Ted Yoder
Ted Yoder has revolutionized the hammered dulcimer through his pop symphonic approach on the instrument as a solo performer. He’s a National Champion whose highly engaged fanbase has nicknamed his innovative approach to playing popular songs “Yoderizing.” Ted’s both a dazzling technician and soulful and lyrical visionary.
The Goshen, Indiana-based instrumentalist-composer-singer first encountered the hammered dulcimer a decade before he actually was able to play on one. At the time, the instrument was costly and not readily available—this was the pre-Internet days—and Ted was a competent multi-instrumentalist who fell in love with a rare bird. It would take a tragic car accident and the love and support of his family to transform him into the musical innovator he has now become.
In 2010, just three years after dedicating all his time to the instrument, Ted won the title of National Hammer Dulcimer Champion at the Walnut Valley Festival. He’s been profiled in the Kearney Hub, Huffington Post, and on NPR’s esteemed All Things Considered show, among many other features, profiles, and reviews in regional and national tastemaking outlets. His 2016 Facebook Live viral video of Tears For Fears “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” has been viewed over 200 million times.
