Where does the time go?!

It seems like just last week we were playing beautiful music and learning new skills at the 2018 Festival in February. But here we are now, enjoying Colorado’s warm and sunny summer/early fall weather. And it will soon be time to register for the 2019 Festival.

The Festival “Crew” is kicking into high gear, preparing to create another fun Festival. (Read about the Crew in Past, Present, and Future.) We’ll be at the same great venue, having lots of workshops and jams, and evening concerts by our Guest and Local instructors/performers, and good healthy onsite meals.

So put it on your calendar:

September 1: “Register for the Festival”

Register early (before midnight, December 15, 2018) and take advantage of the Early Bird registration discount.

A few years ago, we applied for and were granted 501(c)(3) non-profit status.

The Festival is organized and implemented by a “Crew” of volunteers who give a lot of their time and energy all year long planning the next Festival. But there are plenty of expenses.

To ensure that we can keep the Festival going, will you consider making a tax deductible donation? At the end of the year, we’ll send you a statement you can use for tax purposes.

Thanks!

There’s lots of information on our website . . .

For an overview of the Colorado Dulcimer Festival, see Festival At-a-Glance.

For specific information about registration, see Registration Info.

To get a sense of the content of the Festival, see some 2017 Festival details:

• Performers and Instructors 2017
• Workshop Descriptions 2017

Registration for the 2018 Festival opens on September 1, 2017.

In the meantime, there’s lots of sheet music you can print and practice or play: Jam Tunes & Resources.

Enjoy! See you in 2018!

If you’re traveling by plane and wondering if you can bring your musical instrument(s) as carry-on, the U.S. Department of Transportation has issued its “final rule” on traveling with instruments. These guidelines were issued on January 5, 2015 so they’re probably the latest word (although you may want to contact the U.S. DOT to be sure–see contact info below).

The guidelines were issued after a year of discussions with musicians and representatives of airlines and industry associations, as well as a review of the results of a member survey conducted by the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) identifying problem areas when traveling by air with instruments.

The Department has a Web page that provides useful information on air travel with musical instruments, including the entire rules document, as well as a shorter “tips” document.

The web page:
http://www.dot.gov/airconsumer/air-travel-musical-instruments

The “tips” document:
http://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/Musical%20instruments%20tip%20sheet.pdf

The complete rules document: http://www.dot.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/docs/Musical%20instruments_FR_final%20rule.pdf

Each day of the festival is capped off by an Evening Concert featuring our guest artists and our local instructors/performers—with a finale performer jam that blows the roof off!

Tickets to these concerts are included in Festival attendees’ registration fee.

But the concerts are also open to the public. Tickets can be purchased at the door: Adults: $15; Students/children: $10.

Come join us. You will hear some very sweet and some very rockin’ music!

Wow, we’re getting close to Festival time!

To give you a head start, take a look at the final Festival schedules (in pdf format) and workshop descriptions. (NOTE: These will all also be in your registration packets at the Festival.)

You can print these out and use them to plan your Festival days now.

• 2017 overall daily Festival Schedule
• Detailed Schedule Grids (Hammered Dulcimer Schedule 2017  or Mountain Dulcimer Schedule 2017) with workshop title, instructor’s name, and venue room number; listed by time slot, and color-coded by skill level
  
• Workshop Descriptions listed by instructor and skill level

A map of the venue will be available at the Festival. You can also ask for directions at the Registration Desk at any time, or ask a Festival volunteer.

Apply by January 18!

One of the goals of the Colorado Dulcimer Festival is to promote a vibrant and growing community of Dulcimer players and enthusiasts, including those for whom the Festival’s cost is a challenge.

Thanks to donations from Dulcimer Crossing, Festival registration fee assistance is available.

For more information (including how to apply), see Festival Registration Fee Assistance.

Pre-Festival Classes take place the day before the Festival opens. For 2017, these classes will be held from 1–4 p.m. on Thursday, February 2, at the Festival Venue.

The topics of the 2017 Pre-Festival Classes are:

• Presented by Jody Marshall (HD):
  “Playing Nice With Others”
• Presented by Susan Trump (MD):
  “Getting to Know You, Getting to Know All About You”

These classes are optional and are NOT included in your Festival registration. You need to enroll with and send payment to the instructor.

For more information, see Pre-Festival Classes

Yes, you can register NOW for the 2017 Festival! Just click on the green Register Now button on the right side of any page in this website. Then, after you choose whether to pay by PayPal/credit card or check, you’ll be taken to the registration form where you can also order meals (onsite lunch and/or dinner), additional evening concert tickets, and arrange to rent an instrument, if necessary.

And if you register by midnight on 12/15/16, you can get the Early Bird discount rate of $110. (From 12/16/16–1/22/17, Advance rate: $130. After 1/22/17, register at the door: $140).

If you want a bit more info, see any of the following:

Festival overview: Festival-At-a-Glance

Festival content: Performers and Instructors 2017

Registration details: Registration Info

Logistics: Venue, Lodging, Meals

More information (like the 2017 Workshop Descriptions and 2017 Workshop Schedule) will be posted when available. So check back later.

And in the meantime, check under “Links” in the purple bar at the top of any page for A LOT of links to a variety of resources.

February will be here before we know it! Register now!

Come one, come all–ANY and ALL instruments are welcome in our Festival Band Scramble! It’s NOT just for dulcimers.

If you’re not familiar with this Festival event, read about it (Band Scramble) and you’ll see that’s it’s a lot of fun! Basically it’s ad hoc performing groups. You get assigned to a group. The groups meet and organize themselves, pick a tune, practice, and then perform their tunes the next day for Festival attendees. All levels of players are invited to participate—from Absolute Beginner to Advanced.

It’s a great opportunity to meet and play music with other Festival attendees, AND an opportunity to stretch your skills.

And if you’re a bit hesitant about “performing” on stage, you couldn’t ask for a more receptive audience than our Festival attendees. Besides, you’ll be part of a group—you can shine or “hide” as much as you’re comfortable with.

See you soon at the Festival!