Indian Territory Dulcimer Celebration E-Newsletter
"The festival season"
July 2004 Volume 24, Number 7Sections:
| This Month | From the Prez | Festivals |
| Last Month | Lucille Reilly Concert |
Question: What's the best thing to play on a dulcimer?
Answer: Solitaire!
This Month
Meeting: Saturday July 17, 2004 5:30 PM.
The ringing of the fireworks is still fresh in our ears.. anybody know the national anthem?
From the Prez....
Upcoming Events and festivals
Hey, there! Welcome back!
That's me talking to me, of course. Seems like a very long time since I was at a club meeting, but I was there in May. Missed the June meeting because I was on my way to Dulcimer Week at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. My goodness, what a treat that was! I've know about this seminar for years, even back when it was at Boone, NC, but never had the opportunity to go there. In a nutshell, if you ever get the chance, go. You will never regret it.
Dana was at Kerrville, Texas (probably reported elsewhere), so we were both "away" for the June meeting. From the report I got, it was a good time for all who attended. Do any of you have any plans to attend any festivals this summer? Doesn't matter what kind, be it dulcimer or bluegrass or folk or Celtic or drum and bugle or even Woody Guthrie (that's same weekend as our July meeting). Just go and enjoy the music and have fun. Music of any kind is the universal language, and a gift to all those who perform it or hear it. Take in all you can, and especially the kind you get at an outdoor festival, and best of all, the kind you can hear around a campfire about midnight. Doesn't get any better than that.
All for now.....
Dennis
Festivals! Its festival season!
ITDC has been good about keeping our members apprised of the dulcimer activities within a one state radius of Oklahoma. What about the rest of the country? The web is the place to go for sure! I was amazed to find all the dulcimer festivals that are held each summer. Rather than duplicate what I found, here are some links:
http://dulcimerden.net/FestGuid/FestGuid.html
http://www.bearmeadow.com/misc/html/links.html
http://www.gilamountaindulcimers.com/aug.htm
So if you have never been to a festival, what do you need to know? Like any other vacation it takes a little planning, but not so much as to be a burden. Festivals are different than going to theme parks however, so it helps to have realistic expectations.
Admission
Almost no festival is free. (We are so lucky to have the Woody Guthrie Festival so close by.. it is the only one I have ever heard of that has no admission fee. And they don't pay the performers! If that makes no sense to you go to the festival and see for your self. They do charge for parking, so go with a bunch of friends!) Buy tickets ahead of time if possible. It saves hassle at the gate and makes the lines go faster.
Most larger festivals have arm bands to represent paid admissions and the social pecking order. The staff often don't know each other, so they will have some unique color arm band. This will help you find a staff member when you need one. It also lets them know you are a paid attendee, and other such assumptions.
Also note at some festivals there are colored T-shirts for special staff such as first aid, and security. Note what there are so you can find them in a hurry when you need them. If they are really important they have a walkie talkie. If they have a walkie talkie they are probably not important, they brought their own so they can look like a big shot... hope that helps... At least if they have a walkie talkie they can get you in contact with somebody who is important.
Parking
This varies all over the place. I have seen real parking lots, but usually there is just cars parked helter skelter around a field or two, with a vague concept of lanes and parking places. If you have both a new shiny car and a beater, this might be a good place to take the beater. Expect mud. Festivals cause rain, cars parked on dirt fields promptly become mud boggers. If you take the new shiny car plan to clean it out when you get home. If there is no mud (very unusual) then there will be the other curse- dust. It will get into your car and everything else.
Expect dust, heat, mud, and rain. Not necessarily in that order. If you know its coming you can have a good time anyhow. If you are caught unprepared you can be miserable.
The sooner you arrive the better you can find a good parking spot. When you start going to festivals lasting a week or longer you might consider taking a bicycle. Some festivals encourage bicycles, others prohibit them. Getting back and forth to town for groceries is usually a short bicycle ride, then you don't have to give up your good parking place! Check their web site for the rules.
Orientation
Find an old timer. Somebody who has been to that festival a zillion times. They love to tell people all about it. They must have found a home for their soul or they would not come back so much. Telling you all about the place and where to find everything you will need gives them a special pleasure. Make their day! It will help make yours! If you become an old timer help others, its all part of the ambiance of the events.
