Madrid MSS 289. Folios 146v and 147v featuring "Orientis Partibus." View the digitized manuscript at bit.ly/dpn-madrid. Images from the collections of the National Library of Spain.

France: Honoring the donkey

By Fiona Potts | From “Orientis Partibus” to “The Friendly Beasts,” Christmas songs with donkeys are part of a time-honored tradition...
Decoration on the Walnut Valley Festival competition stage. A cowboy hat, two hands, and a guitar cartoon.

How to Win at Winfield

Past hammered and mountain dulcimer Winfield champions share their experiences with the competition and comment on what winning really means.
Dulcimer virtuoso David Schnaufer with two Bonnie Carol dulcimers in front of an old building in Wall Street, Colorado. Photo by Bonnie Carol, late 1970s.

Dulcimers for David

Dulcimers for David is a program that provides instruments to children who want to learn to play mountain dulcimer in memory of David Schnaufer.
Decoration on the Walnut Valley Festival competition stage. A cowboy hat, two hands, and a guitar cartoon.

A Case for Contests

Hammered dulcimer player and teacher Mark Alan Wade argues that preparing for contests makes musicians better players.