Neal Hellman has been active in acoustic music since 1973. He has penned several books about the Appalachian dulcimer and recorded numerous albums, including Oktober Country and Dream of the Manatee. With Joe Weed, he created the sound track for Princess Furball, an animated children's video.

In 1987, Neal founded Gourd Recordings and produced several albums including: Simple Gifts, A Victorian Christmas, Tender Shepherd, The World Turned Upside Down, and The Fairie Round. He lives and works in Central California.

An avid student of history and current events, Neal remarked on the fall of the Iron Curtain, "After all, people just want to shop."