Fort New Salem Foundation
Dulcimer Festival
August 8-10, 2008
General Information
Fort New Salem is a representative log house settlement of the frontier period (1800-1900) of West Virginia. It is located in Salem, WV on US Route 50 between Parkersburg and Clarksburg. It is currently owned and operated by the Fort New Salem Foundation.
The dulcimer weekend features hands-on music workshops during the day for all
levels of players. The workshops will be primarily on mountain dulcimer and
hammered dulcimer with additional workshops on penny whistle, bowed psaltery
and others. There will be a coffee house style concert featuring many of the
workshop leaders on Friday evening. The Saturday night concert will feature
TBA. Our workshop leaders/performers are experienced musicians from Ohio, West
Virginia and beyond. They include TBA.
Vendors will be available throughout the weekend to sell dulcimers and supplies. They include TBA. There will also be books and CDs available from many of the workshop leaders.
Hotels are available in Bridgeport at the junction of US 50 and I79. A limited
number of spaces will be available for small campers on site. Please register
early.
Pre-Register by Mail (discount if by August 1, 2008)
Festival Information: Linda Sigismondi, Festival Director, 740-446-9244, lsigismondi@att.net
Note: Subject to revision as needed!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Times
Times
5:00
to
7:00
Registration
5:00
to
7:00
7:30
to
9:30
Coffee House Concert
Workshop Leaders:
Front Porch Stage
7:30
to
9:30
9:45
to
?
Late Night Jam Session
Linda Sigismondi/Bill Schilling
9:45
to
?
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Times
Old Kitchen
Farmhouse
McIntyres
Basketshop
Times
9:00
to
9:50
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
9:00
to
9:50
10:00
to
10:50
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
10:00
to
10:50
11:00
to
11:50
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
11:00
to
11:50
12:00
to
1:00
Lunch
12:00
to
1:00
1:00
to
1:50
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
1:00
to
1:50
2:00
to
2:50
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
2:00
to
2:50
3:00
to
3:50
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
3:00
to
3:50
4:00
to
4:50
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
4:00
to
4:50
5:00
to
7:00
Dinner
5:00
to
7:00
7:30
to
9:30
Evening Concert
TBA
Stage
7:30
to
9:30
9:45
to
?
Late Night Jam Session
Linda Sigismondi/Bill Schilling
9:45
to
?
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Old Kitchen
Farmhouse
McIntyres
Basketshop
9:30
to
10:20
Song Circle
Patty Looman
9:30
to
10:20
10:30
to
11:20
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
10:30
to
11:20
11:30
to
12:30
Lunch
11:30
to
12:30
12:30
to
1:20
12:30
to
1:20
1:30
to
2:20
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
1:30
to
2:20
2:45
to
3:15
All Participant Finale
Linda Sigismondi/Bill Schilling
2:45
to
3:15
Note: Subject to revision as needed!
5:00-7:00 Registration
7:30 - 9:30
Coffee House Concert
Workshop Leaders: TBA
Meeting HOuse
9:45-? Friday Night Jam
Saturday
Abbreviations:
Saturday, 9:00 A.M. -9:50 A.M. Workshops
TBA
Saturday, 10:00 A.M. -10:50 A.M. Workshops
TBA
Saturday, 11:00 A.M. -11:50 A.M. Workshops
TBA
Saturday, 12:00 P.M. -1:00 P.M. Lunch
Saturday, 1:00 P.M. -1:50 P.M. Workshops
TBA
Saturday, 2:00 P.M. -2:50 P.M. Workshops
TBA
Saturday, 3:00 P.M. -3:50 P.M. Workshops
TBA
Saturday, 4:00 P.M. -4:50 P.M. Workshops
TBA
Saturday 7:30-9:30
TBA
Front Porch Stage
Saturday, 9:45 P.M. -?, Late Night Jam
Steve K. Smith at late night jam.
Sunday
Sunday, 9:30 A.M. to 10:20 A.M. Song Circle
Song Circle - This is a time to gather on Sunday morning and share some music in an informal session. Each person in the circle will be given a chance to play a song, request a song or to just listen.
