! Jody Marshall on the Hammered Dulcimer www.jodymarshall.net Jody Marshall, a native of the Washington, D. C. area, grew up in a musical family. Enchanted by the sound and visual appeal of the hammered dulcimer, she developed a passion for the instrument and began playing in the late 1980 s. Her performance credits include the White House, the Kennedy Center, and Wolf Trap s Filene Center for the Performing Arts. Jody was a founding member of the popular folk trios, Ironweed and MoonFire, and also performed extensively with the award-winning ensemble, Connemara. She is also a popular dulcimer teacher, and has been on the faculty of many festivals and arts workshops across the nation and overseas. From 2010 to 2014, she was the staff coordinator of the Augusta Heritage Center s Spring Music Week in Elkins, West Virginia. The Washington Post describes Jody s music as lovely, lively, and shimmering. She has several recordings to her credit, including Cottage in the Glen (on the Maggie s Music label) and Carol of the Bells. She is also the author of the book, Carol of the Bells: Seasonal Favorites for Hammered Dulcimer and Other Instruments. Jody will offer the following hammered dulcimer sessions.
Session One: Novice E-Z Christmas Favorites; Beautiful Holiday tunes and duets Session Two: All Levels, Novice and Up Celtic Melodies: Simple but beautiful Celtic tunes Session Three: Intermediate/Advanced Special Effects: Enhance your playing with cool tricks! Session Four: Intermediate/Advanced Back up a Jig, Reel, and Waltz: Specific ideas for accompanying different tunes. Come join Jody and other guest instructors at the Heartland Dulcimer Fest on November 6-7. For more information go to www.heartlanddulcimerclub.org
! Aaron O Rourke on the Mountain Dulcimer www.aaronorourke.com Aaron O'Rourke began teaching and performing on mountain dulcimer at the age of 16. In a short period of time, Aaron became one of the headlining names at many dulcimer festivals across the country including, Dulcimer Week at the Augusta Heritage Center (David & Elkins College) in Elkins, WV, Kentucky Music Week in Bardstown, KY, Redwood Dulcimer Day in Santa Cruz, CA, Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival in Middletown, CT, Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat in White Springs, FL and many more. To date, Aaron has authored nine instructional books for mountain dulcimer. In 2010, Aaron won the National Mountain Dulcimer Competition held at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS. Aaron is also a past winner in the Florida Old-time music competition held in Dade City, FL and the Southeastern Regional Dulcimer Contest in Mountain View, AR. As the front man of the Aaron O Rourke Trio, a group consisting of mountain dulcimer, fiddle and upright bass that melds the sounds of traditional Irish and Old-Time music with classically influenced arrangements and original compositions, he has headlined many folk and progressive acoustic music festivals in the southeast including the Florida Folk Festival, Gamble Rogers Folk Festival, and Stringbreak Festival. In 2007, the group released its debut self-titled album which received high praise from the likes of David Grisman and Dulcimer Players News. The album is currently available on David Grisman s
digital record label, Acoustic Oasis. In 2012, the current line-up, featuring Katie Geringer on fiddle and Erik Alvar on bass, released its debut CD, Syzygy on Gatorbone Records. Aaron will share his expertise on the mountain dulcimer by offering the following classes: Session One: Intermediate/Advanced Incorporating rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic variations to common tunes Session Two: All Levels Left hand exercises to improve speed and dexterity for all levels Session Three: Intermediate/Advanced Flat-picking and Pyrotechnics with a review of the basics before getting into hot licks and fancy tricks Session Four: Novice Creative accompaniment ~ make any jam or ensemble instantly sound better! Join Aaron and other instructors at the Heartland Dulcimer Fest on November 6-7. For more information go to www.heartlanddulcimerclub.org
! Karen Mueller on the Autoharp www.karenmueller.com Karen Mueller, from Minneapolis, MN, bridges many autoharp and mountain dulcimer traditions to form her own dynamic style. She grew up in Winfield, KS, home of the Walnut Valley Festival, where she was introduced to the dulcimer and autoharp and began to play them as a teenager. She started with melody picking fiddle tunes on the autoharp, and then learned the progressive dulcimer tunes on the "Pacific Rim Dulcimer Project" record, featuring Neal Hellman and Force & d'ossche. From there she began developing her own arrangements of Appalachian and Celtic music, as well as pop, jazz, and original material. Karen took first place in the International Autoharp Championship and was a finalist in the National Mountain Dulcimer competition, both at Winfield in the mid-1980s. Today she is a full-time performer and instructor, and has travelled throughout the US and in England. She has taught at the Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering, Kentucky Music Week, the Augusta Heritage Center, the Northeast Dulcimer Symposium, and more, and is a co-founder of Seattle Autoharp Week. Karen has released six solo recordings and several instruction books, including Mel Bay Publishing s Celtic Autoharp, and "Favorite Dulcimer Arrangements." She is an active teacher of private lessons, school classes and residencies, and also performs with Irish singer Katie McMahon, the original lead singer from Riverdance. In demand as a multi-instrumentalist, she plays and teaches guitar, mandolin, ukulele and Irish bouzouki in addition to dulcimer and autoharp.
