Congratulations to David E. Field, Musician, Instrument Builder, Master
Craftsman and all around great guy. David has been
selected by the Music By the By Festival Committee to
receive the 1st
“Lifetime
Achievement . . . so far” award. You see we do not want Dave
getting any ideas that he doesn’t have to play, build,
teach, fix and generally keep volunteering and being
part of our music scene. After all, there’s no rest for
the wicked (only kidding).
David E. Field was born in Philadelphia 3/12/31 in the
Roxborough section – near the TV towers on the Schuylkill
River that you see from the expressway. He obtained his
education at the University of Pennsylvania and achieved a
B.S. in Chem. Engineering and M.S. at Delaware, Chem Eng.
He was employed as an engineer and supervisor in the Philly
area for 44 years. Retired in 1996.
David’s avocation has always been woodworking. His father was a carpenter as were his uncles on his mother’s side. He worked his way thru college as a carpenter’s “assistant” with his Uncles. He began building furniture after he married (six children, all grown now) and also took up instrument building when his wife and he got caught up in the folk boom of the ‘60’s. He have no formal music training. He built his first dulcimer in 1964 at the urging of a friend who ran a music store in Philly. They actually sold some of David’s earlier models and it took off from there. He have made about 360 Appalachian Dulcimers to date.
David started playing in an Irish Session around 1994 and Kathy DeAngelo who runs the session asked him to make some harps so she could rent them to her students. That started the harp business and to date David has made about 160 lever folk harps, many of which have been sold to students of teachers.
He has exhibited in most of the Delaware Valley juried Craft shows such as: Philly Folk Festival. Wheaton Village Craft show, Appel Farm Music Festival, Potomac Celtic Festival, Middlesex Co, Fair, The Noyes Museum, Haddonfield Craft Show, Phila. Celtic Festival, and many lesser shows.
Most of David’s adult children play musical instruments and his daughters play the harp, both treble and “Celtic”. David’s one son, Charles, plays guitar, banjo and a pretty good dulcimer.
If you have a note of congratulations or a picture from his musical career, please send it to us. We are making a special book for his award ceremony.