Maine musician reflects on seemingly serendipitous musical connections
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, (I didn’t catch his name), and had I heard about Winfield? Of course I had seen mention of Winfield in Dulcimer Players News, on Facebook, and various people’s websites.
He said that he worked behind the scenes as a stagehand; he didn’t play but was familiar with dulcimers and all the other instruments common there. As he resumed his tour of Portland, I wondered if that was as close to Winfield as I would ever get.
A few days later, as I was set up and playing “Simple Gifts” on my hammered dulcimer, a group of Japanese folks walked past and then slowly stopped and one by one joined the song. I had started out singing “Simple Gifts,” but they were into “Lord of the Dance,” so I just kept playing.
It was a thrill to have a cross-cultural moment, as I realized from the accented voices that these singers did not have English as a first language, but they were singing their hearts out. It was joyful to share those moments with a group of strangers.
Another day, a fellow stopped and introduced himself. He was Tony Elman from California and he played too. We talked and exchanged business cards. I played a few tunes for him and he sat down and played a few for me.
A few months later, I got an email from my wife Jane’s cousin, Dave, another musician. Dave lives in Florida and he had recently bumped into his old high school friend Tony Elman at a reunion, who shared a story of meeting a busker in Portland, Maine. It turned out to be me. What a small world it is!
A few months passed and in November of last year I went to Asheville, North Carolina, to visit family. I busked a few times near the Flat Iron statue and I met a banjo player who was from Gardner, Maine. Small world once again.
At Givens Estates Retirement Community, where my dad lives in Asheville, I sat in for a couple of practice sessions for the Dulcitones, a group of mountain dulcimer players who were getting ready for a Christmas concert, and I played a concert for the Health Center, where my mom passed away from Alzheimer’s two and a half years before.
In early December, on my way back to Maine, I stopped and visited with more of Jane’s cousin’s in Maryland and then in Philadelphia and was able to share music for both households. In Maryland, we made delightful connections through conversation and music.
In Philadelphia, cousin Mimi had made arrangements for a friend of a friend, who is also a hammered dulcimer player, to come over and have a mini concert/jam. And so completes the circle – I had a fine time playing with John Lionarons, who won the National Hammered Dulcimer Championship in Winfield in 2022. I may be getting closer to Winfield.
I must admit I was intimidated at the prospect of jamming with a celebrity and National Champion, but I relaxed into it. When I learned that John and I had both started playing about 1976, that evened my keel. Again it is a small world!
As I settle back into Maine and the quiet months, I am sharing my love for the hammered dulcimer, and I realize that playing the dulcimer has brought me together with you and makes the world a smaller, homier place.
Keith Prairie is a hammered dulcimer player in southern Maine and has been playing since 1976. He plays a mix of songs and tunes from various folk traditions in both a trio, Salem Street, and as a solo act. Find him online at prairie-music.com.