Nowhere, Nevada

Blues Method For Mountain Dulcimer 101: It is finished.

2012-02-16T12:05:00.001-05:00

"Blues Method For Mountain Dulcimer 101"

Download a four-page excerpt here!

Love, love, love....all you need.

2012-02-13T12:43:00.005-05:00

The wonders of Orlando in mid-winter; toasty warm sunshine and freezing breezes. Ironically, it's the coldest set I've ever had and judging from the responses of other artists on the bill, the feeling was mutual.

Still, it was a great time at the 10th Annual Orlando Folk Festival, hearing great music, checking out the art, catching up with old friends and making new ones; ain't that what it's all about?

Saturday had a full slate of acts, so this was the second day featuring Highway 19, Flat Mountain Band (with Russ Gaspard and Carter Everett), Magda Hiller, Dish and Laurel Lee and the Escapees.

It got me to thinking about how little I perform in central Florida any more. Besides the monthly show at McWell's, I'm pretty much doing private parties and weddings when I'm home with the other shows taking place on the road somewhere. Not that I'm complaining, since seeing so much of North America last year was the highlight of a lifetime. Still, there's something to be said about getting home after every gig, so I'm starting to look at doing more shows here in the state. This was a nice taste of what is was like starting off in the local Orlando scene circa 1998. Everybody supporting everybody else, cool relaxed vibe, great music and passion and humor. I do suppose those days continue to exist inside all of us!

What Is Going On?

Just a general query, I'm sure. So, I'm about two-thirds through with the blues method book for mountain dulcimer - it's an intro method with an advanced method to follow probably in the late fall. Target completion and publishing is late-winter at which point I'll go into production on two books commissioned by Folkcraft: a beginner's method book and a chromatic method book. Needless to say, I'm recording in between the breaks of book copy and still drilling away at "Dive!", which gets weirder and weirder with each new bit of carving.

Next, and last, show in Orlando for a month will be March 1st at McWell's at 6 pm in the front room. This will be the first show with the new addition to the gear pile, the Handsonic 10. I've been lusting after one of these things for awhile now and am happy to have finally added one to the set-up. It's not a drum machine, rather it's a drum trigger with pads and a bank of killer sounds so I can set up a beat and layer it with the looper pedal, quickly providing any kind of backup percussion I need for a song. From standard drum sets to exotic hand drums and special effects, it's much more groovy for creating rhythms because you're actually playing on a rubber drum head like a conga or djembe shape. Much more organic and dynamic than trying to knock out beats on an iPad.

So, in between the cracks of everything else going on, I'm rehearsing with the Handsonic and experimenting with ways to implement it. It's quite incredible and more than a lot of fun, not to mention a good workout!

Shortly after the McWell's show - I'll be hitting the road for a couple of weeks. Looking forward to seeing the beginnings of spring across the country, as I'm sure are many of you as well. I know it's all relative but, cold to you is cold.

Love.

We don't need the retail industry to tell us how cool love is, and any day of the year I'd wish you love. So how about bold strokes of splashy, dauby love for this week? All the better to hang on a wall proudly and admire with appreciation for those colors and the soulful sentiments that go along with them. It's all you need. Love!

Where Did The Month Go?

2012-02-06T15:22:00.008-05:00

Had a brilliant time down in Key West; relaxing as it should be with some great friends making great music. Of course, Robert Force was there, bringing with him that walkabout spirit of discovery and wizened wonder. With him was Scott Snyder, a fan-turned-friend of Force's with a dynamic style all his own on mountain dulcimer and a number of other instruments as well. An encyclopedia of tunes and their origins, Scott and Robert were the entertainment for those who weren't actually playing in the jam and had no interest in listening to hyperactive fiddle tunes. Gary Zimmerman, who gigs seven nights a week there in Key West, had his fiddle on-hand and jammed with both groups; first the traditional jam on the deck and then sitting in with the pop music set, which also included lots of original tunes and folk songs.

There was a nice gathering of folks who came to take private lessons and jam, enough to fill the backyard at Casa Cabanas with the presence of those sharing music and really good Cuban food. Much like the Kindred Gathering, the legendary traveling celebration of anarchy and music in the Pacific Northwest, it's been said that this approach to an annual Key West Dulcimer Gathering is probably the best. Based on the good time had by all this year, I think they're right!

Again With The Extremes

So sooner had I gotten back from tropical climes and island breezes, it was time to hop a plane and head to Ft. Collins for the Colorado Dulcimer Festival. Steve Eulberg and Bonnie Carol put this event together with the help of volunteers and it was an awful lot of fun, especially with the absolutely radical amount of snow that dumped over the weekend. The workshops, concerts and food were awesome, but there was just an extra little layer (or five) of magic that came with the snows. That and I met some of the most interesting people on this trip, from the airport to the classrooms - it was a wonderful experience!

Thanks to everyone who made this weekend a blast!

