. have a member of the family playing holiday tunes at home during this holiday season. The mountain dulcimer is especially easy in that the books are written with numbers (tablature) for the frets. One can sit down with a tuned instrument and play songs. The Shelley Stevens 2 Christmas volumes (Baker's Dozen) are just $7.95 per book and very easy to follow. I also carry Helen Johnson's favorite Christmas Tunes book with a very nice selection of songs. Simply listening to holiday music being played or better yet being the player/music maker can give the spirit to an occasion. Holiday music on hammered dulcimers is great, too. Give a folk music instrument this season. Children or adults will love the gift to play year round. If you are in Northern MN area and want to stop in the store, just email or call.

Museum & Trees

2010-11-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

I'm excited to say that last week I was able to stand next to a grove of trees that were about 1000 years old. The Sequoia trees in Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Yosemite National Parks over 200 feet tall and standing next to the base of one makes you feel like you are a two year old. Thank goodness for preserving some wild areas for future generations. I admire Ken Burn's video productions on the National Parks and do believe they have been a great idea. The landscapes and the species diversity are incredible to witness - inspiring for our spirit. We also stopped in Death Valley where there weren't trees - well just some date palms near Furnace Creek. There the vegetation include some desert holly - just like our holiday holly only pale green/white. I'll admit I love to listen to water - whether it's rain or a stream. I also like to play around on the dulcimer and create the effect of waves of music and simply going up and down - partial scales - short notes, longer notes.
Being back in Duluth now we have white snow all around that came in a storm yesterday - thankfully not interfering with the flight. There is beauty in the small - see this website for photos by William Bentley of snowflakes http://snowflakebentley.com/WBsnowflakes.htm - and in the grand.
While in Death Valley (we went in November when the temps are NOT in the crazy 100's) and happened up the 49-ers group having a convention. We stopped in one of their evening concerts under the stars. Stars, stars, stars. Most of us living in areas with a lot of lights at night and we can't see the stars. Out West the sky lights up with more and more stars. Adding the live music was a treat. We also were able to walk through the 49-ers art show and I picked up some cards with some creative works - one was of a bear painted with coffee. Try that at home.
Before I end I wanted to mention that we stopped at the new MIM - Music Instrument Museum in Phoenix, AZ. It has 1000s of instruments from around the world. Different countries in Africa, Europe, Asia, South America - all over. Many with animal parts - animal bladders, wooden parts and some with recycled items like tin cans or steel drums. Yes, there were several dulcimer-like instruments. Other zithers - fretted, plucked and struck. The museum visit included walking around with a special head set that let you hear some of the instruments and watch a video as you were near the different instruments. Visit the museum if you are in the area. Enjoy the day - whether you are in winter-mode or having flowering plants and mild outdoor weather year round. Write a song or tune - with or without lyrics - honoring some of the natural beauty in your neck of the woods. If you're ever in Northern Minnesota - Duluth sits right on Lake Superior - and want to take a look at the store let me know.

Color & Words

2010-10-01T11:12:00.000-07:00

Here in Duluth we're in about peak fall colors. Brilliant oranges, yellows, some red and all colors in between - sometimes in one yard, one tree or even one leaf. The autumn is my favorite time of year. Blue skies frame the trees. I went to an early 7 a.m. meeting with the Duluth Chamber of Commerce. I mainly announced my wendyupnorth.com website which has the local art fairs that I organize plus some art classes and fun videos. It links over to DulcimersInDuluth.com. Not everyone can spelling Duluth properly and the word dulcimer also isn't easily spelled for some people to wendyupnorth is a bit easier. I'm hoping to have several opportunities to play holiday music at events this season. I also especially love to play with receptions - artist gatherings, fundraiser, and celebrations.

