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Sweet Music Index is pleased to be working in collaboration with Lois Hornbostel to chronicle the modern revival of the mountain dulcimer, its music, and its people. This is a work in progress, an ongoing project, and we need the help of everyone who was there as the revival began and progressed, or knows someone who was there, and everyone who desires to see the music of the mountain dulcimer live and grow.
Following is a list that has been compiled from the memories of several people who were present as the mountain dulcimer developed from the 1960s on. The list includes names of people who were especially active in the revival of the mountain dulcimer and/or had an impact on today's dulcimer community. These are dulcimer builders, players, performers, recording artists, authors, teachers, and festival organizers. All have in some way helped build the present generation of dulcimer players. We want to develop this list into a biographical dictionary of the mountain dulcimer revival.
This is a large list and we expect it will grow
as the project develops. We would like you to help. Here's how:
1) If you know of someone who has been overlooked and is not
listed, let us know. We want to include people who had
significant influence in the development of mountain dulcimer
playing techniques, building, teaching, writing, publishing, and
event organization.
2) If you know someone who is on the list, let them know about the Revival Project and ask them to contact us.
3) If you or someone you know is on this list, please send biographical information, discography, and bibliography. Don't be shy!
4) If you have recollections of the revival, write them down and send them in.
5) If you have records pertaining to the individuals on the list or events of the revival, please copy or scan them and send them in. These may include photos, programs, news clippings, reviews, posters, and other memorabilia.
What is the goal of the Mountain Dulcimer Revival Project? For now, it is simply to get started. We do not know how it will develop. But we do not want to see any more time pass without attempting to record this history. Please contact the Project through Sweet Music Index.
Thank you.--Daniel Partner
Veteran traditional mountain dulcimer players from various parts of the country carried their families' dulcimer traditions into the post World War II era; notably the Richie family of Viper, Kentucky, the Melton family from Galax, Virginia, and the Hicks family in Watauga County, North Carolina. In the meantime others began to play the instrument and were especially active in sharing their music and knowledge with others. These include:
Baker, Edna Ritchie* (Viper, Kentucky; Jean Richie's older sister; player, teacher, collector)
Davis, Bill (Tennessee; player, builder,
teacher, festival organizer)
Glenn, Clifford (North Carolina; builder,
player)
Glenn, Leonard (North Carolina; builder, player)
Grimes, Anne (Ohio; player, teacher, instrument
collector)
Hamblin, Ken (Virginia; builder, player)
Harman, Bob (North Carolina; player, builder)
Hicks, Stanley* (North Carolina; player,
builder, teacher)
Hines, Chet* (Ohio; builder, player, teacher,
author)
Jeffreys, A. W.* (Virginia; builder, player,
author)
Ledford, Homer (Kentucky; builder, player, teacher)
Melton, Jacob Ray (Virginia; player, builder, teacher)
Melton, Raymond* (Virginia; player, builder,
teacher)
Presnell, Edd* (North Carolina; builder,
teacher)
Presnell, Nettie* (North Carolina; player,
builder, teacher)
Proffitt, Frank, Jr. (North Carolina; player,
builder, teacher)
Proffitt, Frank, Sr.* (North Carolina; player,
builder, song collector/writer)
Ritchie, Jean (Viper, Kentucky/Port Washington,
New York; player, builder, teacher, collector, author)--Perhaps
no one has done more to popularize the mountain dulcimer than the
Jean Ritchie. Born and raised in Viper, Kentucky, Jean was the
youngest in a musical family of fourteen children born to Bailis
and Abigail Ritchie. During the '60s folk revival through her
appearances at the Newport, Philadelphia, and other folk
festivals, Jean introduced this gentle mountain instrument and
the ballads and play/party games of her family's Scottish English
and Irish ancestors to a new audience. This triggered the revival
of the mountain dulcimer. For a time, the only instruction book
widely available for the instrument was her classic, The
Dulcimer Book, and all those that followed sprang from that
work. Jean has been the recipient of countless honors and awards,
was featured in Bill Moyers' PBS documentary, "Amazing
Grace," and is the subject of "Mountain Born: The Jean
Ritchie Story," produced by Kentucky Educational Television.
