December, 2012 Meeting Report

The first part of today's meeting focused on Holiday music:

• We shared "I Have a Little Dreidel" and learned a bit about this interesting toy.
• We were challenged somewhat by "Joy to the World".
• And we took a shot at the round - "A Soalin' " - from Bob Webb's November workshop.

Called tunes during the Song circle included "Sandy Boys", "Lady Mary" and "Whiskey Before Breakfast".

Suffice it to say, a good time was had by all!  Later . . .  

December, 2012 Club Meeting

This month's Bellingham Dulcimer Club meeting is scheduled to take place tomorrow, on Saturday afternoon, 12/8/2012 at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship.  As with previous meetings, new and new players are encouraged to arrive at 1:30PM.  Everyone else should join us starting at 2PM.  This month's meeting will include:

1. Starting at 1:30PM, a new and new players session.
2. At 2:00PM, a short discussion of Club business, including a "debriefing" regarding the November workshop sessions.
3. A traditional Song Circle, including sharing of a couple of holiday tunes.

Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.  Later . . .   

Mountain Dulcimer Workshop Sessions Report

Workshop sessions provided by Heidi Muller and Bob Webb yesterday were great.  Their acoustic session after the workshop sessions was also awesome.  Members of the BDC look forward to having Heidi and Bob back in Bellingham soon for a "larger venue" concert and additional challenging and informative workshop sessions.  And many thanks to Dave Bren, Director of the Washington Engineering Institute, for letting us use the WEI facilities for these sessions.  Pics taken during their visit can be viewed by clicking on the "Club Pics" link above.

Workshop Sessions in Bellingham This Sunday

We are looking forward to this Sunday, November 18th, 2012 and the Club-sponsored mountain dulcimer workshop sessions to be given by Heidi Mueller and Bob Webb on that day.   Here are the details:

• Location:  Washington Engineering Institute, 1301 Fraser Street, Suite A-3, in the Haskell Business Center in Bellingham.
• Introductions and Workshop Session Selection:  12:00Noon to 12:30PM.
• First Two (2) Workshop Sessions Begin:  12:30PM.
• Last Two (2) Workshop Sessions Begin:  3:00PM.

OTHER IMPORTANT DETAILS:

• Please come tuned to D-Mixolydian (Dadd).
• You may need a capo, so if you have one, please bring it.  There will, however, be capos available for use.
• A music stand is always a good thing to have at a workshop, so if you have one, please bring it.
• Look for this "Mountain Dulcimer Workshops" sign at the entrance to the Washington Engineering Institute.

      Later . . .

November, 2012 ENNW Article

    The November, 2012 issue of Entertainment News NW includes an informative piece about our Club's sponsorship of the upcoming visit of Heidi Muller and Bob Webb to Bellingham.  They will be here on Sunday afternoon, November 18th, 2012 to offer mountain dulcimer workshops for beginning, advanced beginning and intermediate players.  For more information regarding this "first time" Club event, please pick but a copy of this free publication and check out the article on page 37.    

NOTE:  Thanks so much to Laurel Larsen for writing this great article.  Later . . .

Location of November Workshops

Here's a map showing the location of the Washington Engineering Institute - the address of which is 1301 Fraser Street, Suite A-3, Bellingham, WA 98229 - where Heidi Muller and Bob Webb are providing workshops next month.  Driving directions are also provided below:

From the South, driving North on I-5N:

1. Take Exit #253/Lakeway Drive onto Potter Street.
2. Continue east on Potter, across King Street.
3. Turn next left onto Lincoln Street.
4. Continue north on Lincoln, across Gladstone Street on the left and York Street on the left and right.
5. Turn next right onto Fraser Street.
6. Continue east on Fraser, across Moore Street and past three (3) large 1-story industrial buildings on the left.
7. Turn next left into the parking lot in front a 4^th 1-story building, which is Building A.  The Washington Engineering Institute (WEI) is located in Suite A-3 of Building A (See pics, below). 
8. Park and come on in!

