Based in the Washington, DC area, Karen teaches and performs Celtic, contra dance, and Jewish music and works teaching Irish music and culture to children.

Janita Baker has been playing mountain dulcimer for over 30 years; through her recordings, books and appearances at festivals and workshops across the United States she has become well-known for her teaching skills and Blue Lion Dulcimers, which she builds with her husband Robert. As a solo performer on the mountain dulcimer, Janita presents her audiences with a wide range of musical experiences including classical, traditional, delta and country blues, ragtime, swing and original instrumental pieces. A gifted story teller, Janita delights her listeners with a warm and personal sharing of her music and introduces to her audience and her students the incredible complexity, variety and beauty of the mountain dulcimer.

David Brooks has played guitar and banjo since the 60's, including a season as the banjoist for The Stephen Foster Story in Bardstown.  Ten years ago, he discovered clawhammer banjo and old-time music.   He plays at local contra dances  and leads a monthly old-time jam session in Louisville.  He has written for the Banjo Newsletter.

Christine Carter, an up and coming artist in the Humphrys County, Tennessee, discovered quilling in 2000 and wishes to teach this ancient paper art to people so it won't be lost.

Other interests include playing guitar, upright bass, lap dulcimer, hammered dulcimer, and the ukelin. Christine loves being with people who like to have fun through music, crafts, or just life.

Mary Carty is a life long resident of Burlington County, New Jersey, and brings her Native American heritage into play with her handmade baskets. Many of her traditional baskets are shapes and styles with which her Lenape ancestors would have been familiar. She is a true artist and innovator who does not like to have her creativity stifled by following rigid set patterns. This is a concept Mary often stresses to her students. "I don't just teach people how to make baskets; I teach them how to be basket makers,” she often says. On the other hand Mary has a healthy respect for tradition. This is why she has researched and makes traditional baskets which her Lenape ancestors would have made. It is this blending of tradition and creativity that makes Mary Carty's baskets both unique and highly collectible. A talented basket weaver, Mary has won many awards for her original basket designs through the years, and has admirers throughout the world.
 

Alan DarVeaux grew up on Long Island Sound. His interest in acoustic music started in high school and led to a college group known as the "Newcomers". The dulcimer caught Alan's eyes and ears while visiting friends at Berea College in KY in 1967. He left Berea with all the information, books and records that could be found on the dulcimer. Since then Alan has eagerly sought as much history, lore and makers of the dulcimer as can be fit into his life.

"Jean Ritchie along with George and Gerry Armstrong became my listening interests. Jean has always been in the mist of my dulcimer enchantment. Howie Mitchell became one of my building gurus and I cherish the letters from him. I began travelling and sought Homer Ledford in KY. He has been my biggest influence in building dulcimers. As I traveled throughout the Appalachian mountains I met many builders and was received with warm encouragement everywhere."
 

Sarah Elizabeth is an accomplished performer and songwriter, Sarah began her journey with music when she was just 6 years old.  She became enamored with the mountain dulcimer after hearing a concert at the Blair School of Music and started begging for lessons.  At first, the late David Schnaufer (the Professor of Dulcimer at that time), didn't know what to make of her request, but after pestering him for months, he began working with her.  After just a few short months, she earned a scholarship to the Blair School of Music.
 
Fascinated with the history of this American instrument, she quickly became knowledgeable about the traditions of Appalachian Music and at the age of nine, she became the youngest person ever to win the Mountain Dulcimer Championship at the nationally recognized contest, Uncle Dave Macon Days.
 

Steve Eulberg  is a national touring musician and music educator who earned his degree with a focus on developing a folk pedagogy for teaching folk music on folk instruments.  He teaches in the public school and in his private studio where students respond enthusiastically to his “toe-tapping, smile-inducing folkgrass” performances, his engaging and supportive approach to teaching and warm sense of humor, making him a favorite at festivals across the U.S.  

In addition to piano, guitar, mandolin and hand percussion, he’s been singing and playing mountain dulcimer for 29 years and hammered dulcimer since 1984, five times winning awards at the National Mountain Dulcimer championship, and three times being a finalist in the National Hammered Dulcimer contest at Winfield. 
 

Dan Evans plays finger-style mountain dulcimer with precision and delicacy. He is also a highly accomplished and stylish acoustic guitarist. He accompanies his fine baritone vocals and presents a repertoire of beautiful instrumental folk music. He adopts a classical approach to British folk melodies, sometimes in medieval modes, often with jazzy chords and rhythms.

