Performers List

Mountain Dulcimer Performers
from Cincinnati, Ohio.

They play a variety of other instruments along with great vocals.

"Look out, Schnaufer -- Sunset Dawn's a comin'!!! Very lively and up-beat - very pleasant female vocals. Delightful. Everyone needs to hear their gospel medley!!! They need to create a tab book to go along with their CD entitled "Stone Soup" -- the songs are terrific!"
-- Kerry at Gila Mountain Dulcimers

Mountain Dulcimer Performer
from Newark, Ohio.

An instrumentalist on the mountain dulcimer, Steven has been learning, playing, composing and teaching since 1983. His music stems from the European Classical tradition, Celtic music, English Country Dance Tunes, Jewish and Yiddish folk tunes, and Blues and Jazz inspired pieces as well. About half of the selections on his recordings are original compositions, and there is a sprinkling of free improvisations on them as well.

Multi-Talented Performers
from Springfield, Ohio.

Sweetwater, a trio made up of Shari Wolf, Shelley Stevens and Cindy Funk, have been making music together for nearly 20 years, and the music they love to perform has taken them to much of the continental US, parts of Canada and even a bit of Ireland and the British Isles.

The ladies of Sweetwater love to sing about family and those special values that we all share. And then, there's the funny stuff. Songs about cats can be found near a song about food ... or flying pigs ... or any number of foibles the human condition is prone to. And suddenly, the audience is all equipped with kazoos and things can get crazy!

Instrumentals also play a part of a Sweetwater concert and many times three-part dulcimer pieces will be featured. Sweetwater members also play the guitar, autoharp, string bass, banjo and tinwhistle - and music styles can range from traditional Appalachian tunes to music with a classical air. Over the years, Sweetwater has recorded a number of cassettes and cds that bring together the music, and sometimes the humor that surrounds them.

Old-time String Band Performers
from central Indiana and western Ohio.

They specialize in a wide variety of acoustic music played on traditional instruments. They are most at home playing for historical events, retirement centers and for those folks who appreciate traditional, old-time, Gospel, dulcimer and acoustic music.

Traditional Music Duo
from Bidwell, Ohio

Together, Kendra and Bob have earned a reputation as one of the most entertaining and accomplished traditional music duos in the nation. They have appeared on stage with The Statler Brothers, Debbie Reynolds, Bill Monroe, Allison Kraus, John Hartford, David Holt, and a host of other top performers. They have toured the United States from coast to coast, and are international favorites throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Whether on stage, on record, or in print, few artists communicate with the honesty, wit, charm and talent of Kendra Ward and Bob Bence.

Singer/Songwriter/Mountain Dulcimer Performer
from Northeast, Ohio.

Jan Hammond is a three-time Mid-Eastern Regional Mountain Dulcimer Champion, two-time Kentucky State Champion and a Top Five Finalist at the National Dulcimer Championships in Winfield, Kansas. Jan has a solo CD entitled, "Just Me and My Dulcimer", and "Deep Sky", a duet CD with guitar master Tom Conner. Jan will soon release her second solo CD entitled "Man in the Moon" which will include some her most recent original compositions.

Hammer Dulcimer and Bass Players from Ohio.

Tina Bergmann and Bryan Thomas are Ohio-based folk artists performing an eclectic repertoire of traditional American, Celtic and South American music. The much acclaimed duo performs on hammered dulcimer and bass with great warmth and technical skill, showcasing the remarkable breadth of the tonal range and timbre of their instruments.

Tina and Bryan have traveled the United States, performing and instructing in a great variety of venues. They have two books and four recordings, which receive international airplay. At their website you can peruse and purchase the recordings as well as Tina’s book, A Collection of Tunes for the Hammered Dulcimer (with companion tape). Also available is additional bio information, quotes, and a calendar of performances and workshops.

Hammer Dulcimer Performers
from Bennington, Oklahoma.

Specializing in the traditional music and popular music of 19th-century America. Although other folk instruments in various combinations round out Sweet Song String Band's sound, the "sweet sounds" of dulcimers are still at the heart of the band and shape its distinctive sound. The Sweet Song String Band has become one of the preeminent dance bands in Texas, providing authentic 19th-century dance music, while Dance Master Karel Wheat instructs in and calls period dances.

