Members of the
Red Hill Dulcimer Society

Jeanne Borden

Joan Brian

I heard my first hammer dulcimer in Elkmont campground in the Great Smokey Mountains. Since then, I have been the owner of three. The one in the picture is Maria, crafted by Joe and Carol Esch of Inspired Instruments. Other musical activities include playing piano and organ. My "day job", at least during 9 months of the year, is teaching 7th grade science. I also enjoy gardening, walking, swimming, and almost anything out-of-doors - especially with family and friends. My husband is Jess, and we have 3 adult children. "Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music."

Darlene Clark

Hello, My name is Darlene Clark. I have been playing around with the dulcimer for about 3 years. My good friend/ neighbor Kathy introduced me to the dulcimer. She had purchased a small one from Walmart, and encouraged me to do the same so we could learn together. Our first festival was in Evansville, three years ago. I got a personal lesson from Lee Rowe, not knowing at the time, how famous he was in the Dulcimer community. I am a Family Service Specialist, and work with the Department of Children & Family Services. I have been married nearly 34 years to my husband Rodger. We have two sons, Rodney & Dillon. Rodney and his wife Jessica, have blessed us with our two grandsons, Wyatt & Jesse. Jesse, who is six, has showed an interest in the Dulcimer, and can play Boil them Cabbages Almost always, when I wear a Dulcimer club t-shirt, someone ask me about Dulcimers. Because I work full time and have two grandchildren, I don't always find the time to play the dulcimer or attend the club meetings, but I am honored to say I am a Red Hill Dulcimer club member.

Brenda Dickirson

Kathy Fatheree

Hi, My name is Kathy Fatheree. I have been addicted to dulcimers for almost three years now. I use them for Therapy- both mental and physical. You tend to forget about anything negative when you are playing!! I am a mom to a son & daughter and Grandma to a boy and a girl too..... with one on the way next spring. I also love photography and gardening, and MULE riding! Now if we can just get that mule to cooperate while I am playing and riding.......

Susan Fischer

Linda Ingram

Linda Ingram, retired Nurse. She had piano lessons when a young girl. She played Saxophone in the high school band. She plays the Saxophone in a Concert Band during the winter months. She also plays the piano and keyboard. She likes Bluegrass music and has fallen in love with the Dulcimer. She has two adult children and four grandchildren. We live in northen Lawrence County.

Paula Jones

My name is Paula Jones and I am married and have two grown children and three beautiful grandchildren. I got my first dulcimer in December of 2005. I ask Joan Brian and Brenda Dickirson if they could teach me how to play. We got together once and the next time they brought Brad Schilt with them. The next week we met at Joan's house and Jerry Pacholski was there. The rest is history as far as The Red Hill Dulcimer Society goes. Music has always been a major part of my life. I have three sisters and one brother. My mom stood us girls up by the piano as soon as we could stand. She played the piano by ear and had us singing in three part harmony when the oldest one was 7 years old. When my mother passed away in 2002 it left a big void in my life. I missed my mother, but I also missed the music. The dulcimer has helped to fill the music void. In the picture are some of the instruments that I play. The bowed psaltry, lap harp, mountain dulcimer and the dulcimette.

Beth Leggitt

Beth enjoys playing mountain dulcimer and bowed psaltery. She has had a mountain dulcimer approximately nine years...but only found the Red Hill Dulcimer Society a year ago. She plays a traditional mountain dulcimer with wood tuners and recently converted from traditional dulcimer to add that 6 1/2 fret! She enjoys playing with the group and is also learning to play hammered dulcimer and pennywhistle. Beth has two nieces that are also learning to play the mountain dulcimer and they enjoy going to festivals together when possible.

Pat Lewis

Jackie Maxson

I LOVE MY DULCIMER!!! Ray & I live south of Equality IL, in the middle of the beautiful Shawnee National Forest, where we spend a lot of time trail riding our mules. I am a member and enjoy the Red Hills Dulcimer Society, but am not able to participate as much as I would like to because of the distance. My dulcimer was a Christmas gift from my family. It was made by Mike Clemmer of Wood-N-Strings in Townsend, Tennessee. I also have a Clemmer Ban-Jammer. I attend as many festivals as possible...(although not nearly as many as I would like ). I am striving to become a much better player. My friends and I mostly play for our own enjoyment, but we also play at nursing homes and sometimes at church. Ray and I have been married 49 years. We have three grown children, one granddaughter and three grandsons.

