Strings are so much fun

 Strings Are Fun 

I've been providing music and interactive programs in memory care at a local senior place for the last couple months. Music is a part of us.  Whether rhythms where we are tapping our hands on a table or our lap or humming that we shoot for a real tune or a bit of improvisation.   I've loved mountain dulcimer since I was introduced to them over 40 years because of their sound and simplicity in playing. I'm thankful for people of the past who have written tunes that we still play today - centuries later in some cases.  

I bought a used banjo last week and have plucked out a bunch of the main holiday music tunes and several easier folk tunes.  I've always enjoyed Celtic music but also bluegrass music. I'm taking a 3 session workshop with the Center for Irish Music in Minneapolis (virtual class) that will explore jigs and reels as dance steps.  Equating music to a feel brings a deeper connection to music.  Dance steps are a way to use the body to emphasize the beats. I'm looking forward to the class.  

Also, speaking of strings - I've been crochet quite a bit recently. I learned to crochet this summer. My grandma crochets 100s of blankets. I still sleep with one of them and it's held up well. I've been crochet scarfs - some for cats - and some for humans. I've also experiment with stuffed projects and this week made a stuffed tree (easier to hug a tree) pillow, coffee cup, and an owl.  I'm going to attempt a mountain dulcimer after I'm more familiar with forming shapes.  There are more animals I also would like to create.  

We've also been out skiing and snowshoeing.  Duluth has snow!  Even in the below 0 temperatures we went snowshoeing and worked up a sweat.  I treasure the beauty of winter. Blue skies are scenic and make the snow sparkle/glisten but so are the grey skies with flakes floating down. It's magical.  I'm amazed at watching birds or seeing the tracks in the snow and how wildlife goes about its business throughout this season.   

 Our cat Elmo on artificial snow... really he hangs out on the radiator or in front of the fire.
He likes wintertime. 
Here's a video of Elmo I made this summer.   (Note: he had to have an eye removed Jan 2021 due to a tumor next to his eye). 

Playing music instruments, listening to music, reading, writing, crocheting/knitting, telling stories and perhaps some netflix time (love the baking shows) are all things I'm looking forward to over the next couple months when I'm indoors.  What do you look forward to doing this season? 

Happy Holidays - make the most of the rest of 2021

 Our lives have changed. Travel isn't the same.  Wearing masks still and at all is something that we wouldn't have thought about 2 years ago.  But, here we are.  People can sing and do virtual programs or sing at a distance. Musical instrument playing is fair game - especially strumming. So - strum away on the mountain dulcimer, hammered away on the hammered dulcimer.  Did you happen to write a song during this covid time?  

Here is a short poem: 

It goes through solid walls and open windows. 
Along valleys and streams
Through forests, through cities
Continuing on its way.  

It travels up mountains
It travels on oceans
It is carried by the wind
And heard in schools.

A church, a community center, or a home
Holiday time, morning or night
So many kinds of instruments built over time and places
Are each a way to carry a tune or rhythm. 

Music  - its music.  One note, one instrument.
Multiple instruments, multiple notes go forth
Carry on traditions, passing sound to enjoy
Soft sounds, louder sounds and pauses in between. 

Music at Senior Living place - Live

 I was delighted last week to go give a live dulcimer music sharing time with seniors at a local senior living place.  It's been over a year as Covid came and closed off so many things.  It was great to see the people and even though lips were covered with masks for everyone I could tell some were smiling.  No singing was allowed but the curious bunch asked a handful of questions in between the tunes.  I 'took' them on a trip to other countries and far back in time with some Renaissance tunes, Celtic music, and good old American folk tunes from the South.  I have Scandinavian tune books but didn't feel I knew the tunes well enough.  I don't like to play looking at music sheets when I'm at a place.  After the music time one person came up and gave me home-made paper flowers she had made.  The bright daffodils were wonderful during the extra long grey days and the chilly spring here in Duluth.  Not many real flowers are up besides a few crocuses.  More to come!   I have cucumber plants, zinnia, and basil growing indoors.  Over the weekend I baked with the rosemary  from the rosemary that made it through the winter indoors. 

I normally would be organizing local art and gift fairs and arts, nature, and history day trips from Duluth but those still are on hold.  Over a year is a long time but at some point those will be able to be run again. For now I'm working at a sushi booth in a grocery store. The owner hums some Burmese songs as he creates and rolls the many kinds of sushi.  The store music system adds more music as you work.  I'm also doing meals deliveries and plug in a dulcimer CD, Gregorian chant music, and some of the CDs that I've had over the years.  My car is the main place that I listen and I spend more time in the car these days.  We are getting ready to do our first road trip - to the Pella Tulip Festival.  Outside camping, different foods, music, and a step toward normal.  We will get our 2nd shot this weekend. 