In 2006 Karen was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame, and in 2012, she received a McKnight Artist Fellowship, one of the top honors for musicians in Minnesota, awarded to only four musicians each year from any genre. Karen has also performed the challenging Blackberry Winter dulcimer concerto twice with Minnesota orchestras. Karen will share her expertise of the autoharp by offering various leveled classes as well as a mountain dulcimer class. Session One: Beginning Getting Started on the Autoharp includes tuning, holding, strumming and more! Session Two: Novice Autoharp Learn strum patterns and be introduced to melody picking Session Three: Intermediate/Advanced Autoharp Melody Picking familiar songs and fiddle tunes Session Four: All Levels Mountain Dulcimer Beautiful New Waltzes with chords, melody, fingerpicking, and recent compositions. Join Karen and other instructors at the Heartland Dulcimer Fest on November 6-7. For more information go to www.heartlanddulcimerclub.org
Mountain Dulcimer with Jeff Furman jefffurman.com Jeff is an award-winning mountain dulcimer player known for his smooth and expressive style. His gentle, humorous, and effective teaching style has made him a popular and highly-rated instructor at numerous mountain dulcimer workshops across the country. Jeff is a multi-instrumentalist who has been playing Old-Time music since 1980. Primarily a banjo player for many years, he developed a rhythmic and melodic style which has influenced his dulcimer playing. He has an extensive repertoire of old-time fiddle music which crosses over to a strong interest in Celtic music. He has a particular fondness for waltzes and Celtic airs on the dulcimer. Jeff has performed individually, with his wife, Janet, and with several old-time string bands for over 30 years. His technical abilities, quick ear, and musical sensitivity have made Jeff a popular choice for playing on multiple recordings, including music from Ireland, Scotland, the Appalachian Mountains, and American folk tunes. Jeff describes himself as a musician with a day job! He resides in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Jeff shares his love of the mountain dulcimer with something for everyone!
Session One: Beginning Getting a good sound from your dulcimer Right and left hand building blocks/ techniques. Session Two: Novice Improve your fingering, and learn how to enhance your smoothness, efficiency, and tone. Session Three: All Levels Improve your strum and rhythm with an emphasis on smoother strums, improved right hand control and rhythmic variations. Session Four: Intermediate/Advanced Play above the 7 th fret, and explore playing higher up the fretboard, with and without the capo. Join Jeff as well as other instructors at the Heartland Dulcimer Fest on November 6-7. For more information go to www.heartlanddulcimerclub.org
Jeni Balcom on the Irish Harp jenibalcom@gmail.com Jeni Balcom has been playing and teaching harp in the Greater Cincinnati area for 15 years. She became interested in learning harp after hearing a harper perform at a festival, and so began lessons at Cincinnati's Riley School of Irish Music, where she went on to become a teacher and administrator of the school. Jeni plays Traditional Irish dance tunes, and also plays accompaniment for other melody players. Her playing is based in the old tradition but is contemporary in chord choice and rhythm. Jeni has been fortunate to attended workshops with Irish harping greats Gráinne Hambly and Máire Ní Chathasaigh, but lessons with Michelle Mulcahy for three consecutive summers inspired and shaped her playing the most. Jeni has performed at many tri-state area festivals, is a founding member of the Berea Celtic Festival, and often performs in the Tri-State area with Liam's Fancy from Lexington, Kentucky. Jeni also plays concertina, and dabbles in piano accompaniment. Jeni will be offering the following Folk Harp classes at the Heartland Dulcimer Fest on November 6-7.
