Patty Looman has been playing old-time music on the lap and hammered
dulcimers almost as long as she can remember. She knows hundreds of songs by
heart, and she is teaching that music to others so they too can pass it on.
From Star City, WV, is a master hammered dulcimer player, teacher, and keeper
of the flame of Appalachian music. She is known for her lively playing and vast
repertoire of West Virginia tunes. Patty gives credit for her skill on the
dulcimer to her mentors— Russell Floohardy and Worley Gardner. Both men are now
gone but their legacy lives on through Patty.
Patty has taught extensively and is a Master Artist in the West Virginia
Apprenticeship Program and at the Augusta Heritage Center as well as at
workshops and festivals around the region.
Few people have contributed as much to old-time music as Patty Looman.
Through her mentoring, playing, and teaching, and by setting an example of the
spirit of the music and its joys, Patty has influenced the lives of many
students within and outside West Virginia. In 2002, her many friends and fans
founded the first annual Pattyfest old-time music festival to honor this special
artist.