2nd Annual Homer Ledford Dulcimer Festival

What an absolute treat this festival was and for so many reasons. There were many quality people there who were teaching, learning, playing, just hanging out, selling pie, and so much more! How Dana R. McCall put this together with less than zero time and minimal support--Amber was "Jane on the spot" as the Administration Team--is beyond me. But pull it off she did! I'm way ahead of myself here because first I had to get there.


I'm still riding the Greyhound Bus to and from NY because it is saving us a lot of money. And really, I belong on a bus. Even though I've ridden a bus before I never knew that I did belong before these trips.

I was traveling from Ft. Leonardwood, MO, to Tampa after Basic Training, and I was on the bus because I was saving money then too, but I don't have any of that money left either. Passengers are not supposed to drink on the bus, but there was a dude on that bus drinking--he had passed out in the back. Nobody knew he was drinking until this little girl started screaming. Her mom, in a panic, started yelling, too. There was some kind of bug that crawled into her ear. I don't remember what kind, but it wasn't a spider or scorpion. But damn, it was in her ear. Anyway, the oldish drunk dude calmly poured his alcoholic beverage in the girl's ear. The bug crawled out and died drunk on the bottom of the dude's shoe.

I've never been a good sleeper. I have nightmares that I cannot shake. I've done a lot of work on me so that I don't have them, and I now I don't have them at the frequency or intensity that I once did. Some guys, though, can crash on the bus with no problem. See how we look alike, me and the guy in red? This is one of the major bus uniforms; I bet you didn't even know such a thing existed. Some of my other favorite uniforms are Amish, single-struggling mother (always with a child or two as a prop), crazy eyes (I do avoid these), and military veteran--usually old and grumpy and this'll be my uniform soon enough. Here is a short post about another's bus experience. And I'm sure there are many more out there. But you know what? I'll be back on the Greyhound next week and anytime after that where I need to travel not too great of distances.


It felt really good to cross the Ohio River and get into Kentucky because I knew that the fun was about to begin, but I had not idea just how much fun was waiting on the other side!


Okay, Jan Potts. She'll probably yell at me a bit for talking about her because she is a pretty private person. But tough. I'll take the tongue lashing because she deserves so many thanks from me for picking me up, housing me, letting me play some of her dulcimers, driving me around, and for introducing me into the Kentucky dulcimer community, which is really rich and vibrant from what I saw this past weekend.


The first thing that Jan did was take me to The fish sandwich place in Lexington. I'm sorry that I told her that the sandwiches would be nothing special. I said this right after I saw the bun. I should have waited until they put the two pieces of fried whitefish on there. I did apologize for saying that she was full of it. I couldn't finish the sandwich because I was full of it.

We talked about life and love and family for a while, and then we went to the store to get some necessaries, like grapes, apples, bananas, tea, and bubbly water.

Then we were off to Winchester, KY, to the Bluegrass Heritage Museum, where Don Pedi (a new, favorite person of mine) was giving a talk on the history and evolution of the Appalachian Dulcimer. If you've never been to the museum you should treat yourself to a visit. There are some great exhibits there, but one of my favorites was the reproduction of Homer Ledford's shop.

Don talked about the birth of the dulcimer in as plain terms as is possible about an instrument with an uncertain start. Not the instrument itself, although I'm sure it did have several iterations before it came to live as it now does. But I mean its beginnings, of which nobody can be certain. I love this about the dulcimer. Sure, we can surmise and hypothesize, but only a silly person would say with certainty from where the dulcimer came. I have to admit, though, that I'm digging for that very information, as are more qualified others, like Ralph Lee Smith, who has a great piece in this months Dulcimer Players News.

Don walked us through the history, which is fluid and can be interpreted in different ways according to Don and with which I agree. But he also showed us a plethora of instruments, some over 100 years old, and he played and played and played. I love it when someone is so into what they do that the love and passion pours from them to spill all those around him. Don was like that.