Booking March

I'll be performing at the Palestine Old Time Music and Dulcimer Festival in Palestine, Texas on the weekend of March 29th. Looking for pubs, clubs, festivals, library and school shows, house concerts and workshops starting March 16th and working our way from Florida. If you are interested in filling or suggesting scheduled dates along the route, please drop me a line!~

Next Shows: Orlando Folk Festival and McWell's

The Orlando Folk Festival is February 10 - 12 at the Mennello Museum of American Art (900 E. Princeton Street, Orlando) and I'll be performing on Sunday morning. That's the only February show in central Florida, so I hope to see you out if you can make it. The only central Florida show in March will be at McWell's (4757 S. Orange Ave., Orlando) on March 1st and then I'm gone for Texas by way of who knows what?

If you see some empty dates around my calendar and would like to arrange a workshop or concert, school program or presentation, please drop me a line!

Thanks for your continued support; sho na bish and blessings to you!

Jam at Casa Cabanas - January 28th

2012-01-22T10:49:00.002-05:00

Saturday, January 28th at:

Casa Cabanas
2510 Harris Ave.
Key West, Florida

5 - 11 pm

Jams galore! I'll be there - looks like Robert Force and Scott Snyder will be there as well. Just one of the many opportunities to get together and have some musical fun!

If you're interested in private lessons, I will be in Key West from Thursday to Monday (Januuary 26th - 30th) - e-mail or call (407-342-1447) if you'd like to set something up.

Looking forward to living la vida local in Key West. : )

Sho na bish,

Bing

Key West: gathering

2012-01-16T14:16:00.001-05:00

Here's the latest on the dates of January 26th through 29th:

There are a handful of dulcimer players who will be in Key West, myself included. There will be some get-togethers, jams and private lessons available. No dates and times have been set - that will happen once I'm down there and better know where everyone is. If you're interested in any of the above, the best thing to do is drop me an e-mail and I'll put you on a list to be notified when a group is getting together or heading somewhere on the island. I don't know of any other instructors who will be down there during this time.

Refunds have gone out, so please keep your eyes on the mailbox if you were a registrant.

We're looking forward to a laid-back hang-out in Key West - keep in touch!

Sho na bish,

Bing

Dulcimerica 192 - "Student Recital"

2012-01-12T14:23:00.001-05:00

Wednesday Morning Theory Workout

2012-01-04T09:42:00.002-05:00

Got an e-mail this morning from a friend looking for some answers. Check this out:

"I'm working on a new song and the melody follows a rather "different" scale. I was hoping you could help me identify the key and the direction I should take with noting the incidentals.... Yes...I tried to look it up, but am coming up short or just shy of what I'm looking for and KNEW you would be able to point me in the right direction. :) SO.... On the piano keyboard, the scale would go:

Ab, Bb, Cb, Db, Eb, Fb, G, Ab:"

My answer:

Well, typically - six flats would be the key of Gb - but this is that scale:

Gb - Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - Eb - F

I - ii - iii - IV - V - vi - vii°

If your melody begins with Ab - then consider the following possibilities -

Ab - Bb - C - Db - Eb - F - G

I - ii - iii - IV - V - vi - vii°

four flats in Ab - now compare to your scale

Ab - Bb - Cb - Db - Eb - Fb - G

First of all - remember that B and C are a half step apart - as well as E and F. So the corrected Ab scale would look like this:

Ab - Bb - (B) - Db - Eb - (E) - G

Now, if you listen to the scale - it's a minor (Abm) - a harmonic minor, to be exact, because your seventh note (G) is raised a half step from the natural minor.

intervals: 1,2,b3,4,5,b6,7

half-steps: 2-1-2-2-1-3-1

Normally - the natural minor seventh degree would be flattened.

So, we're in Ab minor. For reference sake - what major scale has Ab as its sixth note? We can determine the correct number of flats by looking at the relative major scale.

intervals: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

half-steps: 2-2-1-2-2-2-1

notes: B,C#,D#,E,F#,G#,A#

6th note - G# = Ab

So, I think you probably want to be thinking of this in terms of sharps as opposed to flats. Let's take another look at the relative minor. Same notes, starting on the sixth note of the scale.

intervals: 1,2,b3,4,5,b6,b7

half-steps: 2-1-2-2-1-2-2

notes: G#,A#,B,C#,D#,E,F#

And, taking into consideration the raised seventh note - making it a harmonic minor scale:

G# Harmonic Minor Scale

intervals: 1,2,b3,4,5,b6,7

half-steps: 2-1-2-2-1-3-1

notes: G#,A#,B,C#,D#,E,F##

Did you follow all that? Would you like to learn the language of music? Contact me for music theory instruction!

Another New Year

2012-01-03T16:05:00.003-05:00

"Where do we go now?" - Guns 'N' Roses

2011 was the biggest year that I've ever had and that's largely due to the many of you who read this blog, buy my merchandise, come out to concerts and take lessons/workshops with me. Thank you. It's an honor, a privilege and a real joy. Happy New Year!

