Menucha Mountain Dulcimer Festival – 10th Annual

 All Prices are per person.

Register Now!

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.

2019 Instructors

Neither one travels to our side of the country very often (if ever); this is a rare and exciting opportunity to study with two of the best! – Janita Baker, Artistic Director

Don Pedi

Don Pedi is a dulcimer legend! Winner of so many Fiddler’s Grove competitions that he was declared a Master Dulcimer Player and removed from further competition, Don has appeared in films, on CBS This Morning, and in countless festivals around the country. He has received awards for significant achievement in mountain music and honored for the preservation and perpetuation of traditional music.

“Simply put, his playing is stunning in every respect.” – Dulcimer Players News review by Neal Walters of Don’s CD Bound to Have a Little Fun

More about Don Pedi.

Linda Brockinton

Linda Brockinton is known for playing a full chord fingerpicking style on the mountain dulcimer. In 2001, Linda was the first woman to win first place in the National Mountain Dulcimer Championship as well as the first to win playing a full chord fingerpicking style. She is a sought-after teacher/player for dulcimer, folk and Irish festivals across the USA; she’s also a poet and song writer.

Read more about 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 an example. Workshop titles will be added soon.

2019 Workshop Descriptions

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.

Don Pedi

90 MINUTE WORKSHOPS

Little Songs from Appalachia (Beginner)
Uncomplicated and clever songs, passed down from person to person, for generations.

Old-Time Music for Dulcimer (Intermediate)
Secular and Sacred Songs, Tunes and Ballads.
Appalachian music from the mid nineteenth century.

Traditional Fiddle Tunes and Songs of Appalachia (Advanced)
Straight and Crooked melodies from the Southern Mountains.

ONE HOUR WORKSHOP (all levels)

Pre and Post Folk Revival Approaches to Playing Mountain Dulcimer (All Levels)
A lecture/demonstration on key points of the development of playing styles and techniques for the mountain dulcimer. We will also play a song or two.

Linda Brockinton

90 MINUTE WORKSHOPS

Beginner Finger Picking (Beginner)
Beginner finger picking which includes left and right hand instruction. How exactly does finger picking work? How does it compare to strumming. You will be surprised to know that the melody numbers are exactly the same. Chord Shapes will be introduced not to complicate but to make things easier. Understanding how the dulcimer works is the biggest part of learning to play the dulcimer. Because it is a modal instrument, like a harp it has some things that you have to learn to be able to understand it, like where are all the notes? I can play all the songs in the hymn book without retuning but they will all be in the same key, why is that. So I have answers to lots of questions that make playing much easier and a lot more fun. Will have some great music, Celtic, hymns and old time. Come and join us for the fun.

Playing Well With Others (Intermediate)
We will be working on some beautiful Irish pieces with parts. It will be a mixture of strummed, flat picked or finger picked. Mixing these together along with single notes makes your
music come alive and have texture instead of all of it sounding alike. Chords add a lot to your music so we will spend some time on chord shapes and how to play out of the chord and move smoothly along the fret board. I will have 2 parts for each piece so we can also learn to count and listen to play well with others. Finger picking is not a requirement but I will be giving tips on how that works. Also, helpful tips on how to make things more playable for you if something seems too hard.

Tools And Tips To Make You A Better Player (Advanced)
When we get to upper intermediate and advanced level it’s time to make sure you have the
right tools to be able to make your arrangements or at least be able to change things that don’t work for you. I will bring an assortment of music to teach several things to make those type searches easier. Also how to find chords very quickly when you need the same chord in a different place. Finding better chords to use instead of what’s on the tab you have can often make things flow easier or even sound better if you know where there are. We will also talk about finding the same note in different place to make your playing smoother. I have several Celtic pieces, Waltzes etc. to help demonstrate these things. I look forward to seeing you there.

ONE HOUR WORKSHOP (all levels)
Who Was O’Carolan?

This will be workshop discussing and playing some of O’Carolans beautiful Harp Tunes. I will have tab for you, will play a few for you and tell of some of the interesting background of the man and his written work and his music. Look forward to seeing you there.

Janita Baker

90 MINUTE WORKSHOPS

It’s a Minor Thing Level (Beginner)
Minor melodies can be hauntingly beautiful and on the dulcimer can be inherently simple to play; most of the tunes we will play are “one finger” songs which are ideal for beginners. We will talk a little bit about the history of the dulcimer and the modes and play a variety of songs in different tunings. For starters, come tuned DAD.

Songs of Stephen Foster Level (Intermediate)
Stephen Foster was a prolific composer of over 200 songs and many have become an essential part of the American musical heritage. This workshop will present a mix of both his well-known and obscure (but lovely) compositions. Come tuned DAD.

Duets, Trios and Rounds Level (Advanced)
This workshop will explore the joys of “playing well with others” as we perform songs requiring two or more players. The arrangements will cover a variety of musical genre and playing styles to both challenge and delight you! Come tuned DAD

ONE HOUR WORKSHOP (all levels)

Ensembles for All Levels

Playing arrangements for four different “voices” is a great way to experience the beauty (and fun) of being part of an “orchestra”. The arrangements will have parts for all skill levels and will mostly be single note picking; if you have a bass dulcimer be sure to bring it! [If you are interested in using your baritone dulcimer please let Janita know by March 1st so she can have baritone voiced handouts available. Otherwise, all the arrangements will be for standard and bass dulcimers tuned D A D.]

Dulcimer Player Descriptions