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Folk Musicians
from Sheridan, Oregon.

Rooted in the traditional music of Ireland and Scotland, this trio of modern day minstrels has expanded upon these ethnic styles through the development of intriguing arrangements and original compositions. In this way, they have created a sound unique unto themselves. Since their formation in 1980, Golden Bough has traveled great distances, to numerous countries, to bring their music to enthusiastic folk fans the world over. In the recording studio, as well as on stage, Golden Bough captures the essence and joy of traditional music.

Performers
from Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania.

Longtime friends and wayfarers, Norm Williams and Bob Mallalieu, are joined by the fine company of Amanda Parker, Carol Lehrman, and John James to comprise Wayfarers & Co. This exciting group performs gospel music and oldtime songs on traditional instruments such as guitars, hammered and lap dulcimers, fiddle, flute, mandolin, harp and banjo, as well as stirring a cappella arrangements of traditional music.

Mountain Dulcimer Performers
from Providence, Rhode Island.

This folk music duo presents an enthralling concert of traditional American and Celtic American folk songs, a cappella pieces, hymns, dance tunes, and original works. They blend unusual harmonies and play guitar, Appalachian mountain dulcimer, Irish tin whistle, harmonica, banjo, bones, spoons, limberjack, Australian monkey pods, toy xylophone, and other surprises. Their performance is appealing to all ages, and with humor, audience participation, and a highly relaxed stage presence, they explain song origins to give more relevance to the material.

Hammer Dulcimer Performer
from York, South Carolina.

Susan has been invited to teach and perform in concert at numerous festivals across the United States. In October, 2000, the North Carolina Arts and Science Council recognized Susan as an accomplished musician by awarding her a Regional Artist Grant to complete her debut recording of traditional American, international folk and original tunes. Her CD "Wateree" was released June 15, 2001.

Performer
from West Columbia, South Carolina.

Howle's songwriting shows an artist at the peak of her craft, skillfully blending Americana with R&B, classic jazz and a dash of swing, all stamped with her uniquely Southern sensibility. Her solo performances are breathtaking, with captivating vocals. A comedian between songs, her prattles are filled with insight, inquiry, and wonder that speak of true romanticism. Howle's polished yet spontaneous hilarity creates a singular experience on the music scene.

"An extraordinary mind, a southern storyteller with a gorgeous sense of melody that should be pouring out of stereos everywhere. She is one to be treasured."
-- THE NEW YORK TIMES

Mountain Dulcimer Performer
from Nashville, Tennessee.
1999 National Mountain Dulcimer Champion

Whether playing a fiddle tune at lightning speed, or coaxing the depth of emotion from a tragic ballad, Lee Rowe is introducing new audiences to the plaintive sound of the mountain dulcimer. Lee began playing the dulcimer while still a teenager in Portsmouth, Virginia. Being isolated from the dulcimer community, he developed his own unique style by borrowing techniques from other instruments such as guitar and mandolin.

He began performing and writing as part of an acoustic rock duet called Bonaparte's Revenge which gained prominence performing at local venues in Richmond, Virginia. Their self-titled album of original instrumentals, released in 1994, featured Lee's dazzling style, which combines complex crosspicking with the instrument's rhythmic drone.

Lee is increasingly in demand as a teacher, conducting seminars at workshops and festivals from North Carolina to Texas, teaching students one on one, and as Adjunct Instructor of Mountain Dulcimer at Nashville State Technical Institute. Wherever he plays, Lee's performances are marked by his warm humor as much as his virtuosity.

Mountain Dulcimer Performer
from Paris, Tennessee.
1995 Southern Regional Mountain Dulcimer Champion
1996 Southern Regional Dulcimer Ensemble Champion
(with Jim Curley)
1998 National Mountain Dulcimer Champion

Besides being a popular teacher/performer at various dulcimer festivals around the country, Larry is also the founder of Congergation Music, a publishing company dedicated to marketing his dulcimer books and recordings.

He is also active as a participating artist for the Tennessee Arts Commission's Arts In Education program and the Kentucky Arts Council's Teacher Incentive Program, presenting dulcimer programs in the public schools. These programs offer students the opportunity to participate in hands-on activities with the dulcimer.