Russell, Bonnie (Virginia; player)
Russell, Roscoe* (Virginia; player, builder,
teacher)
Schilling, Jean (Tennessee; player, builder,
teacher, festival organizer, author)
Ward, Ken (Ohio; player, builder, teacher)
In the 1960s
another generation joined the veterans:
Clayton, Paul* (New York; player)
Farina, Richard* (New York/California; player,
builder)
Hammond, Lorraine Lee (Connecticut; player,
teacher, author, festival organizer)
Hughes, Virgil (Colorado; player, teacher,
author, builder)
Jennings, Jean Simmons (Arkansas; player,
teacher)
Kirby, Pam Simmons (Arkansas; player, teacher)
MacArthur, Margaret (Vermont; player, teacher,
song collector)
MacEachron, Len (Minnesota; player, builder,
teacher, author)
MacEachron, Sue* (Minnesota; player, builder,
teacher, author)
McSpadden, Lynn (Arkansas; builder, author)
Mitchell, Howie (Virginia; player, builder,
teacher, author)
Mize, Bob (Tennessee; builder, teacher)
Nicholson, Roger (England; player, author,
teacher)
Paton, Caroline (Connecticut; player, music
collector, teacher, author, festival organizer)
Pearse, John (England; player, builder, author)
Smith, Betty (North Carolina; player, ballad
collector, teacher, author)
Smith, Ralph Lee (Virginia/New York; player,
collector, historian, teacher, author)
Wilkie, Richard (New York; player, teacher,
author)
Williams, Dorsey* (Tennessee; player, builder,
teacher)
Winters, Margaret (Asheville, North Carolina;
player, author)
The 1970s
exploded with
talent:
Albin, Dick (Kentucky/Tennessee; player,
teacher, festival organizer)
Baker, Bob (California; player, builder,
teacher, author)
Baker, Janita (California; player, builder,
teacher, author)
Barker, Nancy Johnson
(Kentucky; player, teacher, festival organizer)
Barrett, Ruth (California; player, teacher,
festival organizer)
Beede, David (California; player, teacher)
Berch, Doug (New York/Colorado/Michigan; player,
builder, teacher)
Biggs, Mark (Missouri; player, teacher, author)
Blair, Mark (District of Columbia; builder,
player, teacher)
Carol, Bonnie (Colorado; player, builder,
teacher, author, festival organizer)
Cohen, Larkin Bryant (Tennessee; player,
teacher, author, festival organizer)
Cole, Lori (California; player, teacher)
Cooney, Peter (Indiana; builder)
Crompton, Carrie (North
Carolina/California/Pennsylvania/Connecticut; player, teacher,
author)
d'Ossche', Albert* (Washington; player,
teacher, author, festival organizer)
Dworsky, Baila (California; player, teacher)
Ewing, Ron (Ohio; player, builder, teacher,
author)
Field, David (Pennsylvania; builder, player)
Force, Robert (Washington; player, teacher,
author, festival organizer)
Ford, Bud (Colorado; player, builder, teacher,
author)
Ford, Donna (Colorado; player, builder, teacher,
author)
Foye, Dale (California; teacher, festival
organizer)
Freeman, Alan (West Virginia; player, teacher,
festival organizer)
Gaskins, Phyllis (Virginia; player, teacher)
George, Sally* (Kentucky; player, teacher)
Gillston, Mark (Pennsylvania; player,
teacher--Eastern European music)
Harris, Rodger (Oklahoma; player, builder,
teacher, author)
Hellman, Neal (California; player, teacher,
author, recording, distribution)
Hornbostel, Lois (New Jersey/Louisiana/North
Carolina; player, teacher, author, festival organizer)
Hutchinson, Bob "Hutch" (Pennsylvania;
player, builder, teacher, author)
Inoue, Masato (Japan; player, teacher)
Jaeger, Willie (Colorado; player, teacher)
Kardos, Andy (North Carolina; builder, player,
teacher)
Kardos, Sue (North Carolina; builder, player,
teacher)
Kline, Chuck (New York, New York; player,
teacher)
Kretzner, Leo (Ohio; player, teacher, author)
Lapidas, Joellen (California; player, author,
builder)
Larsen, Gail (California; player, builder,
teacher)
Liebovitz, Jay (Ohio; player, teacher)
MacFie, Anne (Kentucky; player, teacher,
festival organizer)
MacNeil, Madeline (Winchester, Virginia; player,
teacher, author, publisher)
Marks, David (Connecticut; builder, player,
teacher)
Mason, Phillip (Virginia/Kentucky; publisher,
player, teacher, author, builder)
May, Warren (Kentucky; builder, player, teacher)
Meyer, Fred (Indiana; player, teacher)
Mohun, Robin (California; player, teacher)
Molineux, John (France; player, builder)
Nelson, Mark (Oregon; player, teacher, author)
Pedi, Don (Massachusetts/North Carolina; player,
teacher, festival organizer)
Rains, Eileen (South Carolina; player, teacher)
Rhoads, Mary Faith
(Pennsylvania; player, teacher)
Rizzetta, Sam (Virginia; player, builder,
teacher)
Rockwell, Jerry (Vermont/Ohio; player, builder,
teacher, author, festival organizer)
Rogers, Sally (Michigan/Connecticut; player,
teacher)
Roth, Kevin (Pennsylvania; player, teacher,
author)
Rugg, Michael (California; player, builder,
teacher, author)
Russell, Linda (New York; player, teacher)
Samuels, Mary Ann (Vermont; player, teacher,
festival organizer)
Schnaufer, David (Texas/Tennessee; player,
teacher, author, festival organizer, builder)
Silver, Elaine (Colorado; player, teacher)
Smith, Cynthia (California; player, builder,
teacher, festival organizer)
Smith, Steve (Texas/North Carolina; player,
teacher)
Tannen, Holly (California; player, teacher)
Tommerup, Peter (California; player, teacher,
author)
Truex, Barbara (Connecticut/Maine; player,
teacher, festival organizer)
Walters, Neal (Virginia; player, teacher,
author)
Wilkinson, Randy (Arizona; player, teacher,
author)
Young, Keith
(Virginia; player, builder,
teacher)
In the 1980s
many more talented people contributed to the mountain dulcimer
world:
Barry, Anna (North Carolina; teacher, author)
Gallier, Gary (Missouri; player, teacher)
Gaston, Neil (Oklahoma; player, teacher, author)
Hamilton, Dana (Texas; player, teacher, author,
festival organizer).
Mayfield, Steve (Oklahoma; player, teacher)
Seymour, Wayne (North Carolina; player, teacher,
author)
Tindle, Mark (Maine/Colorado; player, builder,
teacher)
Trump, Susan (New York; player, teacher)
* Deceased
If you have information or material to contribute to the Mountain Dulcimer Revival Project, please e-mail Sweet Music Index or send U.S. mail to: Sweet Music Index, PO Box 48, Peacham, VT 05862.
Lois Hornbostel
is a musician and teacher living in North Carolina. To learn more about her, see the Contributors section of Sweet
Music Index.
