May 21, 2013

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The Sound System Died…but the Music Lived On!

March 12, 2013 By
Near the end of the 2nd to last set in the concluding Saturday night concert at the Lagniappe Dulcimer Society's annual Fete in Port Allen (Baton Rouge), Lousiana, there was a loud pop(!) and the sound system stopped working.

Ken Bloom and his new friend, Charlie Patton of Mississippi, were playing a duet of bowed dulcimers on Klezmer Tunes and everything went suddenly....acoustic.

These were acoustic instruments, however, so the music didn't stop.

My set was the final one of the night and because it was clear that they high school gymnasium was going to be an unplugged venue, I launched into my set, reminding people that this is how Old Time Music was always played.  

The mountain dulcimer isn't a loud instrument, but it did just fine with She Thinks My Dulcimer's Sexy, and then the Dulci-bro (a resonator instrument that uses the first "amplification" technology of the twentieth century) sang out loud and clear.

Sharrie George's Taylor guitar did just fine with my fingerpicked version of Didn't Know I Was Lost (Until You Found Me), and Ken Bloom joined me for a Galax Dulcimer / Bowed Dulcimer duet on Miss McLeod's Reel, (thanks for the instrument loan, Bob Magowan!) and I ended the set with our planned trio:  me: hammered dulcimer (thanks Peggy Carter!), Ken and Charlie Patton on bowed dulcimers dancing up the fine Ragtime Annie tune.  (See photo on right.)

Reviews from those in attendance were that the sound was fine and well-balanced.

It is a little bit anachronistic that we players of old-time musical instruments have come to depend upon modern electronic sound systems, and we listeners of live music have come to expect that that amplified sounds are "better" for listening...when in this instance, those leaning in to listen had a fine experience without the electronic support!
Filed Under: baton rouge, bob magowan, bowed dulcimer, charlie patton, Dulcimer, galax dulcimer, ken bloom, lagniappe dulcimer fete, louisiana, old-time, peggy carter, sharrie george, Steve Eulberg on Tour Tagged With:

Artist Interview for Concerts in Your Home

February 8, 2013 By
Here is a link to an interview that was conducted while I was on the road in Kansas early last summer.

The interview was conducted by Fran Snyder of Concerts In Your Home for the artist's directory of this network which gets performing musicians connected with people who like to host concerts in their living rooms!(which, incidentally, is one of my favorite places to play.)


Some interesting questions led me to some interesting answers.

Please let me know what you think!


Filed Under: Steve Eulberg on Tour

1BlueString.com

December 13, 2012 By
Today I did it.  I put a blue string on my guitar.  One of my colleagues in my Union Local, Karen Brandow, had told me about the 1in6.org campaign called 1BlueString.org
For 19 years my spouse had worked in the field of sexual and domestic violence. Throughout that time the published statistic was that 1 in 3 women would be assaulted in her lifetime and 1 in 7 boys would be a victim of sexual abuse.

Recent statistics reveal that despite an ongoing campaign to uncover and reduce this statistic, it has grown:  now 1 in 6 boys will be a victim of sexual abuse.

I am close to too many families and loved ones where this pain is being dealt with for a lifetime not to add my small effort to raise awareness.  

So I've joined the campaign.

And you can too at 1BlueString.org



Filed Under: 1bluestring, awareness, children, safety, sexual abuse of children, Steve Eulberg on Tour

Albuquerque, here I come!

November 2, 2012 By

Whiskey Before Breakfast kicks off the Faculty Concert on Friday night (L-R:  Ken Kolodner, Gretchen van Houten, Steve Eulberg, Neal Hellman, Janita Backer, Irma Reeder and Scott Reeder )

I was honored to be part of an amazing staff and faculty for the 3rd Annual New Mexico Dulcimer Festival in Albuquerque in the middle of October.

Hosted by Hope in the Desert Episcopal Church with mind-tickling views to the east:
(A controlled burn...we always hope!)
and the sunset to the west (looking out the front doors of the church each night:
The glories of the American Southwest on stunning display
were inspiration to the many students who gathered from across the region and the country.  Students were present from California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma and parts east.
Bluegrass on Mountain Dulcimer was a very popular class!
I was able to teach with some of my mentors and now friends!
Neal Hellman's ChordBook finally opened the mountain
dulcimer forme nearly 30 years ago.

Janita Baker:  her Blues and Ragtime book
expanded the dulcimer for me!
And I was tickled to have Ken Kolodner fiddle away with me on Mississippi Sawyer, Liberty and Ragtime Annie:
Fiddling master Ken Kolodner

and Miss McLeod's/Have You Gone to Meeting, Uncle Joe? for which I played Galax style:
Backstage warm-up
And, of course, everyone was glad to know that "She Thinks My Dulcimer's Sexy":
Best played on Baritone
Scott and Irma Reeder and their compadres put on an amazing event that helps to anchor both kinds of dulcimers in the Rocky Mountains!  

Next up?  The Colorado Dulcimer Festival, Feb 1-2, 2013 in Fort Collins!

