Classes (2023) - Beginners start here
There will be four sessions each day (plus an Early Bird Special). The classes you select will be the classes you attend every day (Sun.-Wed.) at that time. The exceptions are the Early Bird Specials, which are different each day.
7-8 AM (before breakfast)
Early Bird Specials
Sunday
Sunday Morning Hymn Sing
- with -
Joe Collins
Sing your favorites together.
Monday-Wednesday
Jam Before Breakfast
- with -
each other
Join an early-morning jam.
General Sessions
Sessions 1 through 4
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SESSION 1
MOUNTAIN DULCIMER
Classic Hymns for Beginners
Joe Collins
Even as beginners, we can play some great, old hymns on the mountain dulcimer. In this class, we’ll play some by Fanny Crosby, Charles Wesley, and plenty others while talking about effective ways to play these hymns in church and other settings.
Throw a Wrench in There
Butch Ross
Learn how to properly, and “cooly”, mess up a tune; extra notes, early beats, learn where and when to add embellishments and "fancy" notes. Play a fiddle tune like a fiddler would.
Dressing Up Your Music (Int.)
Linda Brockinton
Using hammer ons, pull offs, trills and changing the timing. We will also learn about chords, their names and shapes.
Traditional Ballads and Songs
Don Pedi
A variety of ballads and songs from Appalachia and across the pond.
Hard Stuff Made Easy (Advanced Beginner)
Susan Trump
Left hand fingerings, chord shapes, and right-hand strumming patterns and rhythms can be overwhelming. We’ll demystify them all and let you enjoy your music even more! DAD Tuning
FULL - Do Not Fret Over Your 1.5 Fret
Lorinda Jones
This class will begin with song arrangements to get you familiar with using the 1.5 fret, and then go into how the 1.5 fret adds so much to your repertoire. You will have a book of tunes by the end of the class with arrangements in D Major, D Minor, G Major, and G Mixolydian keys. From simple one note additions to chords, you will be loving your 1.5 fret by the end of the course!
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SESSION 1
HAMMERED DULCIMER
Unlocking Your Dulcimer (New Beginner)
Rick Thum
You will learn the basics needed to start playing your dulcimer. You do not need to read music. I will show you the tricks to make learning a song easier and your first embellishments. You will understand how your instrument works and will be able to make it sound like what made you want to play it. Come get started and more.
FULL - Christmas Is Coming and I Can’t Even Play Jingle Bells! – (Beg./Int.)
Ilace Mears
You can after this class – and several other holiday favorites as well. Add accessible embellishments and techniques; make medleys. Impress your friends and neighbors. They’ll smile and throw money (maybe).
FULL - Rhythmic Tomfoolery (Int.)
Tina Bergmann
We'll explore all manner of exercises with rhythmic twists and turns to broaden and deepen your rhythmic and syncopation vocabulary. With exercises that are presented in order of difficulty, you’ll be grounded in a steady pulse on different parts of the beat so your syncopation can be solid. We’ll learn a few tunes that have different kinds of syncopation, and you’ll learn techniques to help you count tricky rhythms more reliably.
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SESSION 1
BANJO
Mountain Banjo
Josh Goforth
Just a drum with a hunk of wood and strings attached but oh the possibilities! This class will explore the banjo styles of Western North Carolina. From clawhammer to 2 finger, you will become familiar with the rhythmic and melodic sounds that a banjo can produce. We will go through topics such as technique, timing, practice, ear training and much, much more. Skill level for the class will be determined.
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SESSION 1
UKULELE
12 Essential Strums For Ukulele
Lil Rev
Learn 12 of the most user-friendly strums that you'll need to play bluegrass, old time, folk, country, swing, blues, rock, reggae, calypso and more. We'll learn the strums and try em out with some fun singable favorites. PDF provided for download prior to the festival.
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SESSION 1
ORCHESTRA
Counts as a 2-session class - sign up for both!
