by Erin Mae

“One of my life missions is to teach music to young people in my community, as well as to equip adults across the country to teach the young people in their lives.“

Erin MAe

Traditions

I carefully lift my mountain dulcimer out of its case, strumming gently to be sure it is in tune, and move toward the center of the jam session. I can feel the energy in the room. Magic is about to happen as people from all different places, cultural upbringings, and political bents gather to share in the tradition of making music. Several hours pass by and my smile only grows bigger as songs, tunes, and stories are shared around the circle. At the end of the night, I am grinning ear to ear, exhausted but energized by the songs that were played and the stories that were shared. I begin to think about how this tradition started and what will keep it going long after I am gone.

Traditions exist because one person teaches another person to value and continue them. As dulcimer players, there are many traditions we hold dear and legacies we are continuing. Our clubs and festivals are committed to educating new players, preserving music gatherings in our communities, and sharing traditional music with others through performances. We believe in tradition, and we are passionate about making sure our traditions continue.

One of my life missions is to teach music to young people in my community, as well as to equip adults across the country to teach the young people in their lives. As part of this mission, I recently partnered with my friend Bill Wake to develop a dulcimer-sharing network of sorts called Advance the Music. We are dreaming and planning and collecting resources right now.

You and I have a responsibility to pass our beloved music on to the next generation. If we love and cherish the tradition of playing dulcimers and joining jam sessions, then we are compelled to do our part to keep that going. This became clear to me a couple years ago when I was at a dulcimer festival in Alabama. A train frequently passed by very close to the main stage, making it impossible to hear the performers. Each time this happened, everyone stood up and sang “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad.” Of course, I was enjoying this tradition immensely until I noticed the children in the audience. None of them knew the words to this classic folk song. “How could this be?” I asked myself. 

It was then I started hearing from parents that arts funding was being cut and their kids no longer have a full-time music teacher at the school anymore. Teachers and principals said that they couldn’t host music assemblies anymore because the students had to study for their tests; and there was no money in the budget for music to come into the classroom. My first reaction was sadness and discouragement; but I started looking at it as an opportunity for folk music to flourish. 

Folk music has always been the music of the people, passed down aurally from generation to generation. It does not require a great deal of musical training nor a degree in education to share songs like “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad,” “Oh Susannah,” or “Soldier’s Joy.” We, the people who love and play this music, can share it with the children in our communities, providing them with unique opportunities to see, hear, and experience live music. We can advance the music.  

I do not know when the tradition of playing music together started (perhaps it has always been?), exactly where the mountain dulcimer originated, or who wrote “Soldier’s Joy.” I probably never will. I do, however, know how the tradition was planted in me. It started when my parents gave me a mountain dulcimer for my seventh birthday. Little-by-little it grew, as I sat knee-to-knee with adults willing to teach me a song or show me a technique.

One person taught me “Spotted Pony,” another showed me how to play chords. Someone else showed me how to play a “chop chord,” and then how to use a capo. A kind stranger smiled at me when I hesitated to join a jam, then helped me pull up a chair. My dad whispered chord changes in my ear until I could hear them myself; and my sister raced me until I could play tunes up to speed. Most of what I learned was handed down from generation to generation. 

These traditions are now so deeply ingrained in me that I cannot imagine my life without the mountain dulcimer and these magical musical gatherings. This passing on of tradition from generation to generation is powerful and I know my life is more beautiful because of every person who took the time to share a bit of their knowledge with me. 

Will you join me in making sure another generation gets to experience this joy? Will you “advance the music”?

Questions to Ponder

• Do you or a friend have a dulcimer you would like to donate to a young person?
• Do you know a young person interested in learning to play the dulcimer?
• Are you a teacher who currently teaches dulcimer to young people?
• Would you like to receive training to teach young people in your community?
• Do you have other ideas for how to help?

Visit AdvanceTheMusic.org to learn more. Contact erin@advancethemusic.org or bill@advancethemusic.org or call 785-614-4061 if you would like to get involved in the Advance the Music project. We’re looking forward to hearing your ideas. – Erin

This article was first published in Vol. 44 No. 1 (February 2018). It has been updated and edited for online publication.