2011 Staff
Andy Beyer is a mountain dulcimer player and teacher from Worthington, Ohio, who has been "instrumental" as Teacher of Dulcimer in Central Ohio. He was on the board of The Olentangy Dulcimer Co-Operative, and Central Ohio Dulcimer Festivals (and taught continuously through both events). He has worked with The Central Ohio Folk Festival (the last 14 years), and worked for The Southeast Dulcimer Festival in one capacity or another since 2002. He taught for The CAP program at OSU for 16 years and has taught for The Lifelong Learning & Leisure program In Upper Arlington, Ohio for the last 17 years. Andy hold two degrees in Education, and a degree in instructional design(which he sometimes uses in his music education programs for adults and children). Since March of 2009, Andy has reinvented himself as a Shanty Singer with his mates in The Hard Tackers. They are the official shanty team of The Santa Maria Living History Museum in downtown Columbus. They sing the work songs and songs about the sea, lakes, and rivers of America’s past.
Bill Collins has been in love with the Appalachian dulcimer for 20 years, and is equally passionate about playing, teaching, and learning. In his performing and teaching, he seeks to focus on bringing out the dulcet qualities inherent in the dulcimer and on expanding the repertoire of music played on the instrument. Bill has conducted more than 50 dulcimer workshops at festivals in Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and Connecticut, and has taught week-long sessions at Augusta Spring Dulcimer Week (West Virginia) and Shenandoah University (Virginia). He also offers private lessons. He has been a featured concert artist at several festivals and has performed at weddings, receptions, in museums, and at private functions. He has written four books of dulcimer arrangements: collections of Shaker tunes, O’Carolan tunes, Irish jigs, and a collection of advanced arrangements. He has composed over a dozen pieces for the instrument, several of which are featured on a CD entitled The Sum of the Parts, a recording of dulcimer solos and duets performed by Bill and 2008 National Mountain Dulcimer Champion Nina Zanetti.
Marge Diamond began playing mountain dulcimer in the mid eighties with virtually no music background but tons of enthusiasm. Through attending dulcimer workshops and getting in touch with the playing styles of established dulcimer players from all over the country, she found the greatest tool for making friends and having a great time. That is what she teaches others to do. Her early efforts emphasized the playing of fiddle tunes and taking part in a square dance band, ‘The Bentwood Rockers’. She then moved on to playing songs that required a little more arranging. Currently Marge plays with “The Oberlin Dulcimer group” and with Sarah Lockhard at The Ohio Wesleyan Center. Marge has performed and taught dulcimer workshops since 1987. She has been on hand teaching and performing at all of the Dulci-More festivals, at the past 18 Fort New Salem Festivals, at several of the Kent State Folk Festivals and has been on hand for most of the COFF festivals. Marge also sells T-shirts featuring original dulcimer and other instrument designs as well as jewelry. winsomeexpressions.com
Jeff Fedan lives in Masontown, WV, just outside of Morgantown, WV, and learned to play the hammered dulcimer from his teacher and mentor, Patty Looman, also from Morgantown, who has given him the gift of music. He has been playing for nearly twelve years, loving every minute of it. He is especially interested in the old time repertoire of northern West Virginia, the music of Worley Gardner, Russell Fluharty, and Patty Looman, and in preserving these tunes and the old-time traditions of the area. Jeff is founder of PattyFest, an old-time music festival that has been honoring Patty Looman for ten years, and also co-organizes the Gardner Winter Music Festival, which has gone on forever. He has several hammered dulcimer students. He will be doing hammered dulcimer workshops this weekend.
Sally Hawley of St. Albans, WV a veteran hammered dulcimer performer, teacher and workshop leader has been a part of the Salem dulcimer festival since its conception. Her repertoire includes traditional old-time, Celtic, gospel, contemporary, original, and classical music. Sally has available three recordings, and her book, "The Hammered Dulcimer Treasury Of Tunes", published by MelBay, Inc. which is on their best seller list. Also a member of the "Presby Pickers", she has available their Appalachian historical CD, "The Spirit Of The Mountains".
Neal Koch grew up in the midst of an accomplished musical family, and has received music lessons and played instruments all his life. In 1996 he was introduced to the hammered dulcimer at a craft festival in Ripley, WV, and heard the music of Worley Gardener. This began his love affair with the hammered dulcimer. Since 1996, Neal has taken lessons from several noted advanced players: Bob Crumm, Dewey Sanderson and Sally Hawley. He has also attended numerous Dulcimer weekends in Ohio and West Virginia. Neal arranges his own music, and has built his own hammered dulcimer. Neal teaches hammered dulcimer, leads workshops at the Kentucky State Musical Instrument Festival at Greenbo State Park, and plays with the Tri-state Dulcimer Society.
