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My first dulcimer club meeting

3/2/2011

1 Comment

 
I had finally had my dulcimer experience.  I loved hearing the sounds of Bob Thomason's dulcimer cassette and wanted to experience more.  Where could I find a dulcimer in Columbia, SC?  I went to the local bluegrass store thinking I would find an instrument to play on again.  The owner told me there was a dulcimer group that met once a month in Columbia.  I got the phone number and called a sweet little lady named Fran Cargill.  The group was to meet the following Sunday in town.  I went to that meeting, even though I did not have an instrument at the time.  Someone noticed that I did not have an instrument and loaned me one.  There I was sitting in a group of dulcimer players, playing the dulcimer.  I went back into playing by ear mode and had a great time.  The little beginner instrument that I played that day was made in Alabama by a guy named Butch Sides.  It was called his woodpile dulcimer.  I envisioned him going out to his woodpile and cutting wood  into pieces.  When I got home from the club meeting, I called him and ordered my first dulcimer for $80.00.  About two weeks later a package came in the mail.  It was my dulcimer.  Then I had a thought, I had forgot to mail Butch his check.  I immediately called him to apologize.  I found out that dulcimer people are not only friendly but very trusting.  Now I had a dulcimer so I just started playing.
1 Comment
Kim
10/29/2012 06:44:42 pm

I, too, own a Butch Sides original. I met him while I was working in Cades Cove in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. There were some volunteers from Alabama who introduced me, as I had expressed an interest in learning to play. They were going to teach me, and I decided to go ahead and commission a mountain dulcimer of my own. Butch was super nice and very accommodating. I had taken an interest in Dolly Parton at that time and was enamoured of her love for butterflies. Butch went to work, and before long I received my beautiful instrument with butterfly sound holes. He had used the butterfly on his wife's Geritol bottle as a pattern! Ha! Anyway, time has passed and my dulcimer mostly gathers dust, but every once in awhile I discover it again. Thanks for taking me on this trip down memory lane!

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