Mountain Dulcimer Performer
from Antioch, Tennessee.

Stephen Seifert has been a frequent teacher and performer at various festivals including Augusta, Swannanoa, Stringalong, Boone/Cullowhee, Kentucky Music Week, and more.

He received world-wide radio play as Dulcimer Soloist on the Nashville Chamber Orchestra's Warner Classical release, "Conversations in Silence".

He was a featured performer at The American Music Festival in Tono, Japan, 2001. He served as Adjunct Instructor of Mountain Dulcimer with David Schnaufer and Vanderbilt's Blair School of Music from January of 1997 to May of 2001.

Hammer and Mountain Dulcimer Performer
from Texas.

Peggy Carter is a musician and a teacher, as well as an entertainer, and performs music on both the Hammer Dulcimer and Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer across the USA and abroad. She has won both the Texas and the Southern Regional Hammer Dulcimer Championship and has performed under the auspices of Young Audiences and Texas Commission For the Arts. She recently performed with her Acoustic ensemble, Strings and Things, on a performance tour in Ireland.

With her old time string band, Texas Bound, and the unique Renaissance/Victorian ensemble, The Merry Waits of Windsor, she performs at festivals, churches and community events. Up-coming events include performances at festivals in Texas, Louisianna, Arkansas, Oklahoma, California and Idaho.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher/Performer
from Texas.
2005 National Mountain Dulcimer Champion

When Sue Carpenter first played a mountain dulcimer in 1981 she was immediately captivated by its simplicity and challenged by its fingerpicking possibilities. As an instrumentalist, she is best known for her expressive style and exceptional technical ability. She delights her audiences and balances her repertoire with a wide range of styles and tempos: traditional, folk, original compositions, ragtime, fingerpicking, and strumming. She has performed and taught at many dulcimer festivals from Maine to California. Originally from Quakertown, PA, Sue is now living in Texas, outside of Dallas.

Sue wrote and published "Patterns and Patchwork", a fingerpicking instruction book, and "Heliotrope Bouquet Tune Book", a companion tab book for her "Heliotrope Bouquet" CD. She is also a featured artist on "Masters of the Mountain Dulcimer", Volume I.

Mountain Dulcimer Teachers/Performers
from Texas.

David and Cheryl Turner have been performing traditional music on mountain dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, and other traditional instruments in the North Texas area since 1994, and adopted the name TIME WAS in 1998. TIME WAS performs a mix of old time fiddle tunes, Celtic music, humorous folk and historic songs, hymns, and gospel music. Through their use of toe-tapping music, unusual instruments and amusing stories, they entertain audiences of all ages. They also like to explain the origin of both their instruments and the songs they perform. Audience participation is frequently encouraged and questions are always welcome.

David and Cheryl Turner are classically trained musicians, who have performed in several symphonic band, orchestral, and jazz groups.

Mike Jeter accents the music with a variety of traditional percussion instruments (better known as Mike's Toys), ranging from the bodhran to bones. He is also the main caller at square dances, and teaches dances common to the 1800's time period.

Brenda Jeter is the "band’s metronome" on her string bass. She is also an occasional vocalist providing harmony when needed. In addition to the string bass, Brenda can occasionally be found playing either a mountain or hammered dulcimer.

Jenny Turner is the most recent addition to TIME WAS. She splits her time between percussion and hammered dulcimer.

Mountain Dulcimer Performer
from Pittsburg, Texas.
Winner of the 1999 Songwriters Award,
Walnut Valley Festival, Winfield, Kansas.

Debbie Porter grew up singing the songs of the rural South learned from her grandmother, a sharecropper from Northeast Texas. She began accompanying herself on ukulele, banjo and guitar at a young age and performed at schools and community events. In the 1970's, Deb performed at singer/songwriter venues throughout Texas.

Debbie discovered the fretted dulcimer in the early 1980's. She began teaching dulcimer at the community college and eventually began the "Northeast Texas Community Chorus", a dulcimer club that meets monthly to play and learn the fretted or mountain dulcimer.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher/Performer
from Austin, Texas.