So, now what?

As you might've noticed, there was no huge rolling out of intent OR content on January 1st, 2012 from this camp and I'm just now getting around to posting the first blog of the new year. Going back in time to read past posts from the flipping of the calendar pages revealed the typical plans going forward, like here, here and here.

This time around, during the first week of the year, it's all about a little less talk and a lot more action: namely, those projects that have been brewing for awhile and some new ones that suddenly got ushered to the front of the velvet rope line. More than anything, this low-key approach to the beginning of 2012 is all about scoring precious time simply sitting with my instruments and working on the basics. If there's one thing I learned while on The RV Project Tour (besides how much people hate driving behind Winnebagos) it's that, despite all best intentions, not a whole lot gets done on the road. Practicing, writing, creating - it's all there in fits and spurts, enough to keep the plane leveled out and soaring, but most of my downtime in the spring, summer and fall last year was spent doing a whole lot of nothing. No thing.

That's not exactly true. There was visiting with folks in RV parks, campgrounds and festival parking lots. Many hours spent relaxing under the green canopy and red/orange sandstone and granite cliffs of our nation's state sanctuaries. Quite a lot of time madly pedaling my mountain bike on actual mountains. Soaking in the beauty of the United States of America and resting up before the next event. And sure - some recordings were made and some light administrative business was conducted but, for the most part, I came home in November to not only a huge glut of unfinished business but also to some tough choices that I had to make regarding activities in other areas of my career. Something like a total of two hours of video was shot on tour and that was by design. I wanted to live life as it happened. Not later while editing together Dulcimerica episodes. I had to pick and choose my battles last year in order to get through without imploding.

As the economy continues to take its nose dive, there has been a lot of evaluating going on here - looking at ways to work smarter and faster. Knowing when to step in and when to step out - sort of like a cosmic Hokey-Pokey because, you know, that is what it's really all about.

That's why no books were published and only a handful of videos were produced in 2011. I had to make some choices in order to move forward. Upon returning home from tour to find a deficit of registrations for the Key West Dulcimer Fest, there was a decision to make there too; not a popular decision in the least.

And after enjoying the holidays with Mrs. Futch, puttering around the house, getting caught up, re-oriented and blowing out my vice-ridden ya-ya's, I'm emerging, blinking, into the sunlight of a new year with some better plans. I'll let you in on a few of them before I get back to it.

Music

I've been producing "Dive!" now for almost four years and it's going to drop this year; period. If the Mayans are correct, then I've got 12 months before we're all turned to sheet rock or something. I will be a happier piece of sheet rock having birthed this bad boy, so it's priority number one.

Though "Storm's Sigh" and "Live At Old Songs!" have been available since the end of last year, the official release dates of both projects will be accomplished this month. (Mainly for digital distribution to pipelines such as iTunes, Spotify, Napster and more.)

As for Mohave, the trio (along with Roger Zimish and Tom Sharp) has been dead in the water since drummer Gil Oliver left town for the northeast. I've been busy on the road and with solo performances even as the guys have wondered aloud when we would get together next. Really, the next time needs to be magic in order for us all to pour the time and energy into it. It would take the right drummer and the right environment to make it work. That time may come this year and it mayn't. I know better than to make promises where there's more personality than just me involved, so stay tuned on that one.

I don't have as many festivals booked this year, but am still going to quite a few places for the first time including the Colorado Dulcimer Festival next month, Palestine Old Time Music and Dulcimer Festival in March, Augusta Spring Music Week in April and in May, the NGFDA Spring Thing and the Lone Star State Dulcimer Festival. Of course, I'll be back at Folkcraft headquarters for the Indiana Dulcimer Festival in July (with a return trip to teach ukulele in August at a brand new fest - stay tuned for details.) I haven't even begun to plan the in-between concerts and workshops but the idea is already to travel less across the country and more right here in my (now) home state of Florida.

Books

From no books in 2011 to at least three to be published this year, I'm right now working on some method books. Two of them concerning diatonic mountain dulcimer and one in support of the chromatic dulcimer. Before I get a load of ball-busting e-mails, yes - the oft-mentioned diatonic blues book will finally land. There may be more, but I kind of doubt it. I haven't knocked out more than four books in a year since 2010, I think, and I had a lot more time on my hands then.

Video

I officially got out of the video production biz (for hire) some time ago and realized last year that the state of the art was beginning to change without me. You know how it is with technology, right? First you need to upgrade the software. Then you've got to upgrade the hardware. Then you have to search for patches for the software because someone went "oops" at the hardware design phase. When it comes to media tech, especially video, which accounts for so much of our entertainment medium these days, it can be a full-time job just keeping the equipment happy and in working order so you can do what you do. The shift has slowly been tilting towards getting rid of tape altogether in favor of a fully digital format and I am very excited to embrace that. Once you shoot - you just move it onto the hard drive and you're in like Kevin Flynn. No more real time encoding and logging. It was largely the sheer amount of time that it took to produce individual episodes of Dulcimerica that kept me from doing more last year; just prohibitive in terms of actual hours in pre and post-production, especially during 19,000 miles on the road with only occasional whiffs of wi-fi. With a staff, I could make that work no problem. As the only elf in the shop, well - there I am picking and choosing battles again.

