Ted Yoder The River of Calm

8455 views

Instruments	Hammered Dulcimer
Official website	https://www.tedyoder.com/
Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/tedyoder/

Ted initially made a name for himself as the 2010 National Hammered Dulcimer Champion, but it was his tendency to take a popular or traditional song and 'Yoderize' it with his spectacularly unique use of the Hammered Dulcimer that really brought him to acclaim.

When people hear a song they recognize, but with a sound they've never experienced, they stop and take notice.

Ted's often asked why he chose such a rare instrument to perform his music with. The short story is this,

"For years I was a musician who played a lot of different instruments. Jack of all, master of none. The hammered dulcimer was just another instrument I could play a little on but not really kill it.

I started reading a book about how to make music full time and the main suggestion it made was to master one instrument and then branch out from there. So I did this exercise where I made a list of all the instruments that I played. Then I would narrow it down to the 3 that I could play the best. Then I had to pick the one that I loved the most.

It really wasn’t a surprise because I knew that it would be the hammered dulcimer all along, but I did the exercise anyway. I picked the HD because it spoke to me the most. I love its tone, its richness, and its percussive nature. I feel like I can speak through it.

After I did that little exercise, in less than 2 years, I won the national title and went full time into music. Funny how a little focus can make all the difference."Ted goes on to say, “Generally the Hammered Dulcimer is considered a folk instrument or a new age instrument. I’ve heard both styles often and neither thrill me much. I can do so much more on this than that."

Ted is often called upon to appear at Hammered Dulcimer events across the nation, but this has been eclipsed by a growing demand for his raw performance on stages and in live shows, taking his audience on a fresh musical journey.