Welcome!
March 10, 2010
Howdy Friends!
Well, we're charging hard into Spring with all the thoughts and ruminations that this season of renewal usually brings. So here's a simple question: how are you doing with those New Year's resolutions you made with such committment back in December? Have you lost the weight? Been a regular down at the gym? Quit smoking? Learned a foreign language? Practiced your instrument more? Well, if you are anything like us, the answer to most of these questions is probably a sheepish and guilty "not so much." The simple truth is that most of us are undisciplined about being disciplined. And yet, at the same time, we feel like we are just spinning our wheels if we aren't busy 24/7 and multi-tasking if possible! The trouble with this is that it divides our focus to the point that makes finding excellence no sure thing. We lose the magic. But Spring brings with it a real sense of renewal and renewed possibility, and maybe that's enough to make our resolutions stick. So here's a thought; let's make our resolutions now. Let's slow down, step back, take a deep cleansing breath, and consiously live more of our lives with the kind of undived attention that makes holding on to that magic a real option!
For a lot of folks, Spring is more than just a celebration of better weather. It means the celebration of the Easter season, and maybe that's why we've been getting so many orders for Count Your Blessings and That Old-Time Religion, our gospel songbooks for hammered dulcimer! Our long-time followers know that 
That Old-Time Religion has been one of our most popular books for years and years. Count Your Blessings is our newest book for the hammered dulcimer and like That Old-Time Religion, features 30 beautiful old hymns and gospel songs. Each song has been arranged for the hammered dulcimer and is written in both standard musical notation and in Kendra's unique dulcimer tablature system. Even better, the arrangements are suitable for all players! Kendra has worked these songs out so that beginners can learn just the melody by following the top line of the music, intermediates can add harmonies and expand on the melody by following the top two lines, and more advanced players can challenge themselves by working out all three lines of the notation! It really is brilliant!
Although the dulcimer festival season never really ends, and is fast becoming a truly year-round phenomenon, Spring still kicks the festival-season into high gear! After virtually hibernating for the last couple of months, we just can't wait to get back out on the road! We'll be heading off to one of our all-time favorites,The Dulcimer Jamboree at The Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, Arkansas, from April 22 - 24, 2010, and a new event for us this year is The Cumberland Gap Dulcimer Gathering at The Cumberland Gap Historical Park on May 7 - 8, 2010! We really will be criss-crossing the country this year, so make sure to visit our Appearance Schedule page for complete details!
Just in case you missed it, we've added a case division to our little cottage empire! We are proud to announce that we are now making an extremely high-quality case specially designed for the ~Cloud Nine~ marimbula! Our excellent pal and fiddle player Michael Allen has been building these wonderfull instruments for a number of years now, and we are now your source for a professional-quality case! You should definitely click over to our new Marimbula Case page for more pictures and all the details! And another thing, Kendra has been working on case designs for the ~Cloud Nine~ hammered dulcimers too! We hope to have those finished and available in the very near future so keep you eyes peeled for all the details!
Well, that about wraps things up from her for now! We hope you have a great spring season, and we'll see you out on the road and back here again soon!
