Album Notes

What harpist/hammered dulcimer player is not fascinated with Christmas music? Donna's first recording, "Harmonious" is followed by her Christmas offering, "Lo, How a Rose". Again it features her harps and hammered dulcimer with additions by Rita Hayes on flute and Jeff Johnson on classical guitar.

Donna studied both music and speech/language pathology at Cleveland State University where she received her masters degree in speech pathology. Music studies there included voice and classical guitar. Donna began her professional music career in the 1970's as a singer and guitarist. She performed in coffeehouses in the Cleveland, Ohio area. After moving to North Carolina for her work in speech pathology, Donna performed as a church musician for six years and began to learn to play the hammered dulcimer. She began by building an instrument from a kit and has since moved to professional dulcimers built by Lee Spears and Jerry Read Smith. Due to the fact that there is limited music written for hammered dulcimer, Donna began transcribing music from classical guitar and other instruments for the dulcimer. She has attended master classes in hammered dulcimer technique but has been primarily self taught on the instrument. Her interests are in the performance of both classical and Celtic music on the hammered dulcimer. The instruments she uses include 3 ½ and a 4 octave hammered dulcimers.

In 1994, Donna began to study the Celtic harp and gradually moved to the classical pedal harp as well. This has included formal training with the pedal harp in order to develop the required technique and hand skills for this instrument. She plays a Celtic harp built by David Thormahlen and a Lyon and Healy pedal harp.

Currently, Donna performs as a soloist and with various ensembles. In the group, Braidstream, Donna plays hammered dulcimer and harp along with Rita Hayes, flute, Jeff Johnson, classical guitar and Paul Ghosthorse, cello. Donna plays pedal harp with the Blue Ridge Harp Ensemble and performs with Classic Touch, a dulcimer and classical guitar duo (David Stevenson, classical guitar). As a soloist, Donna may perform with either hammered dulcimer, Celtic harp or pedal harp. She has accompanied choirs with Celtic harp and hammered dulcimer and plays frequently a the Biltmore House in Asheville.

Donna has completed Hospice training and uses her music for critically ill and dying patients.