Rick Thum taught himself to play guitar and drums at age
twelve and played the trumpet in his high school band.
Throughout high school and college (B. S. Industrial
Administration) Rick played in rock bands, eventually
playing regularly on the upper deck of the Admiral in St.
Louis. While raising his family Rick directed his church
choir. Rick's interest in traditional music was sparked
when he bought a hammered dulcimer on a whim and found
himself in a three-piece folk band. In 1991 Rick became
co-owner of a large midwestern acoustic instrument shop. In
1994 he sold his interest in the shop to devote more time
to being a traveling musician. He placed first at the 1994
Southwest Regional Dulcimer Contest and third in the 1995
National Championship at Winfield, Kansas. Rick was voted
Best Performer and Favorite Teacher for several years
running at the prestigious Evart Dulcimer Funfest. (The
oldest and largest dulcimer festival in the nation.) He has
shared the stage with Mike Seeger, The Tony Rice Unit,
Steve Kaufman, Norman Blake, and Bryan Bowers and opened
for John Hartford, Norman & Nancy Blake, and Leo
Kottke. Rick is a popular teacher on the festival curcuit
and travels across the country playing solo and teaching at
music festvals. He currently has three recordings; Hammered
Fiddle Tunes, A Reason to Dance, and A Front Porch Waltz.
Mel Bay Publishing Inc. has published the companion book to
Hammered Fiddle Tunes. Rick is currently manufacturing
hammered dulcimers (Rick Thum Dulcimers) which can be seen
at a retailer near you and has, by demand, started the Song
of the Month Club. Mail order lessons by audio Cd.