Interview: Sam Edelston Redefining and Popularizing The Dulcimer

Interview: Sam Edelston
By: Rob Smittix

Photo Credit: Fischman Swan

RRX: All right, Sam. Looks like we’re in business.

SE: OK, talk to me.

RRX: Well, first I see that you’re coming to town here to the Capital Region of New York. It’s the Northeastern Regional Folk Alliance Conference that’s coming to The Desmond, early November. I’ve never been, I don’t know if you have but what’s that all about?

SE: OK, well, so… just as doctors go to medical conferences and lawyers go to legal conferences, folk music, I’ll call it an industry; has its folk music conferences and this is the one for the Northeast. It’s gonna be several 100 musicians, venues and presenters, there’ll be some agents, recording studios and everything else. I’ll just be one of several 100 performers and others trying to learn to do more and trying to get noticed by the other right people.

RRX: Yeah, well, it sounds like you’re getting noticed because I’m talking to you! (Laughs)

SE: Oh, that’s a great thing. Especially coming in with something that’s just so different from everybody else.

RRX: That it is. The dulcimer is not the common instrument. You don’t see it, you know? Every night of the week when you’re going out and and watching live music, that’s for sure.

SE: Well, I’m working on that.

RRX: Right? We actually do have a dulcimer player from the area. I would imagine she would be at this conference that you have going on. She goes by the name Deb Cavanaugh, I’m not sure if you’re familiar?

SE: As a matter of fact, she’s a friend of mine.

RRX: No way. Well, there you have it.

SE: I run a little showcase at this conference. I call it “Anything But Guitars” because everybody else is playing guitars, and she will be one of 24 people performing in my showcase.

RRX: Well, cool, I guess I don’t have to hook you up then. I’m glad you are friends. Well, that sounds awesome. Tell us a little bit about your history and what got you into doing the music.

SE: Well, I’ve been into music ever since I was about in 8th grade, started out as a songwriter and had to get away from the loud piano that was right next to the kitchen. So I got on to the guitar, finger style guitar, used to playing a complete sound, had no interest whatsoever in the mountain dulcimer for 30 years. I did get hooked on the other instrument called a hammer dulcimer, which is more of a very distant low-tech cousin of the piano. As a result of that, I became the chair of a dulcimer festival down here in Connecticut where I live. And as a result of that, I decided I’d better get acquainted with the other side of the family. Sure enough, I discovered that I could produce music with melody, accompaniment and bass lines all at the same time. It’s a much richer instrument that I had given it credit for. So, it’s an instrument that I could teach you or any other total novice to play an interesting song within 5 minutes.

RRX: Well, sign me up, I’m interested.

SE: Yet at the same time, it’s sort of like chess. You can teach anybody the moves in 5 minutes but the deeper you get into it, the more possibilities there become.

RRX: Absolutely. I’ve always been intrigued by instruments, I’ve been into music pretty much all my life, at the same time, I’m also a firm believer that almost anything can be an instrument. I play a mean soda can, I play a great steering wheel but I can’t get behind a drum set and make it sound great, you know? It’s kind of like a new exploration I think… of music. I’m totally down to try it and see if I can do something within 5 minutes and smile! I picked up a banjo once and that didn’t work out too well.

SE: Well, the banjo is an art form, but I play that too. Once you get the hang of it, that works out really well as well.

RRX: I didn’t give it much of a chance.

SE: But, you know? The fascinating thing to me is that the mountain dulcimer comes from a long beautiful tradition. It’s been around since late 1700s, early 1800s. It’s got ancestors in Northern Europe. And so most of the players come to it through the traditional side of the music, you know? Folk music had sort of a folk revival in the 50s and 60s, and I came to it from the opposite direction. Just as the folk played the music that was around them that the kin and their neighbors played, I with the advantage of radios, tape recorders, stereos and cars to get in to see concerts, I play the music that’s around me.

RRX: I noticed.

SE: I’m playing all sorts of popular music, rock and roll, some classical, a little bit of jazz and bossa nova, all over the place but my special cause is the music of the people, rock and roll.

RRX: I checked out a bunch of your videos and songs that you had online. What you just said is what I noticed. You’re not doing it 100% traditional. We’re exposed to all this other music, so you take your own approach on it. But you keep it as fun, and I like that.

SE: Well, that’s the important thing. Music is fundamentally something that just speaks to people. And so when somebody says, what is that thing you’re playing, I’ll say, what kinds of music do you love? And they’ll say, whatever, a big band or Motown, classical or hymns, and I’ll play them a little bit of something that they already know and love.

RRX: Yeah. Well, I am definitely digging it. What would you say is the the most outlandish cover that you’ve done? Something that no one would expect to hear out of Dulcimer?

SE: Well, I guess Bohemian Rhapsody has to be one good answer to that.

RRX: Wow! Yeah, that’s gotta be a tough one.

SE: That was the one song that really made me understand that I needed to make a CD.

RRX: Mhm.

SE: And then it was just a matter of finding the right person to do the CD with, which took a few years.

RRX: Well you gotta do it the right way, that’s for sure. So you put out this CD, this album recently, right?

SE: It’s actually been out for about a year but it’s still getting the word out. Obviously, without record label type budgets, it takes time for that information to spread.

RRX: Oh, you’re not kidding. But, you know? If you could stay away from the record labels, do it as much as you can. It’s a DIY world that we live in now.

SE: Yep. I called the album ‘Making Waves,’ and it takes time for waves to propagate.

RRX: Yeah, ain’t that the truth. Well, if you had to talk to our audience that’s reading this right now… what would you say to give them a little push to come on out to the convention that’s going on in Albany?

SE: Well, that one is really for members of the industry.

RRX: Oh, I get it now! I’m slow (Laughs).

SE: If you’re part of the folk music world, then go to nerfa.org and there’s complete information about that. If you’re not part of that or if you are just looking for a casual introduction to the dulcimer, there’s actually an organization called the Dulcimer Association of Albany. They actually have a festival in March, that anybody can sign up for.

RRX: No kidding. How did I not know this? Thank you for filling me in.

SE: It’s like any other special interest, it’s invisible to the general public but if you’re in the network, you can find it anywhere. So the place to find out about the Mountain Dulcimer Music Festival that is gonna be in Latham, March 13th to 15th, is dulcimerassociationofalbany.com.

RRX: That’s wild. I never knew it. That’s awesome though.

SE: I’ll be teaching there and I’ll be performing a couple of songs on stage.

RRX: Oh, cool. I’m glad that you’re coming to our area more than once, a couple of times here. I’m glad that you already know Deb Cavanaugh because I was definitely gonna recommend her to you but you’re way ahead of me.

SE: (Laughs) There are quite a few great dulcimer players that have come out of the Albany area.

RRX: Well, she’s the only one I’m aware of but I’m sure there are. See, I gotta do my homework a little bit.

SE: Ah, Don’t worry about it.

RRX: Well, I appreciate your time. Is there anything else that you’d like to say to people? Any notes of positivity, prosperity, or good vibes?

SE: At the Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival a couple of weeks ago in Connecticut the T-Shirts for that said: “If everybody played dulcimers, we all could live in harmony.”

RRX: I dig that. And you know what? I think that’s probably true.
For more on Sam Edelston visit: Samthemusicman.com