Live at the Library ends on high note
<p>Mya Zeiler plays the mountain dulcimer as the audience looks on. Zeiler was playing with a group that included her grandfather John Meckler as well as Leena and Ashlynn Meckler.</p>
PLAINS – Cliff Stephens hit the library on July 30, providing humorous songs and entertainment to the crowd lining the grass.
Stephens took to his guitar and sang songs, some to the requests shouted out from the audience.
Stephens has played for his church and conducts weekly trips to the rest home in Plains to sing songs to those living there.
In his third year singing at the library, Stephens said he has always enjoyed it.
“I enjoy it. It’s good simple music and it’s good community support,” said Stephens. “You never expect a big group there but people enjoy themselves and that’s what it’s all about.”
The “Live at the Library” program at the Plains Public Library ended the season with a rousing performance by hammer dulcimer players and featuring a group playing recorders.
The performance began with a session led by Grant Applehans involving audience participation. Members of the audience became members of the musical ensemble as they played an array of instruments from drums to finger cymbals.
With encouragement and instruction from their conductor, members participated in several impromptu jam sessions to a steady beat from the conga drums. As each member created a fixed rhythm, Applehans would apply one more layer of instrumentation until about ten musicians were playing simultaneously.
To the amusement of the participants, there were a few minor breakdowns in synchronicity but for the most part the audience performed well. After the session ended, the experienced musicians took the stage for a performance by a group playing instruments many may have remembered from elementary school.
Recorders of all sizes accompanied by guitar played traditional folk music to the entertained ears of the crowd.
After the sublime performance from the recorder group, John Meckler took the stage accompanied by his three granddaughters on the mountain dulcimer. Mya Zeiler, Leena Meckler and Ashlynn Meckler all joined their grandfather in renditions of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and “Ode to Joy” among others.
John Meckler not only plays the mountain dulcimer he also builds them. Meckler constructed all the instruments played by the group. The idea to build dulcimers came to him after his granddaughter Ashlynn came home one day exclaiming she had just played one and “it was really cool.” He then taught himself how to build the exotic instruments.
“It’s a simple instrument to play. The trick is to get everyone to play as a group,” said Meckler. “There’s no wrong way to build them and there’s no wrong way to play them.”