WOODBURN, Ind. (WANE) — In Woodburn, a music store nestled between the local post office and a saloon stocks a unique instrument that can’t be found anywhere else: a dulcimer.
Although the business has been around since 1968, Folkcraft Instruments has called Woodburn home since 2007.
“When Folkcraft came up for sale in 2007, I was looking for something to expand my business – I had a company that sold sheet music – and Folkcraft had been around since 1968. It was an old company. He was well respected,” said Richard Ash, owner of Folkcraft Instruments.
Although the music store’s products have changed over the years, Folkcraft Instruments currently specializes in mountain dulcimer, a type of dulcimer that is one of the few instruments native to North America.
“The mountain dulcimer is a folk instrument from the Appalachians in the United States,” Ash said. “It’s just over 200 years old.”
While retailers like Sweetwater and Guitar Center offer a limited selection of dulcimers, Ash said Folkcraft allows customers to have their own custom dulcimers made from scratch while also offering a selection of standard dulcimers.
One of Asch’s favorite features of the dulcimer is its simplicity, which he says comes from having only three strings and being a diatonic instrument, meaning there are no flat or sharp notes.
“I’ve mentioned before that the dulcimer is a piano without black keys: you don’t have the complexity of sharps and flats,” Ash said. “With no notes, it’s a very easy tool to get started with.”
One of the reasons Ash thinks the mountain dulcimer isn’t as popular as other stringed instruments like the guitar or fiddle is because the dulcimer hasn’t been around that long.
Ashe also partly attributes the dulcimer’s popularity to its public perception.
“I think a lot of people think that the dulcimer is some guy in overalls or an old lady in a bonnet sitting at an old-time festival playing an old song,” Ash said. “It’s appropriate for the dulcimer, but it’s also an instrument that’s used for contemporary music.”
In recent years, Ash said some musicians such as Bruce Hornsby and Cyndi Lauper have used dulcimers in some of their music.
“Because they’re diatonic and missing some of the notes, they choose what songs to play on the dulcimer instead of playing the guitar or other instruments,” Ash said.
While the dulcimer may not be as popular as the guitar, Ash said the dulcimer community is among the most dedicated and close-knit he’s seen in the music world.
“Community — the feeling of being with others when you play our instruments — is really important to dulcimer players, more so than any other instrument I’ve played,” Ash said.
Folkcraft Instruments makes an effort to be a vendor at several dulcimer festivals throughout the year where like-minded dulcimer players gather to play music and meet friends.
“People don’t do this because someone says you have to take a class. They won’t go to these gatherings at night—the jams—to make music because they have to. They do it because it’s fun,” Ash said. “They can learn songs. They can hang out with their friends and it never hurts to meet more dulcimer players.”
In addition to his dulcimer work, Ash has partnered with Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation for nearly 10 years in the “Intro to Ukulele” class.
“It’s one of the best things you can do with your life: learn to play an instrument,” Ash said. “Learning to play the dulcimer is obviously my job, teaching and playing the dulcimer [is fun]but teaching and training people about the ukulele [is] almost as good.”
The next Intro to Ukulele class is Saturday, May 4 at the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation administrative office on State Boulevard.
Those interested in registering for the class can do so on the department’s website.
