Articles & the Press

23rd April 2025

career highlights

Dan Evans’ career highlights

1992 – left management position in industry to pursue a career in music / many venues & events that year, including Bedworth Folk Festival / first of many live broadcasts with several BBC & independent radio stations including BBC Radio Bedfordshire, BBC Three Counties Radio, BBC Radio Northampton & BBC Essex

1993 – second of three concerts on level 5 stage of The Barbican Arts Centre London / The Mean Fiddler Acoustic Stage London / sell-out concert at Middlesbrough Folk Club / release of ‘Guardian Spirit’, Dan’s first CD album with launch at Grahams Hifi Studios, London / coaching British singer Tony Di Bart, who promptly rose to number one in the UK pop charts with his song The Real Thing

1994 – concert in Bunjies Folk Cellar London – a tiny but important venue, as previous artists include Al Stewart, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Cat Stevens, David Bowie, Rod Stewart & Phil Collins

1995 – recorded ‘More So’, a jazz album for Andy Crowdy in my home studio, featuring multi award-winning Alan Barnes

1996 – first of many concerts for Ealing Guitar Society London / concert in Hay On Wye Wales

5th December 2024

underlying philosophy

background to this article

(winter 2024/25) – medical matters significantly limited my music work in 2024 – however, this has given me time to think about what I do

whilst there are many things in life that I struggle with, I have become good at a few and I’ve reflected upon my modest successes – unquestionably dedication and perseverance play an import part, but I also attribute these modest successes to what I call an underlying philosophy, born from instinct, learning from mistakes and gaining wisdom from others

14th November 2024

A Waltz Through The Woods reviews

a summary of the reviews & feedback to …

… A Waltz Through The Woods ~ CD album ~ DSM8 / 2024

Dan Evans’ new A Waltz Through The Woods flows like a brook that sparkles and dances across ancient, polished stones – he has created a conceptual masterpiece that prompts reflection and warm memories – A Waltz Through The Woods is a bestseller

international Dulcimer Players News magazine READ MORE

8th July 2024

making music come to life

how to make your music come to life by adding variety to your compositions and arrangements

who is this article for

some of the suggestions and techniques mentioned in this article are generic and could apply to all musicians, some are for stringed instrument players and yet others are specific to (mountain) dulcimer players – so I hope this article will appeal to both dulcimer players and a broader audience

9th June 2023

in praise of DAA – the forgotten tuning ?

introduction

I was first introduced to the Appalachian dulcimer (as we called it then) back in the early 70’s and, at that time, DAA would have been the main tuning used for major scale songs and tunes. For me, living in England, London’s Roger Nicholson was a major influence when I started out and Roger used DAA as his major scale tuning.

Today, as the reader will know, DAD is by far the most dominant tuning for the modern mountain dulcimer and DAA is now perhaps seen as a dated and/or beginner’s tuning. This film however, made in 2021, of Roger’s pastoral piece Spring Season may challenge that perception.

In this article I’d like to demonstrate that DAA is not only alive and well but can be used to play meaningful, and perhaps even moving, dulcimer music.

12th July 2022

book review: Pluck, David Schnaufer’s biography

‘Pluck – The Extraordinary Life and Times of David Schnaufer’

by Linda Paulus

an informal book review by Dan Evans

first impressions

At over £37 from Amazon UK and with over 500 pages for the main story alone, this paperback represents quite an investment of time and money. So is it worth it ?

Schnaufer’s story is written in the present tense with an ease that seems to make the pages turn more quickly than usual. I enjoy reading but I’m often put off by very long stories. Here however, I found myself on page 300 in seemingly no time, eager to read on and find out what happens next.

20th January 2022

interview in Unicorn magazine

I stumbled across this interview for Unicorn folk magazine (UK) in my files today. My wife and I met the editor: Simon Bailes, while we were on holiday in the Lake District in May 2014. Simon was working away from home nearby in Cumbria at that time, so we met up and shared a meal together. Following this acquaintance, Simon both interviewed me for Unicorn and, later, reviewed my Au Vieux Moulin CD, which was in the making at the time.

13th October 2021

my back catalogue

part 9 ~ CD albums ctnd…

A Waltz Through The Woods (2024) is a lovely collection of instrumentals and a few songs from my current repertoire – original nature-themed pieces sit side-by-side with new arrangements of popular classics so there should be something here for everyone – the CD holds a number of waltzes and pieces set in 3/4 timing – beautiful cover artwork by Ian Scott Massie sets the mood of this tranquil and calming album

22nd September 2021

What Is A Dulcimer ?

“What is a dulcimer ?” is perhaps the question I’m most often asked – this blog aims to answer that question and to give a little background to this charming instrument, as well as my own approach to it

the dulcimers that I play are members of the zither family, not to be confused with the hammered dulcimer, which is a trapezoid-shaped percussion instrument

11th May 2021

dulcimer strings

advice on strings for mountain dulcimers

background

I am often asked which string gauges I use on my dulcimers – this blog aims to answer that question – but I first need to explain some of the peripheral issues for my answer to make complete sense …

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