Grayso Enterprise Ltd On tim newspape rights Pag Exclusiv you state Copyrigh 198 1,189 words MAKIN JOYFU NOIS BIL ROBINSO AN TH AR O TH DULCIME Writte b Jun Grayson Photographe b Richar Grayso O thi Easte Sunda churc bell peal pip organ thunder an choir prais th Lor wit joyfu noise Bil Robinso o St Charles Illinois doesn' nee 20 voic choi an 1 ran pip orga t mak hi joyfu noise H play th hamme dulcimer a instrumen mentionne i th i th Hebre Bibl tw thousan year befor Johan Sebastia Bac wrot hi might orga chorales Sinc then th dulcime i al it man variation ha sprea throughou th world Whereve peopl pla thei indigenou fol music the pla som for o th dulcimer I yo hav neve hear hamme dulcime virtuos pla th instrument imagin fou performer o tw gran piano playin wondrou harmonie al a th sam time Tha i wha on smal dulcime no eve yar wid sound lik whe Robinso play hi arrangemen o "Turke I Th Straw. N mor tha te professiona hamme dulcime player i th Unite State meri to acclai amon thei peer an Robinso i on o them Robinso go a earl start A th ag o thre h clutche littl ukelel i famil portrait " playe bacup chord fo famil singin whe wa four M fathe taugh m t pla th dulcime whe wa five I fact m cousin use t ge ma a m becaus wante t pla musi wit th adult rathe tha g outsid an pla bal wit them. Robinso gre u o workin cor an ho far nea Macomb Illinois bu th family' avocatio wa alway music "M Germa grandmothe an m Wels fathe bot playe th hamme dulcimer, Robinso says "M Wels grandfathe brough ove dulcime a famil treasur whe h immigrate t th Unite States. Robinso learne t pla th dulcimer piano banjo ukelele mandolin an guitar Ye h neve learne t rea music N problem "I ca hea th music ca pla it, H use t pla 'backu recording an answere emergenc call aroun th countr t fil i fo othe musicians " can improvis an follo alon s closel tha th averag perso ca neve tel tha don' kno th musi b heart. H ha alread establishe hi reputatio i hi earl twenties H playe a th Gran Ol Opr an accepte gig an plac i th Unite States Now olde an wit family h ha settle dow i St Charles H work day a forema o machin sho " lik t ea regularly, h confesse bu evening an weekend ar fo music Ever secon Saturda nigh o th nin-mont schoo yea h drive t Macomb Illinois t pla i th Wago Whee Oper Show th Illinoi versio o th Gran Ol Opry Hi group Bil Robinso an Friends perform throughou Illinois H record hi ow arrangements H appear a gues artis a dulcime festivals N matte ho man instrument h plays Robinso like th dulcime th best "I i suc nea instrument onc yo ar hooked yo ar hooke fo life I sound complicate bu i i reall easy ca hav yo playin simpl arrangement i on lesson. Whe th famil dulcime collapse fiftee year ago Robinso becam sel-taugh dulcime maker usin th piece o th ol dulcime a hi pattern " experimen wit differen wood an constructio methods Rosewoo make th bes soundin board Eac instrumen sound littl different. S fa h ha mad thirt-eigh dulcimers al signe an numbered Thos h doesn' kee fo hi ow use h sell t othe dulcime players H gav on o hi handmad dulcimer t Ro Acuf o th Gran Ol Opry I i no o displa i Nashvill museum H use fou diameter o wir fo stringing Th large th wir diameter th lowe th tone Th fou differen tunin method use i th Unite State ar utterl incomprehensibl t an outsider bu Robinso understand an use the all Sometime Robinso use woode playin handles Sometime h use corse stay becaus the ar mor flexible H put tap o th handle s the don' sli ou o hi hands H add sof woo an leathe t th playin end an wrap the wit electrica tape "I wan th musi lou an har us shorte stay t appl mor forc whe strikin th strings Fo ligh an eas music us th longe stays. Yo ca si o stan t pla th hamme dulcime o it ow specia rack Robinso like t hol hi dulcime i fron o hi bod wit specia stra slun aroun hi bac an shoulder s tha h ca ste u t th microphon quickl fo hi sol turns "Yo can' electrif dulcime becaus ther i jus to muc reverberation, Robinso says Dulcime enthusiast aren' highl visibl grou lik stree gang o polititians Bu the ar ou there man thousan strong Amateu member o dulcime club usuall prefe t pla th mountain o Appalachia o fretted dulcime becaus i i ha onl fou o fiv string whic yo pluc t play Accordin t J McBride spokesperso o th Dulcime Societ o Norther Illinois 80 household receiv th society' annua bulletin "Peopl lik th dulcime becaus i i eas t play i doesn' mak lo o noise an i sound goo t othe people, McBrid says "Everyon shoul hav rea passio fo somethin i life Som o ou member hav rea passio fo th dulcimer Eve professiona musician wh pla othe instrument pla th dulcime fo fun W hav member wh neve g ou o tow withou takin thei dulcime wit them Yo can' d tha wit piano. Dian Hillar an th othe member o th Champaig-Urban Dulcime Societ mee monthl t shar thei lov o dulcime playing illiar firs becam captivate b dulcimer durin th fol musi resurgenc i th 1950' an 1960's "Liste t Davi Schnaufe pla th dulcime o tw o th Judd' recen albumn Heartlan an Rocki wit th Rhythm, Hilliar suggests Chicag are resident ca ge a introductio t th dulcime b hearin Ale an Hi Cimbalo a th Belmon Hotel Fo you bes introductio t th dulcime an th chanc t participat i a entir weeken o joyfu noise re circl th weeken o Jul 15t an 16t o you calenda whe th secon annua Gebhar Wood Dulcime Festiva wil b hel a Morris Illinois Yo ca famil cam i th stat par o sta a on o th man are motels Internationall famou gues artist wil demonstrat th ar o dulcime playin an construction Workshop wil abound Tak you firs dulcime lesson Joi th ol tim musi Saturda nigh dance Prais th Lor wit you ow joyfu nois a th no-denominationa Sunda mornin gospe worshi service #### Fo furthe information cal Bil Robinso a (312)37- 0519 J McBrid a (312)25-0121 an Dian Hilliar a (217)36-1359.