Let's Form an Orchestra! (All instruments - Novice and Up)
Judy House
A totally different concept from what we’ve been doing all these years, let’s learn the ins and outs of playing multiple parts all at the same time. Thrilling? You betcha! Come see what all the hoopla is about. Spend 2 hours a day learning new music, performance skills, and loads about playing with others! You don’t want to miss this!
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SESSION 2
MOUNTAIN DULCIMER
Old-Time Sacred Songs
Don Pedi
Come sing and/or play Sacred Songs from the mountains and beyond.
Get off on the wrong foot (Beginners)
Butch Ross
There are wonderful tried-and-true methods of learning the dulcimer that many great instructors are teaching in person and online… Well, we ain’t gonna do NONE of them. This is a decidedly non-traditional approach to getting started on dulcimer OR a just great way to supplement what you already know.
FULL - Using Accompaniment Tracks with Your Dulcimer (Int./Adv.)
Joe Collins
Each day in this class you will play a different song with an accompaniment track made for it. You will receive a recording of those tracks and be given permission to use them in your own performances. If time permits, Joe will share some of the processes and tools he uses to create those tracks.
FULL - Beautiful Arpeggios (Int.)
Dave Haas
Improve your play of slow songs in a smooth and melodic style. Discover left and right-hand techniques which facilitate smooth play. Explore ways of adding expression and feeling to your play. Learn how to provide backup accompaniment for others playing slowly. Incorporate these techniques to popular melodies you already know. All new material for 2023. DAD
FULL - Duets and More (Intermediate and up)
Susan Trump
Playing together is great fun and develops listening skills, which will improve your playing. The class includes varied repertoire with two parts and some bass and rhythm parts. DAD Tuning
FULL - The Classical Mountain Dulcimer (Int.)
Bing Futch
We’ll take some of the music from great composers like Beethoven, Mozart, Pachelbel, and Haydn, we’ll assign easy single-note parts to different sections, and then, together, we’ll make a joyful noise in triumphant harmony! Along the way, we'll learn composition fundamentals and also take a look at arranging for mountain dulcimer.
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SESSION 2
HAMMERED DULCIMER
Learning to Manage Performance Anxiety (All Levels)
Mary Lynn Michal
You may have wondered, "Am I the only one who gets nervous playing in front of others?" (you are NOT!) Do your hands shake so badly you drop your hammers? Can't even remember how the tune goes? It's totally OK to be nervous—it's how we learn to manage the jitters that is important. Let's learn some strategies in a supportive environment where we can test the waters of performing for your peers. Come with a couple of tunes you know well. All levels welcome; class limited to 12 participants.
Arranging for Success – Int. and up
Ilace Mears
Fill your arranging toolbox with lots of options for customization. Bring a tune you’d like to make your own, then experiment with an assortment of methods to create your unique and personal interpretation. It’s always good to have options....
Hammered Dulcimer Road Map (Beg.)
Jim Miller
An introduction to the layout of the hammered dulcimer. Covers major and minor scales and chords. Includes hammer patterns for practicing both scales and chords.
FULL - Old Time Rags
Ken Kolodner
Doc Watson would have had his 100th birthday this year. Doc was famous for his playing of rags including, of course, Black Mountain Rag (in A) and East Tennessee Blues (in C). We will tackle syncopations, chromatics, lots of fun variations, circle of fifths chord movement, and backup ideas.
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SESSION 2
UKULELE
Fingerpicking 101
Lil Rev
Join Uke master Lil Rev and Learn the ins and outs of pattern playing, arpeggios, and 6 of the most practical picking sequences that you'll need to know including: Alternating thumb, inside/outside, 4-3-2-1, The Pinch, Rev's Banjo Roll, and many more. See the benefits of using Rev's approach to pattern playing for song accompaniment, improv and other great ideas that will foster finger-style proficiency. PDF provided for download prior to the festival.
