Questions and Answers
Here’s a list of the most common questions I have collected during my travels and while performing at festivals.
Do you have a specific question that you aren’t finding here? You can always ask me directly through my Contact page.
Instrument Questions
This is a Hurdy Gurdy!
Yes. A Hurdy Gurdy! (People always repeat it back just like that! er’ytime!)
No, the Hurdy Gurdy actually dates back to about the tenth century! It was widely used between the 11th and the 15th centuries as a dance instrument, and just about every European country had one version or another. However, it fell out of fashion about the time of the Renaissance because it couldn’t really do this newfangled “complex chord progression” everybody was going on about, and it fell by the wayside as a beggar’s instrument.
It does sort of fill the same musical niche, but because it’s the first stringed instrument to have a keyboard applied to it, it’s actually the great, great, great, GREAT grandfather of the piano, believe it or not! The Crank drives the wheel, the wheel bows the strings, the strings are stopped by the keys, which makes the music. So it’s basically a Keytar that run on the same physics as a violin!
Booking Questions
I live near the central Oregon coast, but I travel all over the Pacific Northwest to play at interesting festivals and events. I even brought my gurdy with me to Europe recently, so… I’m definitely open to travel!
You absolutely CAN hire me for your shindig! It’s probably the easiest way to make all your guests envious of your good taste! Feel free to send me an email through the Contact form for a no obligation consultation and we can chat a little about what you’ve got in mind.
Not at all! I have a wide range of repertoire and costumes available! Unless specified, I’ll always default to my renfair duds, sporting the classic (and slightly anachronistic) Renaissance Bard look. But if you’ve got something specific in mind, let me know! I’ve done medieval, pirate, fantasy creature events and more! Maybe take a look through the gallery if you want a little inspiration!
Support Questions
Absolutely! You can leave a secure tip using Paypal or Venmo by clicking the links here or by finding @earlthebard directly in the apps.
I do actually have some stuff available for purchase on BandCamp, though it’s pretty old. That said, I am working on a new album and hope to have it available soon!
I’m glad you asked! Probably the best thing you can do (besides liking and sharing my posts on social media) is to join the community over on Patreon! For a monthly subscription fee, you will get notifications of my latest updates plus lots of other perks, like early access to new YouTube videos and even monthly live stream concerts!