Patti Amelotte
Hammered Dulcimer
www.pattiamelotte.com
www.looneysfortune.com
www.flutterbymusic.com
Patti Amelotte
became interested in the Hammered Dulcimer and Traditional
Irish music after attaining a Bachelors degree in piano
performance from Chapman University. She won the California
State Hammered Dulcimer Championship and has performed
throughout SoCal as a soloist and in the bands Better than
One with Barbara Gershman and Looney’s Fortune with Matt
Tonge and Georgiana Hennessy. Her newest adventure is
teaming up with Brenda Hunter in the duo, Flutter-By Music.
They perform wonderful musical arrangements on 2 hammered
dulcimers, harp, fiddle and accordion. Patti and Brenda will
present a 1 hour concert as well as coordinated workshops as
part of SCDH October activities.
Patti has performed on many television/movie soundtracks and
with the San Diego Symphony in the “Lord of the Rings
Suite”. Patti's recordings include "Granuaile," Better Than
One - “Les Cloches d’Hiver,” Looney’s Fortune “West Coast
Irish” and "Bird in the Bush." Patti teaches private and
group lessons in Southern California and at other festivals.
As Kingsley Sessions, she hosts concerts and classes in her
studio and on Zoom. Patti also does minor repairs on/and
restringing of hammered dulcimers and sells Dusty Strings
hammered dulcimers through her business - Patti Amelotte
Music: Instruments and Services
www.pattiamelotte.com
www.looneysfortune.com
www.flutterbymusic.com
Karen
Ashbrook
Artist, Teacher, Performer,
Therapeutic Musicianuntain Dulcimer
www.karenashbrook.com
For more than 40 years, Karen has been an international
pioneer and advocate in the revival of the hammered
dulcimer. Along the way she added Irish wooden flute and
pennywhistle.
Her career has spanned performances and teaching throughout
Europe and Asia. She performs frequently with her husband
Paul Oorts, a multi-instrumentalist from Belgium. Her strong
commitment to using her music as a healing art led her to
become a therapeutic musician, founding Music for the Spirit
– healing dulcimer music.
Karen is a board member of the Cimbalom World Association,
which promotes all forms of the dulcimer internationally.
Karen was hammered dulcimer headliner at our SCDH 2018
Festival in Costa Mesa.
One of her latest projects is ‘Dulcimer with Heart’, a
hammered dulcimer subscription gathering for virtual
lessons, jams, hangouts and more! Karen has so much to share
– for all levels of players. The monthly online jams with
Karen and Paul are fun and well organized.
KA/PO–Karen Ashbrook & Paul Oorts - Music from the Cultural
Crossroads of Europe
Karen & Paul joined forces in 1996, musically and soon
thereafter matrimonially, creating “wonderfully energetic
and exquisitely arranged collaborations” (Washington Post).
They perform and teach at festivals around the USA as a duo
and individually. Their most recent recording, KA/PO in
Concert from a 2013 live performance, showcases their
dynamic ensemble music.
Their first recording together, Celtic Café on the Maggie’s
Music label “explores pan-European music with uncommon
enthusiasm, grace and imagination” (De Morgen, Belgium).
The Flemish folk journal Goe Vollek! mused that “Denizens of
the old country, should be very grateful to Ashbrook and
Oorts for the way in which they introduce our traditional
music to the Americans…we cherish this brilliant CD.”
