2025 Featured Performers
* Click on each performer's name or image for biographical information
2025 WORKSHOP LEADERS:
Laurie Alsobrook-
After a full career in elementary education, Laurie Alsobrook has found a perfect blending of her two passions, teaching learners and playing the dulcimer.
Laurie has participated in a variety of festivals, online and in-person. Festival credits include Dulcimer U, the QuaranTUNE Virtual Dulcimer Festival, KMW, Black Mountain, Nonsuch, NGFDA, Dutchland, and Dulcimer Daze. She serves as a co-host and organizer of the Stephen Foster Dulcimer Retreat.
Laurie has been a regular contributor to the Send in the Music Virtual Jam, offering tablature to participants and serving as a song leader. Kicking off each Saturday Jam is the feature "NoFrills." She also hosts a weekly informal zoom jam AND has a YouTube channel featuring her "No Frills" collections.
www.lauriealsobrook.com
https://www.youtube.com/@NoFrillsJam
Rob Brereton-
Rob Brereton is considered one of the pioneers in contemporary mountain dulcimer playing. His years of studying classical guitar have polished his playing style while his degree in music theory and composition has given him a fresh approach to arranging.
Rob was one of the first dulcimer players to arrange extensively in chromatic and other alternate tunings. Although he specializes in the standards and early jazz tunes of Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, and the like, Rob is equally adept at playing the more traditional celtic, Appalachian, old time, and other dulcimer repertoire.
Rob has taught all levels of dulcimer at most major music festivals and folk schools across the country as well as internationally. He has won several awards for his playing including a coveted Winfield National flatpicking award. Rob was one of the organizers of the Housatonic Dulcimer Celebration and continues to organize the occasional Dulcimer Cruise. He has been playing dulcimer for over 30 years and has been an internationally recognized performer and instructor since his first CD was released in 1992. David Schnaufer called Rob's playing "...strong and innovative."
Rob's music is featured on his recording, Someone to Watch Over Me available for download on iTunes, CD Baby, and most other music download sites.
In addition, Rob teaches K-6 music and has many private students. He also composes, arranges, and he directs several choirs near his home in CT. If you're interested in Rob teaching privately or at a venue, feel free to contact him.
Much to his friends' dismay, he also yodels. Please don't hold this against him
Carolyn Brodginski-
Carolyn Brodginski is an award-winning singer/songwriter, therapeutic musician, multi-instrumentalist, and self-proclaimed “musicaholic”. In addition to the mountain dulcimer, she plays guitar, mandolin, ukulele, and Celtic harp. A 2019 graduate of the Dulcimer U Teacher Certification Program, she teaches private and group lessons, and at dulcimer festivals from Vermont to Georgia and online. She runs the Connecticut Mountain Dulcimer Gathering, and since March 2020 has been sharing the dulcimer around the globe as a song leader for Send In The Music, the weekly virtual dulcimer jam run by Pat Clark. Since 2017, she has appeared in multiple issues of Dulcimer Player News, contributing articles, tab, and original songs as part of the song sampler. When she’s not playing the dulcimer, she runs a monthly community sing, performs in concert with her band, Seat of Our Pants, and with Joyful Blue, a bluegrass Gospel band at her church. She also plays therapeutically at a memory care facility, as part of her church’s Care Team, and at an annual retreat for women with Breast Cancer. In 2024 she started a monthly concert series created to fight food insecurity and homelessness in the local community, and currently serves as Co-Executive Director
and Artist Director.
Sandy Lafleur-
Known for her fun-loving and relaxed teaching style, Sandy Lafleur from southern NH has been playing the dulcimer for over 25 years, and teaches out of her home and at festivals around New England. Also a contra dance caller, she enjoys a wide variety of music, much of it played for contra dancing. Sandy strives to have her students learn to express themselves musically, while learning new tunes and having fun! Sandy's arrangements are accessible and highlight the innate beauty of the Appalachian dulcimer.
Bonnie Leigh, CMP-
Bonnie Leigh, CMP - a Certified Music Practitioner, performer/teacher and singer/songwriter, actively performed and taught her gentle style of playing with the mountain dulcimer across the northeast coast. Bonnie has taught and performed at French Creek Dulcimer Retreat, French Creek Music Retreat, Music by the Bay, August Dulcimer Daze, Pocono Dulcimer Festival, Mountain Dulcimer Music Festival, Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival, Swannanoa Dulcimer Gathering, and Cranberry Dulcimer Festival and has been teaching and performing since 1991. You would find her at historical villages, libraries, clubs, meetings, coffeehouses and nursing homes. Her easy manner makes learning to play fun and relaxed. As a Music Practitioner Bonnie played the dulcimer and small harp at the bedside of hospice patients. Bonnie's original songs of life, family and nature can be found on her 3 recordings and accompanying dulcimer tab songbooks. She has also written 3 poem books. Bonnie is a co-coordinator of New England Dulcimer Days with Ellen Pratt. You can reach her at [email protected].
