Erin Rogers (3)

Erin Rogers is making waves in the music world by playing an obscure American folk instrument called the mountain dulcimer with unexpected technical proficiency and deep musical expression. Erin has been playing the mountain dulcimer for nearly twenty years, and in that time has developed a unique and progressive style. She performs extensively in the band Scenic Roots, carrying the rhythm section with her signature percussive chop and flat-picking fiddle tunes with impressive dexterity. Audiences nationwide are amazed as they watch her fingers dance over her dulcimer. One guitar player quipped, “Erin can do more with three strings than I can do with six.” Erin began playing mountain dulcimer when she was just seven years old, after receiving one as a birthday gift. Ten years later, in 2004, she won the prestigious National Mountain Dulcimer Championship. At the time, she was the youngest person to receive the honorable award. Erin went on to study classical piano for three semesters at Sterling College in Sterling, KS before pursuing a degree in Commercial Music, with an emphasis in bluegrass and acoustic jazz, through South Plains College in Levelland, TX. Erin graduated in 2010 with her Associates of Applied Arts, becoming the first mountain dulcimer player to complete the program; and began touring full-time with Scenic Roots. During college, Erin went through a difficult struggle as she battled Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in 2007. She played her mountain dulcimer through every chemotherapy treatment. She firmly believes that her music and faith were paramount to her healing. Erin is currently writing a book which documents her journey through cancer; and publicly speaks about her experience. She is passionate about encouraging people who are going through difficult times with her story and music. You can hear that passion as Erin culls from her instrument music which lifts the spirit and heals the soul.