I got to have a wonderful conversation with Mrs. Ledford. She had such great stories to share. I was amazed that I was the only one taking up her time, but she didn't seem to mind. She told me stories about Homer, and we laughed and laughed. She listened to me and my stories, too, and I showed her the scrollhead that I carved. She appreciated it, and she wished me well. I took it as a blessing from one who has lived inside the craft of making musical instruments and music, although she said she couldn't play a lick of anything even though Homer tried to make her. Really, these moments by themselves would have been worth a bus ride to Kentucky.

We got back to Jan's and played some of her instruments. She also played mine. It really was fun, but I was spent because I was running on just a few hours of sleep in the past 24 hours. So it was off to bed for me.

The next day was pretty spectacular, too, because Jan took me to Boone Station, where the Boones--I had no idea there was more than one--set up in Kentucky. Jan had never been there herself, so we both were excited. We drove up into the "park" and followed the two-track back as far as Jan felt comfortable doing so in her car. When we were leaving the farmer, who I guess owns the place, arms folded and bewildered, was sitting by his truck just watching us. Jan didn't stop.

It took a while to get there, not because it was far but because it was back in the woods. There were one-lane roads and a one-lane bridge. We came to the bridge and a car got to the other side just seconds after we did. Jan and the other driver just sat there. Then Jan revved up the old hybrid and sped onto the bridge; the other car backed off of it. Jan is a teacher, and she knows how to take charge and make a charge!

The drive was really beautiful, and I cannot imagine a better way to spend the day. But there was more, a lot more.

We then went into Berea, where there is much history and no booze, which is confusing because there is the historical Boone's Tavern, which isn't really a tavern at all. But Warren May's shop is in the same area, and we made a visit there because he and Jan are friends. So we got some special treatment, in that we got to play some music together.


I got to talk shop with Mr. May and showed him my peghead--I showed it to anyone who didn't refuse to look at it! It was a really sweet visit that lasted for some time. There was plenty to look at, Mr. May makes furniture and other art objects, as well as Appalacian Dulcimers. And I love that his are all tuned DAA. Mr. May showed me a dulcimer that he had just built from wood that was from a jail that was torn down. The wood was over 100 years old, and the instrument was beautiful.


Jan played for a while, and I'm sure that Mr. May appreciated her doing so because there was a lot of traffic going through his shop. And they were enthralled with her playing because it is so beautiful, effortless and beautiful!

Then we were off to register at the festival and participate in the Friday night jam. It was wonderful to have so many persons jamming, and even though the instructors were there playing along and leading my favorite person at the jam was Val, who met us at the place Friday! She got to jam with the #11 Ledford mandolin, which she loved.

This was my first jam, and it was really nice to play an instrument that I built during it. There were a variety of instruments being played, including the dulcimer, the hammered dulcimer, the fiddle, the guitar, the mandolin, and I want to say the banjo, but I think I'm just making that one up.

So the jam went pretty late into the night--way after it was supposed to, or, at least a few minutes after it was supposed to. It was late when we broke up, for sure.

As people started to arrive I asked them to play my instrument and give me feedback. The Keanes came up from Shreveport, LA, and they played it. The feedback from them was pretty interesting because John liked the lower register, where the action is really, really low. He was a bit bothered by the higher register, though, which has a slightly higher action (of course we're talking tens of thousandths of an inch here). But he is so in tune (hehe) with how he plays that he notices. Karen wasn't bothered at all (she stayed up high for some time), and I loved that she took up the instrument whenever she came in the room. They both appreciated the tone.

Don Pedi paid me a really high compliment when he said that it sounds like a dulcimer because there are so many other instruments that are more guitar-like. He plaid several songs, and then he came back a bit later to play.

I asked Robert Tincher to play my instrument, too, and he played for some time. It was really nice to watch others work the machine because I want feedback. Robert tuned it up and down and really went at it--the Keanes were the most active on the strings, though.

Dan Cox, as in Dulcimore Dan, also got to look at my instrument and play it. While it is certainly not as traditional as Dan's machines are, he still appreciated the craftsmanship and tone. He really liked my scroll head, as did Walter Lay. This is so important to me to be accepted and have my work appreciated by builders who are doing their thing as authentically as I am. And they must see my sincerity because Dan brought over an Uncle Ed Thomas for me to play. Really, Dan. I get to do this now? Well okay!

