After my first year of playing dulcimer, I decided I wanted a better instrument. I asked the salesman in Nashville, IN to recommend a good recording. He mentioned David's Dulcimer Player Deluxe CD. His music absolutely blew my mind. I couldn't even imagine how he was doing it. I kept reading the liner notes and dreaming about what it would be like to be a full-time mountain dulcimer player.

The first time I saw David perform was near Cincinnati, OH. The house was packed. I finally got to watch him do his thing. I made note of his alternate tunings, capo use, and long hair. Nine years passed before my next haircut.

Sometime later, a friend of mine, a college DJ at the University of Kentucky, mentioned some promo material he had received in the mail. It was all about the Cactus Brothers, the Nashville, TN band David played with. My friend gave me the CD, a poster, and a comic book that depicted David saving the world from alien invaders with his laser equipped dulcimer.

A few weeks later, the Cactus Brothers played a local club. You can bet I didn't miss it. I shook David's hand after the performance and told him I loved the dulcimer. He told me he loved it too.

A friend at the time asked me what my biggest dream was. I told her,"to live where David Schnaufer lives and to make all kinds of music with him." I didn't think for a minute that it would ever happen.

After leaving Lexington, KY, working some odd jobs, and spending some time working for a YMCA camp kitchen in the off- season, I decided to go back to college. I ended up attending MTSU in Murfreesboro, TN to study sound recording. I made some phone calls and ended up getting in touch with Sandy Conatser. I didn't know it, but she was a student and friend of David's.

She kept mentioning some David fellow but I didn't know who she was talking about. I didn't know he lived in Tennessee. She eventually made it clear who she was talking about and wanted to know if I'd like to see him in concert at the Station Inn. It was an unbelievable performance. I was hooked.

David and I met and played a few weeks later at Sandy's house. Over time, we played together more and more. We became good friends. We traveled, taught, and performed all over the country for a number of years. Every moment playing with him was an amazing learning experience.

He taught me so many good things on and off the stage. I owe a great deal to David Schnaufer. He is my favorite mountain dulcimer player. I do miss our time together.

Stephen Seifert