Bruce W. Ford

Thanks for your help with this!

********************************************
In this edition:
 - What a community!
 - New addition to the discussion forums
 - An historic dulcimer registry!
 - Advertising news (for potential advertisers)
 - News about Bruce's upcoming festival appearances and CD
- This month's contest
 - New tablature!  (lots of it!)

*********************************************

Whenever I perform and get the opportunity to speak about
dulcimers, I always brag on you folks.  The dulcimer community
never stops impressing me with the quality of folks we attract. 
Here's a for-instance...

Last month, I forwarded a call for old or unused dulcimers from
Frances Hampton of Pilot View Elementary in Kentucky.  These
dulcimers are to be used in a children's enrichment class.  Well,
I'm pleased to report that enough dulcimers have been received to
make that enrichment class a reality.  I know my local group was
probably like many of yours.  We talked about it and, sure enough,
someone had a dulcimer that could be donated, so it was donated in
the name of the River City Dulcimers and Friends of Jacksonville,
FL.  Here is the note from Frances that I received:

 "Bruce, I would like to thank everyone who donated a dulcimer to
Pilot view Elementary School. We could not have had our enrichment
classes without your help. Again, thanks for all your help. We now
have enough dulcimers for our school. They will be well used and
taken care of. Frances"

That just warms me up inside, and I feel honored to be a part of
this community.  Thanks to all who contributed to this cause.

*******************************************

I've got lots of news for you, in no particular order...

 - A new addition to the discussion board!  Acting on a suggestion
from Bobby Ratliff, I've added a new forum to the discussion
dedicated to links to dulcimer video and audio files.  Not only can
links be posted there, but positive discussion about the
performances can be done there as well.  Start posting!

http://everythingdulcimer.com/discuss/viewforum.php?f=16

 - This is very cool!  An historic dulcimer registry has been
initiated by long time traditional dulcimer  player and hobby
builder Ken Hulme of Venice, FL.  The URL is:

http://www.HistoricDulcimers.info

The database is open for use by the general public.  Anyone who
owns a pre-1965 dulcimer is encouraged to submit information about
their dulcimer to the site.  Ken was inspired and encouraged to
create the database by Ralph Lee Smith and discussions in the
History of Dulcimers and Songs thread on www.EverythingDulcimer.com .

The intent is to create an electronic equivalent of L. Allen
Smith's A Catalogue of Pre-Revival Dulcimers that extends further
into the future.  However Ken is not looking to record generally
"mass produced"  instruments by FolkRoots, Folk Craft, McSpadden,
Hughes, etc.  Nor is he interested in the works of Homer Ledford,
and other large volume builders which have their own websites. 
Unless, of course, you have a signed authenticated #1 through #10
instrument from any of those houses, people or companies like Bear
Meadow, Blue Lion, Keith Young, etc.!!

For more information on using the database and registering
dulcimers, visit http://www.HistoricDulcimers.info.

 - Advertising on EverythingDulcimer.com...  I've heard from a good
number of potential advertisers and I'm planning on offering direct
advertisements on EverythingDulcimer.com, probably beginning in the
month of June.  I will be sending out more details to those
interested advertisers soon.  

Please spread the words about this opportunity. 
EverythingDulcimer.com receives a tremendous amount of traffic.  We
have a lot of regular visitors, but a large amount of our traffic
is from those new or curious folks.  New folks are added to the
newsletter and discussion group daily.  For instance, 8 new folks
signed up for the email newsletter you are reading just yesterday,
5/6/09.  For many vendors, getting the attention of a large pool of
potential customers is their greatest challenge and
EverythingDulcimer.com can assist in that endeavor.  Please let
vendors know so they don't miss out on this opportunity.  One of
the main reasons EverythingDulcimer.com exists is to help the
professionals in our midst, for if they are healthy, then the whole
community tends to be vibrant.  Vendors will also be mentioned in
this newsletter which goes to 5231 email addresses (as of today).

- Bruce's Gig News!

If you haven't gotten a copy of my CD, I'd sure like you to have
it.  Go to brucewford.com to read the reviews, listen to samples, 
etc.  I think you'll like it!  It's entitled "Gator Clubbin' 
Society" and if you don't know the story behind that title and song, 
check out the CD notes as well on the website below:

http://www.brucewford.com

Thus far, I have two out-of-area festivals scheduled for the year. 
I hope to see a lot of you at one of these:

 - Kentucky Music Week, Bardstown, KY - June 21-27  -
http://www.everythingdulcimer.com/festivals.php#197

 - The North Georgia Foothills Dulcimer Association Fall Festival
at Unicoi State Park, Helen, GA - Nov 19-22. (http://ngfda.com/)

If you're in these areas, I'd love to meet you!

*****

 - Contest

Congratulations to Dale Hyatt for winning the April 2009 contest.
Dale won a copy of Nina Zanetti's book entitled "The Softer Side of
Dulcimer." Please support our contest donors!  Thanks to Nina
(http://www.ninazanetti.com/) for sponsoring!  Please support our
sponsors!

For this month, Butch Ross is offering a great set of prizes for
one luck winner!

1. A signed copy of my new CD "A Long Way from Shady Grove"
2. A copy of my new book "12 great tunes (almost) nobody plays"
3. An "I like singing folk songs" T-Shirt.

SPECIAL NOTE: After you sign up for the contest BE SURE to use the
link on the contest page to go over to Butch's website where he's
got a special offer for all who pre-order his new CD entitled "A
Long Way from Shady Grove."  You don't want to miss out on that.

http://www.everythingdulcimer.com/contest.php

*****
 - New Tablature

Go check out these new tunes at
http://www.everythingdulcimer.com/tab/  
Here are the songs added within the last 30 days...

    *  All the Pretty Horses - Paul Dingle
    * Alle Jahre wieder - Carsten Eichentopf
    * Be Thou My Vision - August Elletson
    * Boil Them Cabbage Down - Sister Margaret Mary
    * Bourree - Paul Dingle
    * Coplas - Dwight Sutton
    * Dat du mien leevsten buest - Carsten Eichentopf
    * Ein Hund lief in die Küche - Carsten Eichentopf
    * Hail to the Chief - Vicki Stuckert
    * I Know Whom I Have Believed - August Elletson
    * Ihr Kinderlein kommet - Carsten Eichentopf
    * Lasst uns Froh und Munter sein - Carsten Eichentopf
    * Leise rieselt der Schnee - Carsten Eichentopf
    * Lord Randal - Nina Zanetti
    * Morgen Kinder wird's was geben - Carsten Eichentopf
    * My Brave Canoe - Dwight Sutton
    * My Hope Is Built - August Elletson
    * Schneeflöckchen Weißröckchen - Carsten Eichentopf
    * The Road to Gundagai - Jim Kuder
    * Waltz of the Angels - Carolyn Arrington
    * Will Ye No Come Back Again - Nina Zanetti

 - Archives

These newsletters have been a great source of information.  If you
missed one, here are the archives:
http://www.everythingdulcimer.com/newsletter.php

***********************************************

Thanks for all the wonderful support of EverythingDulcimer.com and
I hope to see you at a festival or concert soon!

Bruce