The precision and originality of Dan’s playing has won him the respect of many of the world’s leading players and his polished and engaging performances have won the hearts of audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

Robert Force has played the dulcimer a long time. He's taught a bunch of people, wrote books and made records and stuff. Some folks call him a living legend. He likes the living part pretty good. He won last year's cake decorating contest and that ranks right up there for him with those Grammy and Indie award things that were kind of a long time ago. He comes to KMW because he likes the people who show up for it and Nancy's a hoot, too. He says life is about love and friendship and that making music and playing the dulcimer is the best way he knows to sort of shine up to that.
 

BRUCE FORD fell in love with dulcimers in 2001, which fundamentally changed the course of his life. Playing mountain and hammered dulcimers brought Bruce from the “someday I’m gonna play something” to the “what can I play today” crowd. Early on, Bruce became an evangelist for mountain and hammered dulcimers. He founded EverythingDulcimer.com in January of 2002 and is still active with the site. He is a strong advocate for children’s involvement with dulcimers and always stands eager to expose folks to them.

Bruce has performed at festivals and concerts in the Southeast using dulcimers and other instruments. He mixes the many sides of the dulcimer with engaging, pleasing vocals for memorable performances of old time, folks and Gospel music. In late 2008, Bruce released his first CD entitled “Gator Clubbin’
Society” garnering very favorable reviews.

Vera Frazier plays lap dulcimer, guitar and sings a mixture of music. She includes traditional, Celtic and modern tunes along with songs she writes. Through the years Vera has performed as a solo artist, with others in the Louisville Dulcimer Society and her family. Recently she has taught vocal classes at Kentucky Music Week and performed at the Highlander in Knoxville Tennessee.

Jeff Furman is an award-winning mountain dulcimer player who is known for his smooth and expressive style.  And his gentle, humorous, and effective teaching style has made him a popular instructor at numerous mountain dulcimer workshops across the country.  Jeff is a multi-instrumentalist who has been playing old-time music since 1980. Primarily a clawhammer banjo player for many years, he developed a rhythmic and melodic style which has heavily influenced his dulcimer playing.  He has an extensive repertoire of old-time fiddle music which crosses over to a strong interest in Celtic music.  He has a particular fondness for waltzes and Celtic airs on the dulcimer.  Jeff has performed individually, with his wife, Janet, and with several old-time bands for over 25 years. His technical abilities and musical sensitivity has made Jeff a popular choice for playing on multiple recordings, including music from Ireland, Scotland, the Appalachian Mountains, and American folk tunes.  Jeff describes himself as a “musician with a day job!”  He lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
 

Bing Futch's window on America is a unique landscape of music, words and imagery. With roots in both African and Seminole Indian tribes, he began playing Appalachian mountain dulcimer at Knott's Berry Farm theme park in 1985, working at a Ghost Town shop for Bud & Donna Ford.

In 1986, Futch founded Christian techno-punk band Crazed Bunnyz, a trio that grew popular in the international underground college radio scene. Beginning his solo career that same year, he has since composed dozens of scores for film, theater, themed attractions and television. Futch left his California hometown of Los Angeles in 1993 to pursue production opportunities in central Florida where he immediately set up a multimedia company called J.O.B. Entertainment Inc.
 

Gary Gallier has been a cutting-edge innovator on the mountain dulcimer for fifteen years. He pioneered a progressive style of melodic flatpicking that offers improved levels of clarity, speed, dynamic range and creative potential and was the 1987 National Mountain Dulcimer Champion. Gary has taught and performed extensively throughout America's heartland, is a prolific composer of new music for the dulcimer, and has three albums to his credit, all primarily original music. His most recent "On the Wing" has been called a "landmark" dulcimer album. 

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.

Tull Glazener from Indianapolis, IN, has been sharing the music of the mountain dulcimer through performances and workshops at festivals throughout the country since 1986. He enjoys adapting all kinds of music to the mountain dulcimer, including aires and waltzes, rag-time, traditional/old-time, contemporary, classical, and jazz. He has produced 5 recordings, is the author of 4 instruction books, and has produced a series of “learn-at-home” teaching CDs. He has served as a columnist for “Dulcimer Players News”, and has been included on 2 of the “Masters of the Mountain Dulcimer” recordings produced by Susan Trump. In addition to the mountain dulcimer, Tull also plays hammered dulcimer and button accordion, and is a member of the “Family Reunion String Band” as well as the “Half Way Home” trio, both based in central Indiana.

