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Between Common Ground and Swannanoa
Summer is synonymous with music. During three of the official, twelve weeks of summer I am teaching and playing music full time. Lots of fun and lots of new friends to meet.
COMMON GROUND ON THE HILL
The two weeks of Common Ground on the Hill were, as they are each year, simply extraordinary. I had the privilege of working with some of the best hammer dulcimer players in the country. Jody Marshall taught Celtic repertoire [www.jodymarshall.net]. Ken Kolodner taught advanced tunes and arranging [www.kendolodner.com]. David Lindsey rounded out the dulcimer staff teaching intermediate repertoire [www.davidsdulcimers.com]. David is on the short list of everyone’s favorite builders and he loaned the beginners instruments for the week.
I taught beginning hammer dulcimer, an introduction to harmony theory, and a new course in how to listen to music. It was a marvelous experience. The new course was a hit. Walt Michael, founder of Common Ground has asked me to teach the How to Listen to Music course during both weeks next summer[www.waltmichael.com].
I was able to sit in on two exceptional courses during Common Ground. Brazilian Percussion was taught by the exceptionally gifted Latin percussionist Patricio Acevedo [http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=277924860]. He led a bunch of rhythmically bewildered Yankees through the complexities of samba. At the end of the week this fresh ensemble of beginners did a brief concert and backed up a Latin band. Patricio is a marvelous teacher and performer. If you get to Philadelphia check out his band.
Dr. Michael Rohrbacher taught a class in Balinese Gamelan [www.su.edu/datasources/faculty_search.cfm?uid=mrohrbac]. He is an ethno-musicologist who brought the culture of Bali, and especially its music, to life for all of us who have never visited the country. He led a neophyte ensemble of nine through the basics of Gamelan and directed us in a brief concert at week’s end. It was a remarkable music experience.
One of the many standout performances during Common Ground was the concert given by the Santa Cruz River Band [www.santacruzriverband.com]. Their website explains the band beautifully: “This amazing group performs in English, Spanish, Welsh, and American Indian languages, presenting an intriguing and powerful musical program filled with the history and mystical lore of the Great American Southwest. They create unique and beautiful music filled with outstanding vocal harmonies and masterful musicianship. Their music is authentic, original, and deeply rooted in the musical styles and traditions of the United States and Mexico.” It was a great treat to hear these master musicians in concert. Here’s a link for all you American pop music fans. Michael Ronstadt of the Santa Cruz River Band is, indeed, brother to, the deservedly famous vocalist, Linda Ronstadt. That should give you a hint about the musical caliber of this ensemble. Check out their website and recordings.
ON THE WAY TO SWANANNOA
Early August will find me reunited with Jody Marshall and Ken Kolodner on the teaching staff of the Swanannoa Gathering [www.swangathering.com]. It’s dulcimer week – Appalachian and hammered – at the Gathering. Lois Hornbostel is the coordinator of Dulcimer week [www.loishornbostel.com]. She was on staff at Common Ground teaching Appalachian dulcimer.
RENEWING MY EMBRACE OF HUMILITY
I began studying a new instrument this year. It’s my first experience with a bow. I’m learning how to learn all over again. The instrument is the bowed dulcimer. It’s a renaissance-era instrument that is essentially a lap dulcimer rotated ninety-degrees and played with a bow. The builder is master musician Ken Bloom [www.boweddulcimer.com]. You’ll find his bowed dulcimer performances on www.youtube.com. Search for "Ken Bloom" or "Bowed Dulcimer". The instrument Ken built for me is based on the Hardanger fiddle. It has three melody strings tuned D – A – D and five sympathetic strings running under the fret board and tuned to a diatonic scale of five tones running from D to G. It’s a beautiful sound. I’ve got the sound part down pretty well now. I’m working on the beautiful part.
FALL IS COMING
The studio will be busy this fall with several projects [http://www.billtroxler.com/recordings.html]. More on that as progress warrants. The acoustic music concert series begins in September [http://www.chincoteagueculturalalliance.org/acousticmusicseries.html]. The Music at the Dock concerts begin their second season in mid-August [http://www.chincoteagueculturalalliance.org/musicatthedock.html]. I’ll be working with Walt Michael to schedule dulcimer faculty for Common Ground’s summer 2009 session.
That’s the summer news from Longtayle in Wildcat Marsh on Chincoteague Island.
Bill
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