PAUL ANDRY, Mandeville, LA, Louisiana’s premier mountain dulcimer player is known for his lyrical touch with contemporary music from New Orleans Mardi Gras to Pop, Irish, Ragtime and Traditional American Folk Music. An excellent arranger of music for the dulcimer, Paul has taugh classes at many dulcimer events and has competed successfully in several dulcimer playing contests, including the Texas State Dulcimer Championship, which he won in 1994. As an organizer, Paul is the founder of the Bayou Dulcimer Club and was one of the inspiring forces in the clubs joyous Mardi Gras Dulcimer Festival. He has published two books of arrangements; one in Mixolydian and one in the Toni an mode. For the past twelve years, Paul has taught at Snowbird Mountain Lodge in Robbinsvilie, North Carolina where he teaches individual and group lessons fro beginner to advanced. He has published two books of arrangements with a third in the works.

JOHN BLOSSIER (and his evil twin Coyoteb 1) will be teaching some interesting elective classes. John saw his first dulcimer in the hands of mountain music collector, Dr Patrick Gainer in a class at West Virginia University in 1965. He was later asked to interview a visiting entertainer the school paper - Jean Ritchie! John holds Ritchie, Gainer and Richard Farina responsible for his lifelong addition to twangittystrurumittyplunk! Today, Blosser is a South Florida journalist. John won the 2001 Florida Dulcimer Championship and has released his CD “Coyote Dulcimer”

JENNIFER CORDIER is one of our own Georgia Autoharpers from the hills of North Georgia and will be leading a beginners session on autoharp. She is an accomplished harper and comes with great enthusiasm.

GWEN CAELL is a traditional music enthusiast and mountain dulcimer performer and teacher. Living near John Campbell Folk School, she teaches dulcimer and performs on a regular basis. Gwen teaches at other venues including Westville and Cullowee. Gwen comes from a folk mus background and is a reformed banjo picker. Watch her pick a dulcimer and you’ll understand.

RON EWING, Columbus, OH, returns to Georgia as both vendor and faculty this year. He has been building and playing dulcimers since 1970. Ron has performed and taught at festivals throughout the country and has built over 1500 instruments. Ron is especially known for his innovative dulcimer designs (including the dulcimette and baritone) and for his lively and innovative renditions of Irish dance tunes and original compositions

DOUG FELT, Marengo, OH, known to the dulcimer world as ‘Mr. Ohio Bag Lady’. He and his wife, Lee, craft custom instrument cases and oth dulcimer lover’s accessories. He’ll be teaching a beginner dulcimer elective and their ever popular Bodhran & Spoons elective. Doug has been playing the dulcimer since 1982 and teaching and perfonning since 1990.

DENISE GUILLORY, Leader of “Les Amis” (dulcimer string band), has been playing and performing both Hammered and Mountain Dulcime for the past 12 years. She performs and teaches workshops with both dulcimers. Denise is also a singer/songwriter and performs many of her originals with “Les Amis”. She can do anything from traditional Cajun/So. Louisiana Folk, Irish, Folk, Ragtime, Classical and so many styles. Sh has a lot of talent all rolled in to one as singer, I-ID player, MD player and even a little guitar. Denise has been classically trained in voice though prefers to sing a beautiful Irish Ballad, a little Cajun French, or one of her originals. Denise won the 1997 Texas State Hammered Dulcimer title, and 2nd Place in Mountain Dulcimer. She has many CD’s and recordings to her credit.

LOIS HORNBOSTEL, Bryson City, NC, is an award-winning mountain dulcimer player who has been described by The Dulcimer Players New as “an inspiration to an entire generation of dulcimer players.’ She is the author of several books published by Mel Bay, has won awards for her recordings, and has learned much of her music the traditional way from Irish, Appalachian and Cajun musicians from within those cultures. Lois i renowned as a dulcimer teacher both of adults and school children, and is the founder of Western Carolina University Mountain Dulcimer Week. Lois’s concert music and workshops this year reflect our festival theme of ‘Sweet Sounds - Music All Around,” with generous helpings of Cajun music, Appalachian fiddle tunes, and music from around the world.

TERRY LEWIS, Gi-ayson, GA. Terry has been playing string instruments since he was 12 years old. He played in rock bands in the ‘60s and moved on to playing dulcimer and bluegrass in the early ‘70s. Terry had a dulcimer shop in Indiana during the ‘70s and performed and taught there He has published two dulcimer music books and judged the TN State Dulcimer Playing Championship. Terry continues to teach, plays dulcimer a bass in a bluegrass band, and is President of the North Georgia Foothills Dulcimer Association.

ANNE LOUGH is a traditional musician, singer, and instructor in Appalachian heritage. In her performances, Lough captures audiences with he c’ear, unwavering voice and her skill as a dulcimer player. She brings to life the folk songs, ballads, folk hymns, stories, dances, and play-party traditions of the Southern Appalachians. Lough is currently an instructor at the John C. Campbell Folk School and for Elderhostel programs, lectu at Western Carolina University and is very active in the Mountain Arts Program in schools throughout the western part of the state. Becoming nationally known in the dulcimer world for her artistic and sensitive style of playing both lap and hammered dulcimer, Lough has taught and performed at several prestigious dulcimer conventions and gatherings.

