After a long career in music encompassing solo performance, recording, record production and accompaniment work, Ken Bloom has been concentrating on the bowed dulcimer for the last twelve years. He began making them in the late 90's and since 2001, has been devoting most of his energy into improving the sound the instrument, teaching, and just getting better on it. Other folks have found that the bowed dulcimer is a great way to get into bowed instruments . The lush tone and sustain make it a welcome addition to any group of players. Ken has performed at many festivals throughout the years including the legendary Mariposa Folk Festival, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, and many other smaller ones.

More of Ken's bowed dulcimers can be seen at www.boweddulcimer.com . He can also be found on FaceBook.
 

Mark Gilston was born and raised in New York City. Both of his parents were steeped in the folk music revival scene of the 1950's. He grew up listening to 78's and LP's of American, Russian, Spanish, Caribbean and Israeli folk music. His sister was a professional harpist. Learning guitar and taking piano lessons starting at age 5, he was constantly immersed in music.

After earning a Bachelor's degree in Folklore, Mark went to graduate school at SUNY Binghamton and ended up settling there until 1994. Sometime in the early '90's he discovered Swedish spelsman music and fell in love with the traditional fiddle music of Sweden. Rather than trying to learn yet another instrument, he began playing this music on concertina which he found was capable of playing the intricate harmonies of multiple fiddle parts. Later he began to adapt the Swedish style to dulcimer as well. In May of 2002, Mark moved to Austin, Texas where he now lives and plays.
 

Dave Haas lives in Charleston , WV and has been playing the mountain dulcimer for 10 years.  Dave earned a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Cincinnati , worked for twenty years in the Chemical Industry, and is now enjoying a second career as Professor of Chemistry at West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery , WV .  He teaches dulcimer in both private and group settings, and was the founder of the Almost Heaven Dulcimer Club in Charleston , WV .  Dave loves to share the mountain dulcimer and its history with schools, churches, and civic organizations, and has even brought dulcimer music to those in prison!  Dave also plays the guitar, sings, and leads music on Christian retreat experiences such as Kairos Prison Ministry, The Walk To Emmaus, and Teens Encounter Christ.

Jan Hammond is a lifetime resident of Ohio and one of the premier performers on the mountain dulcimer in the United States today. She is also an accomplished composer, lyricist and vocalist with four solo CDs and one duet CD with guitar master Tom Conner. Jan is a two-time Kentucky State Mountain Dulcimer Champion, the only four-time winner at the Mid-Eastern Regional Dulcimer Championships, a Top Five Finalist and a 3rd Place winner at the National Mountain Dulcimer Championships held each year in Winfield, KS as part of the internationally renowned Walnut Valley Festival. She is also a Certified Music Practitioner and plays therapeutic music at the bedside of hospice patients. Jan also teaches, leads workshops and performs at a variety of venues including, festivals, coffee houses, libraries, healthcare facilities, house concerts, church services and various events through the country. Jan has presented at the Buckeye Dulcimer Festival, Dulcimore (OH), the Southeast Ohio Dulcimer Festival, the Phoenix Folk Festival, the Kent State Folk Festival and The Swannanoa Gathering.
 

Stephen Humphries, 2007 National Hammered Dulcimer Champion, is quickly becoming one of America's premier hammered dulcimer soloists and clinicians. Stephen earned his Bachelor of Arts in Music with an emphasis in Percussion studies from Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina. With this education, along with previous study under Mark Wade (1998 National Hammered Dulcimer Champion) Stephen brings a solid percussive, classical, and contemporary approach to the hammered dulcimer. Currently, Stephen is pursuing a Masters Degree in Music Education at Lee University in Cleveland, TN.
 

Molly McCormack of Louisville, Kentucky has enjoyed playing, performing and teaching on both the mountain and hammer dulcimers since 1992. Molly's musical interests are varied, often performing traditional, contemporary and original tunes.  Her arrangements include clear, sweet vocals, sultry blues, lively fiddle tunes and beautiful Celtic airs. 

A natural teacher with a gentle teaching style, Molly has had the pleasure of teaching at many weekend dulcimer festivals and week long dulcimer events. She is a regular teacher at Kentucky Music Week in Bardstown, KY. She has had the honor of teaching at the Augusta Heritage Center Dulcimer Week in Elkins, WV and Appalachian State University Dulcimer Week in Boone, NC.

Sharrie George plays guitar, ukulele, and mountain dulcimer with her husband, Guy. She has played since her early teens and studied music at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. In her hometown of Mentor, Ohio, she has been a music and youth director for a local church and is still involved with the music program there. She and Guy play music together for weddings, private parties and events, at churches and festivals around the US.

Guy George is a rhythmic, melodic hammered dulcimer player with a definite jazz influence to his playing style. He tours throughout the United States and Canada performing and teach workshops on the hammered dulcimer, steel drums, and penny whistle. He also plays steel drum to a very high standard, often joining mountain dulcimer and other musicians, complementing their performances. Having studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Guy comes from a background in jazz and performance on the saxophone.

Gary Sager began building dulcimers in 1991, and has been building, playing and teaching since then.  Gary's dulcimers carry the "Prussia Valley Dulcimers" label.  Gary has taught and performed at various festivals in the Midwest. Gary with wife, Toni, own the Prussia Valley Dulcimer Shop in Waverly, OH.

Stephen Seifert's teaching and playing has made him a favorite with dulcimer players all over the country since 1991. In that time, he's been a featured performer at hundreds of dulcimer festivals and other music events including Kentucky Music Week in Bardstown, KY, Mountain Dulcimer Week in Cullowhee, NC, the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, WV, the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, AR, Stringalong near Milwaukee, WI, the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS and The tono American Music Festival, in Tono, Japan.

Stephen was Adjunct Instructor of Mountain Dulcimer with David Schnaufer at Vanderbilt's Blair School of Music from 1997 to 2001. He also taught, performed, and recorded with Mr. Schnaufer as a duo throughout the country. Stephen has authored ten books, four CDs, and 16 instructional videos.
 

Rick Thum taught himself to play guitar and drums at age twelve and played the trumpet in his high school band. Throughout high school and college (B. S. Industrial Administration) Rick played in rock bands, eventually playing regularly on the upper deck of the Admiral in St. Louis. While raising his family Rick directed his church choir. Rick's interest in traditional music was sparked when he bought a hammered dulcimer on a whim and found himself in a three-piece folk band. In 1991 Rick became co-owner of a large midwestern acoustic instrument shop. In 1994 he sold his interest in the shop to devote more time to being a traveling musician. He placed first at the 1994 Southwest Regional Dulcimer Contest and third in the 1995 National Championship at Winfield, Kansas. Rick was voted Best Performer and Favorite Teacher for several years running at the prestigious Evart Dulcimer Funfest.