Janet Steele and Jude Lowery make up 2/3 of the trio “Mountain Fretters”.

Janet Steele and her sister Nancy Minard (The missing fret today), hosted the Dulcimer Club at Cullowhee Elementary school for over 15 years. Providing dulcimers and music to the students there for a before school program allowed many children to have an experience with music that they otherwise may not have had. Her favorite experience is having a young adult approach her “In the wild” and ask “Aren’t you the Dulcimer lady?  Do you remember me?” Often with their own children in tow.

Jude Lowery received a mountain dulcimer and a set of lessons for a birthday present from her wife about 9 or 10 years ago. She says best birthday present ever! The gift of music and a friend.

Janet plays a base dulcimer hand crafted by a luthier from a wooden violin case. Jude plays a standard, modern mountain dulcimer. Today they will play songs with an Appalachian flavor on the Mountain Dulcimer.