We are saddened to hear of Madeline MacNeil’s passing. She is known as the “Mother of Modern Day Dulcimer” and shaped her career around playing dulcimer and accompanied by her lovely clear voice.
Maddie was the founder and original publisher of DULCIMER PLAYER NEWS, a position she held for almost three decades. In the early years, the publication was assembled and mailed from her dining room table, with the help of other dedicated dulcimer players.

Many friends from the dulcimer world have posted moving tributes on Maddie’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/madeline.macneil

A number of these tributes contain musical selections in her honor, including Steve Seifert and Bing Futch, who created Dulcimerica Episode 486 “For Maddie” (see here).

See more here: http://madelinemacneil.com/

It was announced today that Ferrum College’s Crooked Road Dulcimer Festival on May 21 – 24 has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 situation.

More information will be available later here.

NOTE: Due to the fluid situation with the COVID-19 virus all jams will be cancelled until further notice. Please check back for updated information!

Our next First Saturday jam, April 4, 2020 has been cancelled. Our regurlar May First Saturday Jam would fall on May 2 which is when our Jeff Furman Workshop is scheduled, so we do not at this time expect to hold a Jam on May 2. Currently Bridgewater Retirement Community has a “no-visitor” policy in effect, so plans for the workshop are undecided. Check back before any future jams for updates related to the C0VID-19 situation.

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Our March Third Saturday Jam on March 21 has been cancelled. Check back before any future jams for updates related to the COVID-19 situation.

In the future when our jams re-commence, our Third Saturday jams will be in the WAYNERSBORO Library, rather than the Fishersville Library. Parking at the end will allow easy no-stairs access to the lower level where we will be meeting. Bring a list of songs you would like the group to play, your Dave Haas Jam Book and our Joe Collins hymn collection!

Note: In the event of inclement weather, PLEASE CHECK THIS WEBSITE or our Facebook page for a notification of cancellation.

Summer First Saturday Jams MAY be relocated to the Oasis, just for fun, for sharing and for being in an outdoor venue.  This always depends on the availability of the Oasis Shelter in the Bridgewater Retirement Village, as well as weather!  If the location is changed from the Shenandoah Room, members will be notified via email.

The officers of the Blue Ridge Mountain Dulcimer Players Club extend our appreciation to Debbie Campbell for her service as Secretary of the Blue Ridge Mountain Dulcimer Player for slightly more than a year.  Each month Debbie sent out jam reminders, as well as club announcements.  With the increasing demand of caring for her family members, as well as her work requirements, Debbie feels she needs to set aside her secretarial activities and requests we find someone else to fill this role.  Becky Chalam who has served as Secretary in the past has agreed to be responsible for this function for the remainder of 2020. 
Please express your appreciation personally when you see Debbie at a dulcimer event and also welcome Becky.

“Dulce” was formed in 2015 by a core group from the Charlottesville Women’s Choir and Sue Davis.  We now have seven women and may be joined by music therapist and dulcimer player Janice Stegall-Seibert. We meet on the last Tuesday afternoon of the month at clubhouse of Sharon Baiocco in Charlottesville for two hours of playing together.  

Two of our players now have Blue Lion dulcimers, and most of us are working on chording and finger picking.  Membership is informal, by invitation.  Each meeting, we share tunes we are working on, and, if music is not copywritten, we share the music so others can learn with us.  Our choices are very eclectic, from folk ballads to fiddle tunes and sweet old hymns, with an occasional popular tune thrown in.  We are just beginning to work on songs with harmonies.  Most of all, we value the fun of playing together! – Sharon Baiocco

Workshop planned for May 2, 2020

Check out the ** plans here ** for Jeff Furman’s Workshop for our club, on May 2!
The location will be: Alexander Mack Room, Maple Terrace, in the Bridgewater Retirement Village, 210 Virginia Avenue, Bridgewater, Virginia 22812

Read more about Jeff, his music and his teaching on his website: http://jefffurman.com/about.shtml

Due to the fluid situation relating to the COVID-19 virus, plans for the workshop may need to be changed. Information will be forthcoming as it becomes available.

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First and Third Saturday Jams

Our upcoming jams are listed here (view here).

Music Memories:

Familiar Music for those in Nursing Care, Memory Units and Retirement Villages

Jan and Tom include music related stops in their travels, including several areas that claim they are the home to Old Joe Clark of the old time tune. However, Kentucky may have the most authentic claim; they have his statue and  plaque to prove it!