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An overview of the 2004 event. |
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Stephen
Foster Suwannee River We had eight instructors, 20 workshops, 3 concerts, miscellaneous jam sessions and a group of enthusiastic dulcimists, ... squeezed into two magical days in north Florida. |
This was our lineup of great instructors!
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Anne Lough brings to the stage, school or workshop the finest of traditional music and culture. Anne has a Master’s Degree in Music Education and is equally at home on guitar, autoharp, mountain and hammered dulcimer. Her beautiful clear voice thrills listeners as she brings to life the ballads and folk songs of the Appalachians, American frontier and British Isles. Anne is well known as an instructor and performer of traditional singing, storytelling, folklore, folk dance and the shaped-note tradition, but her repertoire ranges from classical music to old standards, show tunes and sacred music. www.annelough.com |
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Robert Force pioneer of the standing up, overhand style of playing, has
been a performer on the Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer for more than
thirty-five years. He has co-billed with such diverse headliners as Doc Watson,
Norman Blake, the Grisman Quintet, Les Paul and even Zsa Zsa Gabor!
His
book on dulcimer techniques and styles, In Search of the Wild Dulcimer,
published by Random House in 1974 has sold more than 100,000 copies. His
records, books, festivals and appearances have literally influenced
thousands of dulcimer players. Robert makes his home in Port Townsend,
Washington. www.robertforce.com |
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Doug Felt – also known as “The Dead Tree Troll” - is all about playing music, whether at their festival “Bag Lady” booth with wife Lee, or under the trees at a campground or onstage performing at a festival. Doug very seldom misses a chance to play music on his mountain dulcimer, pennywhistle or bodhran (if the beat be right). Doug made his first cardboard dulcimer in 1982 and has been teaching since 1995. www.dulcimerbaglady.com |
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Susan Boyer Haley sings and plays guitar, plucked psaltery and mountain
dulcimer which she learned from her father 30 yrs ago in Missouri, where
her parents owned a music store called Music Folk in Webster
Groves. She’s worked and lived in the deep south for 22 years, 10 of
them in Florida. She married her high school sweetheart Bill, who performs
with her, schedules permitting, frailing an old time banjo. They have two
musical sons and make their home in Clearwater, Florida. |
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Mary Z. Cox, multi-instrumentalist
and winner of numerous instrumental competitions, is a third generation
Floridian who received her first banjo when she was twelve. Her Granddad
Thompson was a professional banjo player and his father was an old
time fiddler from St. Joe, Missouri. His father was Cyclone
Thompson, who rode the Pony Express. Her music has been featured on National
Public Radio's "All Songs Considered."
Today
she lives in Tallahassee, Florida, where she records and plays old time
music with her husband Bob, family and friends. |
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Jan
Milner
has been playing the dulcimer for 20 of the 30 odd year's she's lived in Florida. She
became interested in the instrument when she saw a picture of on in "Smithsonian". Jan purchased her first instrument from Bob Fletcher and taught herself to play. She's attended workshops in West Virginia and North Carolina and developed a love of traditional music, particularly fiddle tunes. Jan has won the dulcimer competition at the Florida Old Time Music Championships on three occasions. |
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Aaron O’Rourke is
relatively new on the scene but makes up for his brief stay on the planet
with a passionate investment in his playing. His exploration of music
began with the bass in a high school rock band but soon switched
to the mountain dulcimer. He has studied with a wide range of dulcimer
masters, recorded with Maddie McNeal (editor Dulcimer Player’s News)
and teaches in Tallahassee. He has won numerous instrumental competitions
and brings a unique flare to his arrangements. His first CD project should
be completed any day now. We bet you’ll be seeing a lot of Aaron in the
coming years, and we’re thrilled to have him with us. |
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David Beede,
of Melrose Florida, is a musician/singer/songwriter has been teaching and
sharing his music with folks of all ages since he built his first dulcimer
in 1973. In concerts, schools, folk festivals, coffee houses and street
corners his music has tickled ears from Florida to Maine... from the Paris
underground to Dublin Radio. David's music ranges from traditional British
Isle folk to original instrumentals and vocals... from the silly to the
sublime. |
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Here are
a few pictures from the 2004 retreat. |
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Jon Williams led five aspiring dulcimer builders through their first experience of birthing a beautiful instrument. You never saw five prettier new born dulcimers, or prouder parents. See more of Jon's work at his web site here: http://williamsdulcimers.com |
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Robert Force's unique stand up "over the top" style (in more ways than one) never fails to attract a crowd. |
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Anne Lough demystified capos and got folks singing with their dulcimers. |
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Lots of questions about Robert's six string dulcimer. |
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Jan Milner sets the tone for the Saturday afternoon concert. |
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Susan Boyer Haley coaxes some sweet singing out of a feel good audience. |
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An inspired version of "Yellow Bird" - percussion
is a banana shaker, of course.
(Thanks to Kim Lippy for creating and providing the lovely backdrop quilts.) |
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Mary Z. Cox was often seen playing that very banjo shaped dulcimer (no it's not a banjimer - it's a real banjo) and she sure makes it sound sweet with whoever she plays with. |
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David Beede shows off his "boatcimer" number 1... he says "it really rocks." ouch! |
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A tribute to the flexibility of the human spirit David shares his tune about having the blues because he can't get the blues... "the ain't got the blues, blues." |
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Doug Felt wows a full house. |
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A mystery puppy named Zora takes Doug for a walk. |
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All canines were leashed and well behaved! |
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Zora takes a horn lead line on one of David's tunes... |
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Aaron O'Rourke and his friend Mickey Abraham amazed everyone with their edgy approach to tunes... Whiskey before breakfast as a jazzy air... a funky klezmer-ish Old Joe Clark... and a Gershwin tune you wouldn't believe. |
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Aaron sold out of his first batch of CDs, here he's getting used to giving autographs. |
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The "Columbia County Boys" played at the open mike. Our raffling of CDs at the evening concerts raised enough for 3 youth/elder scholarships for next year! |
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We heard rumors Robert didn't always show up on film...? |
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Aaron and David back up Robert on "Salvador Do Bahia" by Al d'Ossche. |
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Robert teaches Aaron to scat sing... sort of... |
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Robert struts a stylish exit... |
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The finale and big thank you-s to Wendy, Larry,
Martha, Bryan, Courtney, Misty, Joy and all the folks behind
the scenes who made the weekend a grand success!
Also a huge thank you to Jon Kay who started this event. We're hoping he might be able to join us as an instructor next year! If anyone would like to email me some of their photos of this event, I'll try to post them. david@floridafolkfestival.com |