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Showing posts with label Ben Seymour. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ben Seymour. Show all posts

Monday, September 24, 2012

Winfield Photos


Guitar on Friday morning, Stage 3.
Here are some photos from my stage performances at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas this past September.  These took place after the torrential Thursday rains had ceased and things were getting back to normal.
Thanks to Ilace Mears of Missouri for the pix from Stage 3 and to Bradford Rush of Ohio for the pix from Stage 2.

Hammered Dulcimer on Stage 3 (Nick Blanton
compact carbon-fiber model dulcimer)

McSpadden mountain dulcimer on Stage 2 on Saturday.

My daughter, Kaitlin, flew in from Berkeley, CA to sing with me on Stage 2 on Saturday afternoon! (Huss & Dalton Guitar)
Showing the brand new turkey feather quill (my pick) that I stripped and fashioned for that day's performance on my Ben Seymour Galax dulcimer on Stage 3.


Wednesday, March 9, 2011

In the Studio

Old Black Cat & Kitty Puss on Galax Style
Dulcimer built by Ben Seymour
It has been a while!   2007 was the last time that I was in the studio working on a new recording project of my own, not being a session musician for someone else's project.

Being reunited with Russ Hopkins at KIVA Records has got the creative juices flowing!

In co-production with Russ I've been recording and polished tracks since December and we're having a great time honoring Old-Time songs and the people from whom I learned them, as well as new and old songs for kids.

The process is evolving into at least (2) recordings:  Porch Pickin' Old Time and a Kids Recording.

Here is a demo sample of the Old Time:  Kitty Puss (that I learned from my friend Don Pedi in North Carolina.

And here is another demo sample of a one of the Kids' Project tunes.
Old Black Cat Couldn't Catch A Rat is another traditional tune I learned from Don Pedi.

However, when I play this with kids in my Early Childhood Classes, they can't figure out why the cat couldn't catch the rat.

So we started to make up verses and came up with a pretty good tale of explanation!  (The Folk Process at work!)

The recording, listening, adding, subtracting and editing are a part of the creative process that I so fully enjoy, it is hard to find words to describe it!

So, let's play!            (photos by Russ Hopkins)