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Description
Dulcimer making has long been considered an art. The exquisite design is also functional, and the best instruments sound as beautiful as they look. Homer Ledford, a legend among dulcimer makers, is known for his innovative but traditional craftsmanship. A biography and a step-by-step guide to dulcimer making, this classic book illuminates and celebrates the work of a master craftsman, musician, and folk artist. This new edition presents a foreword by Ron Pen, director of the John Jacob Niles Center for American Music at the University of Kentucky, and an enlightening afterword featuring a conversation with Ledford. In an era when Americans are rediscovering their musical roots, Dulcimer Maker offers a unique look at a bluegrass legend.
Goes well beyond the numerous scholarly and technical articles written over the years about the dulcimer. Ledford’s comments complement Alvey’s writing and the fine photographs. -- Choice
Even if you don’t know a dulcimer from a dobro, this is a fine biography in its own rights, a slice of real life profiling an innovative master of his craft and practicing musician. -- Pegram (TN) Advocate
There is a certain amount of how-to in the book (thank goodness someone cared enough to keep the written log) and even more who-does, but for musicians the core of this tribute and testament is the music-making instrument itself, the sound-in-the-ear as well as the visual object itself, which are both works of art. -- Rockland (ME) Courier-Gazette
One of the best luthier biographies to be published in recent memory and a must-read for fans of the mountain dulcimer. -- Sing Out!
Publication Date
1984
Publisher
The University Press of Kentucky
Place of Publication
Lexington, KY
ISBN
9780813190518
eISBN
9780813148458
Keywords
Homer Ledford, Dulcimer, Appalachian music, Musical instrument makers, Kentucky
Disciplines
Cultural History
Recommended Citation
Alvey, R. Gerald, "Dulcimer Maker: The Craft of Homer Ledford" (1984). Cultural History. 10.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_cultural_history/10
![Dulcimer Maker: The Craft of Homer Ledford](https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_cultural_history/1009/thumbnail.jpg)
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Notes
Photographs by Jerry Schureman with a foreword by Ron Pen.