Welcome
Hi, I'm Brian Douglas, Folksinger, and you are in the home of an American Bard. I am a singer and accompany myself with the hammered dulcimer.   The dulcimer  is an instrument usually associated with traditional instrumental music. Twenty years ago I took up the dulcimer because it sounded so beautiful, and seemed to have a great unused potential as an instrument.   I developed my own style of rythum accompaniment for vocals, just as I used guitar and piano. I play Rock and Blues, as well as Folk and Bluegrass, and though I sing a few Celtic ballads, they are mostly Americanized versions; and to tell the truth, a lot of my Celtic music comes from a Liverpool band, The Beatles.  As an American Folksinger, I feel that I am playing the people's music, folkmusic, which in America includes everything from The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd to Bill Monroe and Hank Williams, Mississippi John Hurt and Muddy Waters,  Peter, Paul, and Mary and James Taylor, Woody Guthrie and Stephen Foster,  and even some of the oldest songs like Greensleeves and Scarborough Fair.
    Though I have spent my life performing for people from Panama to Alaska and coast to coast,  I have never tried to get into the "business" or do more than make a simple living out of playing and travelling. I  have lived a life driven by the forces of spirit and service, rather than ambition or ego, seeking the immaterial rather than the material. When it comes down to it, what could the business offer me but fame and fortune, and a small chance at that, and I just wasn't interested.  I have often been a street performer, and have played many fairs and coffeehouses, many campfires and livingrooms, bars and schools.  I seldom played the standard venues because of the conception of the dulcimer as only playing oldtime fiddletunes or Renaissance music, and the music I did play was as out of place at the usual dulcimer venues (like Renaissance Fairs) as a boogie woogie piano player at a classical music festival!  But the People have loved my music, and their words of encouragement, their applause and tears, have led me on through these many years, and I have played for you. Perhaps some of you will recognize me in these pictures and songs, I'd be glad to add your comments and memories to these pages.  I chose to leave my record in people's hearts and minds and memories, in thousands of magic, beautiful moments that came to being in an instant and left only the fading echoes, the memories, as the last note faded away.
    Over the years, hundreds of people have told me I should "do more with my music", so I have decided to do so. I started recording again and have produced two initial CDs. This website marks the beginning of my efforts to come "out of the shadows". Though I hope to make my music more available to people through recordings, more organized tours and venues, and the internet; I will still be available for those who can only offer me a place to play and sincere appreciation. I am always glad to play, and love to jam or even just visit people along my travels. I am also glad to help other musicians and artists with any advise or references I may offer, or by participating in colaborative efforts.

My music has always been supported by unsolicited contributions and I see no reason to change my philosophy even if I am expanding the availability of my music. I am not independently wealthy, music is my only source of income. I often get by on a few thousand a year. If you wish to support my efforts you can, but don't worry about it. I accept all contributions towards furthering my effort to perform, record, and distribute my music. You can get CDs, download mp3's, invite me to play, send me a donation, or send a kind letter to encourage my efforts. I make my performances available to everyone I can, and enough people contribute that I am able to keep on performing, those who support me paying the way for those who do not.
Honestly, the efforts you see here, and the other web sites, are paid for not by the internet public, despite tens of thousands of downloads; but from playing music and distributing CDs for donations on the street and at festivals.

It is slow, but I am totally supported by unsolicited donations from the people, and I sing for them. Not for the money that they've given me, but for the thanks and the handshakes, the respect and sincere praise, the smiles and the tears, and when the little children dance; the way you've welcomed me into your celebrations, your lives, and your homes; the way you'd stop and gather round whenever I began to play, the spell bound magic moments together lost in the music, the breathless silence as the moment died away. I sing for you.

This site provides general and specific information about me , my instruments, and my music; often illustrated with photographs. There are detailed descriptions of my CDs, and the means for placing ORDERS. There is a personal statement (Brian), talking about my life and philosophy, illustrated with quotes from my songs. A simple biography (BIO) is available as well, and information about the hammered dulcimer (DULCIMER) which is part of the Dulcimer Web Ring, which links to many other dulcimer related websites. I have a page specifically about my experiences as a dulcimer builder. It isn't so much a "how to" or a technical description of my custom dulcimers, just the story behind them. There is a seperate page about the Electric Dulcimer, which again is not a technical description, but the story behind it. For those interested in having me perform, there is a collection of information and promotional materials for different venues, from festivals to schools, at the PROMO page, including recommendations and reviews, and the comments and even poems my music has inspired. There are complementary LINKS to other sites. I have an announcement bulletinboard (BB ) illustrated with recent photos, where I post passages from my semi-annual logs and entries from my journals, describing my travels and experiences on tour. I also post a general schedule and discuss works in progress and future plans. There is also a link there to my daily calendar, for the latest and most specific information on my performances, but I'll admit, most times these days it is blank.
I have added an Archive with old logs from the BB page, often with added information. It is intended both as a historical record, and as a resource for information, as I am adding the data I collected developing my digital recording system (DAW).

Feel free to e-mail me if something interests you or if you have questions, I have more information, as well as more complete stories, written out that I share with people on an individual basis. Use the link to my MAILBOX with e-mail, postal, and phone message contact information. I'd be glad to hear from you if I may be of service in any way. If you know a place to play, or if you have suggestions to help me improve this page or my efforts to get my music out to people, or just to be social. You may also just write in my guestbook, and your entry will be automatically e-mailed to me.