2008 Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival
Workshop Leaders
|
2008 Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival
|
Tina
Bergmann began playing music at age eight, learning mountain dulcimer from
her mother in the aural tradition. What had begun as simply listening and
watching a group of old-timers getting together and playing music of their youth
soon blossomed into a family activity. It wasn’t long before the
Bergmann family had become an active part of the rich community of old-time
music and dance in northeast Ohio. Tina picked up the hammered dulcimer
during a nasty bout of chicken pox, and fell in love with the sheer energy of
its sound.
Teaching her first workshop at age 12, Tina went on to establish a thriving
private studio while performing at festivals throughout the country. By
the time she earned her education degree from Kent State, she had already been
teaching privately for 11 years.
Pete Seeger described her as “The best hammered dulcimer player I’ve heard
in my life.” With her critically acclaimed contra dance band, Strings
& Things, Tina has played for dances in at least eight states ... and they
have been the house band one local Ohio dance series since 1983. (That’s
a lot of tunes!) She has recorded five CDs, including four with her
husband, bass player Bryan Thomas.
Workshops:
Filling Out Fast Tunes Saturday 11:30
Hand Separation Saturday 1:45
Making Music on your Dulcimer Saturday 4:30
Bryan
Thomas began playing music in his grade school music program on cello,
before he discovered there was something bigger and switched to the bass.
He and Tina met while they were both students at Kent State, and they’ve been
making beautiful music together ever since.
He is on the music faculty at two colleges, in addition to a robust free-lance
career as a soloist and ensemble player. Depending on the date, you may
might Bryan with a symphony orchestra, chamber ensemble, salsa or swing band,
jazz combo, bluegrass band, Cuban band or, of course, contra band. In
short, he’s the answer to the question, “Who’s on first bass?”
Workshops:
How to Read Music Better Saturday 10:00
Improvisation: Sweet Surrender to the Moment Saturday 1:45
This Bass was Made For ____________? Saturday 4:30
Dan Duggan has his musical feet planted firmly in three very different worlds. On one hand, he is deeply involved with traditional Irish and American tunes, not just as a player, but from studying and understanding their original context. He has played around the country as one-third of the Susquehanna String Band.
On the other hand, he has earned a reputation as an innovative composer of new repertoire for the hammered dulcimer. When Dan won the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship in 1985, he was the first person ever to do so playing all original compositions.
And on the third hand, he has worked extensively to bring music to the next generation of children through a variety of school programs. His, “Pieces of Our Life” CD, consists of songs written with children throughout New York State, received a 1998 Parents Choice Award.
Dan has released eight solo albums, and several more in duo and group settings. In addition, his dulcimer playing can be heard on Paul Simon’s Grammy-nominated CD, “You’re the One.” You also may have heard some of his music on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered” shows. Dan will be accompanied by guitarist Tom Hodgson.
Deciphering Dance Tunes Saturday 1:45
Neal Hellman, nationally acclaimed performer and teacher of the mountain dulcimer, has been active in performing, writing, teaching, and recording acoustic music for the past 25 years, not just around the United States, but in places as far afield as Europe and New Zealand. Based in California, he was originally raised in New York, and it’s been a long time since he performed in this area.
His varied repertoire is reflected in the many books he has authored or compiled, including “Celtic Songs & Slow Airs for Mountain Dulcimer,” “The Dulcimer Chord Book,” “The Hal Leonard Dulcimer Method,” “Beatles Dulcimer Book,” and “The Music of the Shakers For Mountain Dulcimer.”
As a recording artist, Neal has four CDs out. His latest, “Emma's Waltz,” features music from Ireland, Scotland, Finland, America and France (plus a couple of original tunes), and includes such diverse instrumentation as harp, oboe, English horn, button accordion, Scottish small pipes, and nyckelharpa.