   Mark Gilston has been performing traditional folk music for over thirty years. His vast repertoire encompasses songs and instrumentals from North America and most of Europe, particularly the British Isles, Scandinavia, and the Balkans. His performances are laced with humor and a wide base of eclectic knowledge. Mark, an award-winning mountain dulcimer player (first place, 2004 Oklahoma State Mountain Dulcimer Championship), also plays concertina, guitar, banjo, Bulgarian bagpipes, pennywhistle, ocarina, tambura, and others.

He has given concerts at numerous colleges, clubs and coffee houses throughout the United States as well as England and Canada and has been a featured performer and workshop leader for various folk music societies including the New York Pinewoods Folk Music Club and the Folk Song Society of Greater Washington as well as groups abroad. He is currently performing music and living in Austin, Texas.

Mountain Dulcimer Performer and Teacher
from Reston, Virginia.

Ralph Lee Smith plays traditional music on the Appalachian dulcimer, and is widely regarded as the foremost authority on the dulcimer's history and its music. In addition, he makes people fall in love with the instrument!

Ralph has given performances/demonstrations at the White House, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, the Mountain Heritage Center, and colleges, folk festivals, civic groups, and historic sites and re-enactments.

For many years, Ralph taught courses in Mountain Dulcimer Traditions at Mountain Dulcimer Week at Appalachian State University and at its successor location, Western Carolina University. Ralph is available for performances and demonstrations, and for group and individual lessons.

Hammer Dulcimer and Harp Musicians
from Seattle, Washington.

Magical Strings is the dynamic Celtic harp and hammered dulcimer duo of Philip and Pam Boulding performing their unique blend of Celtic roots music since 1978. They have recorded 12 CD's On Flying Fish/Rounder and EarthBeat Records and their own label Magic Hill Music.
Celtic harp and hammer dulcimer.

Mountain Dulcimer Performer
from Renich, West Virginia.

Alan won 1st place at Galax five times in nine years (1977-1986), and has been the perennial West Virginia dulcimer champion since 1985 when they began having the contest. He is the only dulcimer player to ever be in a 1st place band at the Appalachian Stringband Festival (1991, w/ Robin Kessinger and Cathy Fink).

Alan became a member of Jamboree USA, in Wheeling, WV, in 1988. The only dulcimer player to ever be made a member of a radio jamboree, he has been the opening act for Roy Clark (who said he was "the best and most versatile dulcimer player I ever heard"), Kitty Wells, Waylon Jennings, Roger Miller, The Seldom Scene, Tim O’Brien, and Charlie Pride, among many others.

Alan has performed extensively with Robin Kessinger, Robert Shafer, Johnny Staats, Dave Bing, Jenny Allinder, J.P. Fraley, Glen Smith, and a veritable host of other wonderful musicians and is appropriately grateful to them for letting him do that. He has never thought of himself as a ‘dulcimer player’ but rather, a musician in the tradition whose instrument of choice is the lap dulcimer.

He plays a range of music that includes oldtime, bluegrass, Celtic, swing, ragtime, standards, klezmer, a little latin, and anything else he can get his fingers around that seems interesting. He has been a mainstay concert performer at the WV State Folk Festival since 1975.

Mountain Dulcimer Performer

For over thirty years Don has amazed and delighted audiences with his unique "Fiddle-Pick" style of playing the dulcimer. Drawing on decades of association with many of the best musicians in the southern mountains, as well as his deep commitment to preserving the old music, Don carries on the tradition in an exiting and innovative fashion unrivaled on the Mountain Dulcimer. Rhythm and melody match the fiddles, up to speed, note for note, creating an ancient sound, that strikes a chord with the most modern listener. Before retiring from festival competitions in 1982, he had won over thirty first place trophies and awards.

Singer/Songwriter
from LaCrosse, Wisconsin.

Don is an entertainer with acoustic guitar, harmonica and vocals. His style has been called Contemporary Folk, Jazz Acoustic Rock, Reggae, Blues, Country and Singer/Songwriter. Don is an award winning songwriter who performs as a solo artist and is one half of the Third Planet Duo. He is also a High School teacher in Holmen, Wisconsin.

"Don D. Harvey can write a song to make you cry or fire you up about life. His vocals are wonderful and his guitar playing is awesome."
-- Dana Hanson,
-- Music Reviewer

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