Susan saw her first hammered dulcimer in the spring of 1995 while vacationing in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She was drawn to the beautiful, mysterious sound emanating from a small music store. Little did she know that this encounter with hammered dulcimer would be beginning of a musical odyssey; a journey that would transform her from casual listener to musician, music teacher, recording artist, event creator and promoter.
Although the dulcimer is Susan's first instrument, she is no stranger to music. The daughter of a mandolin player with a family history rich in traditional music, her childhood was filled with sounds of Tennessee Waltz and Red River Valley on a daily basis. Frequent family gatherings with her father's eleven brothers and sisters often included sessions with fiddles, guitars, banjos, drums and lots of singing!
As a solo artist Susan nurtures a career that includes performing, writing, singing and teaching. She has been invited to teach and perform at numerous festivals including two years at the Cork Dulcimer Festival in Cork City, Ireland, Swannanoa Gathering in Asheville, NC, South West Dulcimer Festival in Dewey, AZ, Bay Path Dulcimer Festival in Northborough, MA, Cranberry Dulcimer Gathering, Binghamton, NY, and the Winston-Salem Dulcimer Festival in Winston-Salem NC
Susan’s recording Under the Winter Moon was released June 2004 and features traditional seasonal, Christmas, and Jewish tunes. Her debut recording Wateree was released June 2001 and features traditional American, international folk and original tunes. Her playing has been described as creative, expressive, versatile and “. . . so purely beautiful it will give you chills." Kerry Anderson, Gila Mountain Dulcimers.
Susan is also very active the local music community where she performs, teaches lessons, conducts workshops and was the creator of Yorkville Music Weekend in York, SC. She was recently recognized as a Folk Art and Traditional Artist by the South Carolina Arts Commission. She has been selected to serve on the North Carolina Arts and Science Council Talent Bureau 2004-present. She is also a performing member of Indiegrrl. Indiegrrl criterion for being chosen is simple: “the music must be exceptional, no matter where in your career you are.” She is a recipient of a Regional Artist Grant from the North Carolina Arts and Science Council, a member of numerous Folk Societies and alumna the Charlotte Folk Society Board of Directors. Susan has also published instructional articles for the hammered dulcimer on the Mel Bay webzine www.DulcimerSessions.com.
During the summer months Susan is available as a full-time musician and spends much of her time teaching and performing. She also holds a Master's Degree in Structural Engineering, and during the nine month academic year splits her time between her music and York Technical College in Rock Hill SC where she has taught Engineering Technology since 1986.
Selected Teaching Honors:
Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers
Phi Theta Kappa Award for Excellence in Teaching
Selected Concert and Teaching Appearances:
Swannanoa Gathering Dulcimer Week, Warren Wilson College, Asheville NC,
Cork Dulcimer Festival 2003, 2004, Cork Ireland
Tosco Music Party, Charlotte, NC
O’Donovan’s Hotel, Clonakilty, Ireland
Cobh Heritage Center, Cobh, Ireland
Hammerheads Dulcimer Festival, Virginia Beach, VA
Brookgreen Gardens, Pawley’s Island, SC
The Sylvia Theater, York, SC
Charlotte Dulcimer Festival, Charlotte, NC
Cranberry Dulcimer Gathering, Binghamton, NY
Levine Museum of the New South, Charlotte NC
The Latta House, York SC
Baxter Hood Center, Rock Hill, SC
Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC
Historic Brattonsville, McConnells, SC
Charlotte Observer Expo, Charlotte NC Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC
Charlotte Convention Center, Charlotte, NC
Winthrop Olde English Consortium, Rock Hill, SC
Economic Development Corp, with Senator “Fritz” Hollings, Rock Hill, SC
The Catawba Indian Nation, Rock Hill, SC
Monroe Art Gallery, Monroe, NC
Rock Hill Music Club, Rock Hill, SC
Museum of York County, Rock Hill, SC
Yorkville Music Weekend, York SC
Winston-Salem Dulcimer Festival, Winston-Salem, NC
Jonesborough Visitors Center, Jonesborough, TN
Bay Path Dulcimer Festival, Northborough, MA
Jubilee Festival of the Arts, Rock Hill, SC
Kings Mountain State Park, 2000, 2001, 2002
Southwest Dulcimer Festival 2000, 2001, Dewey, AZ
Queen City Dulcimer Festival 2000, 2001, 2004 Charlotte, NC
Summerfest, York, SC
Come-See-Me, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2007, Rock Hill, SC
Home Page Show with Bill Curry, SCETV Channel 30, Rock Hill, SC
Publications:
Major Scales and Harmony on the Hammered Dulcimer, Mel Bay, www.DulcimerSessions.com, April 2004 issue
Chord Patterns on the Hammered Dulcimer, Mel Bay, www.DulcimerSessions.com, August 2004 issue
Garden Café Waltz, Dulcimer Players News Magazine, Feb 2002 issue
Discography:
“Under the Winter Moon” Susan Vinson Sherlock, 2004, Traditional seasonal, Christmas, Jewish, and original tunes.
