Back in the early-mid 70s I was wandering around Manitou Springs, CO, and heard this eerie string music. I'd tried guitar and hated it - couldn't see what my fingers were doing. I played a couple kinds of drum and pennywhistle.
But something in this string sound struck a chord (all puns intended). I followed my ears to a little shopcalled Cripple Creek Dulcimers, run by a 'long haired hippy chick' and her fella. Smelled like patchouli in there, and there were things besides dulcimers for sale... I fell in love with the music - a cassette tape by a guy named Kevin Roth and another by a duo called Force & d'Osche. Lon story, short, I eventually bought a kit and built a dulcimer because it was cheaper and I was a poor student on the GI Bill. Found a stick and taught myself to play from the only book available -- The Dulcimer Book-- by some lady named Jean Ritchie.
The rest, as they say, is history...
The hippy couple? Bud & Donna Ford. Became famous dulcimer builder and late prominent citizens in Manitou Springs city government and producers of an annual music festival over Labor Day weekend.