I've been playing around the writing some draft bits of local history songs. The fun part about music is its so broad. There are always more songs to learn let alone compose. As for the songs (not just instrumental pieces) they work well to tell a story, celebrate a season or occasion, or change a mood. As much as there are many colors - there are many words. Combine the colors and see the 'show' change each day and combine the words and make a new ditty each day. Add different notes to the same phrase and you have even more possibilities. The chamber meeting was held at United Way. I don't have the easily identified label of Works at the YMCA or other 'big' positions. I'm simply the wide-eyed entrepreneur with a lot of interests and ideas ranging from dulcimers, art/gift fairs (local), to make buttons and to, in general, life long learning. Too much to say as a quick intro. I also volunteered this morning at KUMD 1033 local public radio during their pledge drive. I noticed in their window KUMD letters made in 3-D out of cardboard. It was fun to see the letters and I could see people having fun with cardboard to make other messages in 3-D (remember I do have Cardboard dulcimer kits on my website...). There are possibilities in life - it's all a matter of how we look at things and what we perceive is there. New life for 'garbage,' new steps for a new day. By the end of this month the tree colors will be gone but I hope some of the song bits are strung together to play again and again and I will have some of my photos to remember the beauty of nature in the fall.

Butternut

2010-09-09T07:22:00.001-07:00

A short while ago on the way over for a canoe camping trip on a wild flowage I went through the town of Butternut, WI. Population 407. It was pretty small and was surrounded by trees and some farmland. The rolling hills were a part of pastoral scenery and good weather made it a terrific day. The canoe trip was fine. The winds had picked up a bit so we had to dig our paddles into the water firmly to even cover a little ground. We camped on a little island. The place was similar to the Boundary Waters which is about an hour and a half north but this flowage did have some slow motorboats. The loons called in the night and day and it was warm enough to go for a swim in this tail-end of summer. Now in Duluth the temps have dropped 20 degrees and the frost warnings have started in areas away from Lake Superior. We still are harvesting assorted squashes from our garden and tomatoes that haven't been totally devoured by slugs or by our neighbor's basset hound who sneaks over for a treat. The parsley and kale did well this year. Next year we'll do potatoes again.
I got hooked on the DVD series Centennial based on James Michener's book. I did a 'marathon' viewing over the last two days. I love the feel of the olden days. There were definite challenges and well I don't think I'd like to dress up too much. How the American Indians survived on the plains is something to learn from and how some of the whites and natives chose to be friends is also something to learn from.
This blog was originally supposed to be out thinking more about wood. All the things we have made of wood over the centuries. All the types of woods- soft and hard. The fragrances, the wood products. We have the Iron Range which certainly is American history of being the source for iron made into steel but I'd also like to thank the wood. The wood making homes, furniture, art, and, of course, instruments.

Hot weather

2010-08-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

Duluth's weather has been hot - not as hot as other parts of the U.S. and world but for us about 75 is hot. Even poor giant Lake Superior is heating up and is at a record high. We are ready for the season change to bring about a bit of cooler relief. Already the day light is becoming less but we still can be out in the garden or on a walk until 9 p.m. There was a chance to see the Northern Lights about a week ago and we woke up in the night but clouds came in. There is an incredible picture up by Grand Portage with the witch tree. Go check it out.
The zucchini have arrived. Several a day. We eat them for breakfast, at lunch and dinner. Muffins, spaghetti sauce, and stir-fry - oh and pass one on to people we know. This year I also have been growing spaghetti squash. It's doesn't have that much flavor but is interesting how 'noodles" appear as you scrape it with your fork.
I was up at the Fiddle Festival in Cotton, about an hour north of Duluth, last weekend. I was demoing the bowed psaltry which is played much slower than the fiddle. I like the sound of the fiddle and admire all the many tunes some of the 'odl'timers" know and really there is a young surge too of fiddle players.
Have you played a dulcimer with other instruments beyond dulcimer? The folk instrument 'family' go together and even I love the limberjack tapping or the egg shake too. I might just take some harmonica lessons this fall. Last night was a new lesson - sailing. It was fun but the wind died out and we had to be towed in. With playing the dulcimer the combo of strumming, finger picking, 'hammering/striking", and bowing give you options to make the simple 3 strings ring and cover a gamut of sounds and songs. It's all up to you what you'd like to do.

