Hearts of the Dulcimer

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

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.

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.

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.