For more than 20 years, many residents of south Mississippi have been treated to the sounds of Southern Strings Dulcimers, the Dixie-based group specializing in dulcimer, guitar and psaltery music.
Now the entire state can experience the group’s musical stylings, as it will be featured on three broadcasts on Mississippi Public Broadcast’s “Mississippi Roads.” The show, which was recorded at the 2018 Southern Strings Dulcimer Festival in Petal, will air at 7 p.m. Feb. 7 and at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Feb. 10 on MPB Television/PBS.
“I’m very excited, because we work hard as a group,” said Beth Johnson, who serves as festival chairperson for the group. “(MPB) picked us out to come and interview us, and take pictures, and take time to introduce our music – the way we play it with our dulcimers – to more of Mississippi.”
“Mississippi Roads” is hosted by Walt Grayson, who highlights Mississippi’s unique landmarks, attractions, art, history, culture and people. In past episodes, the show has paid visits to the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby, a knife maker in Vancleave, a turtle rehabilitation facility in Florence and a natural park at Dunn’s Falls.
Southern Strings Dulcimers was founded in 1997 and meets every Tuesday evening at the Dixie School Log Cabin to hold jam sessions, practice and instructional time. The group currently has approximately 25 members, depending on the attendance from week to week.
“We just have a good time,” Johnson said. “We learn new music, we go to other festivals, and then we hold our festival.
“And we also host the Deep South Dulcimer Championship for the south, and our winner gets to go to the national competition, which is in Winfield, Kansas, every year.”
This year’s Southern Strings Dulcimer Festival will be held Feb. 21, 22 and 23 at Calvary Baptist Church, 1123 Mississippi 42 in Petal. The festival will kick off Feb. 21 with fellowship and a jam session, followed Feb. 22 will jamming, workshops and fellowship dinner with bingo. Workshops, on-stage performances and the Deep South Dulcimer Championship will be held Fob. 23.
Featured instructors for the festival include Anne Lough of Waynesville, North Carolina; Debbie Porter of Pittsburg, Texas; Brett Ridgeway of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and Brenda Mangan of West Union, South Carolina. Colin Beasley of Mobile, Alabama, will serve as guest workshop instructor.
“We have a lot of people to come in from out of town,” Johnson said. “On Friday and Saturday, we’ll usually have around 100 (attendees) each day, and we’ve had as much as 125 and 150 at times.
“We’ve had them come from Michigan, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina – all over.”
For more information on the “Mississippi Roads” program, visit www.mpbonline.org, and for registration and pricing for the Southern Strings Dulcimer Festival, visit www.mississippidulcimer.com.