Celebrations

2010-07-15T18:18:00.001-07:00

We all have our celebrations throughout the year - graduations, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays. This Sunday - July 18- is a Celebration of Lake Superior. Duluth sits on the edge of Lake Superior, and we get to drink Lake Superior water, go swimming, boating, watch wild storms and listen to the gentle waves. As an advocate for local artists I'm organizing a new fair called Love Lake Superior which will be held on Sunday from 10 to 3 p.m. at the Coppertop Church, 230 E. Skyline Parkway. Over 20 artists will have booths plus there will be info booths from local organizations and agencies to learn more about the Lake and who participate in activities and research pertaining to the Lake. If you're not in the area of the Western tip of Lake Superior maybe you could at least tip a hat to this large body of freshwater. Maybe you've never even seen Lake Superior. Her spirit, her charm and beauty are quite intense. Come to this local shopping opportunity if you are in the area. There will also be an open mic at 1 p.m. and I believe at least one dulcimer player will be attending too. Several poets will also sharing their creative spoken words with Lake Superior being their inspiration and at a place where out the window is the beautiful, beautiful Lake.
For other fairs that I organize go to wendyupnorth.com/duluthfairs Thanks. Celebrate Northland made creativity. Peace.

Walking Step by Step

2010-06-15T19:58:00.001-07:00

Even though we've had the foggy, cloudy days hanging around a bit too long, it hasn't stopped my new personal challenge of getting out walking two miles a day. Right in the neighborhood is fine or to hit a local trail in Duluth. The walk is a stretch, a small 'vacation', a passage, a time for nature and to just get out. Most often there are others out walking, especially out walking their dogs. Step by step freeing up the mind and working the body a bit. Really, learning to play the dulcimer and getting into playing is step by step and a bit of a workout - well, at least a finger workout. I did meet a fellow once who had half his lung removed and strumming his dulcimer was about all the physical activity he could do and also only for a minimal time. I invite you to step our your home and go for a walk. Head around the block, head to a restaurant or the grocery store. There's is so much more we can see at a walking pace than by car. The health benefits are there too. I'd have to say, too that with playing the dulcimer we can create melodies that can ring in some good spirit. Raise your spirit with a walk or with a tune.

Warbles, Croaks, and Harmonics

2010-06-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

Did you ever wonder what notes the birds sing or the frogs are croaking? We live in town but can still hear frog calls at a nearby golf course and have warblers (yes crows too)warbling all day. I love the sounds of nature. I'm hoping we'll hear the sound of rain again soon because we need it. I love the rustling of the leaves in the tree, the buzz of the bees (I could pass on the sound of mosquitoes), and a windchime ringing in the breeze. I made a new windchime made from old silverware. It's fun to see hanging in the yard with the bamboo and the metal pipe windchime. Each has their own tones.
A few days have gone by without playing the dulcimer. I have DDPT (dedicated dulcimer playing time) tomorrow. It's fun to play songs and to learn songs but sometimes just improvising can be fun. Exploring the sounds that even one string can make. Harmonics are some of the sounds that many people don't realize that dulcimer strings can make. Lightly compressing a string on the dulcimer at it's midpoint - fret 7 and playing the string and then lifting your left hand finger over the string and produce an angelic sound that I'm sure our ears are only hearing part of. As far as another sounds of dulcimers - have you ever sneezed near a hammered dulcimer? A HD will sound for quite a while after the sneeze as the vibrations do their thing. Music, sound, notes, tones, melodies, and even silence (no notes) put together with the others create endless opportunities. Even our 26 letter alphabet has more rules and limitations - needing some vowels, limiting the total number of letters together in a word, or even the aspect of different languages where people standing right next to each other may not be able to understanding each other. In the music world - there are the possibilities, there is the crossing over cultures and being a universal language, and there is plenty of room for new composition and on-the-spot playing.
I have enjoyed sharing dulcimers with others - to teach, to demonstrate, to educate and to write songs. About a week ago I put together another song parody. A parody uses an existing melody but with new words. I made a song up about the history of this neighborhood to the tune Darling Clementine. I think writing a song - and it doesn't have to be long - should be something everyone does at least once in their lifetime. And, summertime is a good time to do it.

