Colorado Dulcimer Festival

Instructor Highlights

Stay in Touch with Our Instructors

In support of our past instructors, we are offering information and links so that you can stay in touch with your teachers until we can meet again in person. Use the links provided to find out more about what they are doing. Instructors are separated by year of attending the CDF. You can reach these links by clicking the year, then the name of the instructor.

2020
Sam Edelston

“I believe that mountain dulcimers are natural rock & roll instruments, and they ought to be widely used in popular music. Only a handful of dulcimer performers today are focused on the kinds of things I do – rock, pop, country, etc. Through teaching at four online dulcimer festivals this year – Berkeley, both QuaranTUNEs, and Nutmeg – I’ve realized that I should hold some of my own online classes, which I intend to start this fall. For updates, follow me on Facebook or join my info list.”

You can find Sam at:

Stephen Humphries

Stephen Humphries is a national hammered dulcimer champion, freelance percussionist, and music educator. In addition to recording, performing concerts, writing method books, and teaching at dulcimer festivals, Stephen is the Instrumental Music teacher at Silverdale Baptist Academy, a K-12 private school in Chattanooga, TN, and an adjunct professor of percussion at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, GA.

You can find Stephen at:

2019
Duane Porterfield

“The dulcimer isn’t just a musical instrument; it’s a friend, and it’s the reason I have many of the friends that I do. I had always been afraid to teach because I don’t read music well. Then a dear lady said, “just show ’em what you do”. I did and it has been the most musically rewarding adventure of my life.” ~ Duane Porterfield

You can find Duane at:

2017
Jody Marshall

“I love being able to share music with people, whether it’s teaching or playing with others. As a teacher, I get such a charge out of seeing people discover the music in themselves. And when I play with other musicians, I live for those moments when you suddenly hear and feel that what you’re creating together is somehow greater than the sum of the parts. It’s musical magic!” ~ Jody Marshall

You can find Jody at:

2014
Karen Ashbrook

“I’ve been playing hammered dulcimer since I built my first one in high school in the mid-seventies. Playing with others and teaching people to create their own arrangements is a focus of my teaching. I grew up playing classical music and Old-Timey, got seriously into Irish music, and now play all kinds of international music. In 2013 I became certified to play therapeutic music at the bedside in hospitals and hospice. I love encouraging others to use their music to help heal the world too!”

You can find Karen at:

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