About Phyllis

 Phyllis Gaskins, nee Williams was born in 1947 at home in the midst of a late winter blizzard at the foot of the Blue Ridge just down from the Skyline Drive. She was raised in a family steeped in the struggles and privations of mountain culture. Some of her fondest memories center around sitting on the front porch with her grandmother singing the old folk songs and hymns. She grew up with a fertile interest in music. She played piano for the choir at the little Bear Lithia Baptist Church just down the road and shared her music with family and friends. 

 As a master of the Galax dulcimer style and as a master dulcimer teacher she has spent more than two decades sharing her skill and passing on her knowledge of the dulcimer and traditional music to many others interested in Appalachian dulcimer around the country. She has had a colorful and illustrative journey which continues and shows no signs of abating. An important milestone on that journey is the publishing of 'Galax Dulcimer' in which she has synthesized much of her vast knowledge about the “Galax” dulcimer: its history, construction, builders, playing style, and the beautiful traditional tunes sung to life and renewed with every stroke of pick or quill. She performs on dulcimer with The Highlander String Band and leads regular informal sessions at the Bridgewater Retirement Community and Francesco's Restaurant, in Bridgewater. Email Phyllis with any questions you might have about her dulcimer or dulcimer playing style or if you would like her to lead a dulcimer workshop.