Warmth

2010-05-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

OK the temps in Duluth are getting into the 60's and it's feeling warm and even hot. The shorter pants are out, tshirts, and the noticing of the extra pounds from winter that need to be walked off. Getting out early for a walk is a great time of day to do it. Walking in the neighborhood sidewalks, wooded area, or the newer Lakewalk that's been expanded out to Lakeside where I live. Some parts of our area are a bit steep so you can warm pretty quickly.
I encourage you to get out and walk. It doesn't need to be fast or even too long. It helps to get out and see your neighbors and see all the springtime changes. Take a deep breath at the Oxygen made by the new growing leaves. As the air temp raises so does the soil temp and it's gardening time. Planting seeds for veggies, decorative flowers, and the seeds of the joy of folk music are great this time of year. Maybe your town has some outdoor summer concerts and opportunities to listen to live music by local musicians or maybe you want to take your instrument out to play. A goal I have this summer is to form a small community jamming group and add a storytelling element to it. I think stories are only for kids and stories can have all kinds of lessons tucked in. If we can work on telling on our stories and learn some goodies to share. Stories and music - plants, too - can spread sunshine and warmth.

Soaking

2010-05-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

We had some rain last night. We needed a good soaking - preferably as rain not as snow this time of year. The spring flowers are receiving their nourishing showers. Our front yard is basically all flowers. We traded lawn for mostly perennial flowers where different ones are blooming all summer long. For now the rhubarb up front is growing and growing.
I'm a fan on another kind of soaking - lifelong learning. As a teacher I see the value of taking a course, covering the objectives, providing plenty of learning opportunities for the students and having the students get in touch with more resources beyond the teacher, such as their textbook, the expansive internet, more and more on-line animations and short videos, and also each other. For people not officially in school I hope you are taking community ed classes or taking in opportunities to listen to great local music in your community at outdoor park concerts or inside at coffee shops and bars. I'll also put a plug in for libraries. What a world awaits at the library! So much to soak in. I know I can't leave the library without a little, well sometimes big, stack of books and they all aren't on one topic. How about soaking in some inspiration quotes, how about soaking in some volunteering time getting involved in a brand new (to you) service in your community, how about picking up a neighborhood paper, how about sitting outside or going for a walk and catching up with a neighbor. Soak in the sunshine when it's out. Soak in the colorful nature show of flowers, birds and butterflies - each day is different. Soak in YOUR day that you design as one more act in your life's journey.

DDD Has Come and Gone

2010-05-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone who came to this year's Dulcimer Day fest had a great time and enjoyed the music, classes, artists, vendors, food, and folks. I'd like to again thank all the sponsors: Visit Duluth, Voyageur Lakewalk Inn, Whole Foods Co-op, Mathew S. Burrow's 1890 Inn, Pearl Swanstrom, Grandma's Restaurant, Johnson's Bakery, Italian Village, and Lake Superior Magazine. Also, thanks to the helpers Terry Brown, Cherylyn MOrrison, Nancy & Steve Collins, Terry Larson, Naomi Yaeger, and Bruce Howell. It's been a real treat to meet the performers this year and bring them to Duluth - Minnesota for that matter. It was fun to hear the Thunder Bay group play some numbers and nice to hear the Native American Flute players. I hope you will have fun making music this summer. I even had fun playing a box that Mary had at the Sunday gospel singalong. We all are a part of the spirit of music in this world. Keep on playing and sharing the spirit of music with others.

Getting Closer

2010-04-28T14:21:00.000-07:00

Dulcimer Day is right around the corner now. It will be a fun day of music, learning, and a fun time getting together. There are four terrific performers coming to Duluth for this special event.
A reminder that a Q&A with a Luthier session was added and on the day after Dulcimer Day there will be a gospel singalong at Mathew Burrows Bed & Breakfast 1890 Inn. It's a Victorian mansion that is worth the visit. Please sign up at Dulcimer Day for going to the Sunday 11 a.m. concert and singalong.