I am very much into the history and tradition of the Appalachian Dulcimer, knowing that my lineage grew out of the American folk music revival. But Walt acknowledged his roots when he said that his instruments are modeled after the Thomas machines. So I'm taking an amazing journey through history and tradition, and not just in the making of the dulcimer but also in the music that is born out of the instrument.

I also got to play a few Ledford instruments. Robert Tincher was kind enough to let me play his for a while. There were so many really nice instruments there, and I got to play quite a number. Okay, so "play" might not be the right word here, but I definitely got to work 'em over. It is also really nice to see how others are constructing their instruments. Craftsmanship matters to me; I love pretty, regardless of the form in which it comes. Did I tell you that Val is the sports fan in our family? She is a die-hard Boston (anything) fan. I cheer for Boston, too, because I'm also from Middlesex County, MA. But in any other game I really just cheer for the team in the prettiest uniforms.

I took classes all day, and most of those were with Don Pedi. He really is a new hero of mine, and I hope that I can build a relationship with him--he is only just across the mountains from us! An hour up and an hour down and I'm in North Carolina.

I also took a class with Karen Keane; it was a beginner class. What a wonderful classroom demeanor and nurturing spirit Karen has. I'd take a class with her again, for sure.

I was fed up by the end, oh boy. I couldn't have taken in one more piece of information. In fact, during the last class I took with Don I dropped my pick three times--two of the times I didn't even know it was gone for a few strums!

Then came one of the tastiest treats of the weekend: the concert at the Leeds Center for the Arts. What an amazing and fantastic show in a great venue, as well as a wonderful sampling of what is possible on the mountain dulcimer.

And the crowd was so well behaved, except for some heckling when Dan Cox was introducing his pieces (two were his originals). It is wonderful to see such differences in styles and the interpretation of what traditional music is.

The concert started off with a bluegrass group, and boy were they impressive. Three of the five instruments were built by Mr. Ledford, and the bass was repaired by him (I think both banjos were made by him, but I don't recall.). So Mr. Ledford was present in so many ways this weekend.

There was just one great act after another. I really appreciated Robert Tincher's ballads. I can see how a bard of ole would be a treasured commodity. How many directions can I be pulled, I don't know. But I am doing a bit of research on ballads. I have no idea where that will lead, but I was really inspired by the first piece that Robert did. I admit that the second piece was not for me, but dang it was good, too.

The Keanes were amazing, too. Who knew a flute would sound so wonderful with the dulcimer? I would love to here the beginnings of that. "Well no, Karen," says John. "Try this tenor sax now. Nope, that ain't it." "Here," Karen says, "how about this French horn? Nope, that ain't it either." They are truly musicians, and it is easy to see how much they love music. And their music is effortless, which is a pleasure to see--and I did see a bit of that this weekend.

Dave Haas, whom I've not mentioned because I didn't have much interaction with him, also played. I did ask him to play my instrument when he was at his table hocking his wares. I'd just come from a workshop and had tuned it to DGA. I told him it was in DAD, but he knew that wasn't right straight away. He had customers so he said go tune it and come back; unfortunately I didn't get back to him. Anyway, he was great! He did a really, really funny booger song. Really funny.

My favorite performances came from Don Pedi and Stephen Seifert. It is so abundantly clear to me that these guys are musicians and that they live their music. They are what they preach. Of course all of the teachers were this, and I didn't have a negative experience in any of my interactions or lessons this weekend. But these guys exude musicality.

Both are well versed in the tradition of the dulcimer and the music that was born out of the Appalachians. But Stephen stands that tradition on its head without thumbing his nose at anyone. He loves the tradition, but he ain't traditional. And I mean this in the most flattering way. Don is where I want to be as a musician. These two wonderful musicians and fantastic guys are opposite one another, but there is no doubt that they agree on the wonders and importance of the traditions around the Appalachian Dulcimer.