2nd place in Championship. Keith Reynolds (Dulcimer) and Laura Lind (Autoharp) Duet
Mountain View Arkansas Dulcimer Contest, Ozark Folk Center State Park
A friend and I took a road trip from Nebraska to Arkansas on a whim to study Mountain Dulcimer last Spring. My friend, Todd had gifted me a very beautiful dulcimer and I needed an introduction to playing it. In addition there was a contest, and I decided, why not. Go for it.
I wandered around trying to find a duet partner. When I was unsuccessful and the contest entry was very near closed, someone suggested I go down to McSpadden’s Dulcimer Shoppe just down the road and see if I could find someone. So I was dropped off and went up to the cash register and just made an announcement asking if there was anyone game enough to enter the contest at the last minute? And standing next to me is Keith Reynolds and he says, well, I won second place at Winfield last Summer. I told him he would do. We laughed. Went out side and it was tricky to find tunes we both knew. We choose “Southwind” a traditional 3/4 waltz and a contemporary tune the Everly Brothers made popular, “Dream, Dream, Dream.” We had about 15 minutes to get to the contest entry. Raced back to the festival and we signed up. Let ones to sign. Had about 1/2 hour before the contests began. Didn’t have time to get back to the hotel to change…just went for it. WE rehearsed a few times and mostly we winged it. WE each gave room for the other to solo. The dulcimer started the tunes as per the contest. Just decided to have fun. And to our surprise, we won 2nd Place!