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SESSION 2
SHAPE NOTE SINGING
Shape Note Singing
Josh Goforth
Western North Carolina has a long history of shape-note singing (an easy method of learning how to read music by applying shapes to notes in the scale). From the haunting melodies of William Walker’s Christian Harmony to the complex, moving parts of Stamps-Baxter Conventional Hymn Books, this class will be an exploration of all things shape-note. Gospel harmony has always been an important part of traditional singing and you’ll get the chance to hear where Josh, along with many others, got their start in music. We will begin by learning the shapes, so no prior experience is required. Get ready to have lots of fun hearing some amazing harmony and experiencing it with a full group in four-part harmony.
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SESSION 2
PERCUSSION
Folk Percussion (All)
Danny Shepherd
Play some fun percussion instruments and improve your rhythms skills. You'll play spoons, washboard, body percussion, and other interesting instruments. We'll play along to a variety of musical styles. I will provide spoons and washboards. You are welcome to bring your own percussion instruments as well.
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SESSION 2
ORCHESTRA
Let's Form an Orchestra
Judy House
Continued from session 1.
(Sign up for both sessions 1 and 2.)
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SESSION 3
MOUNTAIN DULCIMER
Tune Writing Masterclass (Int.-Adv.)
Bing Futch
This workshop is for anyone who has ever wanted to write their own instrumental tune. From idea to first attempts through editing and notating the music for printing, Bing will take students through the entire process as he composes a brand-new tune in class, based on their suggestions! Everyone will leave with the beginnings of a tune (or a complete one).
Old-Time Songs And Tunes
Don Pedi
Traditional Songs and Fiddle Tunes covering a variety of topics. Mostly material not taught in previous years.
Basic Fiddle Tunes (Beg.)
Jim Miller
Easy jam tunes that are commonly played at most jams. Includes TAB and chords.
FULL - Fantastic Fiddle Tunes (Int.)
Dave Haas
Learn wonderful fiddle tunes that are sure to spice up any jam session. Improve your playing of fiddle tunes and faster songs. Learn left and right-hand techniques that facilitate smooth playing. Learn how to easily play in the keys of D, G, A, Em, and C. Explore the use of “chopped” chords to make your backup come alive. Don’t worry about keeping up. We will learn all tunes slowly and then build speed. A capo and smile are required! All new material for 2023. DAD
FULL - How to Play the Dulcimer by Reading Standard Notation
Lorinda Jones
Have you ever wanted to just pick up a piece of music and start playing it on the dulcimer? I love playing the dulcimer from lead sheets, piano music, or any music sans tablature as it gives me the freedom to make my own arrangements as I go, which makes it easier to remember and play by memory! We will begin day one with reviewing how to read music, playing it note by note on the dulcimer, then start to incorporate chords and even writing down our own arrangements by the end of the course!
FULL - Progressive Finger Picking (Beg./Adv. Beg.)
Linda Brockinton
We will start with the Basics and work our way up. Basic chords and timing are a must. You will learn many new tools to help you play beautifully!
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SESSION 3
HAMMERED DULCIMER
Beyond the Simple Tune (Past Beginner and up)
Rick Thum
Harmonies and drones will create movement to your music. You will come out of this class with new techniques to use in all of your songs. Thirds make great harmonies until they don't work. Find out why and how to make them work. Drones create that definitive hammered dulcimer sound. Playing harmonies with drones will make your playing sound magical. This is a fun class with lots of playing. Come have fun learning.
Arranging Pretty Waltzes
Ken Kolodner
We will explore a host of arranging ideas and a backup for two “summer waltzes”: Swedish guitarist Ale Moller’s lovely Summer Waltz and my original Summer’s End.
Ornaments & Performance Techniques for Playing O'Carolan (and Beyond!) (Int./Adv.)
Tina Bergmann
We'll take a more challenging O'Carolan piece and learn techniques to dress it up. A variety of ornaments, both rhythmic and melodic will be taught, discussed, and put into practice. The beauty of this work is once you understand how to do it correctly, you can apply it to any number of other tunes.
FULL - Simple Hymns for Hammered Dulcimer (Advanced Beginner and Up)
Mary Lynn Michal
Students frequently ask me for hymn arrangements to play in church and/or nursing homes. We will learn simple arrangements written by Mary Lynn Michal for well-loved hymns, including many arranging concepts that you can apply to other tunes to make your own arrangements. As promised last year, we will learn "For the Beauty of the Earth" and others.
