Gathering at the Gap Filled with Music, More

March 4, 2008 upset many a person in Big Stone Gap, Va. A tornado touched down and took a beloved 100-year-old oak tree with it.
That tree stood in front of the Southwest Virginia Museum.
“People really loved that oak tree,” said Sharon Ewing, director of the museum.
Lovers of that tree and fun-goers in general, mark May 23 on your calendars. That’s the date for the Third Annual Gathering in the Gap, a culture-rich festival staged at Southwest Virginia Museum in Big Stone Gap.
Musicians Darrell Scott and 3 Fox Drive headline a long list of live music. Interested folks can also avail themselves of banjo, shape-note singing and songwriting workshops.
Now, about that tree.
“It was a huge tree,” Ewing said. “Tom Dickenson will make a dulcimer from that 100-year-old oak tree that we lost.”
Dickenson has experience. For years, he has crafted clawhammer and five-string banjos, guitars, a harp, hammer dulcimers and dulcimers in his East Stone Gap garage.
“I made one for ‘em last year; I call it a tornado dulcimer,” Dickenson said. “I cut a couple of tornados in the front of it and dated it March 4, 2008. They raffled it off.”
Apparently, that one-of-a-kind dulcimer proved a hit at last year’s Gathering in the Gap. Call it something of a Dickenson family tradition, coming to the aid of the Southwest Virginia Museum.
“His grandfather was one of the people who helped build the museum,” Ewing said.
So with loads of large logs from the stricken tree on hand, Dickenson said that he was once again called upon. As with last year, another of Dickenson’s dulcimers made from the tree’s wood will be raffled off during this year’s festival.
Details. Thanks to what he said amounted to about “80 hours of thinking and 40 hours of work,” his dulcimer is quite attractive.
“All around the side of the dulcimer, which is two inches thick, are oak leaves,” Dickenson said. “Then, I carved the big oak tree into the back of the dulcimer.”
Dickenson loved his creation so much that he wanted one, too.
“It sounds pretty good, and so I didn’t want to give it away,” he said.
So he decided to make two more.
“I wanted one for myself,” Dickenson said, “and I want to give one to the museum.”
Festival attendees can buy a ticket for a chance to win one of Dickenson’s three dulcimers. Or they can simply come and watch him craft another instrument, as he will be among many craftsmen on hand.
“We’ll also have people making quilts, soap, hand-carved chairs,” Ewing said, “and all of their products will be available for sale.”
Buy crafts. Win a dulcimer. Eat a hot dog. Listen to music from a nationally known singer such as Darrell Scott or from any number of competing pre-teen fiddlers.
Add it all together, and Gathering in the Gap amounts to mountain culture on parade.
“Our mission is to preserve the heritage and culture of this area,” Ewing said. “Also, we want folks to walk away with an ‘a ha!’ moment.”
And one lucky person will walk away with one dandy of a dulcimer, too.

TOM NETHERLAND is a freelance writer. He can be reached at fea-
tures@bristolnews.com.

IF YOU GO
What: Gathering the Gap Festival
When: May 23, begins at 8:30 a.m.
Where: Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park, Big Stone, Gap, Va.
Admission: $15 day of event, $12 beforehand; children under age 12 admitted free
Info: (276) 523-1322
Web: www.gatheringinthegapmusicfestival.com

SCHEDULE
8:30 a.m.: Vendors open
9 a.m.: Workshops begin
10 a.m.: Competitions begin
Noon: Main stage entertainment starts

WORKSHOPS
9-10:30 a.m.: Shape-note singing with Alexander Garden, free though pre-registration and workshop ticket is required
11-11:45 a.m.: Old-time banjo with Martha and Emily Spencer, free though pre-registration and workshop ticket is required
Noon-1:30 p.m.: Songwriting with Darrell Scott, $25 per person with pre-registration and workshop ticket

ENTERTAINMENTn Noon: Adam Larkey
12:45 p.m.: Whitetop Mountain Band
1:30 p.m.: Mountain Blues Tribute Band
2:15 p.m.: Ron Short
3 p.m.: Doug and Telisha Williams
3:45 p.m.: Whitetop Mountain Band
4:30 p.m.: Ron Short
5:15 p.m.: Doug and Telisha Williams
6 p.m.: Mountain Blues Tribute Band
7 p.m.: 3 Fox Drive
8:15 p.m.: Darrell Scott