Album Notes

Tina Bergmann is a virtuoso hammered dulcimer performer/recording artist known for her driving energy and syncopated rhythms. Pete Seeger described her as "the best hammered dulcimer player I've heard in my life." Tina started played the hammered dulcimer at age eight and made her first recording at age 12. Coming from a diversely musical family that includes Classical pianists as well as a Great Grandfather who played his jaw harp and buck danced on the porch every morning, she was exposed to the dulcimer at age eight when her mother began playing music with a local musician and dulcimer builder by the name of Loy Swiger.
Strings & Things began in 1980 with Tina, Diana and Monty Bergmann. At that time the band consisted of Diana on lap dulcimer, Tina on hammered dulcimer and her brother Monty on harmonica. After going through many instrumental and stylistic changes the group evoled into a contra dance band with Tina on hammered dulcimer, Jason Hamilton on fiddle, David Rice on harmonica, fiddle and baritone horn, Diana Bergmann on banjo uke and Mark DeLozier on piano and stayed that way until Jason went off to college in the mid 90's.