Session One: Beginning Basic harp techniques and exercises to a build strong foundation Session Two: Novice Irish Tunes and arrangements learned by ear Session Three: Intermediate/Advanced Exploring chord and rhythm ideas Session Four: Intermediate/Advanced Exploring types of Irish ornamentation and their uses. Join Jeni and other instructors for a fun filled day of learning. For more information go to www.heartlanddulcimerclub.org
Richard Ash on the Ukulele RicardAsh.com Richard is an experienced teacher and performer. He s delighted students and audience members at festivals and music events across the country, from Florida to Michigan, and California to New Jersey. From a kindergarten classroom to the stage at Carnegie Hall, to a festival near you, Richard has worked his magic on thousands of students and concertgoers. He has a background in classical music, and still whips out a bassoon or a saxophone nowadays. But more likely, you ll see him with a dulcimer or a ukulele. He enjoys the traditional folk music, with the simpler harmonies, the stories, and the sheer joy that the music brings to an audience. Richard is the owner of Folkcraft Instruments of Woodburn, Indiana. It is the one of the oldest and most respected musical instrument manufacturers in the country. Folkcraft specializes in mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, and number of other traditional instruments. For more information on Richard, visit RichardAsh.com, and for more information on Folkcraft instruments, visit Folkcraft.com
Richard will teach the following two ukulele classes. Come join in the fun! Session Two: Beginning Learn to Play the Uke: join in the fun with just 4 strings! Session Three: Novice Traditional tunes from the southern Appalachians Join Richard and other instructors at the Heartland Dulcimer Fest on November 6-7. For more information go to www.heartlanddulcimerclub.org
Uilleann Pipes, Flutes, and Whistles Cathy Wilde Cathy Wilde has been playing music for nearly 40 years, starting with classical flute. On her first visit to Ireland in 1987, she bought a tin whistle. Little did she know it was the start of a lifelong obsession with the music of the Celtic lands of Ireland, Scotland, Brittany, and Galicia. A few years later, Cathy took up the wooden simple-system flute. Played in the orchestras of the 1800 s, these instruments were abandoned to junk shops and charities after the advent of the modern silver flute; from there the castoff instruments were taken up y Irish musicians and are now often known as Irish flutes. In 2007, Cathy found her true love: the Irish bellows-blown Uilleann (Irish for union or elbow ) bagpipes. Pronounced ill-yun and known as the Irish pipe organ or humorously as the Irish octopus, the uilleann pipes are quieter and more mournful than their Highland-pipe relatives. They re also much more versatile, and are considered the most difficult of all instruments to play. Cathy is a member of several bands including the Kentucky greengrass favorite, Cloigheann, and plays at festivals around the Midwest as well as on various radio and television programs. She has studied with uilleann piping legends Mick O Brien, Paddy Keenan, Tommy Keane, and Eamonn Dillon among others. When not working her day job or
traveling for music, Cathy shares a small farm in Shelbyville, Kentucky with carefully selected animals willing to tolerate her bagpipe playing. Cathy will offer sessions that include the tin whistle and Irish Flute Session One: Beginning Tin Whistle Keep the Zen in Mind with an Irish tin whistle for absolute beginners. Bring a tin whistle in D, a recording device, and an open mind. Session Two: Novice Tin Whistle Beyond the Scale. You ll learn an air and perhaps a polka or jig. Bring a tin whistle in D and a recording device. Session Three: Intermediate/Advanced Tin Whistle Learn cuts, taps, rolls, slide, and most importantly phrasing! Bring a tin whistle in D and a recording device. Session Four: Beginning Novice Irish Flute Bring an Irish or concert flute (A=440) and a recording device and work on adding an Irish accent to your flute playing.. Join Cathy and other instructors at the Heartland Dulcimer Fest on November 6-7. For more information go to www.heartlanddulcimerclub.org