Special thanks to Peter Eshrick for sharing these photos.  View his entire photo album here










Filed Under: albuquerque, Dulcimer, irma reeder, janita baker, ken koloder, neal hellman, new mexico, scott reeder, Steve Eulberg on Tour Tagged With:

Back in the Studio

October 6, 2012 By
Friday, October 5, 2012, Vi Wickam and I stepped into Aaron Youngberg's Swingfingers Studio to begin recording tracks for our debut CD, Old School OldTime as FiddleWhamdiddle.  Here are some photos from our 1st session:

My first mountain dulcimer in its dulcimer "cubbie"

Hammered Dulcimer Set-up

Brent Hawley adding mandolin and guitar

Engineer Aaron Youngberg at the controls

Vi "tuning up"

Another view of the dulcimer cubbie, with McSpadden Special

My Ben Seymour Galax dulcimer ready to go 

Vi in the fiddle booth as we get ready to go...
Our CD release party is set for Friday, December 14th at Avogadro's Number in Fort Collins.



Filed Under: aaron youngberg, avogadro's number, fiddlewhamdiddle, old-time, recording, Steve Eulberg on Tour, swingfingers, vi wickam Tagged With:

Sweet Home Alabama!

September 29, 2012 By

Sunset over Lake Guntersville and a tasty Catfish Dinner !

This week I caught a wave that I'll ride for awhile:

Guntersville, Alabama a peninsula in the middle of Lake Guntersville, is the setting for the mid-week festival where I had my Alabama teaching and performing debut this week (Sept 24-29).

It was a deep pleasure to reunite with colleagues and friends, Heidi Muller, Bill Collins, Anne Lough and Butch Ross to share musical knowledge, build and develop skills with all levels of mountain dulcimer players and laugh and laugh alot!

Jean Ann Moon is the presenter of this most-excellently-organized event (Melodies & Musings).  Jean Ann has returned to her hometown after a career that took her around the world and using her love of choral music is creating many trio arrangements for dulcimers to play together.

Early morning view west from our host's home.
After a great catfish dinner at Top O' the River, and a short night of sleep, I was up early on Wednesday to meditate at the edge of Lake Guntersville, and then head over to welcome my Intermediate class with the Dulcimer Pledge.

Wednesday evening we had a very fun jam session at the festival hotel with some fresh tunes offered by Heidi and Butch...eagerly picked up by what turned out to be some people who were brand new to jamming with other people!



Anne Lough singing The Blackest Crow
Thursday night everyone was treated to some very delightful ensemble music at the Open Stage and such a tasty presentation of the music of Appalachia by Anne Lough on mountain and hammered dulcimer and autoharp.  (Anne will be one of the Colorado Dulcimer Festival's headlining teacher/performers next February!)

The final faculty concert on Friday night featured the rest of us teachers and we prepared a surprise performance of the traditional tune, Spotted Pony over the signature Lynyrd Skynyrd lick and chords from Sweet Home Alabama.

You don't even have to guess that it was a hit!

Filed Under: alabama, anne lough, bill collins, butch ross, catfish, Dulcimer, heidi muller, lake guntersville, Steve Eulberg on Tour

Winfield Photos

September 24, 2012 By

Guitar on Friday morning, Stage 3.
Here are some photos from my stage performances at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas this past September.  These took place after the torrential Thursday rains had ceased and things were getting back to normal.
Thanks to Ilace Mears of Missouri for the pix from Stage 3 and to Bradford Rush of Ohio for the pix from Stage 2.

Hammered Dulcimer on Stage 3 (Nick Blanton
compact carbon-fiber model dulcimer)

McSpadden mountain dulcimer on Stage 2 on Saturday.

My daughter, Kaitlin, flew in from Berkeley, CA to sing with me on Stage 2 on Saturday afternoon! (Huss & Dalton Guitar)
Showing the brand new turkey feather quill (my pick) that I stripped and fashioned for that day's performance on my Ben Seymour Galax dulcimer on Stage 3.


Filed Under: Ben Seymour, bradford rush, Huss and Dalton, ilace mears, kaitlin winter-eulberg, nick blanton, Steve Eulberg on Tour, walnut valley festival, winfield

Stage 3 Annex at Winfield

September 23, 2012 By
It was not exactly the auspicious first performance I had envisioned giving at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield.

It was better!

Because of the deluge that was raining down upon us (an act that preceded me on Stage 3 had the audience sitting on the stage behind them because it was dry!....which put me in mind of scenes from Pete Seeger's Hootenany black and white TV show)....I decided to do my first set of the day in the horse barn just south of Stage 3, which became dubbed "The Stage 3 Annex" by Seth Bates, the Emcee for the afternoon sets.

This let the audience be dry, it also let the sound people not be touching electrified equipment while the rain and mist blew through, around and upon their attempting-to-be-sheltered equipment.

The rain on the tin roof above provided some challenge over which I had to work to be heard, but the hardy folks who gathered to hear music had an experience that is not unlike rainy day porch pickin' all across this great nation of ours (and I'm quite certain, in several other great nations on the planet!)