Les Gustafson-Zook is an entertaining and energetic multi-instrumentalist performer for both children and adults. He performs solo and with his wife, Gwen at a variety of venues across the country. He is the 2001 International Autoharp Champion as well as the 1989 National Autoharp Champion, and performs and gives workshops on the autoharp at festivals from coast to coast. This year he will perform his Songs of the Pioneers program over 75 times in elementary schools around the country.

Dave Haas lives in Charleston , WV and has been playing the mountain dulcimer for 10 years.  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.

Jory Hutchens enjoys many different styles of music and brings in a great deal of creativity to the band from his broad range of diverse tunes. He has a knack for arranging instrumental work into the structured "bluegrass sound". He is probably more comfortable than the others experimenting with "out there" licks on his fiddle and fully expresses this enthusiasm on stage. You cannot help but get happy inside when you watch this guy.

Turner Hutchens began playing mandolin at age 8. Two years later, he won 1st place in the Ky State Championship Old Time Fiddler's Contest playing his mandolin in the beginner open. In 2006 he learned guitar. Turner is a big fan of Bill Monroe, Ricky Skaggs, and Sam Bush. And he has had the honor to learn from friends and mentors, Wendell Cornett, Jim Crisp, and Jeff Guernsey. He has taken what he has learned from all of them to create his own style.

LORINDA JONES. As a member of the Kentucky Arts on Tour Directory, Lorinda brings the roots of American music to her audiences through the music of the mountain dulcimer and folk harp. Lorinda has authored numerous books and recordings, and in addition, is a board certified music therapist. She teaches and performs at camps and festivals all over the United States, has 3 books published by Mel Bay Publications, and teaches private and group lessons on mountain dulcimer and folk harp. Lorinda has experienced a varied career in music, ranging from that of a band director, private and public school music instructor from preschool through college, to work as a music therapist. She continues to appreciate and discover her musical roots through the playing of Celtic and American folk music as a performer and recording artist.

DAN LANDRUM'S hammered dulcimer playing has taken him from street performing in Chattanooga, TN to Olympic Ceremonies, Presidential Inaugurations, multiple festivals around the country and major stages in hundreds of cities from the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles to New York's famed Madison Square Gardens. Since 2003, he's been a soloist in the Yanni Live tour, which was recently televised as a PBS special. In 2006, Dan and his wife, Angie, took over publication of the internationally distributed Dulcimer Players News magazine, in print since 1974.

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.
 

Cheri Miller grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee where she enjoys the rich tradition of Appalachian music.  She has played rhythm guitar in a variety of bands for twenty years.  Her hard driving rhythmic playing has been the foundation for old time bands, dance bands, swing bands, and even a liturgical string band.  She has performed with her husband, Jim Miller, for thirty-five years.  She teaches guitar and mandolin to fourth and fifth grade students in the Cloudland Appalachian String Band.  She also directs the drama program at Cloudland High School in Roan Mountain, Tennessee, where her students perform broadway musicals. She is an educator serving as a high school library media specialist and  has earned a Master’s Degree in Media Services and an Ed. S. in School Leadership.   Her musical pursuits also include drumming and hand bells.  Cheri’s music can be heard on Hills and Hollers and Pretty Good Tunes.

Jim Miller has been playing and performing traditional music for the past 35 years. An accomplished instrument builder and teacher, he has taught workshops at numerous festivals as well as won many awards for his musicianship. For twenty years, Jim was the owner of the Hampton Music Shop, in Hampton, Tennessee, where he handcrafted over 750 hammered dulcimers. He has played with Celtic, Bluegrass, Swing, Blues and Old Time bands, and has done session work on many recordings. In addition to being an accomplished performer and workshop leader, Jim also is an enthusiastic jam facilitator who likes to get everyone involved. He plays guitar, banjo, octave mandolin, bass, steel drum, percussion, hammered and mountain dulcimers as well as his own off-the-wall musical inventions, which are always entertaining. Jim holds a Masters degree in Elementary Education with an endorsement in instrumental music. He teaches 3rd grade at Cloudland Elementary School in Roan Mountain, Tennessee, where he leads an after school traditional string band program.
 

