Nancy Downie
Folkcraft: How long have you been playing the dulcimer?
Nancy: I started playing hammered dulcimer in Michigan in 1998 and soon was going to festivals, such as Evart and Buckeye, where I was introduced to mountain dulcimers. I bought one and played around with it a little, but didn’t get serious about it until a few years after we moved to Oregon in 2005. I always considered myself a HD player, but as I gained MD skills I gravitated to it more. It was easier to carry around, had a lovely sound all its own, and didn’t require that everything be memorized! I especially enjoyed attending the Menucha Dulcimer Festival and Dulcimers in the Wallowas.
Folkcraft: When did you get your first Folkcraft dulcimer?
Nancy: A year ago we downsized and moved to a retirement community. Downsizing included “thinning the herd” of instruments a bit, and I never thought I’d buy another dulcimer. However, when I heard about the Folkcraft DulciVox, I knew I had to have one, even though I am rarely an “early adopter” of anything. My DulciVox is everything that I hoped it would be.
Folkcraft: Where do you enjoy playing your dulcimer?
Nancy: Although I enjoy almost all kinds of music, I particularly like meditative, fingerpicked chord-melody playing (Nina Zanetti wanna-be!). I am a Certified Music Practitioner and have played in many health care settings. I also enjoy playing for religious services (including Taize) and for our retirement community. My husband plays stand-up bass and for many years we gave programs at historical venues such as the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center.
Folkcraft: What other hobbies, or interests, do you have besides playing the dulcimer?
Nancy: I have played classical violin since elementary school and am a member of Trillium Baroque, a community baroque ensemble. In my “other life," I enjoy knitting, crocheting and other needlework, my family, my black kitty, Velvet, and trying to learn Spanish on Duolingo.