Hills of Kentucky Dulcimers
The Hills of Kentucky Dulcimers (HoKD), a community of musicians in northern Kentucky, keeps the traditions of Appalachian music alive by bringing old time mountain music to audiences that might not otherwise hear it. By weaving historical and musical lore along with occasional jokes and storytelling, HoKD adds a further taste of Kentucky culture to the mix.
Traditional Appalachian mountain music wasn’t established with formal concerts by professional musicians. It began as spontaneous, informal folk music that sprang from the hearts and souls as well as the instruments and voices of the people who played and sang it in their homes and on their front porches for their own entertainment and pleasure.
A typical HoKD performance features 20 to 30 musicians and has the lively feel of a grand party with your musical family. A score or more of musicians playing Appalachian lap dulcimers, Kentucky’s state instrument, augmented by banjos, fiddles, guitars and harmonicas perform a variety of music, including sentimental favorites and some popular Carter family songs, and then rip through a few fiddle tunes. Each performance is sure to spark some spontaneous sing-alongs.