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About Mary LynnMary Lynn Michal has a gift for teaching with a unique approach which combines her experience as a professional symphonic french horn player, her degrees in music education and ten years of mastering the hammered dulcimer. Having made the switch from the highly structured classical music world to a completely different style of traditional music gives Mary Lynn access to a broad range of teaching strategies.
Students are drawn to Mary Lynn for her passion for teaching, her belief in her students, and her unique style of individualizing instruction which allows students to reach their potential which is often beyond their wildest dreams. For booking, please contact Mary Lynn or call 919-414-1491 Mary Lynn Michal is available for workshops, private parties, weddings, concerts, and educational programs. |
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Sassafras RidgeSassafras Ridge sits atop a hill in Middletown, MD. Part house, part studio, part refuge, totally and undeniably Mary Lynn's home. The sassafras trees stand guard and serve as a constant reminder of ML's Dad and his love of fine root beer. Mary Lynn found solace and safety in a friend's home which is affectionately known as “The MapleRidge.” It seems fitting that those relationships and their lasting impact on ML's life have culminated in a corner of paradise now known as Sassafras Ridge.
Make plans NOW to spend some time with Mary Lynn—limited solo/small group intensive learning opportunities available on request. |
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Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer RetreatMentored by Ken Kolodner, Mary Lynn co-teaches for five weeks of Kolodner's Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Retreats, an elite hammered dulcimer retreat held in Sandbridge Beach, VA. She prepares many of the Sandbridge participants. In 2020, Mary Lynn co-authored with Kolodner The Complete Guide to Theory & Mapping for the Hammered Dulcimer.
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Teaching and PerformingPerformances and teaching appearances include The Sandbridge Hammered Dulcimer Retreats (VA), The QuaranTUNE Dulcimer Festivals, The Evart FunFest (MI), The National Cathedral (DC), The Black Mountain Music Festival, (NC) Kentucky Music Week, Common Ground on the Hill (MD), Dulcimer Jamboree in Mountain View (AR), North Georgia Foothills Dulcimer Association, The Poconos Dulcimer Festival (PA) and in Chicago, Watkins Glen, NY, Texas, online and elsewhere.
Mary Lynn teaches classes online through her website www.HDHomeland.com. Her signature classes Mastering Theory and Sharpen Your Skills have attracted more than 350 hammered dulcimer players from around the world. She teaches nearly 100 private students as well as weekend group retreats at her studio, Sassafras Ridge, in Middletown MD. |
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Musical BackgroundMary Lynn began playing piano at the age of 6 and studied for 14 years. In sixth grade she played trumpet but discovered her true passion the next year when she heard a french horn. She earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from UNC-Chapel Hill and a master’s degree from The Eastman School of Music. Prior to discovering the hammered dulcimer, Mary Lynn performed with the Durham Symphony for 20 years, serving as Principal Horn for five of those years. She has also taught flute and piano.
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