2005 Hiawatha Music Festival, Marquette, MI

The Hiawatha Music Festival is a large annual event here in Marquette that features big names in folk music and is often featured on the WNMU radio program titled "In the Pines". Gentian played "Open Mike" where interested local people get a chance to play for the audience. Gentian was the eleventh name on the list of ten people scheduled for open mike. One performer didn't show up, that allowed Gentian to be on stage if time allowed. Back stage, while she waited to perform, Gentian was trying to practice. Other musicians came up and talked to her about music and dulcimers and chords and playing on stage. They thought that a 10 year old kid playing dulcimer on stage was great and offered her lots of advice and encouragement.

 

Two open mike performers deliberately cut their performances short so that Gentian might get a chance to play. It was very nice of them.

Gentian explains: 

"I was scared. My knees were shaking! I played two songs that I just learned: Megan's Daughter (a very pretty fingerpicked song with lots of cords), then I dedicated Harvest Home (a fast toe tapping flatpicked song that is fun to play), to my dulcimer teacher Corinne Rockow and to Wanda Degen who got me started playing dulcimer."