Dusty Thorburn grew up strumming guitar and singing “Kum Ba Ya” and “Blowin’ in the Wind” before it was a cliché. A professional historian, he sees traditional music as a way to connect with people from the past, especially those who left few written records of their lives. A guitarist and occasional mandolin player, Dusty discovered the dulcimer several years ago and has been obsessed ever since, entranced by the simple beauty of the instrument’s design and sound. He founded River City Dulcimers, a group of musical friends that meets monthly online and in Sacramento and is also a Moderator at the popular website Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer. Dusty has been a regular at music events around Northern California, having taught workshops at the Redwood Dulcimer Day in Santa Cruz and the Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering and performed at events such as Petaluma’s Art in the Park festival and Old Sacramento’s Gold Rush Days. He has published two books of mountain dulcimer tablature:  Lullabies from Around the World , arranged for the beginner player, and  Songs of Old Albion & Erin, containing over thirty intermediate-level arrangements of tunes from early modern England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.  Dusty currently offers private lessons online and at The Strum Shop in Roseville, CA. His lessons, arrangements, and compositions combine a respect for traditional sounds with a modern, blues-influenced sensibility.