Instrument Building

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Mountain Dulcimers in the Classroom - Building & Playing for Teachers, Parents & Others: This class is good for everyone - individuals who want to learn to play and need an instrument, music teachers, regular classroom teachers who would like a user-friendly musical addition to their classes, or parents who want to share music with children. Lois has taught over 19,000 elementary school children to play and build mountain dulcimers and has worked teaching dulcimer in Silver Burdett music workshops. In this class you will build your own dulcimer from the user-friendly, sturdy Backyard Music kits.  You'll learn to tune and play easy and melodious music on your dulcimer, along with Lois's methods for teaching youngsters to play. Cost of the dulcimer kit is $55. They have strong cardboard bodies, last for years, are full-size with good volume and tone, with pre-fretted mahogany fretboards and machine tuners. Please bring if you have: a regular hammer, small Phillips screwdriver, Elmer's wood glue.  We can enroll parents with children if parents are with child fulltime and responsible for the child's security and conduct.  
Fee for Dulicmer Kit $55
Lois Hornbostel 
Period

Pan Flute Building & Playing: Students build a twelve tube bamboo Pan Flute in the key of C. The process of creating your own musical instrument is a wonderfully satisfying experience. Once the class has built their flutes, they begin to play music. Students are encouraged to explore music through improvisation.  Everyone comes into this workshop at different skill levels and with differing outcome expectations.  This class will explore music and music making beginning at its most basic place, the art of tuning.  From there we will explore playing together.  Barry believes that "music is an organic process, a human ecology that has continued to grow since the beginning of time.  Music, entwined in all religions and societies, is important as a cultural anchor and craft of exploration."
Fee: $20
Barry Sager
Period 5

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Building and Playing Mountain Dulcimer:  Participants will construct a straight sided trapezoidal wooden mountain dulcimer made with lovely African mahogany tops and backs.  The mahogany has a rich orange color.  Builders will cut, rasp, sand, glue and fret materials that have been slightly worked to allow the project to be completed in one week.  The mountain dulcimer will have four strings and use mechanical tuners, which the builders will install.  All tools and materials are provided as part of the fee.  Loaner dulcimers are available so that students can learn to play as they build.  
Age 9 and up  
Fee $55
Tom Jolin & Slim Harrison  
Periods 1 & 2

Native American Flute Construction: If you have ever been inspired by the sound of the haunting woodland flute of Native Americans, consider constructing your own personal cedar or cane flute under the guidance of an experienced craftsman. Your personal flute will be an ideal companion for personal meditation. Easy to play, you’ll enjoy hours of contented music-making alone or with other instruments. Please pre-register for this class so that instructor will be sure to have enough building materials on hand for all students.
Students must be old enough to safely use power tools with instructions. 
All levels 
Repeat students welcome
Limit 16 students 
Ages 12 and older 
Materials fee $30 to $40
Robin Tillery
Periods 3 & 4

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