Safe travels to everyone heading to Duluth for the fest. There will be a lot of crazy construction going on and big crowds with the sailing ships coming in the summer but here it is in late Spring and everything should be clear. The Coppertop Church also has a such a great view of the wonderful Lake Superior. The lake is wonderful to gaze out upon and changes color almost every hour. While you're in town stop by the Lake and maybe skip a stone.
The third Sunday in July is Lake Superior Day. A time to celebrate and honor the lake. We can do it everyday but at that time in July people can learn more about it and gather together. I am organizing a Love Lake Superior event then at the Coppertop Church with local artists and education groups. Tonya Borgeson will exhibit her WaterWorks ceramics exhibit and a meditation room will be set up to honor the lake. Get together with friends and raise a toast to the Lake. Maybe write a song and play it on the dulcimer.
Hope to see the dulcimer enthusiasts of the upper Midwest on Saturday. Twenty two of the people attending are first timers to Dulcimer Day. Some attendees have been coming for years.

Growth Spurt

2010-04-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

This surge of life in spring is pretty incredible. I love how things are popping out all over - well, maybe not the ticks. It's still not quite garden growing time but it's nice enough to clean up the perennials and see what's coming up. The bird singing is wonderful and a neighborhood woodpecker drums away at the top of a nearby telephone pole creating an amplified rhythm.
The Dulcimer Day in Duluth festival is 10 days away. Most of the attendees are people who have come previous - some every - year but there are at least 20 new people coming. My intent with the fest is to grow the dulcimer family and for people to grow their skills. The theme this year of The Spirit of Music is that we can acknowledge the role that music (listening and playing) has in our inner side. Nature is one of my best friends and so is music. I also have an interest in traditional ways and more simple living. I also thing connections are important every day. I connect to nature and music. Biophilia is a word that biologist, E.O. Wilson, bring up. We love life and have a tendency to become emotionally attached to life/living things. I think I'll introduce "dulcimerphilia." Once we spend time with the dulcimer, possibly share it with other, we establish a better connection.
I hope there will be a good turnout for the concerts at Dulcimer Day. The daytime one is shorter but then there are local crafters to shop at before and after. The evening concert is a longer concert where you get to learn more about the performers and hear some more 'mighty fine' music. Hurray for spring. Hurrah for Dulcimer Day. Hope to see you there.

Water

2010-04-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

Duluth needs some rain. The sunny, mild days have been wonderful but it's spring and the life waiting to come out wants a drink. I planted some cosmos seeds, kale, and sunflower seeds yesterday and with a watering today should be on their way to germinate and create good healthy treats. I'd also like to get some mint plants to grow as I had a mint water drink at Get Started event, which has an assortment of booths on making cheese, raising chickens, preserving food and growing a community garden. It was called a tea but rather just water. I do like drinking water but the little flavor tasted great.
If we really sit down to think about it water is just about everywhere. In us, our blood, tissues, and even in the woods that make up our dulcimers. You don't have to see it directly but it's there. I organize Duluth area local art/gift fairs. I love to work with the artists and create a local shopping experience for people where they can meet the people who made the creations. I've added another fair to the five I organized already (in addition to the Dulcimer Day festival). The new one is in honor of Lake Superior and I'm calling it Love Lake Superior Artisan and Info Fair. The 3rd Sunday in July is Lake Superior Day and communities around the lake have events and special activities. wendyupnorth.com has the Duluth fair listing and lists the fairs. Most people admit there is something really special about the giant Great lake. The body of water touches us inside. Some of us will jump right in sometime even though it's rarely about 50 degrees or we will splash our toes in it along the sandy beach of Park Point. Even in the winter, the frozen piles on the lakeshore are interesting and take on a bluish cast. Water. We need it. It's a part of us. I love the smell of the earth after a rain. The role of water to our health and planet health is vast. We even breath water in with humidity and breath it out. It continuously cycles and is on its way to a new stopping point all the time.