Sometime this month, I'll be taking delivery on a fully digital means of recording HD video. It's an experiment and I hope it works, greatly reducing the amount of production time so that I can shoot, cut and post as quickly as possible. In the immortal words of Dr. Walter Gibbs (Barnard Hughes) from "Tron", "Won't that be grand?" He said something else, eerily predicting the future, right after that but I'll leave it to you to find that chestnut.

So, new Dulcimerica. Soon.

Back To It

Many of you came up to me last year while on the road, or e-mailed, saying that I sounded a little off my game in this post from April of 2011 and you couldn't have been kinder or more on the money. Everyone has their breaking point and something, many things, had brought me to the brink of it back then. Thankfully, the cri de coeur was a brief one, partially soothed by the outpouring of love that was The RV Project. Then, as now, I plan to be less visible (as opposed to Les Visible, for there can be only one) so I can get to work on all of this cool stuff that's brewing. My headspace is 180° from almost a year ago. If indeed this is the last year of civilization, then I'm going to continue living the dream, making the music and loving the life. Honestly, I think we're about to enter another age of enlightenment and this is no time to be cowering under hollowed-out spaces for fear of what "might get us." If there ever was a time to be alive, alert, awake and thrilled for each second we are blessed to live - this is it.

It.

And on that note. Thanks for reading. I appreciate you and hope that you are receiving something of value from me. If not: be kind enough to tell me so and I'll do my best to deliver.

Wishing you peace, joy and, most of all, love, in this new year. Let's all win together!

Sho na bish,

Bing

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-23T11:26:00.002-05:00

Che hun ta mo!

First of all, thanks for all of the birthday wishes! It never ceases to amaze me just how many people I actually know or have met at some point in time. There's a memory for each and every one of you; you're keeping company with the music that's been roiling about in my head and in my dreams.

If you haven't downloaded "Last Christmas" yet, it's free to members of my mailing list. If you'd like to join, or are already a member, visit this page. Click "Become Fan" to join the list - or click on the "download" button next to each of the tracks beginning with "The Little Drummer Boy" and finishing with "What Child Is This?" (but feel free to download any other tracks in the music player - I rotate them occasionally, so you never know what you might find there, however briefly.

Key West Dulcimer Fest CANCELED

In case you hadn't heard (and it hadn't been posted here), we've cancelled the Key West Dulcimer Fest indefinitely. We had two great years that are already legendary. Now, a perfect storm of reasons and influences have conspired to consign that to history, at least in the shape of a festival. Words were murmured not long after the first outing in 2010 about the anarchical nature of the Kindred Gathering, which takes place in a different venue each year.

There will be a handful of us down in Key West on the original dates of the festival (January 26th - 29th, 2012) but there is absolutely nothing planned. We're simply going to hang out, enjoy the tropical weather, play a lot of music and go with the tide. Anyone traveling that far to the end of the United States is probably industrious enough to deftly locate the group for a meet-up and, if private lessons and masters classes happen, there you are, quite literally.

Now, if that kind of logic worked alongside of the creation of my daily schedule, I'd be in a far better place when peering at the calendar.

Burrowing Again

DΔ - G/D - Em

I've been working on "Dive!" for about three years now; it's sort of like a volcano slowly returning to life. This is the time of year when I typically work on big projects, so here's hoping that this baby gets born this spring - tired of carrying it around.

And the old year feels the same way, I'm sure. Bring on the baby and let the reaper sleep!

Here's wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Thanks for all you do and are!

Home For The Holidays

2011-11-28T10:34:00.002-05:00

Che hun ta mo!

Well, Rita and I rolled into Orlando a week ago on Sunday, officially coming to the end of The RV Project Tour 2011! Some preliminary numbers for you: we traveled to or through 28 states including Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, District of Columbia, Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Indiana, Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, New Jersey, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Missouri, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Connecticut, Kentucky and Arkansas! From California to New York, we criss-crossed the United States, racking up 17,599 miles and performing on 60 different days at various festivals, house concerts, churches, pubs, clubs and coffee houses. Though we hit a few mechanical snags along the way (most notably, alternator troubles in Pennsylvania and New York, air conditioning issues in Tennessee and a sort of benign incident with a tire), Rita, the '91 Winnebago Warrior with the heart of gold, sallied forth into both boiling deserts and freezing mountains with great determination and never once failed to get me to the show on time. I feel very confident that Rita will be around for another round of touring in 2012. I wish to thank Folkcraft Instruments for their official endorsement and support of this tour. Thanks also to V-Picks, for making the best dulcimer pick ever - and General Case, for helping to protect my Folkcraft dulcimers while on the road.