! Lorinda Jones on the Folk Harp and Mountain Dulcimer lorinda@lorindajones.com Performing on the Celtic Harp and Mountain Dulcimer, Lorinda transports an audience to a place that may remind them of their ancestral roots, a place of peace and tranquility. Performances reflect Lorinda s background in performing, music education, and music therapy, and are informative and engaging, whether on a concert stage, classroom, retreat, or festival event. Audiences of all ages enjoy the Historic Charm of Lorinda s music. As an adjudicated member of the Kentucky Arts Council Arts on Tour Directory, Lorinda is recognized not only in the state, but also nationally. She began performing on the piano at an early age, and soon progressed to other instruments including years of classical music study on the oboe. But it is her passion for American folk music that has been a common thread in her varied pursuits for the past twenty years as a performing and recording artist, and music therapist. Locally, Lorinda leads the Heartland Dulcimer Club, the Heartland Harp ensemble, hosts a traditional music festival, and has taught many, many students how to play both the
mountain dulcimer and folk harp. Nationally, Lorinda teaches and performs at music camps and festivals all across the nation, including the prestigious John C Campbell Folk School, Augusta Heritage Week, and many more. She is the author of numerous music books, 3 of which are published by Mel Bay Publishing Company, as well as several CD recordings, and most recently a combination audio CD and relaxation DVD, Celtic Passages. As a music therapist, Lorinda reaches populations beyond the concert stage in schools, assisted living facilities and through related work with the Very Special Arts Kentucky and The Kentucky Center s, Arts-In-Healing program. Lorinda performs solo and in a Celtic duo with Cathy Wilde, and numerous other ensembles and groups. From the ancient repertoire of the Celtics, to old time music of the American Appalachians, and bits of popular music, concerts are sure to please! As accomplished musician, Lorinda offers classes on the folk harp and mountain dulcimer. Session One: Intermediate Folk Harp Enjoy ensemble playing while learning a Scottish tune. Session Two: Intermediate Mountain Dulcimer Learn to play some great mountain modes and tunes without retuning! Bring your capo. Session Three: Novice Mountain Dulcimer Easy duets for two dulcimers using single melody lines and simple chords. Join Lorinda and other instructors at the Heartland Dulcimer Fest on November 6-7. For more information go to www.heartlanddulcimerclub.org
Cathy Barton on the Banjo & Hammered Dulcimer and Dave Para on the Banjo & Guitar dpara@iland.net Cathy Barton and Dave Para s dynamic performances are acclaimed for their variety and expertise in both vocal and instrumental styles. Their repertoire and informal audience rapport are marked by a special affection for traditional music. Their more than 35 years of playing together has taken them to festivals, clubs, concert halls, schools and recording and media studios across the United States and five European tours. Their audiences are as diverse as their repertoire. A versatile duo, Dave and Cathy perform and conduct workshops with hammered and fretted dulcimers, banjo, guitars and Autoharp, as well as found instruments like bones, spoons, mouthbow and leaf. Their music ranges from driving string band music to contemplative ballads and airs. They have a knack for finding unusual, rarely heard songs from traditional and contemporary sources in their home region, but also from elsewhere in the US and Europe. They have conducted many topical workshops on songs from the Carter family, the Civil War, river lore, gospel, children s songs, Christmas music and Ozark ballads. Cathy a protégé of Roy Acuff, Jimmie Driftwood and Grandpa Jones will offer an array of classes on the hammered dulcimer, banjo, and singing.
Session One: Intermediate/Advanced Hammered Dulcimer Arrange interesting tune medleys with key changes, dynamics, tempos for use in concert or dance settings. Come to learn new tunes! Session Two: Intermediate/Advanced Hammered Dulcimer Waltzes with an American Rivers theme that include embellishments, variations, and color for 3/4 time tunes. Session Three: Novice Banjo Basic frailing, simple chords in G and C, and easy tunes. Session Four: All Levels~Singing Cathy Barton and Dave Para will dedicate their Sing-Along session to a Sing Out Pete Seeger one of America s greatest folksingers. Lyric sheets with chords will provided. Dave Para s amazing repertoire of traditional songs and stories, and presence on the banjo and guitar will be a learner s paradise. Session One: Beginning Banjo An introduction to the Clawhammer Banjo with strokes and simple tunes. Session Two: Novice Guitar Old-Time Back-Up Guitar: bass lines rhythm patterns, voicing, timing Session Three: Intermediate Flat-picking fiddle tunes and cool dance tunes that are not too hard! Session Four: All Levels Dave and Cathy Barton salute Pete Seeger Join Cathy and Dave as well as other instructors at the Heartland Dulcimer Fest on November 6-7. For more information go to www.heartlanddulcimerclub.org