I’d love to find a home or music store or other space where I could offer dulcimer lessons. I’ll let you know if I find a place, and if you have ideas let me know.

I’m missing my trio; except for a few one-time things, I’ve been solo since we moved to Indiana. I don’t know if I will have time and motivation to be committed to a new band, but part of me is itching to find some folks to play more regularly with. I’d be especially interested in Irish flute and guitar or bouzouki, playing mostly Celtic with some classical and original and other traditional things thrown in.

A friend at Mark’s school plays viola; we have some tentative plans to work up some classical pieces together. I haven’t worked on my parts all summer, though! Better get out that sheet music again.

As far as I know, no one living here in those mid- to late 1800s wrote anything in my repertoire, and yet I’m confident at least some of the tunes I’ll be playing were played around here around that time. Some are older, some perhaps from around that period, and some modern but with much traditional influence.

I recently learned that of those Indiana settlers who immigrated, about 50% were German, 10% Irish, and the rest much smaller percentages from elsewhere. Bach is the only German music I’m aware of knowing; I love playing his tunes. There’ll be a good bit of Irish music, including tunes that have become part of the American tradition as well. I’ll play some originals, too, and — just for fun, and because surely there were some Scandinavians in those smaller percentages — some Swedish and Norwegian tunes.

I’ll be playing for a brown bag lunch at the Marshall County Historical Society at noon on Friday June 4, and again at the festival grounds from 11 to noon on Saturday June 5.

Check out the Festival website for more musical options and other activities, including, new this year, an education stage.

Write out the alphabet in three rows of seven letters, and one row of five:

A B C D E F G
H I J K L M N
O P Q R S T U
V W X Y Z

Trace any letter to the top of its column to find its musical equivalent.

My student spelled “Olympus” as “AEDFBGE,” and after she chose where to play each note (including which octave and whether natural, sharp, or flat) and improvised a rhythmic embellishment, we settled on this for a first draft:

When I arrived, Bob Nowak was starting to hang a new academy faculty art show, including some of his own beautiful frost photographs. A little snow had been falling on my way in, but soon stopped as the day warmed up a bit. By the end of my set, the place was pleasantly full.

We were able to set up a spot for me without having to lose any tables — we just moved two stools and one chair to new locations. It was a good spot visually (anyone in the main room could easily watch if they wanted to, and could see my CDs, business cards, and tip jar) and aurally (one friend said the sound carried around to other rooms, too).

Towards the end I was starting to have trouble thinking of what to play next, and at one point I confused the B part of the tune I was trying to play with the B part of a tune I’d played earlier, but overall it was a refreshing time of music for me. I hope it was refreshing for others, as well; I certainly saw a lot of relaxed and smiley faces.

Thanks to all who stopped in for a listen and some eats or drinks.

See y’all next third Saturday!

At the moment I have things set up for individual CD purchases. To buy more than one, you’ll have to either do mail order or buy each CD individually. I’m not sure yet if Paypal’s cart system works with WordPress.com, but I will look into it when I have some more time.

I may also need to adjust the shipping and handling fee once I figure out how much my actual costs will be. Sales tax for Indiana residents is already taken care of.

The Alumni Lounge in the Culver Academies’ Legion Memorial Building was a beautiful and intimate setting. Comfy couches, soft chairs, chandeliers and sconces, paintings, boats, a fireplace, fancy rug… kids running around playing with puzzles, stuffed animals, and picture books. In the cathedral-ceilinged lobby, yummies on one side, CDs on the other.

Here’s the set list (CD titles in parentheses):

Mostly Original
Prelude in Bm
Road to Lisdoonvarna[1] / South of the James (NLT)
Winter East and Kensington (NLT and HT)
October Snow
Third Street Market
Irksome Girl / Midnight Maze (HT)

Mostly Bach
Prelude for Lute in Em
Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring (NLT)
Sheep May Safely Graze, with Elise Pare’
Carolan’s Draught[2] / Sleepers Awake (NLT)
Hewlett[2] (WCIT)
Allemande[3]

Light in Winter
Prelude 1[4] (NLT)
In Him Will I Trust
Fallen (WCIT)
The Storm / One Wintry Night[5]
What Child Is This? (WCIT)
Easter Thursday (WCIT)

1. Traditional Irish
2. Turlough O’Carolan, 18th C. Irish.
3. Medieval, I think.
4. Bach again.
5. Jerry Read Smith