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SESSION 3
PERCUSSION
The Bodhran (Irish Drum)
Danny Shepherd
This class covers the basics of the Irish drum including technique, Irish music styles, dynamics, changing tone, rolls, and care of the drum. You will need a Bodhran for this class. I will have a limited number of drums to rent. Contact Danny Shepherd to reserve a rental drum at ihitstuf@yahoo.com
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SESSION 3
SONGWRITING
Songwriting and Creative Brainstorming
Josh Goforth
This class will focus on ways to develop a song from the seed of an idea to completion without forcing the process. Through exercises designed to unleash your creativity, we will make it approachable rather than a struggle. Traditional music will be our vehicle, BUT you never know where an idea might lead! All forms of word crafting will be explored as well as how to pair lyrics with music. Let’s write something together!
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SESSION 3
UKULELE
3 Bluegrass & Country Styles For Ukulele
Lil Rev
Join Lil Rev for an exciting class that teaches a wide array of approaches to playing bluegrass & country music on the ukulele. We'll study fiddle tunes, backup ideas, banjo rolls, percussive techniques, muting, repertoire building and jam etiquette. PDF provided for download prior to the festival.
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SESSION 3
ALL INSTRUMENTS
The Secret Language Called “Music” (All Levels / All Instruments)
Judy House
Folks always say that the dulcimer is the easiest instrument to learn to play. Well...yes, it is very simple to work out a melody; however, when you put that tab in front of folks, they often remind me of the deer in headlights. In this class, we will learn the Secret Language Called “Music”. What are all those funny words and symbols splashed across the sheet music or tab? Knowing how to “speak” Music, you will find yourself a much better player with a much better sound, because you will now be able to understand what those funny words / notations mean, or where to go to find more!
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SESSION 4
MOUNTAIN DULCIMER
Musical Hiccups - Int. and up
Butch Ross
Sometimes there are phrases in tunes that have slight syncopations, often due to lyrics. While they may—on the page—seem hard and intimidating, they are as cuddly as a kitty cat, if you know how to tame them. So come learn learn how to go from "bah bah bah bah" to "badup buh-ba ba bada".
FULL - Becoming a Great Dulcimer Player! (Int.-Adv.)
Dave Haas
You are already a very good dulcimer player! You will be challenged with skills necessary to become a great dulcimer player. Discover how to add variation by moving the melody to different regions of the fretboard. Explore the use of harmonics, hammers, pulls, and slides, to add spice to your play. Performance tips, playing with others, and playing without music will also be discussed. Bring a capo and a smile. All new material for 2023. DAD
FULL - Not So Fast (Int.)
Linda Brockinton
The tunes of Scotland and Ireland are often based on sad songs… this will be a class of beautiful tunes with harmonics and other embellishments. Also how to keep your fingers down so you don’t have choppy playing… AND have a blessed day!
FULL - Americana Music - Songs of Stephen Foster, Appalachian Songs and Hymns (Adv. Beg.)
Susan Trump
Let's learn a few songs from one of our most famous composers and those anonymous musicians who gave us the wonderful body of music we call American music. DAD tuning
FULL - Irish Music Sampler (Dulcimers and ALL INSTRUMENTS)
Lorinda Jones
This course covers the variety of music found in the Irish genre of music including, the slow lamentations and songs, dance tunes (different from last year’s course) that work well together as a medley, or set, and even the more common sing along songs that you will hear in Irish pubs. Dulcimer tablature, along with chords and standard notation will be provided and will be the focus of the class, but if you want to bring a different instrument or a friend that plays a different instrument who loves Irish music, we welcome “other” instruments and will have a great time learning and playing together.
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SESSION 4
HAMMERED DULCIMER
Sensitivity Training for More Beautiful Playing – (Int. and up)
Ilace Mears
It takes mental AND physical skills to play smoothly and communicatively. Develop your awareness and your control through exercises and intentional focus. Guaranteed to increase positive feedback!