From the North, driving South on I-5S:

1. Take Exit #254/Ohio Street onto Ohio Street.
2. Continue south, then west on Ohio, across King Street.
3. Turn next left onto James Street.
4. Continue south on James.
5. Turn left onto Meador Street.
6. Continue east, then south east under I-5 on Meador, which turns south and becomes Lincoln Street.
7. Turn left onto Fraser Street.
8. Continue east on Fraser, cross Moore Street and pass three (3) large 1-story industrial buildings on the left.
9. Turn next left into the parking lot in front a 4^th 1-story building, which is Building A.  The Washington Engineering Institute (WEI) is located in Suite A-3 of Building A (See pics, below). 
10. Park and come on in!

  

  

October, 2012 BDC Meeting Report

      Great turnout yesterday, best since March last year!  Wonderful to see three (3) new first-timers and seven (7) returning Club members.  Click on "Club Pics" above to see the group at yesterday's meeting.  Fantastic Song Circle which included Mary Z. Cox's arrangement of "Goodbye Girls, I'm Going to Boston" as well as ten (10) other tunes from the Club's "repertoire".  In lieu of the Heidi Muller/Bob Webb workshops in November, it was agreed by those at yesterday's meeting that the next Club meeting will be in December on Saturday afternoon, 12/8/12.  Later . . . 

November Workshop Schedule

Just received this schedule from Heidi Muller which outlines the workshops she and Bob Webb will be providing on Sunday afternoon, November 18th, 2012:

12:00 – 12:30     Introductions & Registration

12:30 – 2:30      Keep It Steady – Free Up Your Strumming (Beginner)/Bob Webb

Get in touch with your inner rhythm as you learn how to play your mountain dulcimer with confidence.  We’ll practice keeping the beat while strumming various patterns in straight and syncopated styles, and apply them to several new tunes.

12:30 – 2:30      Introduction to Fingerpicking (Advanced Beginner)/Heidi Muller

Learn basic 3-string fingerpicking techniques that work beautifully on slower tunes. We’ll learn how to recognize chord forms in the tablature and practice different patterns on several songs.

2:30 – 3:00      Break

3:00 – 5:00      Chords Up the Fretboard (Advanced Beginner)/Bob Webb

Finding chords in different positions is easier than you think. Learn the secret of repeating chord patterns that will free you to play chord progressions in several different keys, while still tuned to DAD.

3:00 – 5:00      Fiddle Tunes & Techniques (Intermediate)/Heidi Muller

Make your fiddle tunes dance! Build your left-hand playing skills with hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides that help you increase your speed and glide through quick, intricate patterns. We’ll practice on a variety of old-time tunes.

5:15 - 6:00       Acoustic Concert Set with Heidi and Bob (for paid workshop participants only) 


What Heidi and Bob have planned sounds great.   For more information, please contact Clay Butler via E-Mail at mountain_dulcimer_guy@juno.com.   Later . . .

October, 2012 BDC Meeting

This month's Bellingham Dulcimer Club meeting is scheduled to take place one week from today, on Saturday afternoon, 10/13/2012 at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship.  As with previous meetings, new and new players are encouraged to arrive at 1:30PM.  Everyone else should join us starting at 2PM.  This month's meeting will include:

1. A discussion of next month's Heidi Muller/Bob Webb workshops.
2. A consideration, since of these workshops, of cancelling our November Club meeting with the next Club meeting to be held on 12/8/2012.
3. Sharing of Mary Z. Cox's arrangement of "Goodbye Girls, I'm Going to Boston".
4. And a traditional Song Circle.

Looking forward to seeing you all next Saturday.  Later . . .  

November Workshop(s) Update

Confirmed attendance to the November workshop(s) reached the "required" minimum number of attendees yesterday.  Details are as follows:
          WHO:  Heidi Muller and Bob Webb will be conducting these workshop(s).  For more information about Heidi, visit her website at http://heidimuller.com/.  For more information about Heidi and Bob Webb's musical collaboration, click on http://heidimuller.com/heidiandbob.htm.
          DATE:  Sunday afternoon, November 18th, 2012, beginning at 12Noon.
          LOCATION:  Washington Engineering Institute, 1301 Fraser Street, Suite A-3, Bellingham, WA 98225.
          WORKSHOP SCOPES:  Separate workshops for beginner, advanced beginner and intermediate/advanced players are to be presented.  Exact individual workshop scopes are yet to be finalized.
NOTE:  Non-Club members are most assuredly welcome to join us.  For more information, please contact Clay Butler via E-Mail at mountain_dulcimer_guy@juno.com.