Donna Missigman is a hammered and mountain dulcimer, harp and bowed psaltery performer, teacher and recording artist. Her performances include the Bonnie Brae Scottish Games (1998, 2000, 2003); Richmond Highland Games and Celtic Festival (1996-2003); Hawaii Scottish Games (1999); International Celtic Festival (1999); Delco Scottish Games (1997-98); Ohio Scottish Games (1996); and Greater Philadelphia Scottish and Irish Music Festival and Fair (1995-2000). She has taught hammered and mountain dulcimer, harp and bowed psaltery at numerous festivals.  She was a rostered artist for the PA Council for the Arts, and served on the advisory board for the Northern Tier Partnership for the Arts in Education.

Karen Mueller is one of the top autoharp and mountain dulcimer players today. Her exciting and innovative performing style, featuring Appalachian, Celtic and contemporary music, has been applauded by critics and audiences from LA to Boston. Bluegrass Unlimited magazine has said "Karen Mueller's touch, timing and taste make her a true virtuoso. Her talent and clarity ... deserve a wide audience." Karen won the 1986 International Autoharp Championship and was a National Dulcimer finalist in 1985, both at the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS. In 2006 she was inducted into the Autoharp Hall of Fame. A native of Winfield, she first attended the festival while in high school and was inspired to learn to play the autoharp and dulcimer by the performers she saw there.

Jennifer Musgrave specializes in digital photography, with an emphasis on casual portrait photography as well as nature photography.  She is the owner of JAm Photography Studio and enjoys teaching others the techniques to improve their photographic skills.
 

Josh Noe is known for his contemporary playing style, original tunes incorporating strong melody line, and easy-going teaching methods bringing out the best in every player.  Josh was the 2007 Kentucky Mountain Dulcimer Champion and is one of the new breed of innovative dulcimer players taking center stage these days. 

AARON O'ROURKE first found the dulcimer by chance when he was 16 years old playing bass in a high school punk rock band. In a short period of time he began teaching at many festivals in the southeast and performing at newgrass festivals alongside The Aaron O’Rourke Trio, playing progressive old-time arrangements as well as classically influenced original compositions. At this time Aaron has a solo recording featuring guest musicians Maddie MacNeil and Thom Henderson as well as a CD with The Aaron O’Rourke Trio. He is currently working on a series of instructional books for mountain dulcimer and plans to release a new CD that will include Celtic fingerstyle arrangements on guitar and banjola as well original compositions on the dulcimer.
 

Paul Oorts, a native Belgian performs on classical and steel string guitar, mandolin, bouzouki, banjo and musette accordion. This multi-instrumentalist and French Professor at Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore is versatile in a wide range of styles and brings an elegant European flavor to the ensemble.

Martha Richard first heard the hammered dulcimer years ago at a music festival in Louisville, Ky. She was enchanted by the piano sound of this instrument. After acquiring her first hammered dulcimer she has been having lots of fun playing it. As a member of the Heartland Dulcimer Club she has learned many songs and how to play in a large group. In the last few years Martha has participated in small group ensembles and played some solo performances in central Kentucky and Indiana.

Martha has participated in several music festivals in the Midwest usually teaching the new hammered dulcimer players. She has participated in the Blue River Folk Festival in Shelbyville, Indiana, the Heartland Dulcimer Festival, Kentucky Music Week in Bardstown, Kentucky, and the Evart Festival in Michigan. She is an enthusiastic teacher and player of the hammered dulcimer. Martha is the director of a small hammer ensemble called “Foggy Dew Players“.
 

Butch Ross was given a mountain dulcimer for his birthday a few years ago, at the time the regionally touring singer/songwriter had no idea of the impact the instrument would have on his career. "I thought it's be cool to have one around the house, but I found myself playing it more and more. It had made music fun for me in a way that I hadn't felt since I first picked up the guitar."

More than "making music fun," this primitive mountain instrument began to open doors for him too. Not long after adopting the dulcimer he met Robert Force a musician, producer, independent label owner and all-around hippy who had once written a best-selling book on the mountain dulcimer. He saw in Butch "a spirit, talent and vision" that he last saw in his own idol; 60's folk-icon Richard Fariña. Almost immediately, he offered to sign him to his Blaine St. Records and produce, for free, his debut CD "the Moonshiner's Atlas."
 

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.
 

Anne Zabenco is a well-known artist in Nelson County, specializing in sculpture, painting, pottery, and a variety of crafts.  She is the art teacher at Nelson County High School.  Anne has been involved with KMW for many years, and continues to teach craft classes and is the Kids' Camp coordinator again this year.