Landrum bringing his hammer dulcimer to Kennett's Fall Into Arts Festival

Those who attend the Fall into Arts Festival this weekend will have a chance to hear some great entertainment. Perhaps the most unusual will come from a Kennett native who has spent years getting to know a different kind of percussion instrument. Dan Landrum lives in Chattanooga, Tenn., but he is looking forward to coming back to his hometown to play his hammer dulcimer, an instrument that is older than the piano and harp.

"I play drums, so when I heard the hammer dulcimer, I thought it was the coolest thing you can play. It's percussion. Honestly, I've never fit normal -- not on purpose. I drive an electric car, and I own a folk magazine," said Landrum. "I heard it, liked it, and found others liked it."

Landrum became enamored with the instrument after hearing the album, "Jogging the Memory," by Malcolm Dalglish. "I heard that and thought to myself, that's hit with sticks." Landrum taught himself to play and began street-performing all over Chattanooga, more than 25 years ago. Since then, Landrum has taken his hammer dulcimer around the world, touring with Yanni from 2003-2007. He has played at presidential inaugurals, Olympic ceremonies, and music festivals. He teaches at six to 12 dulcimer festivals a year -- as far away as Washington state. The largest festival each year takes place in Everett, Mich., where as many as 5,000 people attend.

Landrum also teaches the instrument through his online school, found at www.dulcimerschool.com. He owns Dulcimer Players News, a magazine with 3,000 subscribers. There are six albums of Landrum's music available on iTunes.

Like most musicians, Landrum finds it hard to fully describe his music. "I realized that what everybody else did, old time or bluegrass, was not what I did at all. I play something interesting to me, rhythmically, and if it makes me happy, I focus on that and develop it into a musical statement. I find that, if it interests you to begin with, there's a good chance it will be interesting to others," he said.

Landrum does not get to Kennett very often, but he carries his hometown's influence everywhere. He credits the late Bob Redman, of Kennett, for his love of photography, "Bob got me excited about photographs," he said. Landrum's Facebook page is full of his own photography.

He added that many people say, 'There's something in the water in Kennett.' Actually, Landrum said, there was something in the school system that inspired so many from here to wind up in the entertainment industry. "I would not be doing what I'm doing, without James Finch, Dennis Nail, Joe Newman, Pat Sharp, and other influences in the Kennett school system. They inspired me to try all kinds of different things."

Landrum is scheduled to play on the main stage of the Fall into Arts Festival today, at Noon and 1:30 p.m.