presents the
13th Annual Mid-Winter
Mountain Dulcimer Festival
(Workshops & Concerts)
February 18, 2012
Workshops: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Concert (free & open to the public): 5:00 p.m.
@ Hoyle Memorial Methodist Church; Shelby, NC
8:30 – Registration & Introduction of Instructors
9:15 – Session I
10:30 - Break
11:00 – Session 2
12:15 p.m. – Lunch*
1:30 – Session 3
2:45 - Break
3:15 - Session 4
4:30 - Break - or Jamming
5:00 - Concert
* The club includes lunch at no extra charge if you are a preregistered participant. If you have a non-participant with you, he/she may eat with us for $7. The club has a well-deserved reputation of doing a great lunch!
* During lunch there will be a short, free concert featuring some of our instructors.
Below is a schedule of classes. A few more are yet to be listed. A description of each class is listed below the schedule in alphabetical order. At this point there is a possibility some of these workshops could be changed or moved to a different time. The schedule will be settled by the first of January.
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1st Period Workshops 9:15 a.m. – 10:30 |
Help! (part1) Beginner beginners (TNT) |
Airs from the Shetlands Int/Adv (Bill Collins) |
Playing in DGd Int & up (Sarah Morgan) |
DAD Chords Novice (Michael Shull) |
Wonderful Welsh Hymns Advanced Nov & up (Joe Collins) |
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2nd Period Workshops 11:00 – 12:15 p.m. |
Help! (part2) Beginner beginners (TNT) |
The Laredo Variations Int & up (Bill Collins) |
Wedding Music Adv (Sarah Morgan) |
Get Off Your D Nov & up (Alan Darveaux) |
Pickin' & Grinnin' Nov to Int (Michael Shull) |
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LUNCH w/ Concert 12:15 – 1:20 |
A great lunch is available on site and is included in your pre-registered workshop fee. Concert will feature Michael Shull, TNT, and Sarah Morgan |
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3rd Period Workshops 1:30 – 2:45 |
Got Parts? Nov & Up (TNT) |
Bagpipe Tuning Beg & Up (Bill Collins) |
Doo Wop Dulcimer Nov & up (Sarah Morgan) |
So Stand Up & Play Beg & up (Alan Darveaux) |
Hitting on All Four Int & up (Bradley Ellis/Joe) |
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4th Period Workshops 3:15 – 4:30 |
Jammin' Beg & up (Deby Libby) |
Shaker Music Beg & Up (Bill Collins) |
Better Strumming for Beginners (Michael Shull) |
Singing w/ Dulcimer Nov & up (Alan Darveaux) |
Sweet Tunes Nov & up (Linda Smith) |
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4:30-5:00 |
Break |
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Community Concert Free to the public! 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. |
Concert will feature Joe Collins, Bradley Ellis, Alan Darveaux, and Bill Collins |
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Class Descriptions (alphabetical order) - four more to follow
Airs from the Shetland Islands: The Music of Tom Anderson (Intermediate to Advanced). Tom Anderson (1910-1991), revered in the Shetlands for tirelessly preserving the region’s traditional fiddle music and for teaching it to generations of young players, was also a prolific composer of exquisite melodies. This workshop presents some of his loveliest and most haunting tunes. (Instructor: Bill Collins)
“Bagpipe Tuning” for Dulcimer (Beginners & up). Tuning your bass string down to low A gives you the closest thing to a bagpipe that you can get on a dulcimer. Using the two lower strings as octave drones and playing tunes in A Mixolydian produce an exciting sound. In this workshop, we’ll learn “Skye Boat Song,” and “Scotland the Brave,” plus explore how to improvise and ornament to add to the Scottish flavor of your playing. (Instructor: Bill Collins)
Better Strumming for Beginners (Beginners). Learn how to improve your timing and rhythm utilizing strumming hand techniques with various strumming patterns. (Instructor: Michael Shull)
DAD Chords (Novice to Intermediate). Learn all the chords that are available in the DAD tuning. We explore chord shapes and learn how to use the gorgeous minor chords in your arrangements. We will also utilize some chord scales to make your transitions smoother. (Instructor: Michael Shull)
Doo-Wop on the Dulcimer! (Novice and Up). Bring your saddle shoes & poodle skirts! We’ll have fun singing & playing some of my favorite doo-wop pieces! Learn four simple chords, and you will be to play 99% of all doo-wop music. Bring your dulcimer, but you’re welcome to come & just sing along! Vocals and instrumentals will be taught. (Instructor: Sarah Morgan)
Get Off Your D and on You’re A (Novice & Up). Finding melodies on the A string in dad to enhance a chordal approach to accompaniment. (Instructor: Alan Darveaux)
Got Parts? (Novice and up). An ensemble workshop. Come learn multipart arrangements for “Soldier’s Joyous Waltz” and a great hymn or two. (Instructors: Deby Libby, Ginny Cliett, & Linda Smith)
Help! I Have a Dulcimer on My Lap – Part 1 (Beginners). From “What is a dulcimer?” to playing in four parts by the end of the class. (Instructors: Deby Libby, Ginny Cliett, & Linda Smith)
Help! I have a dulcimer on my lap – Part 2 (Beginners). From “What is a dulcimer?” to playing in four parts by the end of the class. (Instructors: Deby Libby, Ginny Cliett, & Linda Smith)
Hitting on All Four (Intermediate & up). Come learn how to hit fuller chords by making use of 4 equidistant strings. Bradley will share some of his unique arrangements made possible by use of the extra string. You’ll wonder why you haven’t tried it before! (Instructors: Bradley Ellis & Joe Collins)
Jammin’ (Beginners & Up). Come learn several different ways you can join a jam session and really have fun! (Deby Libby & Ginny Cliett).
