The Amazingness of MailBox Money

by Steve Eulberg

I can't remember the first time I heard the phrase "Mailbox Money" but it has become a surprisingly encouraging experience.

Many years ago (in the mid 1990s), when I was a pastor and shepherding my youth for a week at the Mid-Missouri Bible Camp in the Ozarks, I had taken some pieces of mail with me from C.C.L.I. (Christian Copyright Licensing, Inc.)

These were contracts offered to help worship music composers (like me) to receive income from the communities and congregations who would choose to use my music all over the United States and Canada.

I couldn't imagine how this could work and part of me assumed that this might be some kind of scam, but it was long before I had any real connection to the internet, and besides, no one was using it very much anyway.  Fax machines were the rage, and neither I, nor my small inner-city church, had one.

I patiently (and laboriously) read through every word and paragraph of every page of the contracts, mostly understanding the legalese (although Greek or Hebrew might have been easier!), and chose, in the end, to affix my signature.

I remember showing these contracts to my friends and colleagues who were there with me who were encouragingly impressed.

I was the musician for the week and they were pretty encouraging, but I was preparing to send these documents off in "faith" or what might more accurately be described as a pipe dream.

I mailed the signed and initialed documents in.

Later I received contracts for agreements that covered other countries (South Africa, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia, Australia & New Zealand.)

Finally, I started to receive semi-annual reports...that INCLUDED CHECKS!  The surprise of mailbox money was producing joy in my life!

So this week was the week that I received the semi-annual report and payment and once again I am touched by this gentle "surprise" in compensation.

But what truly gives me pause and a sense of awe, are the reports that people have used music that I have composed and published, in their worship services in:  England, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and all across the United States of America.  And even more impressive is that the annual licenses they purchased to support the composers, and their careful reporting actually sent compensation to me, which means that I receive more mailbox money to help me to continue to create and share music.

"American Pharoah" The Triple Crown of Dulcimer Festivals

After the marvelous summer I have had touring, I feel like I should be called American Pharoah, because I, too, am a Triple Crown Winner!

My first tour of the season took me to Memphis for a day of workshops and a clinic on jamming together at the home of Betty Dawson in Memphis, TN.  Then a house concert and Nancy and Tom Adams', a workshop at Gilda's Club in Louisville and a house concert at Teri and Larry West's in the south part of town.

Then to Kentucky Music Week, where the copies of my new Playing Blues on the Mountain Dulcimer book had arrived and were waiting for me to have a wedding by adding the Demo CDs.

And what a week it was!  Jean Ritchie Tribute, organized and led by her son, Jon Pickow; stellar concert performances, a week-long class on Resonator Dulcimer, Blues on Hammered Dulcimer, a Noter Style Mountain Dulcimer class and a Dulcimer Orchestra class were highlights.

Captain's Cabin Concert S.E.a

Playing a Backporch concert to the crickets' chirp on a temperate evening in the middle of the week with my bandmates Erin Mae Lewis and Amber Rogers in our trio, S.E.A was memorable and amazing in a completely restored log cabin (Captain's Cabin) that now serves as a B and B!  Then I joined them for their concert set singing our trio arrangement of Hold On.

Steve, Karen Mueller & Heidi Muller in front of
Chief Joseph & Lake Wallowa

I am grateful to the non-playing spouse of a festival participant who gave me an on-time ride to the Louisville airport for my flight home.

The glow had not even worn off in my two-day turn-around at home before I received a "warm welcome" when I landed on the tarmac in Lewiston, ID (where it was 120°) en route to an even better Dulcimer Week in the Wallowas in Joseph, OR.  The relaxed pace and supportive community atmosphere was balm for my weary soul and the magical faculty concert with Karen Mueller, Bob Webb and Heidi Muller remains fixed in the recesses of my memory.

I had amazing classes, the Open Mic revealed talent, commitment, celebration, and laughter that left our sides aching with joy.  (There is a life goal, to be aching with joy!)

My Beginning class in their yurt classroom in Wallowa

Having had two such amazing weeks of musical and educational experiences I was a little nervous about heading east for the final festival of my summer season.

I took a red-eye from San Francisco to Charlotte, NC, had lunch with a friend, then reunited with the parents of my godchildren in Chesapeake, VA, before driving to another Soup and Song House Concert with Charlie and Marilyn Bernhardt in Maryland.

Charlie & Marilyn, Soup and Song House Concerts (10 years!)

