Karen Mueller P.O. Box 80565 Minneapolis MN 55408 (651) 649-4493 karen@karenmueller.com www.karenmueller.com Work Samples Audio: 30-Year Jig Kitchen Gal Bill Cheatham To hear the work samples, Windows Media Player is required. If you do not have it installed, you can download it for free here: Download Windows Media Player

Karen Mueller American, Celtic music Karen Mueller is a nationally acclaimed autoharp and mountain dulcimer player, known for her exciting and innovative performing style. She is an International Autoharp Champion and two-time Kansas Dulcimer Champion, and as been playing both instruments for more than 20 years. Her styles range from Appalachian to Celtic and contemporary folk songs, and her travels have taken her to all parts of the U.S. and to Ireland. Karen has written two books for Mel Bay Publishing and recorded two critically applauded CDs: "Clarity" and "Still Point." She is also in demand as a workshop clinician and school presenter. Available: Dates, times, and mileage open to negotiation Space: Requirements are arranged for each situation. Fee: Negotiable

Additional Information:
Karen Mueller presents an exciting program of American and Celtic folk styles on a variety of traditional stringed instruments, including autoharp, mountain dulcimer, and guitar.

The Celtic and Appalachian styles at the heart of Karen's repertoire have had a long presence in American traditional music. Since the time of the folk revival in the middle of the 20th Century, both styles have grown in popularity. Appalachian and Celtic music can be heard at community dances and jam sessions, at festivals, in bars and clubs, and at workshops. Through events at such venues, many people have been inspired to learn these musical forms, and a vibrant network of performers has emerged. Karen Mueller was first drawn to this music when she attended the Walnut Valley Festival in her hometown of Winfield, Kansas. She was impressed by the performances there, and drawn to the sense of community among the players. Soon thereafter, she was introduced to the autoharp and mountain dulcimer. The autoharp was invented by a German-American in the 1880s, and it soon became a popular parlor instrument throughout the U.S. While it fell out of fashion in much of the country, it survived in Appalachia, and was brought back into the mainstream through the recordings of the Carter Family in the 1930s and 40s. Today it is best known as an Appalachian instrument, but musicians representing diverse traditions play many kinds of music on it. The mountain dulcimer's origins are less clear, but similar instruments have been found in Germany, France and Sweden. Karen and her father built her first dulcimer, and her early experience with both instruments came from listening to historic field recordings and those of more contemporary players. There was nobody in her area able to teach her the styles that she found interesting, so she taught herself to play. Since that time, Karen has spent a good deal of time in the South, traveled to Ireland, and learned firsthand from many musicians along the way. She continues to add to her repertoire tunes that she learns by ear or writes herself.

Karen plays and teaches mountain dulcimer, guitar and mandolin, but she is most acclaimed for her skills on the autoharp. In 1986, she won the International Autoharp Championship, and today she is widely regarded as "one of the top autoharp players in the world" (Autoharpaholic magazine). Her dynamic fingerpicking style produces music that is energetic, while at the same time lush and harmonic. She is often invited to play at festivals and give workshops in locations throughout the country, but she also enjoys playing for small audiences at local concerts and school programs. Karen is also a frequent participant in Irish jam sessions, and she performs as a member of the Celtic band Piper's Crow.