All of the songs played by Paul, the love interest in my new Ocean City-based novel are beautiful melodies that I’ve learned to play—or, in one case, want to learn.

I’ve been studying the hammered dulcimer longer than I’ve been writing novels. About 12 years, believe it or not. My teacher is the great Ken Kolodner, a Baltimore-based musician who performs all over the country.

I’ve learned the songs Paul plays during the semi-annual Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer retreats. Mary Lynn Michal assists during these workshops. And hammered dulcimer player Laurie McCarriar provides technical expertise, while playing through all the sessions.

Actually, Paul can play one song I haven’t learned yet, Jim Croce’s Time in a Bottle. We talked about this tune during one Sandbridge workshop–and I even have a bit of sheet music for it. Someday I’ll learn to play it.

In the meantime, what does Paul play? Beautiful tunes! Here is a playlist in case you want to hear them.

• Ashokan Farewell by Jay Unger, soundtrack for Ken Burn’s Civil War series. Here the tune is played on the fiddle.
• Hallelujah, by Leonard Cohen, played on the hammered dulcimer by Mark Alan Wade.
• Time in a Bottle, by Jim Croce. You’ll have to settle for Jim singing his song.
• Abide with Me, a hymn played on bowed psaltery and hammered dulcimer.
• Out From the Shadows, written by Ken Kolodner and Mary Lynn Michal. In this link you can hear a sample from Mary Lynn’s first CD, Out from the Shadows, played by Mary Lynn and Ken Kolodner.
• Rumbling Quadrille, played by Ken on hammered dulcimer and Elke Baker on fiddle. I love this lively tune. And it’s really fun to play with other hammered dulcimer players. It can get really fast.
• Gentle Eily O’Carroll, played on the Irish harp and tin whistle by Grainne Hambly and Billy Jackson. You should hear it on the dulcimer. So lovely. You can almost feel the breezes ruffling the shamrocks.
• Panhandle. This intro to a video lesson taught by Ken Kolodner gives you a sample of the lively tune, which Ken wrote. Maybe you’ll even want to sign up for the lesson…

I fell in love with the hammered dulcimer the first time I heard it. Ken was playing in a Winter Solstice concert with his longtime musician buddies Helicon. You can look them up, too, if you’re really hooked. They include Robin Bullock, Chris Norman, and the next generation, Charm City Junction.

In fact, I signed up for a class on the hammered dulcimer at that very concert. I was hooked. I play a lot. I even have a travel dulcimer so I can play wherever I go. No I’m not very good but my children, God love them, say they can’t hear my mistakes. To them, it all sounds beautiful.

PS. I’m not making commission for all these links. I only want to share some of the beautiful music that gives me joy every day.