April 8-11, 2019
Come to Menucha for 3 nights and 4 days of music-making with three of the top teacher/performers in the mountain dulcimer world. Players of all levels will learn new techniques during three 90-minute workshops of their choice each day and enjoy an instructor performance each night. Workshops, concerts, jam sessions, great food, great people – all here in one festival!
Registration for the 2019 festival will open in mid-October.
We are excited to announce instructors for 2019 are:
Linda Brockinton
Don Pedi
Janita Baker, Artistic Director
More information will be posted soon!
Full Festival Costs will be posted here.
Costs for the 10th annual festival in 2019 will be announced this summer.
Cancellation Policy
If 90+ days out, canceling a registration results in a full refund minus a $50 handling fee.
If 46-90 days out, 65% refund.
If 30-45 days out, 50% refund.
If fewer than 30 days out, there is no refund available.
Payment Plan Option
You may choose to divide the cost across several months, depending upon how far in advance you are registering. Options will automatically appear in the online registration process. The cost is only $5 per month.
Information about our 2019 instructors will be posted soon.
Don Pedi
Linda Brockinton
Janita Baker
Janita Baker has been playing mountain dulcimer for over 30 years. Through her recordings, books, and appearances at festivals and workshops across the United States she has become well-known for her teaching skills and Blue Lion Dulcimers, which she builds with her husband Robert.
As a solo performer, Janita also presents her audiences with a wide range of musical experiences including classical, traditional, delta and country blues, ragtime, swing, and original instrumental pieces. A gifted storyteller, Janita delights her listeners with a warm and personal sharing of her music and introduces to her audience and her students the incredible complexity, variety and beauty of the mountain dulcimer.
More about Janita Baker.
We are at work on the 2019 schedule, but if you’re wondering what the festival days will likely look like, here’s the 2018 one as an example.
| Wednesday, April 11, 2018 | |
| Arrive, Check-in at Wright Hall | 3:00 – 4:00 pm |
| Welcome, Orientation & Instructor Introductions | 5:00 pm |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 5:50 pm |
| Dinner | 6:00 pm |
| One-hour Workshops
Let’s Play! (Karen Mueller & Aaron O’Rourke) Intro to Jamming (Janita Baker) |
7:30-8:30 pm |
| Thursday, April 12, 2018 | |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 7:50 am |
| Breakfast | 8:00 am |
| Workshop #1
Janita Baker – It’s About Time! (B) Karen Mueller – Fiddle Tune Smorgasbord (I) Aaron O’Rourke – Trad.Scottish Music for Mtn Dulcimer Building (A) |
9:00-10:30 am |
| Free Time | 10:30 am |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 11:50 am |
| Lunch | 12:00 noon |
| Workshop #2
Janita Baker – Ensemble Repertoire (I) Karen Mueller – Fills & Fingerings for Smoother Playing (B) Aaron O’Rourke – Power Of The Drone (A) |
1:00-2:30 pm |
| Workshop #3
Janita Baker – In The Mode (A) Karen Mueller – Waltzes 3 Ways (B) Aaron O’Rourke – Basic Backup (I) |
2:45-4:15 pm |
| Workshop #4
Janita Baker – Rounds Karen Mueller – Sing and Strum Classic Rock & Country Songs Aaron O’Rourke – I’ve got the music, now how do I practice? |
4:45-5:45 pm |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 5:50 p.m. |
| Dinner | 6:00 pm |
| Instructor Performance | 7:30 pm |
| Organized Jams | 8:15 pm |
| Friday, April 13, 2018 | |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 7:50 am |
| Breakfast | 8:00 am |
| Workshop #5
Janita Baker – Ensemble Repertoire (I) Karen Mueller – Fills & Fingerings for Smoother Playing (B) Aaron O’Rourke – Power Of The Drone (A) |
9:00-10:30 am |
| Workshop #6
Janita Baker – Rounds Karen Mueller – Sing and Strum Classic Rock & Country Songs Aaron O’Rourke – I’ve got the music, now how do I practice? |
10:45 – 11:45 am |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 11:50 am |
| Lunch | 12:00 noon |
| Workshop #7
Janita Baker – In The Mode (A) Karen Mueller – Waltzes 3 Ways (I) Aaron O’Rourke – Basic Backup (B) |
1:00-2:30 pm |
| Workshop #8
Janita Baker – It’s About Time! (B) Karen Mueller – Fiddle Tune Smorgasbord (A) Aaron O’Rourke – Trad.Scottish Music for Mtn Dulcimer (I) |
2:45-4:15 pm |
| Free Time | 4:30 pm |
| Open Stage | 5:30-6:30 pm |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 6:50 pm |
| Dinner | 7:00 pm |
| Instructor Performance | 8:30 pm |
| Saturday, April 14, 2018 | |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 7:50 am |
| Breakfast | 8:00 am |
| Workshop #9
Janita Baker – Rounds Karen Mueller – Sing and Strum Classic Rock & Country Songs Aaron O’Rourke – I’ve got the music, now how do I practice? |
9:30-10:30 am |
| Go Out Singing!
Final songs- bring your dulcimers! |
10:45-11:00 am |
| Festival Ends | 11:00 am |
Workshop Descriptions are in progress!
Workshop selection will take place in February. Registered participants will be sent a link to choose their classes prior to arrival for the festival. A schedule with workshop titles will be posted before the email with link is sent.
Dulcimer Player Descriptions
For our festival, we are employing the following descriptors for workshops:
NEW PLAYER
• Little or no experience playing the dulcimer
• Ready to start from scratch
BEGINNER
You should be familiar with:
• Tuning your dulcimer
• Reading and playing from tablature
• Basic right and left hand techniques for strumming and fretting
• Strumming basic rhythms
• Playing notes on the melody string
• Simple two finger chords
BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE
You should be comfortable with all of the above plus:
• Fingering more complex three finger chords
• Basic fingerpicking technique
• Basic flatpicking technique
• Playing more intricate rhythm patterns
• More complex timing, use of dotted quarter and eighth notes, etc.
• Use of embellishments (hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides)
INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED
You should be comfortable with all of the above plus:
• Playing in different keys
• Using alternate tunings such as DGD, DAC, etc.
• Adding melodic variations to simple melodies
• Playing 5 or more tunes from memory
• Performance skills and musicality
• Basic chord theory and its application