Teachers and Workshop Leaders List

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Newark, Ohio.

Steven K Smith is a dulcimer player and teacher based in Newark Ohio, which is about 40 miles east of Columbus. He's been playing since 1983, and teaches private students one night a week in a local music studio. Steve is also available for workshops in the region, at festivals and for club meetings or house concerts. He is a regular workshop leader at the Fort New Salem dulcimer festival, in Salem West Virginia, the Central OH Folk Festival in Columbus OH, the South East OH Dulcimer Festival in Stewart (near Athens) OH, and the Buckeye Dulcimer Festival in Ashley OH. He has also taught occasionally at the Mountain Dulcimer Player's Workshop at Western Carolina University, and at the Great Black Swamp Dulcimer Festival, formerly held in Lima OH. He has four published CDs, and four books of dulcimer tablature, and is a regular performer at the Ohio Renaissance Festival.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from the Akron/Canton, Ohio, area.

Private dulcimer, clawhammer banjo, guitar, autoharp lessons.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from the Okeana, Ohio, area.

John has been playing the mountain dulcimer since his introduction to the instrument in May of 1999. He has performed in various venues in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and West Virginia and has taught dulcimer workshops in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and West Virginia. He is the author of three tab books entitled, The Mountain Dulcimer Plays Patsy Cline, The Mountain Dulcimer Plays Hank Williams and "New" Old Hymns and has released a CD, entitled "It's About Time". For details on these visit John's Website.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from the Waverly, Ohio, area.

Gary teaches mountain dulcimer-DAd, DAA and DGd tunings at his store on the first and third Monday evenings of each month. Alternate times can be arranged. $10 per 45 minute lesson.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Findlay, Ohio.

Vicki has done four artist in residence at Eastwood Middle School in Wood County, Ohio, 160 6th graders, 50 at a time! She also did a dulcimer workshop at Ohio State Lima with 27 6th graders in June 2005. It was a summer institute called "Kids' College". Her other workshops have included as young as 4 to 5 year olds to seniors.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Norton, Ohio.

Phone: 330.825.9475
Best times to reach Vici: 1 pm to 10 pm
Teaching location: University of Akron, Portage Lakes Career Center, students home, my place.
Teaching times by appointment.
Instruction: Group, semi-private or private lessons, contact for rates.
Founding member/gig getter-agent/advertising manager, etc., for "Mixed-Up Strings" of Summit County, Ohio.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Mark teaches mountain dulcimer, guitar, and banjo in his home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Visit Mark's Website!

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher/Performer
from Yreka, California (near Oregon).

Dan Daniels, owner of New Traditions Dulcimer Company in Yreka, California, is not only known as a teacher of mountain dulcimer, mountain banjo and guitar, but is also known as a local church pastor, and a performer of Old Time Music. Dan's performances have taken him from the West Coast to the East and back again. Dan is also known as a recording artist, radio personality and voice over talent.

Private lessons are available for all ages focusing upon the beginner to intermediate student.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Colton, Oregon.

Mountain dulcimer teacher since 2002, Sally moved to Oregon from Ohio and couldn’t find any dulcimer players so began teaching in Colton! Sally taught in Ohio for 5 years at the school and YMCA. She currently teaches in a music shop in Portland, and in 4 adult ed programs through the schools in Clackamas County. She has over 40 students right now and has started a group (all former students) that performs.

Private lessons are available at Artichoke Music, 3133 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, or in her Colton home. Lessons are also available through the community school programs in Canby, Sandy, Estacada or Molalla, Oregon. Sally teaches DAd tuning, using folk, old time and Gospel music.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Boring, Oregon.

Missy teaches mountain dulcimer in her home in Boring, Oregon.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Schellsburg, Pennsylvania.

Judy has played mountain dulcimer for nearly 20 years.

Dulcimer Teacher
from Laporte, Pennsylvania.

Donna teaches hammered dulcimer, mountain dulcimer, piano, psaltery.

Dulcimer Teacher
from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Jill teaches Hammer Dulcimer, Mountain Dulcimer, Autoharp.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Abington, Pennsylvania.

Dulcimer Teacher
from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Dorothy has been teaching for 20 years.

Hammer Dulcimer Teacher
from Hatboro, Pennsylvania.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Homestead (Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania.

I am good at teaching basic playing in DAA (Ionian only).

Hammer Dulcimer Teacher
from Quakertown, Pennsylvania.

I teach Hammered Dulcimer and Folk Guitar.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Bedford, Pennsylvania.

I have been playing/performing for about 27 years and have taught several students in that time. My instruction is tailored to the student.

Dulcimer Teacher
from Brookhaven, Pennsylvania.