How to Build a Gorgeous Waltz Arrangement (Int./Adv.)
Tina Bergmann
We'll be building skills to add to your musical “bag o’tricks” while tackling different of types of rolls, rhythmic variations, adding chords in different ways, endings, and general arranging techniques. Using the stunning three-part Slavic Waltz as a vehicle to apply these concepts, we’ll work together to create a fluid arrangement in class. The overarching goal is to build skills to create a fluid arrangement that changes in interesting and subtle ways every time the tune is played instead of locking into a set and static arrangement. This is where the fun really starts, both for the performer and for the listener.
Everyone Loves O'Carolan! (Int./Adv.)
Mary Lynn Michal
Captain O'Kain is a lovely and lesser known piece by Irish composer and harpist Turlough O'Carolan. Newly arranged by Mary Lynn Michal, we will learn the melody and a backup, along with a basic arrangement and more complicated arranging ideas. Written music and video summaries will be provided.
Layering (Intermediate and up)
Rick Thum
Playing great music requires several layers of techniques to be used at the same time. Pulse, beat, rhythm, dynamics, phrasing and more. Understanding Pulse, defines how long our holds are held. It is not a "count", it is a feeling of the pulse. This class will help you develop this skill. Putting these layers together and knowing how to manipulate them will make your playing be very expressive. Learn how to tell a story with your music.
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SESSION 4
NATIVE AMERICAN FLUTE
Learning To Play Native American Flute (ALL Levels)
Bing Futch
This beautiful, haunting, and expressive instrument dates back 4000 years on the North American continent. Originally used in courtship and later in ceremonies and, more recently, ensemble performances, the Native American flute now enjoys great popularity in all types of music. You'll be surprised at just how easy it is to play! In this workshop, you'll learn basics: flute anatomy, how to hold it, breath control, major and minor scales, ornamentation techniques, and how to discover your very own spirit song. If you don't have a flute, contact Bing (bingfutch@yahoo.com) to order one and have it sent to you or brought to the workshop. The key of the flute does not matter if you wish to bring your own.
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SESSION 4
UKULELE
Intermediate Ukulele
Danny Shepherd
Uke class for those already playing songs in several keys. You should already be able to play chords: C, F, C7, Am, G, G7, and D7. You’ll learn more chords, songs, fancy strums, styles, accompaniment patterns, scales, how to read TAB, transpose songs, moveable chord forms, and simple chord melodies.
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SESSION 4
SONGWRITING
Songwriting 101: The Basics. (Novice and above)
Joe Collins
Ever wondered how people go about writing wonderful songs? This class will help you write your own and/or improve the ones you have already started. Joe will be sharing tools and processes he uses that you can adapt to your own musical and lyrical creativity. You do not have to be a great dulcimer player to take this workshop, but a proficiency on any instrument would be helpful.
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SESSION 4
FIDDLE
Old-time fiddle (All levels)
Ken Kolodner
The key to playing old time fiddle is developing a rhythmic bowing style. Using 2-3 tunes, this workshop will focus on several bowing approaches (e.g. Nashville shuffle, 3-1 bowing, bow rocks, string-crossing, ghost bows, mid-bow pulses). To dress up your playing, left-hand ornamentation (e.g. slides, triplets, grace notes, drones, chords etc.) will be addressed. To improve your sound, we will cover right and left-hand technique as needed.
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SESSION 4
GUITAR
Flat Picking Guitar (Int./Adv.)
Jim Miller
Covers pick technique, scales, and chords. Several common fiddle tunes are taught as basic melodies then more "notey" versions.
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SESSION 4
MUSIC PRODUCTION
An Introduction to Recording Music with a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) (Int./Adv.)
Brian Bohlman
In this workshop, you will learn the basic features of the popular Studio One DAW. Recording equipment such as a USB audio box interface, cables, and microphones will also be discussed. You will learn how to record a simple song, add multiple tracks, looping patterns, audio effects, and mixdown to a digital mp3 music file.