Yes the Hurdy-Gurdies are still making beautiful music here at Hurdy-gurdy Crafters. And yes although my last post is 2 years old, much is the same. Mid July, we packed up our tent, booth stuff, and an assortment of instruments for our annual trip to The FunFest at Evart, Michigan and came away committed to be there again next year. Many new gurdy players are coming now including Michael Opp who gave a magnificent show at several evening Jam sessions. Mel, Michael, and Dave Smith did 3 songs on stage during open mike. While still a novelty at a Dulcimer festival, the Hurdy-gurdy is becoming an old friend to many at Evart. We made a new friend this year, Jim, who takes care of the venders including Hurdy-Gurdy Crafters and treated us very well! We missed Brian McCoy who was with us last year. Both he and Michael were great ambassadors giving demonstrations around the festival grounds.

At the end of July we hosted the meeting of the Michigan Violin Builders here at our home and shop. It was a time of teaching, sharing, and exploring some new ideas. Several of the violin luthiers were surprised to discover some commonalities between the instruments and Mel was delighted in their added insights on various aspects of building.

It still not too late to sign up for the Indiana Hurdy-Gurdy Workshop October 3-6, 2013.  More information at www.earlymusicinmotion.org. This is for amateurs and professionals alike. We have several instruments on the bench, two headed for their new owners at this workshop, so I have to get back to work.

Home from Evart

Mel doing a repair
 for a customer.

   We are home from Evart and the ODPC Fun Festival. The tent is put away for another year and we are back in the shop or on the computer. It was the best year yet although not in sales. We met some awesome musicians. Judith L. and David S. both spent time with us in our booth as well as giving demos on the lawn to the many folks who stopped. they are the Gurdy players who introduced us to this marvelous instrument and then encouraged us when we got discouraged.



Returning the minuet to its case.
We sure enjoyed the double booth!

   

Doug our neighbor across the aisle builds wonderful Mountain Dulcimers and surprised us with some proficiency on the Minuet,  better known as the student model. We taught two classes which were more "Meet and Greet" but did provide the opportunity for anyone who wanted to to try their hand on a student model. Next year we will be teaching at least one class one on one(six) for the entire hour with hopefully all six students leaving able to play a tune.
   Oh yes, my Monarchs are still on the bench although one traveled with us to Evart and let people see how many parts there are in a Hurdy-Gurdy! More on that later. Mark your calendar Mid July 2012 if you are anywhere near northern Michigan and check Youtube for loads of pictures of the festival.

Did I Say Bridges?

    As you will see by the picture my gurdy is progressing much slower than I had planned. The day I intended to build the bridges for both Monarchs, Mel mentioned that we needed to get 10 student models ready for the classes we will be teaching at the Dulcimer festival in Evart, Michigan.  Only a handful of gurdy players attend but we are recruiting with some success. Last year we sold a beautiful instrument to a young woman heading to the University of Edinbourgh, Scotland. She is a music major and wanted the instrument to use for busking on week ends.

    Not sure what this year holds, but we decided it was a good time to unveil our new Minuet also known as the student model. This meant building three braces for each of the 10 instruments and while we are at it, it would be faster to make 20 sets of bridges for the other ten sitting on the shelf, Right? Yes I did build bridges but my poor monarch sits on the bench waiting for her third bridge  after Evart!  

Bridges in six Minuets. I guess ten was a bit too much!









  If any of you happen to be in northern Michigan July 14-17, the festival is an awesome time with every oldtime instrument you ever wanted to see or learn to play. The lessons go on all day and the spontanious Jams go on all night! If you decide to drop by, look us up at our Hurdy-Gurdy Crafters booth and say hello.




 Student Model/Minuet nestled between the big boys

Life happens

    Monday! I'd planned to have two monarchs begun. Mel always tells me it is faster and easier to do the same step several times in a row, thus building two gurdies should be as fast and easy as building one...I don't think so.
    I have the bridge brace glued together for one gurdy but then there were bills to pay, e-mail's to reply to (business of course) laundry and grocery shopping and five gurdy bags to finish by the middle of next week. Like I say, Life happens. Its all good, just not conducive to getting two or even one gurdy under way.
   There is much conversation on the Loop about making your own tangents and a few string questions. It is very educational to follow some of these conversations but it can get in the way of productive shop time. Tomorrow it is braces and bags! Hopefully, pictures by tomorrow evening.

Back again

Wow! Two days in a row. I just opened an e-mail from Michael who is building one of our kits but making a really luxurious version. check it out at http://harvey-house.info/blog-hg/          A Hurdy-Gurdy Odyssey
NOW I am ready to tackle another Monarch Kit.

family reunion

It doesn't seem possible that I have not chatted with you for nearly 6 months! I'd like to tell you all that its because I was using every spare minute practicing my gurdy, or that in that time I have built two new Monarchs. I would like to but I can't.                                    Actually we have been quite busy building and shipping either kits or instruments to Sweden, Scotland, Norway, Australia, UK, and of courseseveral  here in the states. Its been a grand journey. The end of May we were invited to join a group of Hurdy gurdy players at Folk College at Juanita College in Huntingdon, PA. Although there were only 12 of us in a group of 160 musicians, they treated us like royality. I strongly encourage anyone who can work it into their schedule next Memorial Day week end (the first week end in May for those of you out of country) to join us. Although most of us were strangers, it truly felt like a family reunion with the first coo. Here are a couple pictures to whet your appetite.

Plans for the New Year

his year a real tree stands in place of our “plastic” one. Decorated with well warn Winnie the Pooh and friends, slightly scratched shinny bulbs from our childhoods, interesting decorations made by the precious hands of our kids and yes now even grandkids, it’s not a tree that would be featured in Good House Keeping, but it is the most beautiful tree full of love and memories.  I trust your Christmas was a wistful blend of past, present, and future too. You know that’s what Christmas really is anyway.

    T

    Our families have returned to their homes, most in other states. I have cleaned up after my Christmas cooking spree. Mel and I have tucked the bathroom scales away until spring, and I can finally get back to the shop and start on my next Monarch.  My kit building project was such a success that it ended up under someone’s Christmas tree and I am once again Gurdiless.

    Before I return to my bench though, we are off on an adventure to Ontario, Canada to visit Ben Grossman a very talented musician specializing in the vielle a roué, or Hurdy-gurdy as we call it. Among other things, I am hoping to learn the correct pronunciation of its French name. Mel’s goals are much loftier.

    I am including a picture of our tree. Please notice the tenor gurdy in its case standing next to Santa. Also a picture of proof that I also am at home in the kitchen. It wouldn’t seem like Christmas without a large batch of German cookies!

Best wishes for the New Year.  Let the Hurdy-gurdies sing!

What are your plans for 2011?