Keith Prairie demonstrating how to make due with pencils when you forget to pack your hammers. Photo by Jane Prairie.

Maine: It’s a Small World!

By Keith Prairie | I have frequently busked in Portland, Maine, and one of my favorite spots is where cruise ships come into port. One day while busking near a cruise ship, a fellow came up, introduced himself and said he was from Winfield, Kansas...
Her hard case doubles as a seat as Erin Mae waits on a delayed train between Luxembourg and Frankfurt, Germany. Photo by Justin Lewis.

Europe: Tale of two dulcimers

By Erin Mae | I have always been a bit of a wanderer, and this time the travel bug bit HARD. This summer my husband and I traveled for 4 months, in 7 countries, and across 18 thousand miles. …with 2 mountain dulcimers...
Madrid MSS 289. Folios 146v and 147v featuring "Orientis Partibus." View the digitized manuscript at bit.ly/dpn-madrid. Images from the collections of the National Library of Spain.

France: Honoring the donkey

By Fiona Potts | From “Orientis Partibus” to “The Friendly Beasts,” Christmas songs with donkeys are part of a time-honored tradition...