In addition, as founder of the Gourd Music record label, Neal has produced over 30 albums by other artists.
http://www.gourd.com/NealBioWorkshops.html
Workshops:
Swedish and Finnish Music on the Dulcimer Saturday 11:30
Contemporary Dulcimer Technique Saturday 1:45
Aeolian Mode For Beginners Saturday 4:30
HAMMERED DULCIMER
Doug Berch‘s dulcimer odyssey has taken him
from New York City to Philadelphia, Colorado, and now Michigan. In 1983,
he went to Winfield, Kansas and was the first person ever to win first place in
both the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship and National Mountain Dulcimer
Championship. After many years of mostly teaching, he has returned to
building dulcimers and performing, too. www.dougberch.com
Workshops:
Sticking With the Hammered Dulcimer (Hammered Dulcimer) Saturday 11:30
Making Your Music Sparkle (Mountain Dulcimer) Saturday 1:45
Improvisation (Hammered Dulcimer) Saturday 4:30
Heidi Cerrigione is multiinstrumentalist from Connecticut and has taught and performed on Autoharp and Dulcimers (mountain and hammered) across the country. Some of her recent classes have been at the Ozark Folk Center, the Augusta Heritage Program, the Swannanoa Gathering, and Sore Fingers Summer School. Recordings include two duet recordings with her husband John titled “Wood Stoves and Bread Loaves” and “Winter’s Turning”. She & John perform in Doofus with Neal & Coleen Walters of Pennsylvania and in Jerimoth Hill with AtwaterDonnelly of Rhode Island. http://doofusmusic.com/JHWEB.html
Mountain Dulcimer: 135 Tuning (Mountain Dulcimer) Saturday 10:00
Backup Chords on the Hammered Dulcimer Saturday 3:15
Cliff Cole has been playing hammered dulcimer
since 1985. Cliff's background is in percussion. Since the age of fifteen, Cliff
has studied various types of music including rock, blues, jazz and folk. Cliff's
plays in the family folk group, DayBreak, who have been performing together
since 1989. The group has delved into many musical styles including Celtic, old
time, American folk and early music. Cliff has composed many original tunes, and
traditional arrangements. DayBreak has produced five CD's. Cliff lives in
Quakertown, Pennsylvania. http://daybreakfolk.com/CliffCole.htm
Workshops:
Turlough's Tunes Saturday 11:30
Rudimentary, My Dear Watson Saturday 4:45
Carrie Crompton has been exploring the
expressive capabilities of the hammered dulcimer for over twenty years, playing
Irish, English, Breton, Baroque and Balkan music. She is a member of Hijaz, an
international folk dance band. Carrie has made awardwinning recordings with The
Barolk Folk and with the Treblemakers. She is the author of The Expressive
Dulcimer, a progressive method for the hammered dulcimer, and two books of
repertoire for solo hammered dulcimer. www.carriecrompton.com
Workshops:
Open Chord Voicings Saturday 10:00
Greek Santouri Music Saturday 3:15
Amir ElSaffar was already an accomplished
jazz and classical trumpeter when he put his New York career on hold and
traveled to Iraq and Europe, to study the Maqam music traditions of his
ancestors. There, he learned santoor and vocal styles from the masters,
and also found ways to use the Maqam microtones and ornaments in his trumpet
playing. He leads the only ensemble in the US performing Iraqi Maqam,
Safaafir. www.AmirElSaffar.com
Workshops:
Intro to Iraqi Maqam Music (all Instruments) Saturday 10:00
Iraqi Maqam Music for Hammered Dulcimer Saturday 1:45
Jazz Harmony (all Instruments) Saturday 4:30
Donna Missigman plays hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, harp and bowed psaltery. She has five hammered dulcimer recordings, two mountain dulcimer books and a new release, "Beginning Bowed Psaltery Book," to her credit. She owns http://MissigmanMusic.com/
Workshops:
String Side Up Saturday 10:00
Bernie Stolls is an accomplished 5-String Banjo player and folksinger. In addition, he has been playing the hammered dulcimer as a 2nd instrument for 25+ years. In the 1980's, he played hammered dulcimer with the contradance band "Raw Bits". For many years he has organized the contradance pickup bands that play for NY Pinewoods Club Fall & Spring Weekends . Bernie has been a long time member of the LITMA (Long Island Traditional Music Assoc.) Contradance Orchestra, and for the past 3 years he has served as its director and conductor.