Besides getting there, the next joyful experience was BEING there. Whether it was sharing music and visiting with folks or camping out at a state park, this was an amazing few seasons of experiencing American life. From spring at the start of tour, through the blazing summer and into the chill of fall, I've watched the colors change, tasted the harvest bounty from early gardens and late farms, seen so much more than my fair share of this great country and have come back with more inspiration and determination than ever to continue creating and channeling music. It's not mere dramatics to state that this past six months has been the most incredible, defining and eye-opening journey of my entire life. Quite honestly - I'm a different person today for having made the trip. The result is a combination of all the people I've met and shared time with, all the places I've been and all the music that was the soundtrack for the past half a year.

It's appropriate that Rita and I arrived back home during the week of Thanksgiving because there are so many things that I'm thankful for in this life. I'm thankful for the gift of music that God gives to all of us; thankful for my encouraging and supportive wife, Jae, for sending me back out into the world for weeks at a time in order to fulfill my musical purpose; thankful for the freedom to travel and explore this beautiful country; thankful for the many wonderful friends that I've met along the way and, most of all, thankful for everyone who helped to make The RV Project Tour 2011 a blazing success! This is one, quite literally, for the record books, and if it never happens again, I've still got a whole lifetime of memories (and pictures) to savor and hold within my heart.

THIS WEEK'S SHOWS

The Pub Thang returns to McWell's (4757 S. Orange Ave., Orlando) at 6 pm this Thursday, December 1st. I'll once again be performing everything from traditional and original music to obscure covers and your requests.

Then, December 3rd - it's a special holiday concert and I'll be opening for the wonderful duo Four Shillings Short!

AT: DEC 3
7:00 – 10:00pm
IN CELEBRATION OF WINTER - a night of Seasonal music, stories & poetry with Bing Futch and Four Shillings Short

FODOR’S GROVE HOUSE CONCERTS

2218 Vincent Road

Orlando, FL 32817

$15.00 cover

Rsvp Requested: Mark Fodor (407) 923-0712 or politimark@msn.com

===============

Those are my only two public shows for the month of December - the rest of the performances are all for-hire private events, so come out and share the one time of year that I play Christmas music!

"Last Christmas"

Last year, Folkcraft Instruments commissioned me to record a solo mountain dulcimer Christmas recording which was made available to their customers. This year, I'm making it available to those of you who are on my mailing list. You can download the music here. If you're not on the mailing list and want to join now to get this limited time release - you can sign up here.

Thanks a bunch! Have fun out there!

Sho na bish,

Bing

Dulcimerica 190 - "RV: Winter Creek Reunion"

2011-10-29T11:49:00.000-05:00

Dulcimerica 189 - RV Project: Dulcimerville

2011-10-28T16:19:00.002-05:00

Winter Is Rising

2011-10-18T11:51:00.000-05:00

Winter Is Rising
Music and lyrics by Bing Futch

Turn your eyes and look behind,
See where you've been;
Swim through every memory,
Swallow every scene.

Nothing can prepare you
For the future unknown,
Except the dreams you've had
Along the path that takes you home.

CHORUS

Caught between a rock and a hard place,
The screen and the window;
You can't see through me,
As hard as the wind blows.

So toughen up baby,
And get ready for the chill,
Because winter is rising
Over the hill.

Used to be a dealer
Of promises true,
Now all your words are second-hand,
What happened to you?

You're just another bullet
Looking for a gun,
Waiting at the station,
But the train never come

CHORUS

BRIDGE

Whispers on the breeze
Sighing of the sun;
Fading far and fast
Now it has begun

The harvest of the heart,
Table my faith

RV Project Tour: Third Leg

2011-10-12T17:02:00.002-05:00

I'm parked on the Perrin Limousin Cattle Ranch in Decatur, Texas where Rusty and Marcy Perrin raise Limousin cattle for breeding. As one of two couples who went for the "Total Package" as offered during the fund-raising for the RV Project Tour, the Perrin's pre-bought a bunch of stuff that included albums and books, registration for the Key West Dulcimer Fest and my presence at their home for a week to do various chores and perform a private concert.

What this means for me is that I get to do a whole lot of real cool things that I've never had the chance to do before. Herding cattle and experiencing farm life; it's like the county fair but a whole lot better!

This leg of the tour has been wonderful - and so very different from the first two legs through the southeast and northeast. Going back home to California was a huge element in just how different this leg was; meeting up with old junior high school and high school friends was a blast.

Traveling through the great southwest was a welcoming sensation as it's been so long since I had been back in my native region. Then, getting to explore Oklahoma more than before with a nice voyage through Texas taking place right now - the climates are all different than this summer and the experiences are composed of much different dynamics - all of it good; from the festivals of the south and southeast in early June to the various small towns and big events of colonial North America - I have seen more than my fair share of the country in the past few months and it's been awesome!

Woven throughout all of this is the music. Music made and discovered, music shared and explored - I've been recording snippets of time since June and I'm looking forward to revisiting the moments when the fourth and final leg is completed in November. For now, there are still many thousands of miles to go and many thousands of smiles to be smiled.