The inclemency of the weather also provided an opportunity that I eagerly snapped up:

The chance to jam with some of my colleagues and friends, who are themselves prize-winner and very fine dulcimer players!

Nathaniel Samsel (from Georgia, a recent winner of the Colorado Dulcimer Festival's Mountain Dulcimer Contest) is in the middle; Jeff Hames (a National Mountain Dulcimer Champion from Mississippi is on the far right) and Irma Reeder (not pictured, but playing guitar on my right from New Mexico, also a Colorado Dulcimer Festival Mountain Dulcimer winner) joined me for a very fun impromtu jam session as a part of my afternoon set.
That's why it turned out even better than I had imagined.  Every day I get to share music with other folks, in ways that prompt us all to bring our best, focused attention and listening ears that help us hone our chops, is a GOOD DAY!

Thanks to Jeff Lilley for this photo to help keep this good memory fresh!
Filed Under: Dulcimer, dulcimer winners, irma reeder, jeff hames, jeff lilley, nathaniel samsel, rain, seth bates, stage 3, Steve Eulberg on Tour, walnut valley festival, winfield

Steve Eulberg at North Bay Children’s Center

September 20, 2012 By


Steve Eulberg:  North Bay Children’ CenterDate: 8/2/12
Host: Aidan Nelson

Essence Story by Aidan Nelson

As Steve Eulberg and I walked into the North Bay Children’s Center in Novato, the kids were already eager. Peeking behind chairs and cabinets, they were very intrigued as to who we were and what we were doing there. When they were told that Steve would be playing music for them, their eyes widened with enthusiasm. As we set up for the performance kids continued to peek and smile and giggle. They were anxious to hear some music.

He began with a fill in the blank song, “I Celebrate Life By…” where the children would yell out how they celebrated life. Once he heard a good idea he would do an impromptu verse including their proposal.

“Smiling!”
                  “Sleeping on the couch eating pizza!”
                                                                        “Snoring!”

After just the first song, the kids were already enthralled by his music. The energy with which he performed and the connectivity he created with the audience were astounding. He kept the listeners involved and active for the entire time, and with a group of young children, that’s something special. Frequently children, after some time, get bored or anxious to leave. However, this was not the case at North Bay Children’s Center. These kids were into it.

Towards the end of his set he would call for the children to do certain actions or jump up and down and dance. They did this with such immense enthusiasm that the ground almost shook.

When his show was over everyone was left with new energy and excitement. The show was an apparent success. I even heard one boy say, “Ah! That was so fun!”

And it was. It was so fun.

===
www.breadandroses.org 
 
Filed Under: aidan nelson, bread and roses, hammered dulcimer, mr. steve, north bay children's center, Steve Eulberg on Tour Tagged With:

Bread & Roses Gig Review

September 19, 2012 By


I have done a few gigs for Bread and Roses while in Northern California the past 2 years.  Here is a review from a show in San Rafael this past August.  This was truly a highlight of that tour!

Steve Eulberg at Country Villa
Date: 8/7/2012
Host: Dick Miner

Essence Story by Dick Miner:
Steve Eulberg is a singer-song writer, musician, and educator.  His show at Country Villa Health Care Center drew upon all of these talents.  He walked into the room and immediately captured everyone’s attention as he unpacked his guitar, the mountain dulcimer, and the most mysterious of all, the hammered dulcimer.

Steve began the show with a couple of Appalachian folk songs, “Flop Eared Mule” and “Golden Slippers”.  These instrumentals were played on the hammered dulcimer and Steve took the opportunity between songs to explain the history of the instrument as well as demonstrating how it is played.

After a few more instrumentals, he switched to guitar and played and sang some of his own compositions.  “A Ship May Be Safe” is one of such songs.  It is quite lovely and Steve got the audience involved by having them sing along with the chorus.

In the final third of the show, he played the mountain dulcimer and again sang some of his own tunes.  “Elk In The Meadow” and “You Get A Line And I’ll Get A Pole, Honey” were good illustrations of the use of the instrument in a Bluegrass, or as Steve calls it, “folkgrass” setting.

To end the show, Steve played a beautiful version of “Amazing Grace”.  Eyes were closed, bodies swayed, and the audience sang along.  It was a very emotional conclusion to the performance.  As he was putting his instruments away, there was a request for one more on the hammered dulcimer.  Steve treated everyone to the beautiful Shaker hymn, “Simple Gifts” to conclude his performance.

Steve, being an educator and historian, provides depth and insight with each song.  His stories both entertained and informed.  His own compositions (such as “Elk In The Meadow”) are beautiful and invite the audience to share his experiences.  Steve treated the people at Country Villa to a wonderful experience of lovely original and traditional music played with unusual instruments.  All appreciated this very unique performance.

===

www.breadandroses.org
Filed Under: bread and roses, care center, Dulcimer, folkgrass, Steve Eulberg on Tour
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