Patty Looman leading Song Circle.
Sunday, 10:30 A.M. -11:20 A.M. Workshops
TBA
Sunday, 11:30 P.M. -12:20 P.M. Lunch
Sunday, 12:30 P.M. -1:20 P.M. Workshops
TBA
Sunday 1:30-2:20 Workshops
TBA
Sunday, 2:45-3:15 Finale
Finale - The festival will conclude with an all-participant gathering in which everyone is invited to join in to sing and play as we end the festival in song and perhaps harmony.
Bill Schilling and Linda Sigismondi leading finale at Dulcimer Festival 1995 with help from David Schnaufer on right
2008 Featured Performers
Hammered Dulcimer
TBA
Mountain Dulcimer
TBA
2007 Workshop Leaders (Note these have not been updated for 2008 but I anticpate many of them returning)
Marge Diamond began playing mountain dulcimer in the mid eighties
with virtually no music background but tons of enthusiasm. Through attending
dulcimer workshops and getting in touch with the playing styles of established
dulcimer players from all over the country, she found the greatest tool for
making friends and having a great time. That is what she teaches others to do.
Her early efforts emphasized the playing of fiddle tunes and taking part in
a square dance band, ‘The Bentwood Rockers’. She then moved on to
playing songs that required a little more arranging. Currently Marge plays with
“The Oberlin Dulcimer group”. Marge has performed and taught dulcimer
workshops since 1987. She has been on hand teaching and performing at all of
the Dulci-More festivals, at the past 13 Fort New Salem Festivals, at several
of the Kent State Folk Festivals and has been on hand for some of the COFF festivals.
Marge has one recording “Beyond Cabbage” which is now available
on CD. She also sells T-shirts featuring original dulcimer and other instrument
designs. Marge's Homepage
Jeff Fedan lives in Masontown, WV and learned to play the hammered dulcimer from his teacher and mentor, Patty Looman, who has given him the gift of music. He is especially interested in the old time repertoire of northern West Virginia, the music of Worley Gardner and Russell Fluharty and others. He was once a West Virginia Folk Arts Apprentice with Patty Looman through the Augusta Heritage Center at Davis and Elkins College. He is the founder and co-organizer of "PattyFest," the old-time music festival held annually in Morgantown as a tribute to Patty Looman."
Doug Felt is from Marengo, Ohio. Doug has taught classes on
the mountain dulcimer, pennywhistle and bodhran for a number of years in the
Midwest, South and East. He is an accomplished dulcimer player with a CD entitled
"A Little of This and A Little of That". He and his wife, Lee Felt,
sell dulcimer bags and other accessories at many festivals as well as online.
Doug and Lee's Web Site.
Darlene Fox is from Salem, WV and enjoys being able to share her music in the area. She has been playing hammered dulcimer for several years under the apprenticeship of Patty Looman, leaning the old time music and styles of playing. She also plays mountain dulcimer. She wants to share with others and keep the heritage music going to the younger generations.
Sally Hawley of St. Albans, WV a veteran hammered dulcimer performer, teacher and workshop leader has been a part of the Salem dulcimer festival since its conception. Her repertoire includes traditional old-time, Celtic, gospel, contemporary, original, and classical music. Sally has available three recordings, and her book, "The Hammered Dulcimer Treasury Of Tunes", published by MelBay, Inc. which is on their best seller list. Also a member of the "Presby Pickers", she has available their Appalachian historical CD, "The Spirit Of The Mountains".
Patty Looman is a resident of Star City, West Virginia. She teaches and plays both lap and hammered dulcimers. She plays primarily Appalachian heritage tunes on both instruments. She is the 2007 recipient of the Vandalia award. Patty has been teaching and performing at the Fort New Salem festival since it's start in 1991. She also has several tunebooks and recordings available.
Northern Cross is Ed Bray and Elaine Koehler. Ed hales from Akron, Oh. and Elaine, from Louisville, OH. They perform at many festivals & gatherings throughout the state of Ohio. Ed plays guitar, 5-string banjo, mountain dulcimer, autoharp, various other instruments and sings. Elaine, who also sings, plays 12-string guitar, tenor banjo, mandolin and some mountain dulcimer.