Storm's Sigh - New CD!

2011-09-10T16:52:00.000-05:00

NEW RELEASE! Bing Futch - "Storm's Sigh" - $15.00

1. Intro
2. Out Of Dreaming
3. A Muse Sing
4. Homeland
5. Lubby’s Lullabye
6. Weight Of The Way
7. The Girl and the Book
8. Storm’s Sigh
9. The Road

Listen to a 7-minute sampling of all 9 tracks!

I do a lot of recording and about 90% of it just sits on the hard drive and waits for re-tooling. The other 10% gradually takes form and turns into albums sooner or later. This summer, I've been busy tracking for "The RV Project: Official Album" and, of course, I've been working on songs for "Dive!" now for about two years. Where this one snuck in, I have no clue, but I've always wanted to do an album like "Storm's Sigh." It's an all-original, instrumental recording that was, at first, going to be called "Calm Before The Storm" because it represented such a mellow state-of-mind before the absolute insanity that "Dive!" will present.

The tracks are a mixture of tunes that I've written and also ideas that were improvised in the studio. There are inspirational nods to such "space-music" kings as Ray Lynch and Steve Roach, both of whom were pretty influential in my early music career. "Storm's Sigh" also features a re-visitation of the title track from my 1987 release "The Girl and the Book", which could rightly be seen as the very first atmospheric instrumental record that I ever produced. This new release combines mountain dulcimer, Native American flute, percussion and very unapologetic synthesizers. In fact, this is not a mountain dulcimer record so much as it is simply a Bing Futch record that features mountain dulcimer. But there it is, front and center in sparse arrangements, albeit garnished by copious amounts of synthetic bits and bytes. What's key here are the wide-open spaces and melancholy melodies that have always been a hallmark of my non-dulcimer music. Much of this is accomplished with chromatic mountain dulcimer - though a good portion of what you'll hear is all done on standard instruments. The link above features a 7-minute .mp3 file containing a snippet of each of the 9 tracks from the release.

The record will ship beginning Wednesday. Being home for four weeks allowed for the completion of this record - and now, I've got 7,000 more miles to travel on THE RV PROJECT TOUR, which re-launches on Friday, September 16th. More updates soon!

Dulcimerica 188 - "RV Project: Old Songs"

2011-08-26T07:28:00.000-05:00

On The Trail

2011-08-15T14:12:00.001-05:00

At one point in time on the current leg of tour, I was camped at Harmonie State Park in New Harmony, Indiana where you could look across the Wabash River and see Illinois. Now, a scant week later (even less), I'm at Trail Of Tears State Park in Jackson, Missouri, looking across the Mississippi River back at the state of Illinois. Of course, during this past week, I spent four days in Belleville at the Gateway Dulcimer Festival and had a great time. Not only did I get to hang out with Guy and Sharrie George, make lots of music and new friends and work in classes with eager students, but I also adopted a stray kitten that had been living in a corner of the parking lot. I named her Samantha Snows, partially after the character in "Bewitched", who is seen as a black cat in the animated title sequence, partially because she was discovered at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine.

Before this, it was back to Townsend, Tennessee for another fantastic day of workshops and a concert at the Pickin' Porch. It was a unique night, with not only Mike and Connie Clemmer performing as usual, but also featuring didgeridoo player Josh Carroll, young mountain dulcimer whiz Bradley Ellis and my buddy Butch Ross. Fun times all around!

Tomorrow, I'll head back to Tennessee for gigs in Nashville and Sevierville. Be sure to check the show calendar on this page for more info

Sho na bish,

Bing

From iPhone with love.

Harmonie State Park

2011-08-11T07:32:00.000-05:00

Dulcimerica 187 - "The RV Project Tour"

2011-08-01T05:41:00.001-05:00

Live From The Dutch Barn at Old Songs

2011-07-31T11:18:00.004-05:00

(Photo by Bill Spence)

Here's a snippet of my concert in the Dutch Barn at Old Songs Festival in Altamont, New York. This clip opens with me talking about my unusual double-fretboard dulcimer and then moving on to the original tune "Nowhere, Nevada."

"Nowhere" (Live at Old Songs) MP3

A Tale Of Two Ponies

2011-07-31T09:35:00.002-05:00

In June, I stayed with Michael Vickey on the elevated shores of Lake Erie in Northeast, Pennsylvania (which is located, ironically enough, in the northwest corner of the state) and some great jams resulted. Vickey and Mark Zimmer of the Good For Nuthin' String Band lent dulcimer and guitar to an evening of music that was captured on recording, a portion of which is represented here. The regional differences of "Spotted Pony" meet face to face in this snippet from the session.

"Two Ponies" - MP3

I start off with the version of "Spotted Pony" that I'm familiar with and Mark Zimmer begins to play backup guitar. Michael Vickey soon joins in with his rendition and the two versions combine to form a lively jam. This is a sneak preview of "The RV Project: Official Album" available only to tour contributors.

