Lifestyle
Michael Waldrop
By Tiffany GreenMichael Waldrep had never attempted to play a musical instrument. He had never even been able to read music.
Then one day he saw a psaltery and became interested in music.
“I have no musical back ground,” Waldrep said. “But I tried to play this instrument and I could.”
He was amazed at how easy the psaltery was to play. His three daughters had all been in the high school band, one even receiving a musical scholarship. His wife played piano and other instruments.
“I have never been able to play a musical instrument,” he said. “But when I started playing this I found I could play.”
After seeing the instrument at an arts and crafts festival, Waldrep not only wanted to learn to play it, but also taught himself how to make one.
“Each one is special,” he said. “You play it like you sing. If you can sing it, you can play it.”
He has made all three of his daughters one, his wife one and his mother one. In all, Waldrep has made around 20. He leaves a special mark on each one, the carving Amazing Grace.
“I looked at them and thought I could build one,” Waldrep said. “I have found that I am a builder and not a player.”
His wife Jayne disagreed, noting he can play well.
“He plays by memory,” Jayne said. “He reads the music until he gets it in his mind and then he plays by memory.”
Waldrep said he finds such a peace playing and building the instrument.
“The joy I have got out of it is that I’ve never been able to be a part of music and now I can teach people,” Michael said. “It is just something I enjoy.”
He not only builds and plays the psaltery, but offers music lessons at his church on Sunday free of charge.
“We give free lessons to anyone who comes on the third Sunday of the month at 4 p.m.,” Waldrep said. “It allows people to come enjoy it.”
Waldrep supplies the instruments to anyone who may want to attend.
There is a group that leads the music every other Sunday.
To play a bowed psaltery, simply move the bow against the strings between the posts. To make it simpler, Waldrep puts note guides at the end of each note on some of his psytires.
“The joy I have got out of it is that I’ve never been able to be a part of music and now I can teach people,” Michael said.
According to Unicorn Strings Music Company Web site, the bowed psaltery is a member of the zither family of instruments. The bowed psaltery is an 20 inch long by eight inch thick wide triangle with 24 to 32 strings running its length and is played with a bow. The strings are tuned chromatically, mimicking the layout of a keyboard.
Similar instruments have been around for more than a thousand years.
“It has a meaning that thousands of years ago people were playing the same type of instrument,” Waldrep said. “It gives you a connection there.”
“I get a lot of enjoyment from exposing it to other people,” he said.
Waldrep can be found this weekend at the Sweet Tater Festival in Crane Hill.
‰ Tiffany Green can be reached by e-mail at tgreen@cullmantimes.com or by telephone at 734-2131, ext. 220.
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