Ellen Pratt-Ellen Pratt has been playing dulcimer for twenty-five years. She began writing her own music in 2004. She has performed at numerous open mics and taught at festivals throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic states, and online festivals. Ellen’s style of playing is a mix of traditional and contemporary.
Since 2018, she has been composing and arranging multipart pieces for dulcimer ensembles. Ellen played with the Northeast Dulcimer Orchestra in Connecticut for several years. She is a composer and host for the First National Dulcimer Orchestra’s (FNDO) Tuesday night online rehearsals. She writes and conducts pieces for in-person FNDO concerts at festivals in New York, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and North Carolina.
Ellen plays dulcimer and banjo in the elementary school where she teaches second grade. She has worked with students and their families to build cardboard dulcimers and has been teaching after-school dulcimer programs for many years.
Ellen co-coordinates New England Dulcimer Days with Bonnie Leigh.
You can reach her at [email protected].
Susan Trump-
Susan Trump has been a favorite instructor and performer on the dulcimer scene for the past thirty years. She is known for her clear teaching style and interesting, playable arrangements.
She is completely enjoying teaching private and class lessons on Zoom. Her “Saturdays with Susan” six-week sessions have allowed students nationwide to bond and continue their dulcimer journey together.
Susan has authored four books. She has embraced the “new” technology for her books and her music. While all are available in hard copy and they are also available digitally for your listening and playing pleasure! Her latest book/CD set is Music from the Muse, a collection of twenty-one original pieces for Intermediate players. She has written a book of O'Carolan arrangements, A Classical Collection, and Novice Level Chords and Fingering Book and Instructional CD. Susan is the producer of the classic Masters of the Mountain Dulcimer series, featuring instrumental selections from many of the finest players in the country. She has four solo CDs to her credit. Her CD, Songs of Faith and Hope, a collection of inspirational, uplifting songs for everyone is being touted as her best ever!
For more information visit http://www.susantrump.com
Laurie Alsobrook-
After a full career in elementary education, Laurie Alsobrook has found a perfect blending of her two passions, teaching learners and playing the dulcimer.
Laurie has participated in a variety of festivals, online and in-person. Festival credits include Dulcimer U, the QuaranTUNE Virtual Dulcimer Festival, KMW, Black Mountain, Nonsuch, NGFDA, Dutchland, and Dulcimer Daze. She serves as a co-host and organizer of the Stephen Foster Dulcimer Retreat.
Laurie has been a regular contributor to the Send in the Music Virtual Jam, offering tablature to participants and serving as a song leader. Kicking off each Saturday Jam is the feature "NoFrills." She also hosts a weekly informal zoom jam AND has a YouTube channel featuring her "No Frills" collections.
www.lauriealsobrook.com
https://www.youtube.com/@NoFrillsJam
Rob Brereton-
Rob Brereton is considered one of the pioneers in contemporary mountain dulcimer playing. His years of studying classical guitar have polished his playing style while his degree in music theory and composition has given him a fresh approach to arranging.
Rob was one of the first dulcimer players to arrange extensively in chromatic and other alternate tunings. Although he specializes in the standards and early jazz tunes of Duke Ellington, George Gershwin, and the like, Rob is equally adept at playing the more traditional celtic, Appalachian, old time, and other dulcimer repertoire.
Rob has taught all levels of dulcimer at most major music festivals and folk schools across the country as well as internationally. He has won several awards for his playing including a coveted Winfield National flatpicking award. Rob was one of the organizers of the Housatonic Dulcimer Celebration and continues to organize the occasional Dulcimer Cruise. He has been playing dulcimer for over 30 years and has been an internationally recognized performer and instructor since his first CD was released in 1992. David Schnaufer called Rob's playing "...strong and innovative."
Rob's music is featured on his recording, Someone to Watch Over Me available for download on iTunes, CD Baby, and most other music download sites.
In addition, Rob teaches K-6 music and has many private students. He also composes, arranges, and he directs several choirs near his home in CT. If you're interested in Rob teaching privately or at a venue, feel free to contact him.
