Just who is “The Dulcimer Gal”?

Hello there, My name is Mary and yes, I’m known around town as “the Dulcimer Gal.” I fell in love with the hammered dulcimer years ago and finally bought my first one on May 16, 2005 and it’s still my favorite dulcimer. It’s a James Jones 3/16/15/4 and still sounds beautiful.

I attended my very first dulcimer festival in 2010. It was held in Evart, Michigan and I had an absolute blast. There were a ton of workshops by top-notch instructors plus jam sessions and concerts in the evenings.

I also have a Chris Foss 14/13/8 hammered dulcimer along with a T.K. O’Brien Backpacker. I have acquired several mountain dulcimers as well as a few other instruments. We’ll talk about those later.

Over the years, I’ve continued my training via various instructors and festivals and I thoroughly enjoy playing such a beautiful sounding instrument.

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I love playing music. Music speaks to the soul when nothing else can. Did you know scientist say music has the ability to repair brain damage and return lost memories? I can definitely attest to that. I tinkering around at a local nursing home where a gentleman asked if I knew a particular song. As it happened, I did so I played it for him. He had the nursing staff bring his wife, who was in the dementia unit, to join us. She came in and he took her in his arms as though to dance. You could tell the moment the lights came on in her eyes. For just a moment or two, she remembered the song they had danced to all those years ago. She smiled up at her husband and began to dance. Later, I learned that was the first reaction they had gotten from her in quite some time. She remembered. The song. Her husband. For a brief moment she remembered. And that is why I play.