April 20-23, 2020
Register Now!
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, great views – all here in one festival! Come make music for several blissful days here in the Gorge!
2020 Cost to Attend
Register Now!
| Community Lodging: 3/room, bathroom in hall or room | Program Fee $262 + Meals $135+ Lodging $153 = $550 | 3 Nights & 8 Meals |
| Semi-Private Lodging: 2/room, bathroom in room | Program Fee $262 + Meals $135 + Lodging $253 = $650 | 3 Nights & 8 Meals |
| Private Lodging: 1/room, bathroom in room, bath in hall or room (Only |
Program Fee $262 + Meals $135 + Lodging $353 = $750 | 3 Nights & 8 Meals |
| Commuter: no lodging; lunches & dinners only | Program Fee $262 + Meals $91 + Facility Fee $150 = $503 | 2 Lunches & 3 Dinners |
| Non-participating Spouse/Partner (includes semi-private housing, all meals)
If you’re spouse/partner will be coming with you (but not taking classes), register yourself first, then click on the link to register him/her which will be in your confirmation email. |
Meals $135 + Lodging $253 = $388 | 3 Nights & 8 Meals |
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.
2020 Instructors
Steve Eulberg
Steve Eulberg’s a 5-time national mountain dulcimer winner and 3-time national hammered dulcimer finalist who weaves old-timey with blues and contemporary tunes adding original songs into a tapestry of “smile-inducing, toe-tapping folkgrass” that captivates and energizes audiences of all ages.
Steve’s music has been featured on United Airlines’ Inflight Audio, PBS’s Roadtrip Nation and National Public Radio. An active touring musician, film and theater composer, he has had several songs in the Top 10 Independent Country Chart (and one #1 “war is sweet”) reported by The Music Review.
He is a popular guitar instructor for JamPlay.com and has taught and performed at festivals and folk schools across the US and Canada. He is the host of the Colorado Dulcimer Festival and is active as the Western Regional Board Representative of Local 1000, the non-geographical local of the AFM, specifically created for traveling musicians. His elementary school programs are engaging, informative, uplifting and fun!
Joellen Lapidus
Joellen Lapidus is one of the pioneers of contemporary fretted dulcimer playing, songwriting, and instrument construction and is the author of the dulcimer instruction book “Lapidus on Dulcimer”. Joellen blends the Appalachian, Indian, Arabic, jazz, classical, and pop musical styles to give the dulcimer a new range of rhythmic, melodic, and tuning possibilities.
As a dulcimer maker, her work influenced many of the dulcimer builders of the 70’s and 80’s. Her instruments were known for their innovative shapes and exquisite soundhole and peghead inlay work. She introduced the dulcimer to Joni Mitchell and made three instruments for her between 1968 and 1976. She has also made instruments for David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Wendy Waldman and Garth Hudson. The March 2004 concert, recorded on her newly released CD, “Joellen Lapidus In Concert”, marked her first performance in over 10 years.
Joellen teaches dulcimer in West Los Angeles. She has also returned to her original musical loves – the clarinet and the accordion. She performs with the band “Extreme Klezmer Makeover” and with violinist Yvette Devereaux.
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.
2019 schedule
2020 schedule will be posted closer to the event!
| Monday | |
| 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 |
| Getting Started!
Intro to Jamming with Janita Baker Let’s Play! with Joellen and Steve |
7:30-8:30 pm |
| Tuesday | |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 7:50 am |
| Breakfast | 8:00 am |
| Workshop #1 | 9:00-10:30 am |
| Free Time | 10:30 am |
| Group Photo | 11:30 am |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 11:50 am |
| Lunch | 12:00 noon |
| Workshop #2 | 1:00-2:30 pm |
| Workshop #3 | 2:45-4:15 pm |
| Workshop #4 | 4:45-5:45 pm |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 5:50 p.m. |
| Dinner | 6:00 pm |
| Instructor Performances | 7:30 pm |
| Organized Jams | 8:15 pm |
| Wednesday | |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 7:50 am |
| Breakfast | 8:00 am |
| Workshop #5 | 9:00-10:30 am |
| Workshop #6 | 10:45 – 11:45 am |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 11:50 am |
| Lunch | 12:00 noon |
| Workshop #7 | 1:00-2:30 pm |
| Workshop #8 | 2:45-4:15 pm |
| Open Stage | 4:30-5:45 pm |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 5:50 pm |
| Dinner | 6:00 pm |
| Instructor Performance | 7:30 pm |
| Thursday | |
| Volunteer Servers report to the Dining Hall | 7:50 am |
| Breakfast | 8:00 am |
| Workshop #9 | 9:30-10:30 am |
| Go Out Singing!
Closing Gathering – bring your dulcimers! |
10:45-11:00 am |
| Festival Ends | 11:00 am |
2020 Workshop Descriptions (UNDER CONSTRUCTION – COMING SOON)
Steve Eulberg
90 MINUTE WORKSHOPS
Title (Beginner)
Description
Title (Intermediate)
Description
Title (Advanced)
Description
ONE HOUR WORKSHOP (all levels)
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Description
Joellen Lapidus
90 MINUTE WORKSHOPS
Title (Beginner)
Description
Title (Intermediate)
Description
Title (Advanced)
Description
ONE HOUR WORKSHOP (all levels)
Title
Description
Janita Baker
90 MINUTE WORKSHOPS
Title (Beginner)
Description
Title (Intermediate)
Description
Title (Advanced)
Description
ONE HOUR WORKSHOP (all levels)
Title
Dulcimer Player Descriptions
For our festival, we are employing the following descriptors for workshops:
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
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)
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