Playing in DGD (Intermediate) Come and discover the unique sound of the DGD tuning! In this repertoire class, I’ll share some of my favorite old-time tunes in DGD (key of G). We will work on some fun, simple tunes (instrumentals and vocals), learn several chords in DGD and the simple theory behind this neat and versatile tuning. (Instructor: Sarah Morgan)
Pickin' and Grinnin' (Novice to Intermediate). This class covers flat picking patterns to enhance your arrangements. We will work with the various common patterns and when and where you use them. (Instructor: Michael Shull)
Shaker Music for Dulcimer (Beginners with some experience & up) - Capo required. This is a repertoire workshop designed to introduce the music of the Shakers, whose musical legacy consists of perhaps 10,000 tunes. Many of the tunes are quite lovely in their simplicity, and share a spiritual, contemplative quality. After a brief introduction to the background of the music and some performance suggestions, we’ll work on as many tunes as time permits. Possible selections include: “Mother Ann’s Song,” “Now, My Dear Companions,” “Lovely Love,” “Living Souls Let’s Be Marching,” “Love is Little,” “My Carnal Life I Will Lay Down,” and “Come, Life, Shaker Life.” (Instructor: Bill Collins)
Singing with Your Dulcimer (Novice & Up) - approaches to serve your voicing and chording with songs, phrasing, chords, when to strum and when not to, picking patterns. (Instructor: Alan Darveaux)
So, Stand Up and Play (Beginner & Up) How to approach stand up playing and/or tilted on your lap playing techniques. (Instructor: Alan Darveaux)
Sweet Tunes (Novice and Up). This is a repertoire workshop designed to teach some beautiful arrangements of Saro’s Waltz, Bittersweet, Junes Lullaby, and Sunday Jig. Come learn some really sweet tunes! (Instructors: Linda Smith & Ginny Cliett)
The Laredo Variations (Intermediate). There’s no limit to the number of ways a given tune can be played. This workshop takes a very simple melody (“The Streets of Laredo”) and offers 16 ways to give it a different sound and feel, such as changing the rhythm, chords, key, time signature, etc. The tools we’ll cover can be used with any tune to provide variety or to put your personal stamp on a performance. (Instructor: Bill Collins)
Wedding Music (Advanced). In this class, we will learn several unique, performance-ready pieces appropriate to play at weddings, including classical, Irish and hymn selections. We will also be covering the logistics of playing at a wedding; what to expect, problems to prepare for, what you should charge, etc. Bring a tuner, as some retuning may be required. (Psss… for those of you who do not plan on playing at weddings anytime soon, these pieces are still some beautiful and unique arrangements to add to your repertoire!) (Instructor: Sarah Morgan)
Wonderful Welsh Hymns (advanced Novice & Up). Some of the most majestic hymns in our hymnbooks today got their start in Wales. This is a repertoire workshop in which we will learn arrangements of Welsh tunes that have become wonderful hymns - "Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah," "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise," "All Through the Night," and, if there is time, a few lesser known hymns as well. Fingering is relatively easy in most of these pieces, but there is some cross-picking involved in a couple. Capo needed for one tune.(Instructor: Joe Collins)
Pre-Registration - before February 11, 2012
Workshop, Lunch, and all concerts: $40 (NO LONGER AVAILABLE)
Registration - $50 dollars after February 11, including paying at the door. Does not include lunch, but lunch will be available for $7 as long as the food lasts. Those who pre-register will go through the line first.
For registration forms, directions, and the interface to pay online click HERE.
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Bill Collins has been in love with the Appalachian dulcimer for 20 years, and is equally passionate about playing, teaching, and learning. In his performing and teaching, he seeks to focus on bringing out the dulcet qualities inherent in the dulcimer and on expanding the repertoire of music played on the instrument. Bill has conducted more than 50 dulcimer workshops at festivals in Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, Connecticut, and West Virginia, and has taught week-long sessions at Augusta Spring Dulcimer Week and Shenandoah University. He also offers private lessons. He has been a featured concert artist at several festivals and has performed at weddings, receptions, in museums, and at private functions. He has written four books of dulcimer arrangements: collections of Shaker tunes, O’Carolan tunes, and Irish jigs, and a book of challenging arrangements for the advanced player. He has composed over a dozen pieces for the instrument, several of which are featured on a CD entitled The Sum of the Parts, a recording of dulcimer solos and duets performed by Bill and 2008 National Mountain Dulcimer Champion Nina Zanetti. |
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Joe Collins began playing the dulcimer in the late 70s and has been a popular instructor/performer in festivals around the country for over a decade. He has five recordings and has had 9 popular tab books to his credit as well as a number of championships, including the 2007 National Mountain Dulcimer Championship. Joe loves teaching and has a doctorate in Adult Education. In addition to teaching dulcimer, he teaches Sunday School at his church and Discipleship Studies at Gardner-Webb University. Thus he has plenty of opportunity to share the two greatest passions in his life: his music and his faith in Christ.