Facebook Page: facebook.com/KAPO.AshbrookOorts
https://karenashbrook.com/dulcimer-with-heart
https://karenashbrook.com/home
mail@karenashbrook.com or call 301-655-010
Barbara Gershman
Hammered Dulcimer
www.dulcimernotes.com
Barbara Gershman first heard the Hammered Dulcimer on a
recording in a Yosemite gift shop and found a teacher, Patti
Amelotte. Learning to play the dulcimer provided balance to
community college teaching and led to many friendships and
musical opportunities. She founded ‘On A Lark’ Celtic trio
with Jill Cassidy and Terry Gucwa, succeeding the trio,
‘Dulcimania’. She also plays accordion, especially with
Fountain Valley Singers & Strummers. She and Patti Amelotte
perform as a duo ‘Better Than One’ for Chapman University's
annual Wassail. She also plays with the ensemble ‘Legacy,’
the ‘Sans Frontieres International Folk Dance Band’
including keyboard, performs solo, ‘shepherds’ various
dulcimer groups in SoCal and teaches beginning hammered
dulcimer. Much of this has continued during the pandemic via
Zoom and recorded videos. Barbara believes that the hammered
dulcimer is ‘Music for the Soul’ and that SCDH helps keep
traditional music alive. She is SCDH CO-PRESIDENT with
Bobbie Adler, Festival Director &
E-newsletter/calendar editor.
www.dulcimernotes.com
Terry Gucwa
Cello
Terry Gucwa is known for bringing a touch of class to
any musical venture as he fuses his Cello with just about
any type of music. He is a mult-instrumentalist, playing
cello, fretted dulcimer, guitar, trombone, recorder and
accordion. Terry has gained quite a reputation as an expert
arranger as part of his contribution to many ensembles such
as: When Pigs Fly!, Madison Avenue Folk and currently, On a
Lark Celtic Trio with Barbara Gershman and Jill Cassidy. His
International Folk Dance Band, Sans Frontières (Without
Borders), performs Terry’s unique arrangements at local,
regional and statewide dances and festivals. During the
pandemic he produced many innovative stay-at-home composite music
videos, sending arrangements and guide recordings to the 8
SF band members to video themselves. Terry then did his
wizardry at editing and included dancers! He is also the
author of “Easy and Eas-ified Jam Tunes and Songs.” He has
been a long-time supporter of The Living Tradition (TLT) and
SCDH. He publishes the SCDH Dulcimer Events Monthly
E-newsletter / Calendar.
Karen Harvey
Hammered Dulcimer
Karen Harvey lives in Laguna Niguel with her husband,
Mark, and her kitty, Latte. She was a nurse for 44 years and
always loved caring for people. When retired, she wanted to
continue helping people in a different way by combining
caring with her favorite hobbies, like music. While working
Karen performed with her hammered dulcimer in California,
Idaho, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C with
different bands. She has taught in a number of SCDH
festivals, and is happy to be teaching again for this year’s
SCDH festival. She has composed a number of tunes and hopes
to compose more. During the pandemic Karen played music on
Zoom for friends that lived alone, were sick, and one friend
that lost her husband. She strongly believes that music can
help people in many ways. For her it is a joy! She
volunteered to play for the senior lunches at her local
Community Center before the pandemic and is now playing for
them again.
Brenda Hunter
Hammered Dulcimer
Multi-instrumentalist, Brenda Hunter, is classically
trained but feels she found her niche when she discovered
the hammered dulcimer in 1992 and, consequently, the world
of traditional music. Since winning the National Hammered
Dulcimer Competition in 1996, she has been a featured
performer/instructor at numerous festivals across the
country. Keene, CA is her home base where she plays
regularly throughout the area as a soloist on both dulcimer
and Celtic harp. Brenda also performs in a duo with her
husband, fellow multi-instrumentalist Dave Ogden, in a duo,
Flutter-by Music, with fellow dulcimer player Patti
Amelotte, and with her world/Celtic band, Banshee in the
Kitchen. Brenda retired from her high school music teaching
job in 2018 and is enjoying having more time to devote to
her musical pursuits!
Patty McCollom
Bodhran & Tin
Whistle
www.musicbypatty.com
Patty McCollom has played bodhran (Irish frame drum) and
tinwhistle professionally, for over 30 years. She is a
multi-instrumentalist, playing tinwhistle, banjo, fiddle,
and bodhran, and sings with several bands. She has toured
internationally with various groups and performed at
festivals throughout the United States. Patty is a jam
organizer and an enthusiastic leader in the traditional
music community. Contact Patty at:
www.musicbypatty.com
or
pattymccollom96@gmail.com
2023
SCDH Month of Music Bios 