I teach mountain dulcimer and banjo. I am in Delaware County which means I am very close to Northern Delaware (just off I-95 and not far from US rte 1). I have been teaching BEGINNERS the joys of various instruments for a few years. This is a great instrument and is easy to learn with just a few lessons.

Hammer Dulcimer Teacher and Performer
from York, South Carolina.

Susan has been invited to teach and perform at numerous festivals including the Cork Dulcimer Festival in Cork City, Ireland, Swannanoa Gathering, NC, South West Dulcimer Festival, AZ, Bay Path Dulcimer Festival, MA, Cranberry Dulcimer Gathering, NY, and the Winston-Salem Dulcimer Festival, NC. She is also very active the local music community where she performs, teaches lessons, conducts workshops and is the founder of the Yorkville Music Weekend in her hometown of York, SC.

Susan’s most recent recording, "Under the Winter Moon", was released June 2004 and features traditional seasonal, Christmas, and Jewish tunes. Her debut recording, "Wateree", was released June 2001 and features traditional American, international folk and original tunes. Her playing has been described as creative, expressive, versatile and   ". . . so purely beautiful it will give you chills." Kerry Coates, Gila Mountain Dulcimers.

"Susan has joined the ranks of the true virtuosos of her chosen instrument, performing and teaching at festivals across the United States and Ireland and recording two of her own highly acclaimed CDs, "Wateree" and "Under the Winter Moon."" - YC Magazine

"All in all, anyone interested in any form of acoustic music will be hard pressed to find a better mix of songs... " - The Inside Connection

"Under The Winter Moon features Susan Vinson Sherlock's exquisite hammered dulcimer playing combined with sterling ensemble support… The theme is winter and the mood is deliciously somber with a kind of introspective solemnity that befits the season. Of course that's only until you hear the first sprightly dance tune that changes the mood to furiously festive." - Dulcimer Players News Magazine

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 Nashville, 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.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Paris, Tennessee.

   Larry Conger is the 1998 National Mountain Dulcimer Champion. His expressive style of dulcimer playing has won him the admiration of listeners all over the country. Larry operates a private music studio in Paris, Tennessee teaching piano and guitar as well as mountain dulcimer. 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. Larry currently has seven dulcimer books to his credit along with several recordings. His repertoire varies from Celtic to Christian and Classical to Contemporary. He is in demand as an instructor/performer at dulcimer festivals and workshops across the country. Besides teaching private music lessons, Larry also offers a "Tune of the Month" for mountain dulcimer ... a subscription based "Listen & Learn" CD series mailed monthly and designed to teach tunes, techniques and concepts when no instructor is available.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Moscow, Tennessee.

LEE CAGLE has been playing mountain dulcimer since 1988 and teaching since 2000.   In addition to performing in various venues in the Memphis/North Mississippi area, Lee teaches dulcimer and bowed psaltery.  Group classes are held regularly, and individual lessons are available on request.

Lee is the author of Blue Smoke Risin' on the Mountain -- a beginner's guide to the mountain dulcimer and also produces instructional CDs and arrangements for the mountain dulcimer for easy learning at home.  Her CD, The Water is Wide, is a compilation of traditional tunes and is a benefit project for The Church Health Center.  The Water is Wide songbook provides mountain dulcimer tablature for all of the songs on the CD.

Lee is the co-founder and president of The Memphis Dulcimer Gathering, Inc., a 501(c)(3) federal non-profit corporation dedicated to educating the public about dulcimer and folk music through workshops, lectures, performances and an annual festival.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Joe teaches mountain dulcimer and sitar in his home or yours. He teaches by traditional folk method and how to play by ear.

Mountain Dulcimer Teachers/Performers
from Texas.

   David is a classically trained musician, who has performed in several symphonic band, orchestral, and jazz groups. David also teaches mountain dulcimer and beginning Clawhammer Banjo at festivals.
   Cheryl is a classically trained musician, who has performed in several symphonic band and orchestral groups. She also teaches both mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimer, and has taught at several large music festivals in Texas, in addition to private and group lessons.
   Mike, another member of their band, Time Was, is also the main caller at square dances, and teaches dances common to the 1800’s time period. Mike also teaches a rhythm toys workshop at festivals.

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 a teacher, Sue is well known for her challenging, highly organized and intensive methods, nurturing patience, and energetic enthusiasm which makes learning fun. 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.

Learn By Mail!
Mountain Dulcimer or Hammer Dulcimer

Peggy Carter is using tape recordings exchanged by mail to help new players and advancing players learn the basics of playing music, work on technique and style, and learn to arrange for Mountain Dulcimer and Hammer Dulcimer.

If you're interested in learning more about this type of instruction, please e-mail Peggy and she will send you the details. You can proceed at your own speed, its cheaper than private lessons, and every lesson is customized for your own learning style and ability level.