September, 2012 Bellingham Dulcimer Club Meeting Report

Although our Club's "summer recess" is over, today's beautiful weather was the obvious reason for low meeting attendance.  However, the trio of ladies who made the meeting were instrumental - pun intended - in making  today's session pretty awesome.  Thanks to Lori Jo for leading us through "Baby-O", in D-Mixolydian tuning but capo'd at the 4th fret to the key of A - great tune!  We were all challenged by "Sandy Boys".  We all did great, though, in our playing of "Water Bound", "Bonnie Lassie" and "John Stinson #2".  All in attendance today have decided to attend the Heidi Muller/Bob Webb workshop(s) in November.  Click on "Events" above for more information about the November workshop(s).  Later . . .

September, 2012 Bellingham Dulcimer Club Meeting

Our next meeting is on Saturday afternoon, September 8th, at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship.  New and newer players are encouraged to show up at 1:30pm.  All others should plan on arriving at 2:00PM. A short discussion of Club business and news - like discuss details of November's workshop(s) -  will begin shortly after 2:00PM. After that, a Song Circle will be held. Looking forward to seeing you on the 8th.  Later . . .

November Workshop(s)

Plans for the workshop(s), to be provided by Heidi Muller and Bob Webb, on Sunday, November 18th, 2012, are coming together.  More information will be provided as time of day, venue location and workshop contents are set.  Later . . .

Summer Recess Coming to End

Just yesterday confirmed our Club's continued use of the Flex Room at the Bellingham Unitariam Fellowship for monthly meetings.  Our next meeting will be on September 8th.  More later . . .

More on the Kindred Gathering

As promised, shown below is the link to a new website about the Kindred Gathering.  Information and contacts for this year's 38th Gathering have just been put up on the site.  Check it out!
www.KindredGathering.com.  

2012 Summer Recess

Since we've opted for a Summer Recess, Bellingham Dulcimer Club meetings will begin again in the Fall.  Our next meeting will be on Saturday afternoon, September 8th, 2012.  ENJOY!  Later . . .

May, 2012 Bellingham Dulcimer Club Meeting Report

Excellent turnout yesterday, despite the gorgeous weather.  The meeting included:

• Four (4) "capo'd to Em" tunes: "The Three Ravens", "Hatikvah", "Cluck Old Hen" and "Rhythum".
• A Mary Z. Cox arrangement of "Goodbye Girls, I'm Going to Boston" (taken from the latest Dulcimer Players' News) and a very similar sounding "June Apple".  Both tunes in D and included C-chords.
• And a guitar/dulcimer chord version of "To Live is to Fly".

Thanks to Bob and Cindy Friendman for the Townes Van Zandt tune and a special "Glad you could join us" to "first-timer" Leigh Giovane from La Conner.  See you all in September . . .  

Last meeting until Fall!

We will be having our last official meeting until Fall this Saturday. Beginners and others new to the Dulcimer will start at 1:30.  Look forward to seeing everyone there.

Kindred Gathering XXXVIII

KG 38 is back in Washington State this year, between August 3rd and 5th, at Rimrock Meadows outside Soap Lake.  As more comprehensive information becomes available, it will be posted here on our website.  Later . . .

Corrections Completed

Just finished the last of the fixes to make the Tab on the Club Music page accessible.  I also added a couple of new tabs for two versions of "Hatikvah".  Later . . .

Website Problems

For whatever reason, links to music tablature on the Club Music page are not working.  This situation was just last evening brought to my attention by a Bellingham Dulcimer Club member.  Troubleshooting has revealed that the problem exists on other pages on the website too.  It would appear that the links to files in Google Documents have been corrupted and the fix requires a file-by-file review of the html code for each, a very tedious task which will take some time.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  Later . . .

