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Donna Missigman performs and teaches hammered dulcimer, Celtic harp, and bowed psaltery.  She has 5 recordings and 3 books in print.  Her latest book is Beginning Bowed Psaltery.  Together with her husband, Joe, she owns www.Missigman-Music.com marketing instruments, music books, coloring books, and stained glass patterns.

 

Jeff Furman is a multi-instrumentalist (mountain dulcimer, clawhammer banjo, guitar, autoharp, and string bass) who has been playing old-time music since 1980. Primarily a banjo player for many years, Jeff developed a rhythmic and melodic style of playing which has heavily influenced his dulcimer playing. He has an extensive repertoire of old-time fiddle music which crosses over to a strong interest in Celtic music. Jeff has performed individually, along with his wife, Janet, and with several old-time string bands at numerous fiddle festivals, public and private concerts, public schools, and dances throughout the Carolinas, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, and Ohio. He has played on multiple recordings including music from Ireland, Scotland, the Appalachian Mountains, and American folk tunes.

Don Pedi has been recognized as the man who could "really play" a dulcimer. He is a pioneer in that his music has broken new ground and cleared a path for others. In Don's hands, the dulcimer has been accepted as an instrument well suited to playing traditional Southern Dance music. This was at a time when most "Old-Time" musicians thought a dulcimer should be hung on a wall with a pretty ribbon.

 

Together, Kendra Ward and Bob Bence 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, Alison Krauss, John Hartford, David Holt, and a host of other performers. They have toured the United States from coast to coast, and are international favorites throughout England, Scotland and Wales. Whether onstage, on record or in print, few artists communicate with the honesty, wit, charm and talent of Kendra Ward and Bob Bence.

 

Denise Guillory, singer/songwriter, artist , Hammered Dulcimer and Mountain Dulcimer performer and teacher has captivated audiences near and far with her musical talent. Denise was born in New Orleans, LA, one of nine children of a very musical family. As soon as she grew tall enough to sing into a microphone, around 6 years old, she was singing all throughout the southern coast at VA hospitals, local Children's and Charity Hospital, known then. She studied piano as a child, sang solo in choirs, took up the guitar to accompany herself, studied voice at Loyola University, and the rest is history. Denise, like many, discovered the dulcimers while on a family vacation with her husband and daughter, in Mountain View, AR, and fell totally in love with the sound of both dulcimers. You might say it was a special calling in her life, one of many.

 

Paul Andry, Louisiana's premier mountain dulcimer player, is known for his lyrical touch with contemporary music from New Orleans Mardi Gras to ragtime and traditional American folk music. An excellent arranger of music for the Dulcimer, Paul has taught classes at many dulcimer events and has competed successfully in several dulcimer-playing contests, including the Texas State Dulcimer Championship, which he won in 1994. Paul's touch is with interpretation of a diversity of styles of music for the Dulcimer from blues to gay '90's favorites to contemporary pieces. Paul has taught at festivals across the south, including a special dulcimer week at Snowbird Mountain Lodge in Robbinsville, North Carolina and taught the beginner's courses at the Memphis Dulcimer Festival.

 

Ken Bloom has given solo concerts all over North America since 1974. These have included appearances at many major Folk Festivals and clubs in the U.S. and Canada. In the past he has been a regular performer at the Vancouver, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Owen Sound, Philadelphia, and Mariposa Festivals as well as appearing in major venues across the country and appearances on A Prairie Home Companion. More recently, his appearances have been closer to home. His North Carolina presentations include: The Stokes Stomp, Hiddenite Center, Turkey Festival (Raeford), Red Springs Highland Games, Mt. Airy Storytelling Festival, and many others. These programs include the traditional music of this country as well as Celtic and Eastern European selections. He usually uses Concert zither, Northumbrian-smallpipes, guitar, clarinet, bowed dulcimer and Minstrel banjo, but he will often include other instruments and traditions as well. He tries to introduce audiences to unfamiliar sounds in an entertaining way and expand their musical view of our ever-shrinking world. Ken has been a featured instructor in a new venture coordinated by Lois Hornbostel,

Karen Mueller is one of the top autoharp and mountain dulcimer players today. Her exciting and innovative performing style, featuring Appalachian, Celtic and contemporary music, has been applauded by critics and audiences from LA to Boston. Bluegrass Unlimited magazine has said "Karen Mueller's touch, timing and taste make her a true virtuoso. Her talent and clarity ... deserve a wide audience." Karen won the 1986 International Autoharp Championship and was a National Dulcimer finalist in 1985, both at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS. A native of Winfield, she first attended the festival while in high school and was inspired to learn to play the autoharp and dulcimer by the performers she saw there.

 

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.

 

Rob Angus plays the hammered dulcimer, banjo, guitar and other stringed instruments. The hammered dulcimer is an instrument, which originated in the Middle East in or before medieval times. Striking the strings with small wooden hammers-- an idea that furthered the development of the piano, plays it. The sound of the hammered dulcimer has been described as something between a harp and a harpsichord.

 

Tom Garrett has been a fan of Bluegrass and old time mountain music all his life and a player in one form or another for three decades.Tom is one of the founders of "The Southern Wisconsin Bluegrass Music Association". He played Scruggs Style bluegrass banjo for many years and now enjoys picking mandolin, old time banjo (Virginia drop thumb style) and a little fiddle. Tom is a believer in playing by ear! " You have to be able to play what you hear in your head." "It's fun to help another picker find a tune in his instrument and bring it out."