Bill McKiddy

Theresa McKiddy

Bill Minton

I began playing the guitar at a young age in Bloomington, Indiana where I was born. I didn't play again for 40 years until I moved to Indpls to work for State Farm Ins. I was inspired by a doctor who spoke at our Men's Fellowship group at church. He told how he made goals for himself to achieve 10 things he always wanted to do in the next 10 years. So, the first goal I set for myself was to play the guitar again. I took lessons for one year, then joined the Folk Music and Mountain Dulcimer Society in Indpls. and begain to play with them. I also built two lap dulcimers. After retiring from State Farm I moved to Lawrenceville, Illinois with my wife Beverly Barcroft. We joined the Free Methodist church and I joined the Red Hills Dulcimer Society. Moving to a new community at an older age we found it difficult to gain new friends. In both the church and the dulcimer group we found many new friends and I also have learned much more about music.

Jerry Pacholski

I first "heard" the mountain dulcimer in 2003 and decided I had to learn to play. As one of my hobbies is woodworking, I decided to build my own instrument which was completed in February 2004. Since then I have built 2 other MD's and keep planning the next one. As a result of a newspaper article I wrote in 2006 about my luthier experiences, I was invited to the first organizational meeting of the RHDS. Thursday night's practices are the highlight of my week. I recently retired after 36 years in social work and am deciding what to do when I grow up. As I have a little experience in newspaper and radio, I function as the group's public relations rep. I also get to serve as the announcer for our performances and occasionally help repair the group's instruments. I love going to music festivals. Dulcimer World is full of the nicest people.

Mary Jane Rand

I have lived in Lawrenceville all my life except for 12 1/2 years in Florida. I have always loved music. I play the organ, native flute, handbells and some piano. I am a member of the First United Methodist Church in Lawrenceville and am involved in several activities there. In early 2004 I was willed a McSpadden dulcimer. I had no idea what it was other than a musical string instrument. As I had no family and was a recent widow for the second time in 2005, I started self taught lessons on the dulcimer for a while, and then joined the Red Hill Dulcimer Society in September 2006. I have never been sorry and besides learning so much more about the dulcimer, I am so happy to have met and made so many friends, along with talented musicians during the past 2 years with the club. I am now planning on taking ballet and tango lessons to keep up with the gang.

Bill Schafer

I am a retired teacher living in Allendale. My hobby is gardening and planting flowers. I am just learning to play. Some day I hope to keep up with "Elwood's Delight"!

Chris Schafer

My love for music goes back to my grade school teacher in Owensville, Indiana. Even though I was only in 5th grade, "Miss Speck" let me play in the high school orchestra. I always loved her for that. Today I'm a retired teacher living in Allendale with Bill. Our daughter Patty is married. She and Jed have 2 sweet little girls. The Dulcimer Club gives me a chance to share music with others and stay in touch with good hearted people. Bill is learning to play too and that makes it even better. A big "thank you" to Mary Jane Rand for showing me her dulcimer over a year ago! We hope to show God's love to others on "our musical journey".

Dorothy Schafer

Dorothy Schafer is a retired postmaster from Allendale. She has played piano and organ at her church. She took a class from Rick Thum after she bought a hammered dulcimer. She is learning many new songs and looks forward to playing with the club. She resides in Mt. Carmel, IL.

Jewell Streeter

Barbara Tussey

Paul Umfleet

I know, the photo is kind of old and I will try to find a newer one. I have been a musician since I was about 10 years old and started playing the trumpet. Like too many of us I did not play much in the middle years of my life but the stereo. Five years ago I started playing tuba. They would not let me play tuba in the Dulcimer Society so I bought and learned to play the Bodhran. Since being in the group I have gotten more interested in the dulcimer and have since built two of them. I am learning to play them also. My wife Ann and I live outside of Lawrenceville and I still work as a woodcarver. www.umfleet.net