DONNA MISSIGMAN is a hammered and mountain dulcimer performer, teacher and recording artist She was a rostered artist for the PA Co for the Arts, and served on the advisory board for the Northern Tier Partnership for the Arts in Education. She has performed at arts and crafts festivals throughout Pennsylvania and in New York, Vermont, Ohio and New Jersey.
Her mountain dulcimer book, Resurrection Road, Lenten and Easter Music for Mountain Dulcimer is 35 traditional and contemporary selection from the church for Lent and Easter arranged for intermediate and advanced mountain dulcimer players.
Donna”s recordings include Wanderings (1994), Folk and Traditional Music; Snow on the Mountain (1994), Christmas music; Old Grey Stone (1995) Scottish, Irish and Old English dance music performed on hammered dulcimer, flute, guitar and trumpet; Lullaby (1997) mostly Celtic lullabies performed on hammered dulcimer, harp, and guitar; and Noel (1999) Christmas music performed on hammered and mountain dulcime oboe, harp and keyboards.
She is a member of the Contemporary Music Ensemble at St. Boniface Church, Williamsport, PA. She is an Area Representative for American Scandinavian Student Exchange (AS SE), an international student exchange program dedicated to fostering international understanding through student exchange programs; and a Rescue Representative for Aussie Rescue and Placement Helpline, Inc. (ARPH), an organization dedicated t rescuing Australian Shepherds.

CAROLE OUTWATER, Charlotte, NC, is the 2002 Mt Laurel Autoharp Champion! She is known for her heart-felt melodic playing style, h love of beautiful waltzes and for introducing others to the joys of playing Cajun music on the autoharp. Carole plays acoustic bass and autoharp Carolina Gator gumbo, a popular NC Cajun band celebrating their tenth year together, and formerly, the Annabelles, a traditional hand from the same area.
Carole is a familiar presence at the Mt. Laurel Autoharp Gathering, Fiddlers Grove, Mt Airy, and other regional festivals, where you will often her leading autoharp workshops and taking competition places and wins. She has taught at the Augusta Heritage Center, the Autoharp Jambore Mt. View, Arkansas, John C. Campbell Folk School, and other area workshops. She began playing the autoharp over eighteen years ago on a borrowed 15 chord autoharp. She quickly acquired various ‘harps and continues to he intrigued with this versatile instrument, particularly in its diatonic forni!

LES SCOTT, an appointed NGFDA lifetime-member, will again graciously wear (just a few of) his many hats this year. Les is a popular folk music teacher and performer in the metro Atlanta area and a veteran instructor and performer at numerous festivals. He edited and wrote most of arrangements for the NGFDA tab book and tirelessly continues his support of NGFDA and it’s members. Les’s unique ensemble approach to teaching uses many of the old-time techniques, styles, and songs as the basis for learning more contemporary and diverse material. Les has serve a Young Audience’s artist and has taught dulcimer in community education programs. Les plays in several folk groups including Full Circle and The Good Friends Folk Ensemble. Les is also Minister of Music at Druid Hills United Methodist Church.

STEVE SELFERT, Murphreesboro, TN, studied classical and jazz piano at the University of Kentucky for 1-1/2 years, and is currently a recorc industry major at Middle Tennessee State University. He bought his first dulcimer in 1 991 and got background in old-time music playing with musicians in Lexington, KY. He has performed at many dulcimer events, coffee shops, book stores, nursing homes, craft fairs, among other vent Last year Steve traveled to Japan to play in the American Music Festival. His teaching experience has been with people of all ages from a YMC camp and school program to adult classes at all the major dulcimer events. Steve’s virtuostic playing has won him several dulcimer competition and he has made three recordings of his music.

MAUREEN SELLERS has been playing Appalachian Dulcimer for 13 years. She has taught and performed in over 20 states. Maureen has
published 8 books of dulcimer music. Her Teaching Book is being used at several universities and clubs. Maureen teaches at Indiana University
Southeast and Bellarmine University and the University of Louisville. She hosts the Dulcimer Chautauqua on the Wabash, dulcimer festival, in II”
Harmony, IN every fall. And is the coordinator of the Ohio Valley Gathering for the Louisville Dulcimer Society each spring.
She has a recording, “Maureen, Stella and the boys”. Maureen is one of 16 artists featured on a recently released CD entitled “Great Players of ti
Mountain Dulcimer”.

JOHN STOCKARD, Milledgeville, GA brings to the festival a new feature. John will present an elective workshop on the care and feeding of your dulcimer or minor things you can do for yourself John is a sculptor of wood and as such brings his love of the wood into his dulcimer build John is a luthier of excellence and a darn good fellow too. John has a strange collection of instruments including his ever present “alarm clock” accordion.