What’s New?
- November 8, 2022: Registration is now open for the 2023 Phoenix Autoharp Retreat, Feb. 19-22, 2023! Get the whole scoop here. AND, the day before the Retreat begins, I will teach all kinds of string players, including autoharpists, to back up tunes with chords by ear. If you live in the Phoenix area and want to get in on three hours of chord-changing how-to in Gilbert AZ that will allow you to leave a heavy notebook and music stand at home the next time you go out to jam. go here to print the flier and register to join us!
- June 27, 2019–During the Mountain Laurel Autoharp Gathering, I was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame! I’ll hope to tell the story soon in my blog. For now. just this simple announcement.
- February 21, 2018–The first Phoenix Autoharp Retreat is now history, and you can read all about it here. AND in 2019, I will lead Autoharp Retreats in Phoenix and Nashville TN!
- July 24, 2017–This site is back up and running after malware struck it in March. Sorry if you missed it (I’ve heard that many of you did). There’s a new blog post up as of today, plus the latest tunes for The Diatonic Corner are now in place for you autoharpists out there in need of more tunes.
- September 23, 2016–Presenting a new page: The Fabaceaen Order of the Hip Pouch! This page is for all autoharpists who play the autoharp upright against the chest, and if you already play the autoharp atop a hip pouch, you can join the Order! Click here to check it out.
- September 22, 2016–On this date 26 years ago at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield KS, I purchased my first diatonic autoharp, a Liberty GDA by Dr. George Orthey. AND on this date 25 years ago, also at the Walnut Valley Festival, autoharp colleague Bob Lewis gave me a 30-second demo in chord & release (C&R) diatonic autoharping. That evening, on the way to Taos NM, I gave C&R my first shot (with husband David blissful at the wheel to hear live music in the car, meager–ER, yucky–as it was). And less than a week later, I played “The Texola Waltz” by Norman Blake in the C&R method during a concert in Tulsa. What a ride it’s been ever since!
- Friday, August 26, 2016–For those of you who have been struggling to read content on this site using your mobile devices, especially smartphones, today I discovered (with the help of my wonderful web host, Site5.com), that the Zoom feature works backwards from how it is worded. By unchecking the Zoom command to “disable” it, Zoom now works. Navigate away!Tuesday, March 1–Something new for diatonic autoharpists is now available at the Marketplace. Click here to see!
- Monday, Feb. 22–Since the content derailment over the weekend, I’ve discovered some contact form troubles that cause none of them to work. My web person is alleged to get these all up and running tomorrow, and hopefully teach me what the “instructions” don’t teach. If you need to reach me and know my Juno email address, use that. Otherwise, watch this spot for news about when it’s all up and running again. Browsing the site is fine; only forms you fill out to send to me are affected.
- June 27, 2015: My long-awaited solo diatonic autoharp CD, “All in a Garden Green,” is now reality!
- June 26, 2015: I cannot believe I won the Mountain Laurel Autoharp Championship for the third time, becoming the first autoharpist to do so! Read all about it in my blog.
- March 17, 2015: Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! I greet this day by announcing that www.thedulcimerlady.com is brand new! With the help of Ellis Benus, this site moved to WordPress to be fully present in the 21st century. Everything is still here (and more), although locations of some pages have changed; hover your mouse over each heading button at the top of any page to also view a drop-down menu holding related content. For example, hover your mouse over FAQs above and you’ll see the beloved Ouch page now living in the drop-down menu.
This new site sports interactive content that looks great on both computers and mobile devices, brief sound clips from my CDs (many of you have asked for that; the old site software couldn’t handle it) and a seamless, quick way to place orders via PayPal. (Paying by check still works, too.)
I am confident that all is in good shape, but if you encounter a link that won’t work or takes you to the wrong place, a statement that could read more clearly, a typo, etc., please take a moment to contact me about the nature of the spot, plus its page and location. You’ll help a lot of other visitors enjoy browsing here by doing so. (Some visitors have told me they spend a couple hours here. If you’re one of them, tell me that, too.) - June 30, 2014: The Flowers of Edinburgh, out of print for over a year, is back in print in a more thorough second edition, tweaking all the good info within it since previous publications in 1998 and 2003, with new and fascinating takes on chord choice and fingering and a wondrous concept called time spacing. Already have one of the previous editions? Consider updating it at reduced cost. Click here for details.
- July 4, 2013: A new YouTube link came to my attention. Click here to visit all the videos, along with other favorite links, collected thus far.
- November 2010: Residents of and visitors to San Francisco can hear my dulcimer playing throughout a 23-minute film titled “Oasis: Discovering and Measuring Nature in the Presidio.” The DVD is available for sale, too.
November, 2010: I am cover girl for the fall 2010 issue of Autoharp Quarterly!This is the result of winning the two major autoharp competitions in the US in 2010! (See next two entries.) The autoharps in my arms were won at the Mountain Laurel Autoharp Championship, Newport PA (L for 1995 by Dr. George Orthey, R for 2010 by Tom Fladmark). The autoharps on the ground are for the International Autoharp Championship in Winfield KS (L for 1995 by Dr. George Orthey, R for 2010 by Pete d’Aigle). Cropped from the photo is a third autoharp set sideways on the ground for the 2003 International Championship (also by Dr. George Orthey). My original plan for the photo shoot was to hold all five in my lap like a deck of cards, but as you can see, two are more than enough! Inside this issue is an interview of yours truly by Gregg Averett, alongside my column for diatonic autoharp, “The Diatonic Corner,” which has been going since 2002. You can click on the image above to reach the Autoharp Quarterly web site and subscribe to read about all things autoharp!- Our guest room makes it possible for me to host extended-stay “B&B” lessons at home! I’ll teach just about anything you want or whatever you need to get what you want (including contest coaching: I coached the 2008 and 2009 Mountain Laurel Autoharp Champions to victory. Next year it could be you.) Click here for info.
- Check out the ergonomically friendly hammers in The Marketplace. Dulcimer hammers always need to be an extension of the player, and so it’s important that the handles especially are shaped in a way to encourage this (not all are). Take a look now.
- If you’re on my mailing list (you are from the time you sign up or order something until you move and don’t say so, or you die), has YOUR snail address changed? Update your information here. And is your e-mail address listed as well? Or has that e-dress changed? Help me keep all of these items current. I do like to stay in touch from time to time, and your email address will never be distributed or sold to third parties..
My best to you,