Honey

2010-03-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

I bought some honey this weekend from a cool family that does just about everything - weaves, builds boats, has chickens and yes has bee hives. The honey looked so good I was ready to dip a straw in. Yesterday I made granola with some of it and I'll try a recipe from Lydia's Italy that uses honey, bread crumbs, orange peels and nuts.
I think about describing woods or stains for wood. On our dresser that we bought from the local store called the Saw Mill we applied honey- colored stain and it looks great. I also like how spruce when cut and made into an instrument looks white at first but then naturally 'honeyifies." The golden, warm color is comforting.
Have you ever been called Honey? Not just by a sweetheart but by a stranger who just uses that word. A person that uses the word usually is from a more rural area or from the south or is a bit older. Anyway, it's almost fun to be called Honey.
I just got off the phone with a person named Amber. I have a piece of golden honey colored amber with a trapped insect in it. How many centuries ago did the insect live? I also have some amber colored beer rings - that's earring made out of old beer bottles. When the light catches it, the honey-like colored light shines through. It's making me hungry and read for a little sweetness. Everyone does know that the word Dulcimer comes from the word sweet, right? Dolci, Dulces, and similar words are on Italian menus and even Nestle chocolate chips packs. Sweet Music, Dulcimers, natural sweet and beautiful color with the light shining through - honey.
Time to go have a spoonful - no tea needed.

Beginnings

2010-03-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

I'll go with the topic of beginnings for this weekly entry. I've been teaching a few beginner dulcimer classes and appreciate the eager interest of new players and how quickly they pick up playing melodies on the dulcimer. I appreciate the beginning of the day and the early morning light. Last Saturday a few of us greeted the dawn while standing beside Lake Superior. It's the beginning of spring. I teach a biology class and the students had their final last night. The class has ended and I wish the students well on their further beginnings of future courses and the opportunities in their field. As I read different books from the library or that I purchase I notice quite a few have a intro and a forward and sometimes comments before the actually book begins. I usually do read all those sections to get a framework for the book. Meanwhile, I does delay getting to the book. Books are great entries into so many topics. When I begin a book I have an initial goal of what I want to learn but really there often are interesting tidbits and surprises in the book. I did some reviewing of high school student papers has part of MN History Day and it was interesting to read their research. My favorite was the beginnings of Anesthesia -Victory over Pain one. Think how many things we use today had to have some sort of beginning. Most go through several improvement/testing stages. How much can be improve still? I don't always begin my day with an early breakfast but instead do some computer work first. I probably wouldn't eat until 2 p.m. or so if I just kept working but I stop to go give my body some food. The Treasures of the Earth Green Art Fair is this Saturday and there are more signs to make, final round of publicity, and checking on artists and their locations at the fair. I love the beginnings of a fair and the anticipation of the buzz of activity that comes. Each artists sets up their wares how they wish. There also will be beginnings of new connections made at the fair - customers, friends, etc. I like beginnings.

Nest Building

2010-03-16T10:42:00.000-07:00

I am grateful for the mix of melodies that come from countries throughout the world. The enjoyment of music partly comes from the instruments but the other part are the melodies. I love it that some songs are old - a hundred years, a couple hundred, who knows some may be even older. Also, think of the vast variety of places where music was played -formal affairs, romantic evenings, rowdy bars, as well as the first few notes of a brand new player of whatever age. I'm liking more and more the combo of music to movement. Earlier this month I attended a local production of the musical The Secret Garden. The format of the play also had silk painting artist painting the garden scene from behind large silk cloth pieces. It was intriguing to have the music, the story, and the live art. I'll put in a plug for some upcoming events this month. I'll be teaching some assorted hands-on art/craft classes and am organizing a local art/craft fair. First, this Sunday at beautiful historic Fairlawn Mansion in Superior, WI I'll be teaching four classes. Quilling (rolling paper into shapes - that goes back for centuries), Bunco (an ancient parlour dice game and we will be playing in a 19th century Parlour - it's a great community mixer too) and also there will be a chance to dye your own silk scarf. The scarf dyeing is a simple process and the colors look great. Contact Fairlawn or go to wendyupnorth.com or Superior Public Museum website for more info.
Treasures of the Earth Green Good, Craft & Art fair will be on Saturday, March 27 from 10 to 3 p.m. at the Unitarian Church. There will be over 25 local artists with things made of recycled material or made of natural materials. Come check it out. A crow just flew over with a stick in its mouth. It's nest building time again. Building nests started long before humans were around and the birds are still at it. Soon enough it will be frog calling time.