Gotta Lotta Catchin' Up To Do

2011-07-30T10:53:00.005-05:00

Well, that look says it all, don't it? "MAN! Staying connected online when roving parts of the country with little to no cel phone service is difficult!" Suffice it to say that a LOT has happened since July 4th. Which is why you see me standing above on the stage of the Ryman Auditorium; former home of the Grand Ol' Opry.

Common Ground On The Hill was fantabulous - had a lot of great interactions with musicians and plenty of good jam sessions, some of which were captured on recording and will be heard in the upcoming "RV Project: Official Album." After departing, McDaniels College in Westminster, MD - I headed out on a mini-tour of Pennsylvania State Parks, stopping at Cowan's Gap in Fort Loudon and spending a few idyllic days at Trough Creek in James Creek.

Rita and I enjoyed a week of camping, hiking, mountain biking and just plain sitting around and doing nothing, which was mighty nice after that last burst of rushing around between New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maryland! After that bit of recharging, I headed up to Portage, PA for Portage Dulcimer Day and had a great time with JT Taylor and the folks who came out for a day of workshops and the concert.

With the final stop on the first leg of tour complete, I angled for setting out early in the morning to begin the long journey back home. Up to this point, Rita held together fast and braved the harsh weather and road conditions for a spectacular shakedown tour. However, knowing that the alternator wasn't long for this world, I knew that there would be trouble up the road and, as it turns out, it wasn't that far up the road. In fact - after rolling out at 6 am to traverse the Dutch country hills, Rita made it fifteen minutes before the engine began to sputter up those inclines and the headlights began to dim in concert with the dash lights - classic signs of a failing alternator. I cruised to a stop in front of an old abandoned restaurant and wrestled with the lack of cel reception before finally landing Triple A and getting a ride down to Bedford, PA where Rita was fixed up and ready to go for the rest of the way. A quick stop over north of Richmond, Virginia and we made it home in decent time.

Long enough to have a visit to Epcot and then.....

Jae, Sheri and I hit the road again - this time heading for Kentucky where we planned to visit some bourbon distilleries en route to the Indiana Dulcimer Festival.

The Indiana Dulcimer Festival was great, sharing the staff duties with Stephen Seifert, Lois Hornbostel, Butch Ross, Aaron O'Rourke, Rob Brereton and Katie Geringer. There was also Woodburn Day In The Park going on simultaneously, so Folkcraft dulcimer players were featured in the parade (we rode on a flatbed trailer.) There was also some razzle-dazzle showmanship going on that introduced me and Steve Seifert to a concert in the park, opening for and then sharing the stage with the Dixie Bee-Liners.

Unfortunately, Jae got ill during the festival; complications from the bronchitis that had been plaguing her while I was on tour. Luckily, she recovered enough to enjoy the rest of the trip; a journey to Nashville and all that goes with it!

While in Nashville, strolling Broadway, I sat in with the Craig Curtis band at Legend's Corner and Bart Hansen (guitarist for Loretta Lynn) at the Whiskey Bent Saloon. (Including The Stage, that makes three Honky Tonk Row establishments that I've performed at now.) We wrapped things up with a visit to the Ryman and then brought it on home.

We're enjoying some downtime, though a lot of this being home involves just getting ready for the next leg of tour! Coming up will be a return to The Pickin' Porch in Townsend, TN and a first-time stint at the Gateway Festival in Belleville, IL. I will do my best to stay on top of things as we go. The next big outing will be in September as I hit the road for the southern United States, west coast and midwest for a month. Of course, I've been pretty diligent about getting pictures and recordings (the latter, I'm working on) and you can catch up with all of the photos on Facebook using the following links:

RV Project Tour: Part One

RV Project Tour: Part Two

RV Project Tour: Part Three

RV Project Tour: Part Four

THE RV PROJECT: Many Miles

2011-07-04T11:58:00.003-05:00

Wi-Fi has been hard to come by on the road, so I've checked in via social media for the past week or so. So much to say and show, with the big boundary being a little tiny touch screen on the iPhone. Since my last post, much has happened which has brought me to Westminster, Maryland for Common Ground On The Hill.

Old Songs Festival was fantastic! Though the weather was a little moist, it didn't deter the concert audiences from enjoying the music. It made camping onsite at the Altamont Fairgrounds a little like Woodstock, but everyone still seemed to have a great time. Aside from my sets on the main stage and in the Dutch Barn, I taught Three Irish Ballads, engaged singers with a Disney Songs workshop and also participated in a flute summit. My final workshop was all about right and left hand rhythms and turned out to be the most highly attended class. The Dutch band Kapriol' had come out and seen my set at the Old Songs community center on June 18th and we hit it off then, so it was a joy to have percussionist Ad Bos join me on-stage Friday night at the festival with the band inviting me to join them on-stage during their "Going Dutch" set in the Dutch Barn. The music was spectacular, the food was great and the mood was buoyant - a real feel-good festival atmosphere and I made lots of new friends!

