Sweet Home Alabama!

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!