Instructors

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Butch Ross has been gleefully smashing disparate genres of music together for over ten years. Using the mountain dulcimer as a prism, he has used the instrument to conquer everything from Bach to the Beatles to Radiohead (and everything in between).

His restless musical curiosity and virtuosity, coupled with his innate ability to break complex concepts into simple ideas, have made him an in-demand teacher and performer at many folk and dulcimer festivals both in the States and abroad.

He also plays guitar and Ukulele and is a regular contributor to the Dulcimer Players News.

Butch lives in Chattanooga, TN with his lovely wife, Trish, and daughter, Ella.

Dave Haas lives in Charleston, WV, and has been playing the mountain dulcimer since 1990. He teaches dulcimer in both private and group settings, and was the founding member of the Almost Heaven Dulcimer Club in Charleston. Dave loves to share the mountain dulcimer and its history with schools, churches, civic organizations, and has even brought the dulcimer to those in prison! Dave is a popular instructor at dulcimer festivals, and has taught and performed in more than one-half of the United States and in the United Kingdom. He is known for his gentle, fun, and enthusiastic teaching style. Dave has released seven dulcimer instructional books/CDs – including the very popular “Let’s Jam!” book/CDs, four instrumental dulcimer CDs, and a popular dulcimer chord chart. Dave is proud to be an Endorsing Artist for Folkcraft Instruments.

Dave recently retired Professor Emeritus from the University of Charleston where he exposed countless students to the joy of Chemistry. One of his favorite teaching activities was to sing chemistry songs (on dulcimer and guitar) with his students. In addition, Dave plays the guitar, sings, and enjoys leading music on Christian retreat experiences such as Kairos Prison Ministry, The Walk to Emmaus, Cursillo, and Teens Encounter Christ (TEC).

More information on Dave can be obtained at www.davehaasmusic.com.

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I enjoy helping people experience the joys of making music, especially those who have wanted to play an instrument, but never had the opportunity or never believed they could do it.

In addition to coordinating the Waterbound Dulcimers in Kinston, NC, I teach at workshops and in my home; I play with Flat Mountain Dulcimers, Waterbound, and Dolce Dulcimers; and I enjoy meeting “dulcimer people.”  As a matter of fact, most of my best friends are dulcimer people.  If you don’t play a dulcimer, why not give it a try?

Marya taught public school music for 33 years before retiring in 2009. She earned National Board Certification in Early/Middle Childhood Music in 2002. Currently, she teaches private dulcimer lessons, directs the adult choir at her church, and enjoys performing with the folk group Simple Gifts of the Blue Ridge. With this group, she appears on 5 CDs of an eclectic mix of traditional Appalachian music, Celtic, New Age, Christmas music, and more. She has also produced 9 self-published books encompassing original compositions, basic theory, and arrangements of traditional music for the hammered dulcimer. Several of her original tunes have been featured in Dulcimer Players News.   

https://sites.google.com/view/maryakatz-dulcimations/home

After a long professional career of performing, recording and teaching a wide variety of instruments in many settings, Ken has focused his attention on the bowed dulcimer for the last 29 years. He has developed the modern version of this very old way of playing the dulcimer. He is a "failed fiddle player" and has found the bowed dulcimer a good way to "satisfy the bowed Jones!"

 Kirk House has been playing the dulcimer for 12 years; for the last six years he has specialized in the bass dulcimer.  He is a certificated dulcimer teacher, through Western Carolina University (Dulcimer U program).  Kirk plays several different styles and designs of bass dulcimer, including 3-string, 4-string, and double-bass.  He performs as part of a duo with his wife Judy House, as well as a member of the trio 'Cantabile-Jubilee', and the quartet string section, 'SASSy'. 

Trish Ross has played leading roles across genres, including Papagena in The Magic Flute, Marian in The Music Man, Guinevere in Camelot, and Sharon in Finian’s Rainbow. Directing credits include Arsenic & Old Lace, The Music Man, and Aldo Leopold: A Standard of Change, Shanewis, a film version of A Hand of Bridge for Opera TN, and Peggy Douglas’ Twisted Roots and Deeper Roots. She has worked for the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera, Opera America, & Sarasota Opera, and is currently Assistant Music Director at Signal Mountain Presbyterian. She teaches voice, is a clinician of Voice & Performance Confidence at music festivals and holds a MM in Choral Conducting. She co-teaches The Art of the Singer/Songwriter with husband, Butch, and is proud mom to Ella.