Taking the Summer Off

The May, 2012 Bellingham Dulcimer Club meeting will be the Club's last until the Fall.  Club meetings will be in a "summer recess" until September, 2012.  This last BDC meeting before taking the summer off with be on Saturday, 5/12/12 at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship.  Activities for new/newer players and "first-timers" start at 1:30PM.  Others should plan on joining in at 2:00PM.  Following a short Club News discussion, there will be "run thrus" of at least one - and maybe two - "new" tunes and then a traditional "call a tune" Song Circle.  Since this is the last meeting for 3-months, we are hoping for an "awesome" turn out.  See you on the 12th.  Later . . .

April, 2012 Bellingham Dulcimer Club Meeting Report

Great meeting on this past Saturday afternoon.  Such fun to warm up with "Bile Dem Cabbage Down in the Arkan" and "Old Molly Hare" and then forge ahead with tunes like Tim Toth's "Fancy Gap Breakdown", "Liza Jane", "Cripple Creek", "Whiskey Before Breakfast" (aka "Raisins in Your Oatmeal") and, Cindy Friedman's  favorite, "Cluck Old Hen".  Special greetings go out to

• "first-timer" Louise Zimmerman, "Glad you could join us."
• and to Kate and Arden Ashley, "Good to see you back."

And lastly, a sincere thanks to Colleen Verdon for getting us to capo into Em -  more about "The Three Ravens" next month!   BTW, next month's meeting will be the Club's last for awhile, as we're taking a "summer recess" until September. Later . . .

April, 2012 Bellingham Dulcimer Club Meeting

This month's meeting is on Saturday afternoon, April 14th, at the Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship:

• New and newer players are encouraged to show up at 1:30pm.  All others should plan on arriving at 2:00PM.
• A short discussion of Club business and news will begin shortly after 2:00PM.
• When the discussion described above in done, a Song Circle will be held.

Looking forward to seeing you on the 14th.

March, 2012 Monthly Meeting Report

Wow! Great turnout today! I think there were 12 or 13 people altogether. Played some great tunes, welcomed some new faces and had a lot of fun. Should have some pics to share soon. Next meeting will be on the second Saturday in April. Hope to see everyone again next month.

Monthly Meeting

Will be this Saturday, same place, same time! Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship starting at 1:30 p.m for beginners. Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

All the Way From Seattle

Dick Wightman, who lives down in Seattle, attended his first BDC meeting in February.  He's decided to "thin out" his dulcimer collection and has made four of his instruments available for sale.  Check out the "Market Place" page of this website for more details.  Dick hopes to get to the next Club meeting on the 10th of this month.  He's indicated he'll be bringing these four dulcimers with him, all the way from Seattle.

February, 2012 Monthly Meeting Report

Attendance has been better, but not the enthusiasm of the folks who made it to this month's meeting.  A special "Glad you could join us!" to "first-timers" Eric Lundin, Dick Wightman - all the way from Seattle - and Gus and his mother Terese Landry.  We shared many tunes, starting with "Bile Dem Cabbage Down in the Arkan" to warm up, continuing with "Happy Land" and several fiddle tunes including "Old Molly Hare", "Old Joe Clark" and "June Apple" and closing with "Wildwood Flower".  Great meeting - hope to see many more players in March.

February Meeting

This month's Bellingham Dulcimer Club is on Saturday afternoon, 2/11/2012 at the
Bellingham Unitarian Fellowship at 1207 Ellsworth, between H and I Streets, in
the Lettered Streets Neighborhood of Bellingham. New and newer players start at
1:30PM. A Song Circle for all players starts after a brief discussion of Club
news at 2:00PM.Please come prepared to "call a tune" from the Club tunes
listed on this website. Look forward to seeing everyone there

January Meeting

Today's meeting was a great session with a smaller group than usual, perhaps due to the snow. Seven people attended the meeting where we played "Bile Dem Cabbage Down in the Arkan", "Soldier's Joy", "Simple Gifts", "Whiskey Before Breakfast/Raisins in Your Oatmeal" and several other great tunes.

Nothing in the way of news but a good time was had by all, in my humble opinion.

Next meeting will be February 11th, new and newer players starting at 1:30 p.m. followed by a Song Circle beginning at 2p.m. Be sure to come check it out, bring a song you would like to have the circle play.

Looking forward to it!