Deborah "DJ" Hamouris: Calendar

Sunday, August 25th, 2019

Freight & Salvage Coffee House

Register here: https://www.thefreight.org/event/1871943-fiddle-tunes-for-dulcimer-jams-berkeley/

Fiddle tunes are easy and fun to play!!!

Advanced beginner and up. DJ will show each tune so you can learn by watching. Learn both the tunes and the chord progressions. Some capo use. Dulcimer tab for each will go home with you.

This workshop is to help you get ready for our new, monthly jams: NO-TAB JAMS starting 9/21!

Monday, September 16th, 2019

Freight & Salvage Coffee House

6 Mondays, September 16th - Monday, October 21st

Register here: https://www.thefreight.org/event/1881106-introduction-mountain-berkeley/

Mountain Dulcimer is one of the easiest & most fulfilling instruments to play. Once it's tuned you can hardly make a mistake. And though it's beautiful with "high piney" tunes from the Appalachian Mountains, it also lends itself to more contemporary music like The Beatles & Leonard Cohen.

In these 6 classes you learn 2 tunings, a couple of tunes each meeting, how to follow dulcimer tablature, some chords and strums to help you out with your musical pursuits. Once you've done that, you can join in on jams & ensemble classes Deborah offers.

NOTE: You will need a dulcimer for this class. If you need to borrow one, I have 3 loaners which must be reserved prior to the first class. To purchase one yourself, I recommend looking for the following brands, new or used: Sweetwwods, Folkcraft, Folk Roots, Capritaurus, McSpadden, Blue Lion. Sweetwoods offers a student model for $125.00, new, which you can trade in on another model. Write me at deborahj@djhamouris.com for more info on this important choice.

Deborah (DJ to her friends) is a performer, songwriter, teacher, recording artist, choral director, and community music organizer. She teaches mountain dulcimer classes at Berkeley’s Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse; directs the singing group Women & Song; and teaches private voice, mountain dulcimer, and songwriting. Deborah founded the Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering at The Freight in 2013, continuing to it's 8th annual events in May, 2020. With Steve Eulberg, she co-founded the Berkeley Dulcimer Orchestra in 2014 , currently in it's 7th season. Musically versatile, she performs as both a jazz vocalist as well as a traditionally-influenced songsmith on her dulcimer.

DJ has seven recordings, the most recent being a collaboration with renowned guitarist, Mimi Fox -- “1 in 8,” songs written during her year as a breast cancer patient. This music accompanies their theatrical show of the same name, including personal stories from a patient’s perspective. A book of her music and original arrangements is planned for a 2019 release in celebration of her 40th year with the dulcimer.

DJ lives in her Oakland craftsman cottage with her husband and musical partner, Buffalo. When time and the cat permit, she knits.

Monday, September 16th, 2019

Freight & Salvage Coffee House

6 Mondays, September 16th - Monday, October 21st

Register here: https://www.thefreight.org/event/1881108-advanced-beginner-mountain-berkeley/

Advanced beginner level & up, some capo use.
We'll explore classic Americana Fiddle tunes -- the melodies, the chords, and strums to help them come alive. DJ will introduce several tunes each session, along with chords, showing how to play on the melody string and how to create your own chord/melody arrangements. You'll learn how to "just play chords", to trade lead & rhythm parts, and get a few of these tunes learned by heart, so you can play in jams with other players, dulcimer or otherwise.

Learning these basic tunes can help you in any old time music jam you come across! A great opportunity for social music-making.

Text is David Haas' "Let's Jam" book, purchase from the teacher for $40 at first class.

This book will also be used as a reference for monthly No-Tab Dulcimer Jams on the 3rd Saturday in Berkeley. Check the calendar for dates & location.