Hearts of the Dulcimer

040 In this episode we feature Oregon-based composer and conductor Mark Steighner, who has written two concertos for the mountain dulcimer. We're also featuring Stephen Seifert, who performed both of Mark's concertos as the dulcimer soloist.

039 With music from all over the globe, celebrate the season with wintry seasonal dulcimer music from Butch Ross, Lorraine Hammond, Jessica Comeau, Don Pedi, Tull Glazener, Madeline MacNeil, Nina Zanetti, Aubrey Atwater, and Christine Shoemaker.

038 Winter's Turning, My Barista, and Sacred Ground. What do they have in common? They were all written by singer songwriter and dulcimer player Heidi Muller. Heidi and her life partner Bob Webb tell us the stories behind each of these three tunes.

037 The 1964 LP Golden Ring: A Gathering of Friends for Making Music became one of the most popular recordings of the early folk music revival. In this episode, find out why Golden Ring was a groundbreaking album for the mountain dulcimer.

036 Stephen Seifert is one of the most accomplished dulcimer performers today. Possessing an impeccable command of the instrument, he's a favorite at festivals and clubs around the country and has performed as a soloist on his mountain dulcimer with symphony orchestras.

035 In this episode we feature innovative dulcimer player, teacher, and builder Joellen Lapidus. Her dulcimers are simply the most unique and beautiful dulcimers ever built. Equally impressive is Joellen's rhythmically sophisticated dulcimer playing.

034 In this episode we feature the music and musical journey of life partners Heidi Muller and Bob Webb. Heidi and Bob are multi-instrumentalists who play original and traditional tunes. They blend each other's influences that reach from the Pacific Northwest to the Appalachian Mountains.

033 In this episode we're playing music from Ireland, all on the mountain dulcimer, of course. With music from dulcimer players Carol Walker, Aubrey Atwater, Neal Hellman, Jonathan Dowell, Mark Gilston, Linda Brockinton, Gary Gallier, Molly McCormack, Lorinda Jones, and Larry and Elaine Conger.

032 In this episode, we present the stories and music of Howie Mitchell. An innovator of dulcimer building and playing in the 1950s and 60s, Howie is credited with spreading the idea of the 6 and half fret, the DAD Mixolydian tuning, and the chord melody style of playing dulcimer starting in the late 1950s. All three of these ideas caught on in the dulcimer world and for many players is the standard way of playing dulcimer.

031 Celebrate the winter season with wintry seasonal music by dulcimer players John and Karen Keane, Christine Shoemaker, Stephen Seifert, Wendy Songe, Jessica Comeau, Holly Tannen, and Heidi Muller and Bob Webb.

030 We spoke with Richard Ash from Folkcraft Instruments about the dulcimers his company has built since 1968. With music played on Folkcraft dulcimers from Bing Futch, Stephen Seifert, John and Karen Keane, and Wendy Songe.

029 In this episode we feature dulcimer player Wendy Songe who is an award winning singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, poet, performer, teacher, and nationally touring musician.

028 We spoke with legendary award-winning singer-songwriter Judy Collins about her good friend Richard Fariña. We also explored the importance of Judy Collins' Fifth Album in introducing the dulcimer in the mid-1960s. With additional commentary by Neal Hellman and readings from Richard Fariña's cousin Omar Lugones.

027 Dulcimer Week in the Wallowas is an annual adult music camp held over the July 4th week and is devoted to learning the mountain dulcimer. This episode is about our experience at the camp with interviews and music from the festival instructors and attendees.

026 From the Balkans to Scandinavia to the UK and the US, Mark Gilston, the first place winner of the 2016 National Mountain Dulcimer Championship, tells us stories behind the tunes he plays.

025 We feature the music and our conversation with Aaron O'Rourke, one of today's most innovative dulcimer players and composers. At the age of 31, Aaron has already produced an amazing amount of work in solo and ensemble recording and instruction.

024 For this Mother's Day, we'd like to celebrate all mothers who play dulcimer. We especially appreciate the dulcimer mothers who teach dulcimer to their children and to others. To honor all dulcimer mothers, we're presenting the heartwarming story of a special dulcimer mother: Margaret Wright and her daughter Cassandra Damper.

023 Ed Freeman was part of the Cambridge folk music scene in the early 60s and interviewed Richard and Mimi Fariña on his radio show in 1965. We spoke with Ed about this and much more.

022 The well-known luthier Rick Turner shares personal stories about Richard and Mimi Fariña and how his luthier skills led him to become part of dulcimer history that was almost forgotten.

021 With the unusual combination of two American and one Chinese instrument, the trio AppalAsia bridge the Appalachian and Chinese music traditions to create music that is soulful, sophisticated, and genre bending.

020 From a contemporary jazz folk original to holiday staples and medieval music, we present tunes that are joyous, reflective, and capture the essence of winter. With music by Linda Brockinton, Heidi Muller and Bob Webb, Lance Frodsham, Jack and Mary Giger, Mark Gilston, Jessica Comeau, Bing Futch, and AppalAsia.

