Our 2026 Instructors:
Stephen Seifert
Stephen Seifert’s teaching and playing has made him a favorite with dulcimer players all over the country since 1991. In that time, he’s been a featured performer at hundreds of dulcimer festivals and other music events including Kentucky Music Week in Bardstown, KY, Dulcimerville in Black Mountain, NC, the Augusta Heritage Center in Elkins, WV, the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, NC, the Ozark Folk Center in Mountain View, AR, Stringalong near Milwaukee, WI, the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield, KS, Black Mountain Music Festival in Black Mountain, NC, Nonsuch in England, and The tono American Music Festival, in Tono, Japan.
Stephen has been a dulcimer soloist with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra, now known as Orchestra Nashville, since 1996 and is featured on their Warner Classical recording of Connie Ellisor and David Schnaufer’s Blackberry Winter, a concerto for mountain dulcimer and string orchestra. The piece continues to be in regular rotation on many classical stations around the U.S. (The recording album is titled “Conversations in Silence” and can be sampled and purchased on iTunes.) Stephen has performed performed this piece with the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, and a bunch of others.
Stephen was Adjunct Instructor of Mountain Dulcimer with David Schnaufer at Vanderbilt’s Blair School of Music from 1997 to 2001. He also taught, performed, and recorded with Mr. Schnaufer as a duo throughout the country. Stephen has authored ten books, four CDs, and 16 instructional videos. See all his latest instructional materials at: mountaindulcimeratoz.com
Carol Crocker
Carol Crocker’s first introduction to mountain dulcimer was at a school Heritage Day program. As a folk musician Carol enjoys sharing her love of the dulcimer with children, schools, churches and senior homes. She has been a private instructor, and at various dulcimer festivals including Dulcimer U, Winston-Salem Dulcimer festival, Stephen Foster, North Georgia Foothills Festival, QuaranTUNE, Mt Dora, Kentucky Music Week.
She is a regular song leader on the Send in the Music Virtual Jam and has a Send in the Music songbook “Tunes from Zoom”. Other books include “Songs of the Spirit” Books 1 and 2, African American spirituals arranged for the mountain dulcimer with a CD and digital download; “Beginner’s Guide to Mountain Dulcimer”, and “Dulcimer in The Schools”.
Carol has a BS degree in Music Education from Western Carolina University and a MM degree in Music Education from UNC-Greensboro. She lives in Winston- Salem, NC, with her husband Joe.
(Ask Carol about her fabulous Carnegie Hall experience!)
Bing Futch, Director
Using Appalachian mountain dulcimer, Native American flute, ukulele and a board full of stomp-boxes, Bing Futch celebrates traditional and modern Americana music with passion, humor and boundless energy. Known for his musical shape-shifting, Bing switches the channels on style and tone with every new song, from his roots-rock and blues originals to The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Disney covers.
Bing’s music has been featured in film, video, on stage and in exhibits at the Orlando Museum of Art. He was composer and musical director for “The Jungle Book: A Musical Adaptation” at Stage Left Theater in Orlando, Florida. He also contributed music to the soundtrack of The Castle of Miracles attraction at Give Kids The World Village in Kissimmee, Florida.
In 2014, Bing won the Solo/Duo Artist award in the Central Florida Blues Challenge competition, earning a coveted entry into the 2015 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, TN, where he advanced to the semifinals. Several months later, Bing competed in the 2015 Central Florida Blues Challenge and won his category for the second year in a row, which led him back to Memphis to compete in the 2016 International Blues Challenge. There, he advanced all the way to the finals and was given the award for “Best Guitarist” in the Solo/Duo category, despite competing solely on the mountain dulcimer.
Laurie Alsobrook, Co-Director
After a full career in elementary education, Laurie Alsobrook has found a perfect blending of her two passions, teaching learners and playing the dulcimer.
Laurie has participated in a variety of festivals, online and in-person. Festival credits include Dulcimer U, the QuaranTUNE Virtual Dulcimer Festival, Black Mountain, Nonsuch, NGFDA, Dutchland, and Dulcimer Daze. She has also served as co-host/organizer of the Stephen Foster Digital Dulcimer Retreats.
Laurie has been a regular contributor to the Send in the Music Virtual Jam, offering tab to the participants and serving as a song leader. She also hosts a weekly more informal zoom jam.
A heart for the beginning player, Laurie has produced a series of books…jam survival books! With titles like “No Frills,” these books certainly live up to their name. Nothing fancy, just the facts.
Laurie haș other books in her collection, including “Holding Ukraine in Our Hearts”, “Collected Works of Stephen Foster,” Round and Round and Round,” and “Songs of the Season.”
Stephen Foster Dulcimer Retreat 