She doesn't promise that you don't have to practice, but your practice time will be more efficient because you can play the lesson over again to guide your practice. Its a concept that is working for a bunch of players.

If this sounds interesting, e-mail Peggy and she will let you in on the details.

Mountain and Hammer Dulcimer Teacher
from Tyler, Texas.

Johnny teaches both hammered and mountain dulcimer in Tyler, Texas. Tyler is about half way between Dallas, Texas and Shreveport, Louisiana. In the spring and fall he offers a six week beginning mountain dulcimer class and he teaches privately throughout the year. He is also available to teach workshops for clubs or at festivals. Teaching children and older adults are two of his favorite areas.

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 Teacher
from Salt Lake City, Utah.

Peter teaches out of his home in Rose Park. He teaches Mountain Dulcimer, Banjo, Guitar, Violin/Fiddle, Viola, and Mandolin.

Hammered Dulcimer Performer and Teacher
in Northern Virginia.

A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Jody grew up in a musical family.  Enchanted by the sound and visual appeal of the hammered dulcimer, she developed a passion for the instrument.  She has been performing and teaching dulcimer since 1988 and was a founding member of the popular folk trio, Ironweed.  Jody currently performs with the award-winning Celtic bands, MoonFire and Connemara.  Her debut solo album, "Cottage in the Glen", was released by the Maggie's Music label in Spring 2005.

The Washington Post has described Jody's music as "deftly balancing the artful and the playful.....lovely, lively, and shimmering."  She has been nominated as best folk instrumentalist by the Washington Area Music Association.  Her performance credits include the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Maryland Renaissance Festival, the Kennedy Center, and the White House.  As an instructor of the dulcimer, she is known for her clear and easy to follow teaching style.  In addition to private lessons, she teaches frequently at festivals and workshops, including the Augusta Heritage Arts workshops in Elkins, West Virginia; the Upper Potomac Dulcimer Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, and the Northeast Dulcimer Symposium in New York's Adirondack Mountains.

Hammered Dulcimer Performer and Teacher
in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Martha teaches music, through individual lessons on piano or hammered dulcimer, to children and adults, in her home studio. On the hammered dulcimer, she is a frequent soloist for weddings, receptions, art gallery openings and other special events.

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.

Mountain and Hammer Dulcimer Teacher
from Cana, Virginia.

After operating Meadows Music in Meadows of Dan, Virginia, for many years, Jeff has moved his teaching and building endeavors to his home address.

Hammer Dulcimer Teacher
from Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Bob hasover 30 years of playing and 28 years teaching experience on hammer dulcimer and am working on his fifth recording.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Will teach beginner, intermediate or advanced.

Hammer Dulcimer Teacher
from Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Rental unit may be available.

Mountain Dulcimer, Hammer Dulcimer, Guitar, and Autoharp Teacher
from Annandale, Virginia.

Seven-Week Group classes offered in Spring and Fall. Individual lessons most anytime. Dulcimer construction classes offered at Augusta Heritage Workshops in Elkins, West Virginia.

Hammer Dulcimer Teacher
from McLean, Virginia.

Jody teaches both private and group lessons. Group lessons occur every spring and fall for seven weeks. See Jody's website for details.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Ewing (Cumberland Gap), Virginia.

Terry has been playing and teaching dulcimer for 30+ years.

Hammer Dulcimer Teacher
from Newport News, Virginia.

All styles of music. Students are encouraged to learn various tunes including everying from "pop" to "classical", and from "traditional" to "Celtic".

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Amherst, Virginia.

James has been teaching all ages and stages of students for a number of years. He encourages tablature reading, but also feels students should learn by ear.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Seattle, Washington.

Susan teaches mountain dulcimer, beginning guitar, and ukelele in her home in Phinney Ridge. She teaches all styles on the dulcimer from swing to traditional music.

Visit Susan's Website!

Singer, Songwriter, Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Charleston, West Virginia.

Heidi teaches mountain dulcimer and guitar in her home or yours. She has been playing for 20 years, taught lessons in Seattle for 15 years plus at festivals and dulcimer camps nationwide; appears on the Masters of the Mountain Dulcimer II CD, is a songwriter and guitarist as well. She has her own recordings and books available on her website. Workshops and lessons in Charleston & southwest WV region.

Mountain Dulcimer Teacher
from Mequon, Wisconsin.

Linda teaches beginner to intermediate mountain dulcimer in her home in Mequon or Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Teacher/Performer and Workshop Leader
Mountain Dulcimer and Autoharp
from Ripon, Wisconsin

Mary Park has more than twelve years of experience teaching mountain dulcimer. A comprehensive book of instruction evolved from these years of experience and is what she uses to introduce students to strum style, finger picking and flat picking.