Versatile musician releases fear and adapts with the decades
By Fiona Potts
“It eventually came to me that if songs rain down from that place of “wonder” to make their home in my head, it would be unkind to ignore them. It was time to release the fear.”
Paul Adams
The name Paul Adams appeared a few times in the early pages of Dulcimer Players News.
In a letter to the editor printed in Vol. 1 No. 7 (November – December 1975), he wrote,
Dear Phillip,
I have been making dulcimers for about 1½ years now. I am also making bluegrass and frailing banjos. It began out of a project while I was in College studying ethnomusicology. Well, I built a dulcimer for class & haven’t stopped since.
My shop is presently located on the Illinois river north of Peoria, Ill. on Route 29.
The dulcimer is not very well known around here, so I have taken it upon myself to introduce it to as many people as possible. I could use a little help, so if there are any readers of D.P.N. in my area please come & visit me (I haven’t been in Peoria long & don’t know many people). I would also like to get involved in researching regional folklore & folk song.
I make your basic models of dulcimers – two hourglass & two teardrop with a choice of various hardwoods. My standard models are of H. Mahogany or Walnut with either Cedar or Spruce soundboards. Price starts at $50 plus shipping.
Again, thanks for your invitation to write and best of luck with D.P.N. You have my full support!!
Another letter appears in Vol. 2 No. 2 (1976), beginning:
Dear Phil: About 10 days ago I received a call from a woman across the river from me who said she had purchased a hammered dulcimer believed to be 130 years old. She had purchased it from an antique dealer in Minn. I thought you might be interested in running a couple of pictures. (ED. NOTE: Can’t they are in color but will forward to anyone who has a line on this). If so perhaps you could put in a plea for anyone having knowledge or info about it. The lady that owns it would love to have more complete history. …
There are definite Scandinavian influences – the soundboard and parts of the frame are painted in what is known as Rose Malling (a Scandinavian folk art, from what I’ve been told). The legs are easily removable and the story is told that the fella that played it at dances, etc. carried it on his back – ugh!
Vol. 4 No. 4 (1978) holds a real gem. You can read the full letter in accompanying picture, but he begins,
Dear Phil and Maddie:
Here’s something instrument makers may be interested in: a source of good, aged hardwood. This wood, mostly mahogany, can be found in the boat yard. Sometimes the boat yard owner has fresh boards around for repairs – but even better than that is the occasional old boat you can buy very cheap.
I’ve lived on and around boats all of my life, so this was a natural source for me. I bought an old dry-rotted boat and used it for lumber. The prices are extremely low around here as no one seems to want to fool around with wood. Many a dulcimer can be made from an old 30′ Chris Craft.
While he made a Swedish hummel for Daryl Hall (of pop rock duo Hall & Oates) in the mid-1989s, Paul Adams does not build much these days. He started releasing new age, eclectic, and world fusion music in the 1990s, and he is now better-known as a musician, with 133 million streams on Pandora. His album “Imaginings” was awarded “Best Contemporary Instrumental Album” at the ZMR Music Awards in 2016. His 2022 album “Sanctuary,” with Australian artist Elizabeth Geyer was named the top new age album of the year by New Age Music Guide.
In 2022 he also ventured into the Americana genre, releasing “This Curious Wonder” under the name PD Adams, to prevent confusion among audiences and “pesky” algorithms. Referencing his official foray into songwriting, in the liner notes for this album he writes, “It eventually came to me that if songs rain down from that place of “wonder” to make their home in my head, it would be unkind to ignore them. It was time to release the fear.”
Find Paul Adams online at pauladams.org and pauladams.bandcamp.com.
