We’re getting excited about our rapidly approaching dulcimer festival in March 8 – 10, 2018, with morning gospel sing on March 11. This is our 17th annual fête and our club’s 20th anniversary. It is our most ambitious fête yet, with all styles of mountain dulcimer performers represented. Plus our featured hammered dulcimer player, Rick Thum, is excellent and we have workshops for many acoustic instruments. Workshops are planned for all levels of mountain dulcimer players; many workshop slots have three choices. We have tweaked things this year, there are several important changes. A list follows.
Just new is a “Second Glance Treasures” table. Did you accidentally purchase 2 of the same book? Do you have old dulcimer books you no longer use. Donate them at our table. Donations to Lagniappe will be used for a charitable cause.
We have tweaked the workshop schedules. They are available on one of the Fête page drop down links. Here’s a list of what is new at our festival this year and several important things which are continuing.
Continuing:
- In addition to mountain and hammered dulcimer, we have workshops for all types of acoustic music instruments including fiddle, autoharp, mandolin, guitar, ukulele, claw hammered banjo, penny whistle plus sacred harp singing. Refer to the workshop schedule for skill levels taught.
- Our “Learn to Play the Hammered Dulcimer” series of classes continues on both Friday and Saturday mornings. It is an extended period of 2 workshops and gives an introduction to playing the hammered dulcimer. We will even loan you a dulcimer for the classes.
Here are several of our club members performing with ukuleles at our recent Barnes and Noble fundraiser.
What’s New at Lagniappe Dulcimer Fête 2018
We have many new and updated features for this year: Here’s a list to read prior to the festival. (It is hard to read and assimilate things once you arrive at the fête, this summary can help know what is going on.)
- Dulcimer Orchestra performs on Thursday afternoon immediately after the Louisiana State Dulcimer Contest.
- “Cook Like A Cajun” is a new two-hour intensive class on Thursday for anyone interested in Cajun cuisine and culture. $25.00 fee includes all food and supplies.
- Bowed Psaltery workshops are back (one each day). Plus a vendor is attending who sales psalteries!
- “Keyboard Back-Up” is an intensive 2-hr workshop on Thursday afternoon for all musicians. $17.00 fee.
- Gentle Jam sessions specifically for advanced beginner and novice players are scheduled throughout the two days. They are in workshop slots; check the schedule.
- Do you have a memory of Lagniappe through the years? Share it with us on our giant birthday display.
- We have a new caterer for suppers; catfish is fried on-site. This assures piping hot catfish; but also means a slight wait for some folks as fresh batches are fried.
- Visit the “Second Glance Treasures” table. Did you accidentally purchase 2 of the same book? Do you have old books and dulcimer accessories that you no longer use and would like to donate and pass along? Bring them for our table. Donations will be used for a charitable cause. (Please, no books/C.D by current performers or being sold at vendor tables.)
- New this year is an autoharp repair vendor; bring all those autoharps for a tune-up and fix up and then play them! Chuck Daniels will provide the vendor table; Karen Daniels is our autoharp instructor this year.
Shown here are two of our Lagniappe members, Craig and Pam Kaster. Pam will teach penny whistle classes.
- Non-players (and players) might enjoy visiting the blacksmith at the museum on Friday morning as well take tour of the museum. A new workshop on Friday afternoon lead by Cajun museum staff will tell about “Cajun Music and Lyrics”.
- Our popular “Mississippi Levee Jam” is back again. It is moved to Saturday. It occupies lunch and first afternoon workshop slot. We will car-pool and appreciate it if you can take a few folks with you. We will meet at 11:30 am at the Registration Table. Get in the lunch line first if you purchased a meal ticket.
- Instead of a mini-concert on Friday afternoon, we are having a square dance lead by professional caller Steve Bing and his Famous Texas Band (David Lindsey (hails from OK) & friends). You don’t need a partner or know how to dance, just come with your dancing shoes and join in.
- We are having three nightly concerts. Rather than introducing our featured performers on Thursday night, we are starting things out with a concert by three of our instructors (in addition to a Lagniappe pageant, crowning new king and queen and a surprise). You won’t want to miss it as Margaret Wright, Steve Heiser and Karen Daniels perform to open our fête concerts.
- “Meet the Instructors” has moved to Thursday afternoon. You are in for a treat as our featured mountain dulcimer instructors each perform a number or two in a mini-concert after the dulcimer contest. (Margaret, Erin Mae, Linda, Steve, Sam and Trish.)
- We have several new classrooms this year.
o The Juke Box is behind the museum. Handicap Access is close to the parking lot behind the Museum. Drive along the street behind the Community Center to get to the Juke Box easily.
o We are using a small room inside The Arbroth Store. Access to this room is BEHIND the store.
o We’re using the Perkins Gallery this year. The Whitehead Galley holds a priceless exhibit.
o The Timeline Room is just inside the front door of the Museum for pennywhistle workshops. - Parking for hammered dulcimers is on the street by the American Legion hall door. Don’t walk with your heavy dulcimer to the hall and Juke Box; we encourage you drive and park right next to the front door. (This is Steve Heiser’s suggestion; good for Rick Thum’s classes, too.)
- Back again is a Fête T-shirt quilt with past years T-shirts at our raffle. Here’s a sneak preview.
Dulcimer Jambalaya 