By the way, Joe is not related to Bill as far as we know.
Links: Joe's Website |
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Michael Shull plays a wide variety of musical styles, but he specializes in mountain gospel, Appalachian based music and hymns. Each year he performs throughout the southeast, and has won numerous awards with his captivating playing and arranging of old-time favorites. Dulcimer championships for Michael include the Southern Regional, the Mid-Eastern Regional, and Georgia State among others. He was also a finalist in the National Mountain Dulcimer Championship twice. |
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TNT (The Nutty Trio), composed of Ginny Cliett, Linda Smith and Deby Libby, began playing mountain dulcimers together in October 2006. Since that time, they have produced three CDs, 18 tablature packages (multi-part arrangements), three tab collections on CD and a new series of teaching materials called, Jammin’ with TNT, that includes an instructional book and, at present, 10 packages of jam cards with 24 tunes in each set (purchased separately). TNT has a varied repertoire and enjoys “team teaching” and performing at festivals and dulcimer events.
Links: TNT's Website |
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Alan Darveaux was born in 1946 in Connecticut. He grew up on Long Island Sound. His interest in acoustic music started in high school and led to a college group known as the "Newcomers". The dulcimer caught his eyes and ears while visiting friends at Berea College in KY back in 1967. He left Berea with all the information, books and records he could find on the dulcimer. Since then he has eagerly sought as much history, lore and makers of the dulcimer as he can fit into his life. Links: Alan's Website |
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Sarah Morgan
started her musical journey when she was just 7 years of age. With the
encouragement of her her parents and under the tutelage of a
wonderful music teacher, June Goforth, Sarah has fallen in love with
mountain dulcimer over the years. Now at 17, Sarah's musical style
embodies her respect and joy of folk music with a unique and creative
approach to arranging. Backing traditional Appalachian melodies with
fresh harmonies and chords, she lends a new feel to seemingly "old"
tunes. She also has adapted unconventional pieces, such as opera,
rag-time and contemporary music to the dulcimer. Sarah has taught and performed throughout the Southeast, including many dulcimer and music festivals, house concerts, dulcimer clubs, and heritage gatherings. She’s a regular teacher at the Knoxville Area Dulcimer Club, where she serves on the Board of Directors. In July of 2010 she released her debut album, "Simply Sarah."
When she was 16, Sarah received 3rd place at the National Mountain
Dulcimer Championship. She has also won other contests including the
Mid-Eastern, Kentucky State, the Southern Regional and the dulcimer
competition at Uncle Dave Macon Days. |
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Bradley Ellis
is the 2012 National Mountain
Dulcimer Champion, the youngest champion in the 40-year history of the
event held every year in Winfield, KS. He is a student of several
instruments including piano and saxophone, and he has played the
dulcimer for five years. At the age of seven, Bradley was in the living
room with his grandfather, whom he calls Paw Ray, and started strumming
a dulcimer. Paw Ray Anthony makes dulcimers, so he asked Bradley if he
wanted to learn how to play the instrument. He got on the floor with his
grandson and the rest is history.
Bradley has many opportunities to play for events in the area even as a 12-year old, and it looks like those opportunities are just going to keep on expanding. This festival will be his debut in leading a workshop as he teams up with Joe Collins. Bradley has been a member of the Foothills Dulcimer Club of Shelby for as long as he has been playing the dulcimer, and we are so proud of this amazing young musician. |
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We have not reserved a block of rooms in any of the following hotels. As far as I know, all of these hotels are in pretty good shape and are moderately priced. The newest hotel is the Holiday Inn, followed by the Hampton Inn. You must call the hotel to make reservations.
Hampton Inn (704-482-5666 or 1-800-230-4134)
2012 East Marion St; Shelby, NC 28152
About 4 miles from the workshop.
Holiday Inn Express (704-480-0881 or 1-800-997-5149)
2001 East Dixon Blvd, Hwy 74; Shelby, NC 28152
About 4 miles from the workshop.
Super 8 (704-484-2101 or 1-800-997-5148)
1716 East Dixon Boulevard; Shelby, NC 28152
About 4 miles from the workshop.
Days Inn (704-482-1800)
1431 West Dixon Boulevard; Shelby, NC 28152
About 7 miles from the workshop.
America's Best Value Inn (704-482-3821 or 1-800-997-5148)
825 West Dixon Blvd.; Shelby, NC 28152
About 6 miles from the workshop.
