MADELINE MACNEIL
A life filled with song, performances, Mel Bay books, and recordings (from LPs to cassette tapes to CDs) began one evening in Washington D.C. at a Peter, Paul & Mary concert. A relatively new high school teacher at the time, Madeline loved music and even performed now and then. But that evening hearing PP&M left her entranced. A few days later Maddie bought a guitarand began letting her hair grow long.
The time had arrived; she knew what she wanted to do in her life. Forget the details, like making a living and paying off the college loans. Fortunately she forgot the details, retired from teaching school at the ripe age of 27, and began the process of learning more chords on the guitar and more folk songs. Not long afterward, she was offered a job performing at Skyland Lodge on Virginia’s Skyline Drive. During six wonderful years of developing performing skills and exploring the beauties of Shenandoah National Park, she was introduced to both the hammered and mountain dulcimers. Then she left to Hit The Road.
The United States, as well as Canada, The Netherlands, England, Ireland and Scotland began to meet Madeline as she traveled. Folks liked what they heard. She's been called “the silver-haired woman with the golden voice.” Gregory Peck once heard her perform and told an audience, “Hearing Madeline MacNeil sing ‘Shenandoah’ brought tears to my eyes.”
For several years she was a Touring Virginia Artist sponsored by the Virginia Commission for the Arts. During those years she wished to share more of the music that embraced her. This led to recordings and books for mountain and hammered dulcimer players with Mel Bay Publications.
One of her recordings, Heart’s Ease, won an Indie Award (instrumental music) from the National Association of Independent Music Distributors.
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“With her mellifluous voice and the magic of her way with the hammered dulcimer, she can play whatever she wishes and call it whatever she wants, and listeners will beg for more.” North Carolina
“Folksinger and dulcimerist extraordinaire, Madeline just finished a two-week concert tour in Ohio schools and absolutely captivated some 2,600 elementary children with her artistry.” Arts Unlimited
“It looked like I was crying, but I didn’t want to blink my eyes at all, because I didn’t want to miss a thing.” Ohio 3rd grader
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