Lois Hornbostel learned to play the mountain dulcimer in the 1970s in traditional Irish music sessions in New York City, and has learned her music from "within the traditions" ever since. She especially loves playing Cajun, old-time Appalachian, doo-wop, and world music, and has written mountain dulcimer books featuring most of these styles. Her first recording, "Vive le Dulcimer," was a finalist for a NAIRD "Indie" award in the World Music category. She has been a performer/instructor at the Smithsonian, London's Cecil Sharp House, John C. Campbell Folk School, the Swannanoa Gathering, Common Ground on the Hill, and Augusta Heritage Weeks. Lois has won first place in the dulcimer competitions at the Galax, VA, Fiddlers Grove, NC, and Dublin, VA fiddle conventions, but prefers to focus on creative sharing of music through festival performances, jamming, teaching, and writing method and music books. Since 1979 Lois has written 7 books for the mountain dulcimer, 6 of them for Mel Bay Publications, and is editor of Mel Bay's www.DulcimerSessions.com, a bi-monthly "webzine" featuring playing lessons and free musical arrangements and sound files for mountain and hammered dulcimer players. In addition to regular work at dulcimer events across the country, since 1987 Lois has also produced outstanding dulcimer instructional weeks at state universities and this year began an independently-produced week called "Dulcimerville" http://Dulcimerville.com, that will take place in June in Black Mountain, NC. She also is program director for the Swannanoa Gathering's Dulcimer Week www.SwanGathering.com. Lois's website is www.LoisHornbostel.com.