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Step By Step
Back in “the day”, I could run up and down stairs with no problem. I actually took the photo below, before racing up those stairs as fast as I could – excited to see the view from the top. But today, climbing stairs is more challenging for me. I use the excuse of my age (I’m closing in on 80), but that’s just an excuse really. If I worked harder at keeping myself physically fit, I could do it easily as I have no real physical limitations or mobility issues.
I wonder if I do the same with my d…
Are You Wearing the Right Shoes?
Mike and I are campers. We lived full-time in an RV for almost 10 years, and today we still go camping for 4-6 weeks at a time. Each time we set up at a new campground, our dog wants to go for a walk to explore. (We like to say she wants to read the newspaper and get the scoop on all the other campers’ dogs.) I always want to go along on the exploration tour, but in hot weather, I’m often wearing sandals or flip flops.
Sometimes I get in a hurry because I’m afraid Mike and Peachie will leave w…
You Need to Have an Itinerary
Mike and I spent 6 months on the road with our little travel trailer in 2009. We had no particular destination in mind … we just went wherever the wind took us. We liked to tell people that our itinerary was to have NO itinerary. The main thing we did was travel to follow bluegrass festivals, and we toggled between Tennessee and Kentucky for at least 3 months.
Now that philosophy was fine for a “time out” from our real life. (We were between jobs as opening managers for newly constructed self-…
Don't Ride the Brakes
Have you ever been in the car with someone who constantly rides the brakes? The vehicle jerks forward and then abruptly slows down over and over, creating a bumpy ride. Instead of driving at a steady speed that would result in a smoother journey, the driver continues to speed up then tap on the brakes compulsively. Before you know it, your stomach begins to churn along with the lurching, prompting you to casually open a window for some fresh air to prevent any unwanted consequences.
What the …
Mind Mapping
There’s a new (to me) buzzword … mind map. A musical mind map is a diagram that represents the aspects of a tune you are learning. It can include the structure (Parts A & B), chords, melody line, lyrics, history of the tune, and the composer by using colors, symbols, pictures and words.
Simply put, a mind map is a flow chart that can help you learn a tune. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve been finding it more difficult to see my music … neither my reading glasses nor my driving glasses help. Rather t…
DulcimerCrossing Features Update
The point of the Courses, Modules and Lessons in DulcimerCrossing is that you can go through them at your own speed, at your own convenience.
But, we all know that Connection with a Community of Learners can help motivate us when we are discouraged, can suggest new ideas, point out discoveries that can produce our own "aha!" moments; can help us get clarity when we are confused; and provide commiseration when we are overwhelmed.
We have a couple of NEW FEATURES in the Navigation that can h…
The Positive Impact of Reflection
Some of you meet with a dulcimer teacher face to face every week or perhaps monthly. Others of you have a subscription to an online dulcimer video-teaching program, like the one we offer at Dulcimer Crossing. Many of us gather at jam sessions, travel to workshops, and attend virtual festivals online. And you may think that’s enough. You have what you need to progress.
Well, it’s true you have the advantage over people who don’t participate in any of the activities above. But I think there’s one…
Mindset Matters
According to psychologists, there are two types of mindsets … the fixed mindset and the growth mindset.
People with the fixed mindset believe that the level they are at in their musical development is exactly where they are going stay. Such people hold themselves back from learning new things and actually stop trying. They believe their skills and abilities are unchangeable, unable to be improved upon, and there’s no need to try.
On the other hand, people with a growth mindset think they c…
Earliest Resonator Dulcimer Photo?
Thanks to the sleuthing of Butch Ross in the DPN (Dulcimer Players New) Archives, Park Gortney, from E. Sparta, Ohio, has come to my attention!
When I wrote and published my Dulci-Bro: Methods & Resources for Playing Resonator Dulcimer, in 2019, I included the known history at the time, which suggested that the Kentucky instrument builder, Homer Ledford, had produced the earliest version of a dulci-bro or resonator dulcimer. It turns out that his photo is dated in the first half of the year o…
Find a Music Mentor
FIND A MUSIC MENTOR
by Linda Ratcliff
I would love for every person who wants to learn to play the dulcimer to have a private teacher … someone they meet with every week or at least twice a month. But that just isn’t possible for many (most?) of us. But here’s another option. Find a music mentor.
So you might be saying, “What on earth is a music mentor?” Well, here are some basics.
- A musician who lives or plays near where you live
- Someone whose skills and techniques you admire
- A person w…
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