For the short version, here is the EverythingDulcimer.com mission statement. This may change in time, but it succinctly lays out our goals.

EverythingDulcimer.com exists for many reasons. One of the reasons I began giving this project some serious thought was my own path to playing dulcimers. I'd seen mountain dulcimers in my high school years in northeast Georgia (Helen, to be exact). It was a novelty at the time, but I was dead broke and couldn't buy one at that time. Still, I remember loving the way it sounded and wishing through the years that I'd bought one.

Fast forward 20 years and four kids later I was walking out of Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri and there were beautiful dulcimers...and I could afford one now. I bought a kit! I've been an avid woodworking for years, so I had it together in short order. I was sawing out tunes in no time. I as one of those always-loved-music-and-said-I'd-eventually-play-an-instrument-but-hadn't-gotten-around-to-it kidna folk, but I'd drawn a line in the sand. I WAS going to learn to play THIS instrument.

I decided to go looking for help on the Internet. That took some searching and several desperate emails, but I finally found a group in my town. I also managed to find some tablature and Wild Dulcimer, a basic online mountain dulcimer primer. In fact, I found a great deal of info, but it was spread all over the Internet. I made a considerable part of my living as an Internet consultant, so I KNEW how to search the nether regions of the Internet. I also know that most aren't as tenacious about Internet searching as I am.

My searches for mountain dulcimer information lead me to hammered dulcimer information. Within a few months, I'd made me one and started pounding.

The rest is fairly recent history...I fell in love with both!

To make a long story short, I hatched the EverythingDulcimer.com idea because:

- We, the dulcimer community, don't do a very good job of promoting dulcimer playing online. I want to make a place for folks to find out about, and hopefully be motivated to play dulcimers. This mean that there will need to be some REALLY basic information here.

- The dulcimer community lacks a place to congregate on the web. I couldn't find a good, modern discussion group that encompassed all levels of dulcimer players.

- It is my goal to list hundreds of quality dulcimer links, every link available it possible.

- I want to make a place that offers support for dulcimer clubs. If they need a webpage to publicize their group, they can do it here. If they need a discussion group for their members, they can have it here. If they want to list a gig, or festival on our events calender, they can do it here. If they'd like to post some great pictures from their festival, they can do it here. I'll add other services if these are well recieved. Local dulcimer clubs are the best dulcimer promotion imaginable, so EverythingDulcimer.com will do what we can to help them out.

- I feel dulcimers are GREAT for kids. Let's get that word out! Kids and dulcimers are a natural fit. I'd like to facilitate kids playing dulcimers!

- Tablature. It's scattered about. I'd like to get a lot of tablature on this site divided by level of dificulty (basic, intermediate, and advanced). This will take awhile, but hopefuly, with a little help from my friends....

Those are my basic reasons. Some may disagree with my reasons, but that's okay. The dulcimer community is full of great folks. (Notice that I said "community.") I'm hoping and praying that I can get a bit of help in some areas, that would truely make this a community site. My experise lies in the technical aspects of putting a website together. Not in dulcimer playing! I need experienced players to contribute here and there and participate in the discussion groups. I'm betting my time and personal funds that the community will rally around the dulcimer cause.

So how about it?

As for the future of EverythingDulcimer.com; Once we are established there are many useful items that could be added to the site. I have a number of ideas for outreach to the general public. I would like to offer a wide range of printed, or electronic material (files, digital music) at little or no cost to clubs or individuals. I would also like to expand services offered to clubs like email, newsletter, or member management services. Finally, I would like to offer low cost advertising for those who produce dulcimers, or dulcimer related items...a real outlet to reach dulcimer folks.

With any luck, I hope EverythingDulcimer.com will emerge as the "go to" site for dulcimer players, makers, and the curious.

Won't you help out?