Stage presentations
These are pretty much the same as with any theater performance. Usually there is some kind of seating available, however bringing your own chair is a really good idea. Yours will probably be padded, theirs wont. Folding lawn chairs, or camping chairs do the trick nicely.
If the festival is entirely indoors, there may be better seating available. Take a chair anyhow and prop it up against a wall somewhere if you dont need it! It is far more likely you will be glad you took one!
Turn off your cell phone! Feel free to glare at anybody else who doesnt. I have seen the performers stop on stage and demand they be handed in if one goes off! It is incredibly rude to have a phone ring during somebodys concert. None the less there are an amazing number of thoughtless humans out there, so lets not be part of that group! If you need help locate one of the walkie talkie people!
Workshops
Workshops are held at almost all festivals. If you are new, be sure to go to one or two, even if you are not qualified yet to learn what they are teaching. The experience will be worth the effort. Some festivals have free workshops, and at most festivals there are special workshops available for a fee.
Getting together with an instructor and half a dozen other folks with similar skills, is very useful. Much musical instruction occurs here, and it is one of the best places to meet people, especially if they are shy. Help them out and introduce yourself!
Take a tape recorder so you dont forget what was said. Usually there are handouts. They make perfect sense when you are there, and none at all whey you get home. A tape recorder will make the difference.
Jam Sessions
Jams spring up and go away faster than a mid day rain. Have an instrument handy and join in the fun. Jams are a great place to meet people and share tunes. Take a tape recorder! Learn the tunes for next time!
Oh, plan to stay up late. The best jam sessions happen late at night. This is true for all age groups, with young adults the music goes to sunrise, then the main stages get going again. A big festival will have 24 hour-a-day jam sessions.
General comfort
Clothes. Bring clothes for all kinds of weather. A good list of things to be ready for is "hot, cold, wet, and bugs". Also most festivals require clothes. On a hot day however it can be a culture shock to see what passes for meeting this minimum requirement.
Most festivals work hard to be an enviornment for the entire family. Just what that means to them varies widely. Children whom are not musical get bored. Bored children become a problem for everyone. Just something to consider.
Plan to be inconvenienced. A music festival is not a theme park. Don't expect people to wait on you, and expect to wait in lines espceially around the concession stands and the restrooms. Plan ahead in both cases! Bring a snack, it helps with the first case.
Lodging
The first time to a festival of any kind should probably be a day trip. Drive in, check it out, drive home. Then you can decide how to handle lodging from there. For multi-day festivals there is almost always some form of camping available. (Note there are exceptions to this rule, check out the web sites for the festival before going..) Tenting is the most intense experience. And RV'ing is bringing your own personal hotel with you. I do both kinds of camping and like them both a lot, as each way has its ups and downs.
Plan to have folks play music all night long right next to where you are sleeping. Its not OK to ask them to be quiet! These events are music festivals, not sleep-ins. Personally I carry ear plugs for when I absolutely need to sleep. Speeking of sleep, sometimes a nap works wonders..
Safety
If it is hot, drink far more water than you might normally. Getting heat disorders can ruin a good experience and it is so easy to avoid. Stay in the shade as much as possible. Avoid alcohol, although some festivals create the apperance of promoting the stuff. Water is always ok. Anything else in moderation, including soda pop, which wont help you with the heat.
Personal safety is assured with minimal safeguards. All kinds of people go to festivals, so presumably some of them have done time, or need to. Most festivals do a great job of keeping the complete idiots under control (or kicked out). But you need not fear leaving an instrument out and unguarded for a short while. For a long while it is a good idea to put things away, remember festivals create rain!
Very few people who go to festivals dont ever go back. So prepare to go join in the fun! Think ahead, prepare a little and get ready to have some stories of your own!
Dana
Last Month
Lucille Reilly Concert
... A big hit!
I have this from the rumor mill, but it seems Lucille really put on a show. Well done Lucille! Maybe we can get some other musicians to come play on some similar arrangement. That would benefit everybody!
To make this possible look around for organizations you know of that might sponsor a performer, then suggest that dulcimer players are unique, interesting, and entertaining! Just what we have been saying for years!
till next month-
Dana