Workshops:
Fronting and Backing a Waltz Tune Saturday 3:15
Friday Song Swap Friday 3:30
Doug Berch‘s dulcimer odyssey has taken him from New York City to Philadelphia, Colorado, and now Michigan. In 1983, he went to Winfield, Kansas and was the first person ever to win first place in both the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship and National Mountain Dulcimer Championship. After many years of mostly teaching, he has returned to building dulcimers and performing, too. www.dougberch.com
Workshops:
Sticking With the Hammered Dulcimer (Hammered Dulcimer) Saturday 11:30
Making Your Music Sparkle (Mountain Dulcimer) Saturday 1:45
Improvisation (Hammered Dulcimer) Saturday 4:30
Heidi Cerrigione is a multi-instrumentalist from Connecticut and has taught and performed on Autoharp and Dulcimers (mountain and hammered) across the country. Some of her recent classes have been at the Ozark Folk Center, the Augusta Heritage Program, the Swannanoa Gathering, and Sore Fingers Summer School. Recordings include two duet recordings with her husband John titled “Wood Stoves and Bread Loaves” and “Winter’s Turning”. She & John perform in Doofus with Neal & Coleen Walters of Pennsylvania and in Jerimoth Hill with AtwaterDonnelly of Rhode Island. http://doofusmusic.com/JHWEB.html
Mountain Dulcimer: 135 Tuning (Mountain Dulcimer) Saturday 10:00
Backup Chords on the Hammered Dulcimer (Hammered Dulcimer) Saturday 3:15
Bill Collins has earned a reputation expressing the dulcet qualities of the fretted dulcimer in a variety of musical genres, and has released three books of tab arrangements – on O'Carolan tunes, Shaker tunes, and jigs. He teaches privately, and has performed or taught at festivals from Virginia to Vermont. He and Nina Zanetti have released a new CD together, “The Sum of the Parts.”
Workshops:
Dulcimer Playing and Ergonomics Friday 4:45
Noter Style Dulcimer Saturday 1:30
Beyond the Seventh Fret Saturday 3:15
Sam Edelston believes that dulcimers (of both types) are among the world’s coolest musical instruments, and that they deserve to be as widely appreciated as, say, violins and harmonicas ... and as Chair of this festival, he’s doing his darnedest to help make it happen. Many people think his dulcimer repertoire is wildly eclectic, but he thinks it’s perfectly natural.
Workshops:
Harder Rock Saturday 3:15
Ron Ewing has been playing mountain dulcimer since 1970, and has built over 1,700 during that time. He is especially known for his innovative designs, including the baritone, dulcimette, dulcimer capo, the 1½ fret; and his lively renditions of Irish, Appalachian, and Euro dance tunes. He lives in Columbus, Ohio. www.ronewingdulcimers.com
Workshops:
Playing Slow and Pretty Saturday 11:30
Robert Force was Nutmeg’s featured mountain dulcimer artist two years ago, and he had so much fun that he decided to fly clear across the country to come back. An upstanding member of the dulcimer community for about four decades, he founded the Kindred Gathering (America’s longest-running dulcimer festival) and co-wrote the classic In Search of the Wild Dulcimer. www.RobertForce.com
Workshops:
Ask Me Anything Saturday 10:00
The Art of Listening (all Instruments) Saturday 1:45
Advanced Topics in Mountain Dulcimer Saturday 4:30
Rudy Gabrielson returns for his third year as a workshop leader bringing his love of Blues, Classic Rock and Folk music to the Mountain Dulcimer. When he's not playing Willy Dixon and Creedence on the dulcimer he can be found playing Keyboards and Harmonica at music festivals in the band Bluezberry Jam. (www.Bluezberryjam.com) He maintains a dual identity as a mildmannered banking VP and father to two amazing teenagers.