Much to his friends' dismay, he also yodels. Please don't hold this against him
Carolyn Brodginski-
Carolyn Brodginski is an award-winning singer/songwriter, therapeutic musician, multi-instrumentalist, and self-proclaimed “musicaholic”. In addition to the mountain dulcimer, she plays guitar, mandolin, ukulele, and Celtic harp. A 2019 graduate of the Dulcimer U Teacher Certification Program, she teaches private and group lessons, and at dulcimer festivals from Vermont to Georgia and online. She runs the Connecticut Mountain Dulcimer Gathering, and since March 2020 has been sharing the dulcimer around the globe as a song leader for Send In The Music, the weekly virtual dulcimer jam run by Pat Clark. Since 2017, she has appeared in multiple issues of Dulcimer Player News, contributing articles, tab, and original songs as part of the song sampler. When she’s not playing the dulcimer, she runs a monthly community sing, performs in concert with her band, Seat of Our Pants, and with Joyful Blue, a bluegrass Gospel band at her church. She also plays therapeutically at a memory care facility, as part of her church’s Care Team, and at an annual retreat for women with Breast Cancer. In 2024 she started a monthly concert series created to fight food insecurity and homelessness in the local community, and currently serves as Co-Executive Director
and Artist Director.
Sandy Lafleur-
Known for her fun-loving and relaxed teaching style, Sandy Lafleur from southern NH has been playing the dulcimer for over 25 years, and teaches out of her home and at festivals around New England. Also a contra dance caller, she enjoys a wide variety of music, much of it played for contra dancing. Sandy strives to have her students learn to express themselves musically, while learning new tunes and having fun! Sandy's arrangements are accessible and highlight the innate beauty of the Appalachian dulcimer.
Bonnie Leigh, CMP-
Bonnie Leigh, CMP - a Certified Music Practitioner, performer/teacher and singer/songwriter, actively performed and taught her gentle style of playing with the mountain dulcimer across the northeast coast. Bonnie has taught and performed at French Creek Dulcimer Retreat, French Creek Music Retreat, Music by the Bay, August Dulcimer Daze, Pocono Dulcimer Festival, Mountain Dulcimer Music Festival, Nutmeg Dulcimer Festival, Swannanoa Dulcimer Gathering, and Cranberry Dulcimer Festival and has been teaching and performing since 1991. You would find her at historical villages, libraries, clubs, meetings, coffeehouses and nursing homes. Her easy manner makes learning to play fun and relaxed. As a Music Practitioner Bonnie played the dulcimer and small harp at the bedside of hospice patients. Bonnie's original songs of life, family and nature can be found on her 3 recordings and accompanying dulcimer tab songbooks. She has also written 3 poem books. Bonnie is a co-coordinator of New England Dulcimer Days with Ellen Pratt. You can reach her at [email protected].
Ellen Pratt-Ellen Pratt has been playing dulcimer for twenty-five years. She began writing her own music in 2004. She has performed at numerous open mics and taught at festivals throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic states, and online festivals. Ellen’s style of playing is a mix of traditional and contemporary.
Since 2018, she has been composing and arranging multipart pieces for dulcimer ensembles. Ellen played with the Northeast Dulcimer Orchestra in Connecticut for several years. She is a composer and host for the First National Dulcimer Orchestra’s (FNDO) Tuesday night online rehearsals. She writes and conducts pieces for in-person FNDO concerts at festivals in New York, Connecticut, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and North Carolina.
Ellen plays dulcimer and banjo in the elementary school where she teaches second grade. She has worked with students and their families to build cardboard dulcimers and has been teaching after-school dulcimer programs for many years.
Ellen co-coordinates New England Dulcimer Days with Bonnie Leigh.
You can reach her at [email protected].
Susan Trump-
Susan Trump has been a favorite instructor and performer on the dulcimer scene for the past thirty years. She is known for her clear teaching style and interesting, playable arrangements.
She is completely enjoying teaching private and class lessons on Zoom. Her “Saturdays with Susan” six-week sessions have allowed students nationwide to bond and continue their dulcimer journey together.
Susan has authored four books. She has embraced the “new” technology for her books and her music. While all are available in hard copy and they are also available digitally for your listening and playing pleasure! Her latest book/CD set is Music from the Muse, a collection of twenty-one original pieces for Intermediate players. She has written a book of O'Carolan arrangements, A Classical Collection, and Novice Level Chords and Fingering Book and Instructional CD. Susan is the producer of the classic Masters of the Mountain Dulcimer series, featuring instrumental selections from many of the finest players in the country. She has four solo CDs to her credit. Her CD, Songs of Faith and Hope, a collection of inspirational, uplifting songs for everyone is being touted as her best ever!
For more information visit http://www.susantrump.com