Following a short night's sleep, I had a dawn sabbath drive through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia and through the northeast corner of Tennessee and down through the Smoky Mountains for a late afternoon arrival at Dulcimer U in Cullowhee, NC.  There is was revealed that my anxiety had nowhere to lay its head!  Larry and Elaine Conger run a fantastic festival in this verdant setting, I was very excited to be invited to return to teach here.  And my time with my classes and two different mountain dulcimer ensembles were marvelous celebrations of people playing beyond their fears to experience the delight that comes when they relax and do this together!

My classes this week were as enthusiastic, attentive and adventurous as the others had been.  The fun and mischief that arises when people create a Brigadoon-like community together bubbled with joy.

Soundcheck view, through Lorinda Jones' harp

I have been part of many faculty concerts which can be a crazy quilt of performances, but this time something of the veil between the worlds of the mundane and the spectacular opened up and everyone's tune choices, transitional stories and the overall flow of both sets let us have a little taste of heaven...and it was a tasty nectar, too.

So..I believe I won the triple crown this summer and am glad to wear the name American Pharoah!

Dulcimers on high in the Wallowas!

Dulcimers for David, Too! D4D2

by Steve Eulberg

(Here is my review of this generous project that was published in the Spring 2015 issue of Dulcimer Players News--everyone interested in either kind of dulcimers should subscribe and receive this beautiful and informative quarterly in your snail mail box!)

“Just listen to the dulcet tones of the dulcimer!” I can still hear David's Schnaufer's voice in my memory as I write that phrase.

Asleep at my hosts' home of on a recent tour, the dulcet tones of the tunes on this new CD were very sweet as they gently called me to awaken and savor them. I was so glad to hear this CD, because my copy had not yet arrived in my mailbox before I left on tour. Now that I've returned home and keep listening I continue to be delighted.

This project includes some previously unreleased tracks played by David himself, or ones from out-of-print recordings (Norwegian Wood, Elk River Blues/Sandy River Belle) as well as some played by David with students and friends (Jim Curley, John Hartford, Vince Farsetta, Bonnie Carol and Lee Rowe). I'm particularly taken by his frailing style on a banjomer on Cumberland Gap which opens the CD, and his note­r & quill playing of Sally Anne on a Tennessee Music Box.

Another tune was composed by David and played by others: Twilight Eyes by Tull Glazener & Molly McCormack, and yet another was composed by David with Rachel Dennison (sister of Dolly Parton) performed here with Debbie Porter.

Still others have been submitted by a stellar line-up: The Wright Family (with an uncredited performance by Don Pedi), Maddie MacNeil & Rhodes Wooly, Thomasina, Aubrey Atwater & Elwood Donnelly, Sue Carpenter, Doug Berch, Vince Farsetta and Karen Mueller.

A special delight is the inclusion of Blackberry Blossom by the Nashville Dulcimer Quartet (Sandy Conatser, Lee Rowe, Linda Sack and Natasha Deane, all students and friends of David.) This tune has special significance because it is the central theme in the concerto he wrote with Conni Elisor and recorded on his 1998 CD Delcimore.

(In the interest of transparency, my duo, Fiddle Whamdiddle, also have a track on this CD. We chose Barlow Knife, a tune I first recall hearing David play on Stage II at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. I then taught that tune to my fiddling partner, Vi Wickman, and we recorded it as part of our Old School Old-Time project that honors the people that shared this music with us. My curiosity is eager to know the reasons why others chose the tunes they donated to this project.)

While the music on this recording is top notch and that reason alone is enough to recommend it for your musical collection, there is another, even more compelling reason to purchase this CD.

The 1^st National Mountain Dulcimer Champion, David was very dedicated to sharing music with others and as Associate Dulcimer Professor at the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University he did just that. Several of his young students went on to become champions and professional players and teachers of this instrument.

To continue the sharing of the music of this “user-friendly” instrument, Debbie Porter produced a recording in 2007 called Dulcimers for David, the goal of which is to raise funds to purchase dulcimers to be given to children. As of this writing, 33 dulcimers have been placed into the hands of children, teens and young adults who express an interest in playing.

Dulcimers for David, Too (D4D2) continues the sharing of his generous legacy. The sale of just 13 CDs at $15 a piece covers the cost of each instrument. In fact, some clubs have purchased CDs to raise the necessary funds to acquire instruments for young players!