I hope everyone is staying safe and enjoying the re-opening of life.  Some places are more open than others - maybe that's good but we also need to be careful.  Wearing masks hasn't been the worst - the masks are from new and modified businesses that came forward during the past year.  I have one made by ladies in Nepal and is fair-trade.  You can even decorate your own.  Wearing seasonal ones also was a bit fun : Christmas theme, hearts, and now its time for flowers and flowers.  

I do have plenty of dulcimer books in stock, Cds, strings, MD hammers, HD hammers, and more items.  I plan to do more outside music playing this summer.  Outside painting, outside music, outside camping, outside garden.  All in time. Still below freezing some nights here but it's been toasty warm on sunny parts of the days in the greenhouse.

Happy Spring. 

Strum, pick, hammer -  breathe in the wonders of the new day.   

Wendy

Purple flowers

Summer's end is near.  A very different summer than previous ones as COVID-19 continues.  Mask wearing, social distancing, cancelled events, stay indoors, and reduced occupancy at restaurants and places than can open.  There are things we can't do or can't go to but there are things we CAN do - like play music instruments at home, garden, go for a hike,  call or email a friend, attend a virtual class, clean house, pet a pet, watch birds, and many other things.  Duluth has had evening temperatures in the low 40s and warnings for frost are being announced in the region.  All my day trips that I would be organizing are cancelled (there is no MN State Fair, no performing theater open, Bayfield Apple Fest or Cranberry Fest in Stone Lake - no.  I had also wanted to go to a rendezvous and PowWow up near the Canadian border- no).  I'm coming up with a local trip or two though where we will caravan to the site.  Local farms.  Farmers are people much more connected to the earth and carer for plants intensely.  Fresh fruit / veggies tastes so good.  We have farmers markets but I'm ready to go TO the farm.  I have my first farm visit for Sept 13 with a limit of 7 people to attend.  More info at www.wendyupnorth.com/ 

My husband and I have been taken photos.  Sometimes with just our cell phones and sometime with an actual camera or the go-pro where we did some underwater photos and fish eye photos.  He took a closeup up the purple flowers - Nightshade- in our yard.  It's a weed with beautiful purple flowers with a yellow protruding center before becoming red berries.  I looked up the species name. 

Bittersweet Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara)

The second word- means bittersweet.   We knew of course the dulc was sweet.  

Stay safe.  Be well.  Do what you can.  

Peace.

Wendy 

Please use this email - wendyupnorth@yahoo.com

Please use the wendyupnorth@yahoo.com to contact me.  I do have dulcimers to rent for those who would like to give it a try and I do private lessons in my home (mountain or hammered dulcimer).  A beginner mountain dulcimer class may be being set up for some time in March.  Contact me if you are interested. 
As a reminder my other website is www.wendyupnorth.com.  That site lists the day trips from Duluth that I offer and local art and gift fairs that I put together.  Several upcoming dates for the 1st half of 2020. 
Will this year include music playing for you?

SALE  -
Through Valentine's Day 2020 I am offering a special:
Buy 2 books (Mel Bay books in stock only) and get a 3rd book free  (Mel Bay books in stock only).  Dulcimer books are conveniently set up with numbers - tablature - to make music playing simpler.

Buy 2 CDs get 1 free.  Through Valentine's Day 2020.

Wendy

How Cute

I played last week at a variety show to raise money for a local food shelf.  For many in the audience it was the first time they had seen or heard a hammered dulcimer.  I look forward to more places to go to in Duluth and beyond to share playing mountain and hammered dulcimers.  The show's first performer was a 3-year old boy singing the national anthem.  My goodness - he did such a good job with that pretty long song.  Some of his words were a bit stretched for what he was actually saying but how cute it was!

I'm back in Minnesota as spring slowly arrives.  We still have plenty of snow meaning plenty of wetness to come.  I traveled to my husband's home area in New Zealand a few weeks ago and brought along my smaller size dulcimer.  It has bat sound holes - probably the only one with bat shaped sound holes.  I played at several places while being over in the ChristChurch area.  My husband's cousin works at a rest home/care/hospital and I played there and in the rural town area where his dad lives.  The dulcimer fit in my suitcase and made it safely.

Last night I taught part 1 of a beginner dulcimer class through the Community Ed.  Good to see more people wanting to learn.  Several people had dulcimers already that they purchased somewhere along the way and this was their opportunity to learn how to play it.

I have a local art and gift fair this Saturday.  I am still organizing fairs.  I'll bring along a dulcimer to play a bit.   If you're in the area and want to shop local head to the Peace Church between 10AM-3PM.  The fair is Treasures of the Earth and all the things are made from natural materials or recycled materials.  Wood-turned bowls, stone jewelry, painted stones, feather pens, soap and much more.  It's the 11th year for the fair.