Mike & Marlene Oliver first discovered the mountain dulcimer in late 1988 at a craft fair in their hometown of Lancaster, Ohio. Since then they have become increasingly involved in dulcimer activities, having performed and taught across Ohio and in neighboring states. They founded the Standing Stone Strings & Things dulcimer club and the Harmony Harvest Dulcimer Festival. They perform together as Lower Lights with Marlene singing and playing mountain dulcimer and tin whistle and Mike playing mountain dulcimer and percussion.
Jerry Rockwell is one of a handful of folk musicians who, since about 1970, have been national and international advocates for the mountain dulcimer. He is an accomplished player, teacher, and custom builder of this American folk instrument. His currently available recordings are Favorite American Folktunes (CD with extra Roots Project tracks recorded in 2000 featuring mostly solos on historic mountain dulcimers), and The Blackbird and the Beggarman (CD produced by Pete Sutherland originally for the Wizmak label in 1994). He has also written instructional texts for mountain dulcimer, including four titles available from JC Rockwell Music Publishing: Dulcimer Solos volume II, arrangements for intermediate level players; Beginner's Tunebook in D-A-A and D-A-D, with emphasis on rhythmic foundations; and Music Theory and Chord Reference for the Mountain Dulcimer. Jerry concentrated on music theory and composition at Ohio State University. He lives and works in the Appalachian foothills of southeast Ohio, and regularly teaches mountain dulcimer at workshops across the country. www.jcrmusic.com
Bill Schilling has been singing and playing various folk instruments (at least 20 with variations of several) for over 40 years. He has performed for audiences of all ages in many settings from coast to coast. His high-energy performances may include songs, slide programs, and/or stories selected specifically for your group. His performances often involve members of your group with audience participation songs or activities. Bill often performs with others including Linda Sigismondi with whom he has recorded “Songs from Canal Days”. Since Bill believes that his music should be inclusive, he is involved in many groups which share music. A few of them are: Dulci-More: Folk & Traditional Musicians (Bill is the founder and leader (called Fearless Leader) of this group); the annual Dulci-More Festival (Bill is the director); the Canton Folk Song Society (Bill is one of the original members); the Dulcimer Society of Trumbull County (Bill has reorganized and leads this group); Folknet (Bill is a charter Executive Committee Member & past President); and Folk Music at Weatherbury Farm (Bill is one of the originators of this program and a workshop leader). His “Dulci-More Public Domain Songbooks “(in several variations) are used by clubs around the country.www.billschilling.org
Linda Sigismondi is a mountain dulcimer player and folksinger from Gallipolis, Ohio. Her music includes traditional Appalachian tunes, Celtic tunes, folk dances, traditional and contemporary folk music, and original compositions that feature environmental themes. Linda has played at Fort New Salem, West Virginia, for the Harvest and Christmas Festivals for many years. She also organizes the music and workshops for the Fort New Salem Dulcimer Festival. Linda has taught workshops and performed at many folk music festivals in West Virginia, Ohio and New York. Linda has written several books (and companion CDs) of mountain dulcimer tab and has recorded a CD, "Songs from Canal Days" with Bill Schilling. www.lindasigismondi.com
AbNormal Sines (Dayton) is now Gary and Joni. The original trio has taught and performed at various festivals throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee since 1987. Gary is a guitarist and unreformed rocker. Joni has classical piano background, but was easily converted to a “folkie” as a “child of the 60’s”. In addition to teaching and performing with the group, she has been teaching dulcimer at the University of Dayton’s Institute for Learning in Retirement for many. They have 2 recordings to their credit including many of their original songs. Joni has written 7 dulcimer instructional books.
Steven K. Smith has been learning, playing, composing, and teaching since 1983. He has many sources for musical inspiration, from traditional Appalachian folk music to Celtic, European Classical to the Blues. He's not so much a "mountain dulcimer player" as an instrumentalist who uses the dulcimer. He hopes never to stop learning how to play the dulcimer. Steve has several published CDs and books, and has been a regular player at the Ohio Renaissance Festival since 1992. www.sksmithmusic.com/
Adam Sutch is from California, Pennsylvania and has been playing the hammered dulcimer for 10 years. He has produced four cd's with his family band Sutch Sounds: two of which are traditional and celtic tunes, one of Christmas favorites, and one of all original songs. This is Adam's second year at the Fort New Salem Dulcimer Festival and he is excited to be here once again. adamsutch.tripod.com/