If you'd like to apply or know of someone who would like to receive a dulcimer, have them write to Debbie at debportertx@gmail.com to make that request.

CDs are available from Debbie Porter at http://www.debbieporter.net/catalog/dulcimers_for_david_too.php and from selected other locations as well.

(Note:  After the original publication of this review, I heard from Doug Thompson that David only recorded with his banjo-mer, made by Doug.  This printing corrects my earlier mistaken reference.)

Another Project Released with Steve as Session Musician!

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/andyz13

Being a musician has another way of offering awesome experiences:

One can be contracted to work as a Guest Artist, or Session Musician on another musician's project.

My supervisor at Peninsula Music Together, Pam Donkin, referred me to Andy Zamenes, who needed some traditional instrumentation for his upcoming project.

Andy (aka Andy Z) and I settled on hammered dulcimer as what he needed for a couple of tracks on his new project, Classic Songs & Tunes.

After consultation and working with the tracks we sent, I met him at the studio last November in Livermore where he was recording and mixing the tracks.  

Here are a couple of views from my corner in the middle of the sound baffles:

A short while later the tracks were completed, and today Andy gave me my copy of the CD so I finally got to hear the completed project.

It is a sincere joy to collaborate with fine musicians and help them bring their vision to fruition!

Killing It In the Streaming Age: A New Book for Musicians

I've been a part of the Standing "O" Project for over a year.

This project is called Socially Responsible Streaming by it's founders:  John Dillon and Viv Nesbitt.

John and Viv love original songs and the singers of new and old songs.

They host a radio show (The Art of the Song Creativity Radio) which is heard on over 150 radio stations across North America.

They also want singer/songwriters to thrive and invited their featured artists to share money-making tips from their experience.   The result is an idea-packed book titled, "Killing It in the Streaming Age."

This book is available in hard copy on amazon.com and as a Kindle ebook.

I contributed a chapter in which I talk about how profitable and supportive it was for me to join the musician's union (Local 1000 AFM--American Federation of Musicians.)

You can order the book here: (and you can look through the book for free!)

http://www.amazon.com/Killing-The-Streaming-Age-Money-Making/dp/150773932X

You can also find out about the Standing "O" Project here.

900 Voices Video to be released April 9

Just before I moved to California, in the fall of 2013, I met soon-to-be-Grammy-winning composer and pianist,  Laura Sullivan, through our mutual NARAS (National Academy of Recording and Arts Sciences) connections.

After winning the Grammy in the New Age Category for her Love's River recording, she conceived of a Global Love Song Project early last year.  

She invited several friends and colleagues to help her launch the project by creating selfie-videos singing various parts of the song which are then blended together into an amazing harmonious whole.

"We Are Love"

Since the launch of the project, 938 different people from 27 different countries have contributed audio and video for the project.

(My photo is is the 2nd from the left in the middle of this screen shot and I am honored to be a part of this collaborative effort.)

"Love, We Are One"

Last fall, I was conducting the Coastside Lutheran Church choir in Half Moon Bay in the interim between directors and the members of that choir were game to sing and record their parts as well!

You can see them at the right edge of the screen shot below (3rd from the top).

The final video goes live on April 9th!

You can see it at http://www.900voices.com/

You can also see the amazing list of participants!

I hope you'll take a look and listen and share with broadly with your friends and family!

"We Are Love"

Singing with John McCutcheon

My friend and colleague and long-distance mentor, John McCutcheon, has just released a recording commemorating the 100th anniversary of the (legal) assassination of union organizer and songwriter, Joe Hill.

The composer of songs like Casey Jones and The Preacher and The Slave, Joe composed songs to be used at union meetings and on picket lines and rallies.  It was in this tradition I've been proud to stand while serving as a co-coordinator of the Religion and Labor Council in Kansas City, and while serving my union locals (American Federation of Musicians, Local 1000, DMA 20-623 and Local 6).

So when John offered the invitation to Local 1000 members to join the Labor Chorus on the final cut of this CD There Is Power in the Union, I was eager to jump at the chance.

With the wonders of modern technology, I was able to take the tracks that John sent from Georgia to work with my friend and engineer, Oscar Autie at El Cerrito Studio in California and add my voice(s) to the Labor Chorus.

I am excited to hear the final released track this morning as I write this blog post.  Can't wait to hear the rest of the tunes....I bet you can't either!  You can get your copy at this link.

(Disclaimer: I have no economic interest in this project, just proud to be part of it.)