Workshops:
Rock and Roll Saturday 1:45
Let's Jam Saturday 4:30
Sandy Lafleur of Amherst, NH has been playing Appalachian dulcimer since 1994. She teaches privately at her home, at the Rivier College RISE program in Nashua, NH and at festivals throughout NE. Her involvement in fife & drum corps, Contra dance and Scottish & English Country Dance, Sacred Harp singing and playing with the Strathspey & Reel Society of NH Scottish orchestra has provided her with a boundless supply of tunes and musical styles. Sandy is the founder and "Seissun Mum" for the "Rakes of the Milford Area", a jam session group that has been playing together for over 10 years.
Workshops:
Welcome to the Mountain Dulcimer Saturday 10:00
The 1-1/2 Fret: Why Would Anyone Want One? Saturday 11:30
Steve Miklos has been building Mountain Dulcimers and other instruments for over ten years, and has in the past few years concentrated on bringing advanced acoustics and visual surprise to the crafting of Mountain Dulcimers. Steve is also responsible for all the mistakes on this web site. www.carrotcreek.com
Workshops:
Make It More Interesting Saturday 4:30
Susan Trump has performed and taught at many dulcimer festivals and camps throughout the US (including being featured at the first-ever Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival). She has written two books for the mountain dulcimer: “The Classical Collection” and a CD/instructional book, “Novice Level Chords and Left Hand Fingerings” ... along with four solo CDs. She produces “Lessons in Your Living Room,” a monthly series which includes arrangements for novice and intermediateandup level players, back up chords, and duet parts, with an instructional CD. For information and a sample lesson: www.susantrump.com
Workshops:
Beginning Dulcimer Teachers' Forum and Discussion Friday 4:45
More Welcome to the Mountain Dulcimer Saturday 11:30
Chord Basics and Right Hand Styles Saturday 3:15
Dwain Wilder is the founder of Bear Meadow Folk instruments, and the heir of the Sunhearth Appalachian Dulcimer design. He is a fulltime luthier, and has been building dulcimers since 1991. In addition, he teaches lutherie classes, and writes poetry. www.bearmeadow.com
Workshops:
Lady Sawn In Half Saturday 3:15
Nina Zanetti comes to dulcimer from a diverse musical background, including choral music, violin, viola, piano, and shape note singing. She has taught at dulcimer festivals in PA, VT, and NY; has produced two books of dulcimer arrangements: "The Softer Side of Dulcimer" and a duet book "Tunes for Two or More" (with Beth Lassi); and is featured in a compilation CD, "Masters of the Mountain Dulcimer play Music for Christmas". Nina has also released a CD of solos and duets, "The Sum of the Parts", with Bill Collins.
Workshops:
What Dulcimer Players Can Learn From Violinists Saturday 10:00
Let's Learn Some Tunes Saturday 1:45
John Cerrigione is
a multi - instrumentalist from Ellington, CT. He has performed and taught
workshops on autoharp, guitar, and banjo at various festivals across the
country, including the Augusta Heritage Program, Mt. Laurel Autoharp Gathering,
and the Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival. Recordings to date include “Wood Stoves and
Bread Loaves” and “Winter’s Turning” with his wife Heidi. He and Heidi
also perform in Doofus with Neal & Coleen Walters of Pennsylvania and in
Jerimoth Hill with AtwaterDonnelly of Rhode Island. http://doofusmusic.com/JHWEB.html
Workshops:
Playing Melodies on the Autoharp Saturday 11:30
Slow Jam Saturday 3:15
Tom Hodgson is in his 30th year of accompanying fiddlers, dulcimer players, and other musicians devoted to providing traditional music for contradancers throughout this country and abroad. Over the years, Tom has been fortunate to play alongside many acclaimed traditional fiddlers such as Randy Miller, George Wilson, Martin Hayes, Pete Sutherland, Jane Rothfield, and Donna Hebert. He has long associations with hammered dulcimer greats Dan Duggan and Tom MacKenzie. A native New Englander, Tom now lives in the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate NY.
Workshops:
I've Got Your Back: Intermediate and Advanced Rhythm Guitar Accompaniment Saturday 11:30
Recipes For Rhythm Guitar Saturday 3:15