Spring & Music

2010-03-09T11:46:00.000-08:00

There are more signs of spring in Duluth. The snow is melting rather quickly. I was "seeing" tuning pegs in the snow along the melting banks where little nobs project up on little rods made of snow. Along a road there were several in a row and I imagined the sound that could come out of a giant dulcimer and that was riding along its fretboard.
It's great to see people signing up from throughout the upper Midwest to come to Duluth on May 1 to the festival. Most have attended previous years but there is a sprinkling of new folks, too. Most are seniors and are a part of the family of dulcimer players and making music whenever they can. I'd like to see some younger families attend, too. The Make a Whistle class doesn't have anyone signed up yet. I want to take that class and I hope others will, too.
I have a lineup of intro mountain dulcimer classes coming up in March and April. If you live in the Duluth area it's a good time to take a class and then at Dulcimer Day you can not be a brand new beginner. Meanwhile, there are classes for new players, too. Time to pack up the load for the class tonight over in Superior. I love it when people are interested in carrying on folk traditions on this American folk instrument.

Two months until Dulcimer Day

2010-03-02T12:01:00.000-08:00

The Dulcimer Day in Duluth festival is just two months away. A new class has been added - a Q&A with a luthier. Ever wanted to build a dulcimer? Here's your chance to ask about wood, process, tips. The signups for the fest are coming in. It's always great to have the Thunder Bay folks come down and to have people from the North Shore, Range, Twin Cities and Wisconsin.
Most people who coming are pretty skilled mountain dulcimer players. So far no one has signed up for banjo classes. If by mid-April no one signs up for banjo classes than Doug says he's more than happy to switch and teach some mountain dulcimer classes. I only wish that the teachers could teach multiple classes at once! They are so talented and eager to share. It will be a long but inspiring day for all and a great chance to learn new tunes, hear great music, and hangout with other players. I hope you will sign. Early bird special rates until mid-March.
I'll be updating the dulcimer website and adding a list of vendors. There will be some very fun and beautiful items for sale by local artists. Instrument vendors, including Dulcimers In Duluth, will be there, too.
I got out the autoharp today. It's been awhile since a brought it out. I started writing a song about biology to the tune Golden Slippers. I'll work on it more to finish it by next week.

2010 already - a year for more music

2010-01-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

This is the start of a periodic log of dulcimer ideas, sharing dulcimers and music and general thoughts about what's going on and what could be happening. I will try to link this to the DulcimersInDuluth.com website. It's a lovely January day - a bit chilly -but gorgeous with the sunshine and shadows on the snow. There's a bit of a cat squabble going on in the background here between Elmo and Walden. Interesting how there is the whole house and the two cats have to fight over the same spot.
I have a dulcimer on my lap and have been playing Foggy Dew. Something about those Eminor tunes are quite a draw. This spring I've scheduled 2 intro dulcimer classes -one at Fairlawn and one at WITC-Superior and possibly I also will add 2 more classes. It's great to see an interest of learning to play these wonderful instruments. I think the instruments are great to play throughout the year. They aren't bad to hang on the wall either. Dulcimers are a bit of history and the great feature of producing sweet music. I love to play old-time tunes and celtic jigs and reels but also have been moving into soothing music and want to play for patients and for people seeking to relax. A 20-minute live music break can do wonders. There are benefits for the players of music but, in general, letting music in every day is a great component of the day. If you are away from a CD player, your computer or a radio then, by golly, sing a song yourself. Music is our connection to ourselves and to people of today, the past and the future.