After the festival, I ventured up onto the Helderberg Encarpment and relaxed, ate and played cigar box dulcimer before going to hang out at Bill and Andy Spence's house for a day, joining the Old Songs Festival staff for an Italian dinner and then departing on the next day for a whirlwind trip through Connecticut and then Mifflintown and Lancaster, Pennsylvania where all three days of workshops and concerts went splendidly.

July 1st brought me to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where I toured the battlefields with Sam Fuson and then performed an epic eight hour set at the Garryowen Irish Pub. The owners had told me to perform for as long as I liked and, with a full house upstairs, I kept going until I literally just couldn't go anymore. From 6 pm to 2:30 a.m., I played, stopping only for bathroom breaks and once to grab an extension cord for my wireless amplifier, which ran out of battery juice due to the sheer length of the set. Deb and Sam Fuson were wonderful hosts and the folks at the Garryowen were a sweet and hospitable bunch, even allowing me a spot in the back of the pub to camp for the night. The next day brought a workshop and house concert at Sam and Deb's - another great opportunity to share the mountain dulcimer with folks who may have not been familiar with it. This was a rare show where I presented the music fully acoustic with no amplification. It sure is nice that way!

Finally, I hit the road for Westminster, Maryland and that's where I'm at now; sitting in Rita with the air conditioner doing its best to keep things cool while the slowly dying compressor wheezes and sighs and gallumphs on and off. I'll be here for a full week with performances at the Common Ground Festival on Saturday. The festival continues Sunday, though I have no performances scheduled, it will be nice to hang out for a while before heading off for a state park somewhere in Pennsylvania. I have no idea where yet - but I'll have a few days to chill out and decompress before Portage Dulcimer Day; my final stop on this leg of the tour.

Though this has been a long journey, in hindsight, it seems to have flown by incredibly quickly! When you're living each moment, they exist in perfect space, filling your life with the magical little (and large) experiences that are woven together into memories. When you look back, the individual pieces of the quilt seem smaller than when you were stitching them together; a curious quirk of the life already lived. All the more reason to sink deeply into life as it happens, enjoying each and every event, no matter how minor or major.

The RV lifestyle comes with a slightly slower pace for just about everything, and this mindset has taken me to some pretty amazing parts of the country where I've visited with lots of extraordinary and interesting people. For this day, where we celebrate the independence of the United States, it's extremely rewarding to have spent time in some of the smallest hamlets and to have cruised through some of the largest cities (a middle-of-the-night cruise through the streets of Manhattan was an eye-opener) with the end result being a better understanding of this country and its people. I'm grateful for the opportunity, humbled and overjoyed by the experience and blessed by each person I've met on the road. And to think that this tour has really only just begun!

Happy 4th of July! Have a great time today and tonight, whatever you do!

THE RV PROJECT: Moving On

2011-06-23T06:18:00.002-05:00

I hung out at Sampson State Park for all of the morning, grabbing my mountain bike and going for a ride along Seneca Lake and around the museum before coming back to breakfast and a quick visit to the dumping station before heading out for Voorheesville. Rita got a good taste of the New York rollercoaster roads as we got into Poestenkill and stayed the night camped near a creek on the Langley property. Morning brought a trip into Voorheesville for a day long workshop and concert event at the Old Songs Community Center. A great group of folks gathered together for the classes and hung out for the show afterwards with a break for supper. With a 1 pm start time in Stroudsburg, PA the next morning, I headed south after the concert and camped in a Walmart parking lot about halfway, making up the rest of the trip in the morning. The Pocono Dulcimer Club was behind the two-day stay in Stroudsburg and the first day consisted of workshops and an informal jam. The next day brought some private lessons conducted inside Rita, parked at the church, and also an evening workshop. There was plenty of downtime for relaxing and also catching up with administrative things. Great seeing Jody Sebring and Norm Williams again!

Tuesday morning, I set out to visit my friends Kristy and Kevin in Milford, PA and I've been here since then, hanging out, making music, watching Disney movies and checking out some of the local sights and produce (Rita's fridge is filled with local goodness.) One of the things that is really nice about Rita is that she's like a window to the world. When it's raining, when wild animals are about, you can sit inside and see it all through the big windows and observe. I don't know what it is about this space - but I've been loathe to leave it. Maybe it's a bonding thing. All I know is, when I pass by hotels and motels, I laugh and keep right on driving. So nice to have my home right behind the driver's seat!

I'll roll out from here in a little bit, take a quick trip to a dumping station and then it's three hours to the Altamont Fairgrounds where Old Songs Festival is taking place. This is a pretty big deal and I'm very excited to be a part of the line-up. This may require a couple of different posts over the weekend and I'm looking forward to all of the music that will be made and shared.

Till soon,

Bing

Rita at Sampson State Park

2011-06-17T10:16:00.000-05:00