019 One of the best places to hear new talent in the mountain dulcimer world is at the National Mountain Dulcimer Championship. This annual event takes place at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, Kansas. We spoke with 2016 winners Mark Gilston, Cassandra Damper, and Wendy Songe, as well as Jim Woods from McSpadden Dulcimers.

018 Singapore seems to have only one performing mountain dulcimer player. He's a 24 year old busker named Ivan Ng Sheng Kai. Hear what it's like to be the lone dulcimer performer in Singapore, and the extraordinary measures he's had to take to find and learn how to play it.

017 This episode features stories told by Neal Hellman about celebrities who encountered the dulcimer at the Renaissance Faire.

016 On the surface, it seems that the mountain dulcimer is not an instrument created for playing the Blues. The impression of the dulcimer's sweet simple sound seems that it would be too gentle to express the raw feelings evoked with the Blues. Additionally, the dulcimer's diatonic fret pattern often doesn't have the notes that are in the pentatonic Blues scale. Needless to say, it takes creativity and persistence to play the Blues on the dulcimer.

015 Steve Eulberg is a multi-instrumentalist who plays and sings traditional songs and fiddle tunes; weaving together Celtic, Old-Time, blues, and jazz on both the mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimer. He runs the website Dulcimer Crossing, which provides hundreds of online video dulcimer lessons by several known dulcimer teachers.

014 Neal Hellman has played the mountain dulcimer for more than 40 years and is the founder, director, and one of the primary artists on the Gourd Music record label. Gourd Music recordings are known for lush arrangements often pairing the dulcimer with folk and classical instruments. With music by Gourd Music artists.

013 Linda Brockinton is known for playing a full chord fingerpicking style on the mountain dulcimer. In 2001, she was the first woman to win first place in the National Mountain Dulcimer Championship as well as the first to win playing a full chord fingerpicking style.

012 The second in the two part celebration of Judy Klinkhammer's life. She was a well-loved dulcimer player and teacher who lived in the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. Many people credit Judy for introducing the dulcimer to that part of Arkansas in the early 60s. She truly lived with the dulcimer in the center of her life.

011 The first of a two part celebration of Judy Klinkhammer's life. She was a well-loved dulcimer player and teacher who lived in the Ozark Mountains in Arkansas. Many people credit Judy for introducing the dulcimer to that part of Arkansas in the early 60s. She truly lived with the dulcimer in the center of her life.

010 Howard Rugg is the master luthier behind the well-known CapriTaurus and early Folk Roots Dulcimers. The thousands of dulcimers built in his workshop are being played all over the world by amateur to accomplished musicians. Howard has recently started making dulcimers again under the name CapriTaurus. With commentary by Lance Frodsham and Laura Devine Burnett. All the music in this episode was played on dulcimers created in Howard's workshop.

009 Singer and multi-instrumentalist Bing Futch has embraced the mountain dulcimer as his first and foremost instrument. Known for touring around the U.S. in his RV, Bing plays many diverse styles from traditional folk to rock to original compositions to the blues -- all on the dulcimer.

008 Holly Tannen is a singer, songwriter, and dulcimer player who lives on the edge of a primeval forest in Mendocino, California. Holly is known for writing contemporary folk songs about personal stories and current events using the melodic and lyrical structure of Appalachian and British Isles folk tunes.

007 Erin Mae is a young, innovative mountain dulcimer performer and teacher from Kansas who gives old time music a fresh spin on her chromatic dulcimer.

006 Dulcimer player, storyteller, actor, and singer songwriter Rick Scott has been playing the dulcimer for more than four decades. Rick has received several awards and honors for his work with children's music.

005 We focus on the melodic and rhythmically complex music Fariña created on his dulcimer and explore how his heritage and world travels influenced his music. We talk with Fariña's relatives, people he knew, and two dulcimer players he influenced. We present intimate stories and letters from him to show how his music was ultimately the result of his zest for life.

004 We begin our tribute to Richard Fariña with Jerry Rockwell and John Blosser, two dulcimer players influenced by Fariña’s dulcimer playing. With music from two tribute albums: Reinventing Richard: The Songs of Richard Fariña by Plainsong, and Another Country … The Songs of Richard and Mimi Fariña by Caroline Doctorow. Richard’s cousin Omar Lugones shares insights into Fariña’s music.

003 We continue the exploration of the scheitholt, the predecessor of the mountain dulcimer:

What kind of music was played on the scheitholt?

Why did it fade into obscurity?

And why is there a surge of interest in the scheitholt?

002 Two stories about Joni Mitchell's dulcimers. Joellen Lapidus tells the story of selling a dulcimer to Joni at the 1969 Big Sur Folk Festival. Rick Scott recalls being picked up by Joni while hitchhiking in Canada in 1971.

001 Folklorist Lucy Long and luthier Ben Seymour talk about the mountain dulcimer's predecessor, the German scheitholt. Plus, Dulcimer Week in the Wallowas in Oregon.