tradition bearers - Smyrna West Alternative

DANDIES
DULCIMER
TRADITION
BEARERS
by Sue Sutton
TI n the fall of 2008, the Dulcimer Dandies of the Martin Senior
ICenter in Brentwood, TN presented a short program at Smyrna
West Alternative School in Smyrna, TN for their Heritage Celebration; little did we know what was to follow!
After much discussion and researchthrough Dulcimer Players News and various dulcimer websites,the school purchased
12 cardboard dulcimer kits from Backyard Dulcimers.
Twenty-four teenagestudents built and decorated their kits as
well as strung the instruments as part of their hands-on development program. And so began their dulcimer adventure!
As a member of the Dulcimer Dandies, I began working
with the students in February 2OO9over a 12 week period.
'Wow!!
I quickly enlisted the assistanceof my fellow dulciplayers
mer
to teach the fret board, tuning, strumming and
tablature. W'e never had enough hands but the students were
excited and responsive.
After much
lling of eyes,the
learned Boll
Them Cabbages and
Joe Clark It was
agic when they realized
were actually playa musical instrument.
the students were all
, we added When The
ts Come Marching In and
YouAre My Sunshine.Now
each week the improvement was
teachers.
The school was thrilled with
evident to students and
the progress of their teens.
It was a journey that brought unexpected challengesand
accomplishments, as the young people went from disbelief in
their ability to learn to play, to joy in their achievement and the
music they created.
Learning to build and play dulcimers was great fun, but
more importantly, the students grew in confidence and selfawareness.Upon completion of the 12 week mentor program,
the students were recognized by their individual schools with
music credit toward graduation.
In May 2009, the Smyrna West Dulcimers performed at a
local retirement center, their first gig! It was inspiring and joyful
to see and hear. The group also played on stagewith the Dulcimer
Dandies at the Grand Old Dulcimer Day Festival in Nashville, TN in
May 2009. The highlight of the day was in the jam tent where Stephen
Seifert joined them playing the tunes they had learned over the past
few months.
What a day!As mentors we couldnt be more proud.