Mike and Marlene Oliver of Lancaster, Ohio, bought their first
mountain dulcimers in 1988. They have performed, taught and competed across
Ohio and in the surrounding states. They founded the Standing Stone Strings
& Things dulcimer club and the Harmony Harvest dulcimer festival. They have
been known for a number of years as Lower Lights. Mike plays
dulcimer and bodhran while Marlene plays dulcimer and tin whistle and sings.
John Sackenheim has been playing the mountain dulcimer since
his introduction to the instrument in May of 1999. He attended his first dulcimer
workshop/festival in January of 2000 (Kentucky Music week Winter Weekend). He
has performed in various venues in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota.
He has also performed in Nursing Homes, churches, and AARP meetings and other
events in the Hamilton/Oxford, Ohio area. He is the author of a 1-3-5 tab book
entitled, “New” Old Hymns and has released a first CD, entitled
"It’s About Time".
Bill Schilling has been singing and playing various folk instruments (at least 20 with variations of several) for over 35 years. He has performed for audiences of all ages in many settings from coast to coast. His high-energy performances may include songs, slide programs, and/or stories selected specifically for your group. His performances often involve members of your group with audience participation songs or activities. Bill often performs with others including Linda Sigismondi with whom he has recorded “Songs from Canal Days”. Since Bill believes that his music should be inclusive, he is involved in many groups which share music. A few of them are: Dulci-More: Folk & Traditional Musicians (Bill is the founder and leader (called Fearless Leader) of this group); the annual Dulci-More Festival (Bill is the director); the Canton Folk Song Society (Bill is one of the original members); the Dulcimer Society of Trumbull County (Bill has reorganized and leads this group); Folknet (Bill is a charter Executive Committee Member & Vice-President); and Folk Music at Weatherbury Farm (Bill is one of the originators of this program and a workshop leader). His “Dulci-More Public Domain Songbooks “(in several variations) are used by clubs around the country.Bill's Webpage
Linda Sigismondi is a mountain dulcimer player and folksinger
from Gallipolis, Ohio. Her music includes traditional Appalachian tunes, Celtic
tunes, folk dances, traditional and contemporary folk music, and original compositions
that feature environmental themes. Linda has played at Fort New Salem, West
Virginia, for the Harvest and Christmas Festivals for many years. She also organizes
the music and workshops for the Fort New Salem Dulcimer Festival. Linda has
taught workshops and performed at many folk music festivals in West Virginia,
Ohio and New York. Linda is also the leader of the Banks of the Ohio Dulcimer
Club in Gallipolis, Ohio. Linda has written several books (and companion CDs)
of mountain dulcimer tab and has recorded a CD, "Songs from Canal Days"
with Bill Schilling. Linda's Webpage
AbNormal Sines (Dayton) is now Gary and Joni Sines. The original trio taught and performed at various festivals throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee since 1987. Gary is a guitarist and unreformed rocker. Joni has classical piano background, but was easily converted to a “folkie” as a “child of the 60’s”. In addition to teaching and performing with the group, she has been teaching dulcimer at the University of Dayton’s Institute for Learning in Retirement for the past 6 years. They have 2 recordings to their credit including many of their original songs. Joni has written 7 dulcimer instructional books.
Tish Westman is a bowed psaltery player from Renick, WV, currently
living in Beckley at Tamarack. She and her husband Greg are one of five resident
artists currently at Tamarack, an arts and crafts retail facility in southern
WV. She demonstrates and sells bowed psalteries at many festivals in WV, OH
and surrounding states. She has written 5 books of repertoire for the bowed
psaltery. Westman Instruments Webpage
Links to Other Events
Pattyfest - A music gathering near Morgantown, WV to celebrate teacher/performer Patty Looman
Dulci-More - A festival in Lisbon, Ohio that features workshops and concerts on dulcimers and other instruments.
Last Updated: May 7, 2008