“Wateree”, Susan Vinson Sherlock, 2001, Traditional American, Celtic, International folk, and original tunes.
“Entertaining Angels”, Compilation produced as a public service by Doghouse Studios, a division of Woody's Music
"Oasis Acoustic Sampler", Oasis CD, 2004, an acoustic sampler CD from Oasis CD & Cassette Duplication which includes Susan’s “Under The Winter Moon”. www.oasiscd.com
"Oasis Acoustic Sampler", Oasis CD, 2002, an acoustic sampler CD from Oasis CD & Cassette Duplication which includes Susan’s “Garden Café Waltz”. www.oasiscd.com
Organizations:
South Carolina Arts Commission Folk Arts and Traditional Artists Roster
Charlotte Folk Society, Board of Directors, Alum, Charlotte, North Carolina
World Folk Music Association
Just Plain Folks, Song Writing/Musician Organization
INDIEGRRL
NC Arts and Sciences Council Talent Bureau
BMI
Nashville Songwriters Association International
Reviews and Quotes:
"Under The Winter Moon” features Susan Vinson Sherlock's exquisite hammered dulcimer playing combined with sterling ensemble support from Albert Dulin on fiddle, mandolin and bouzouki; Dan Bright on guitar and concertina; Henry Trexler on bass, and John Trexler on clarinet. The tunes are traditional except for the title cut -- written for her son and recorded on his sixteenth birthday -- and Come Before Winter, a tune Susan learned from the playing of Jim Taylor. The theme is winter and the mood is deliciously somber with a kind of introspective solemnity that befits the season. Of course that's only until you hear the first sprightly dance tune that changes the mood to furiously festive. This nice set of tunes includes Cherry Tree Carol, Drive the Cold Winter Away/Blessed Be That Maid Marie, and Il est Ne'/Les Anges Dans Nos Campagne." - Dulcimer Players News Magazine
"All in all, anyone interested in any form of acoustic music will be hard pressed to find a better mix of songs... notable track on disk 1 [Oasis Acoustic Sampler 2 disc set] is from... Susan Vinson Sherlock [Under The Winter Moon]... " - The Inside Connection
"... Susan really out-did herself with [Under The Winter moon]! It is a "must have" album." - Kerry Anderson, Gila Mountain Dulcimers
"Susan has joined the ranks of the true virtuosos of her chosen instrument, performing and teaching at festivals across the United States and Ireland and recording two of her own highly acclaimed CDs, ‘Wateree” and “Under the Winter Moon.” - YC Magazine
"If you like hammered dulcimer you will like [Wateree]... well played" - Don Jacobson, Folk 'n Review, KVMR, Long and Dusty Road
"... [Wateree is] so purely beautiful it will give you chills." - Kerry Anderson, Gila Mountain Dulcimers
"...gentle and soothing music [Wateree] creates a serene scene" - The Herald, Rock Hill SC
"I'm drenched in work that I need to be doing right now, but I CAN'T not tell you that I've just fallen in love with your winter CD!! ...I put on [Under The Winter Moon] (maybe I should've just put on a sweater), and then, just like that--- it got me!! It's great! It is warmer than my warmest sweater...Your music is the kind of music that makes me feel really grateful for a cozy home, and deeply thankful for such small things as a hot cup of tea or fuzzy socks. I'd call it great music to sit by a fire to..." Christie Burns, Cork Dulcimer Fest, Ireland
"[Under The Winter Moon] is delightful and very tuneful. Delightful recording all round... full of good tunes. Perfectly balanced." -CDbaby.com reviewer: Gervais Sawyer
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