About Marsha

Marsha Harris lives in Morehead City, NC.

Marsha’s varied interests are seen in instrumentation as well as genres of music.  She plays Appalachian mountain dulcimer, bowed dulcimer, Galax dulcimer, fiddle and Native American flute.

She has been playing old time music since 1993. Her varied musical interests include traditional old-time, Celtic, contemporary, classical, Swedish, Cajun and original compositions. She plays beautiful, intricate melodies on the mountain dulcimer and is an excellent bowed dulcimer player.† Her easygoing style in teaching and patience are a favorite with students. Dulcimer instructors have taught her original composition, Red Dog, published in the Dulcimer Folk Association of Connecticut newsletter, to students for its ease of learning and it can be heard in jam circles.

She has traveled to areas in North Carolina, Vermont, Virginia, Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois, Arizona and Texas to teach various workshops and perform.

Marsha was a member of The Bogue Sounds, an eclectic group of musicians that played old time to contemporary music. It was an enjoyable was to spend friendship and music.

Marsha has won the mountain dulcimer championship at Union Grove Fiddle Festival and other awards in NC, first place and other awards at the Mt. Airy Fiddler’s Convention in NC and first place at Elk Creek Fiddlers Convention in VA and awards at the Galax Fiddlers Convention in Virginia and the Appalachian String Band Festival, known as Clifftop, in West Virginia. Marsha has been attending the North Carolina State Fair Folk Festival presenting her music and receiving instrumental and vocal awards as well as the Annette Pulley Trophy in 2014. The award is presented to an individual or group for outstanding talent, sportsmanship, audience appeal and continuing support to the Folk Festival.  She continued to receive awards at the NC State Fair Folk Festival. In 2018, she received The Curtis Lee Trophy for Outstanding Instrumental Performance and in 2019, she received Best of Show Adult Instrument. Marsha has been honored to receive the awards.

Marsha has also been a caller for contra dances and Civil War reenactment balls. She travels to numerous fiddle, Native American flute and other music festivals where she enjoys meeting friends and making new friends learning new tunes by ear to pass along to others.

Since 2009, Marsha has been delving into the Native American flute. Her creativity comes through the playing of this beautiful instrument.  She is a member of the Neuse River Flute Circle based in Raleigh. Marsha attends various Native American flute festivals around the country.

Her first album, A Nice Combination, shows her diversity in music. It includes original compositions and old standards. With the help of friends contributing their musical talents, the album was completed after a two-year process.

In September 2015, when she was a member of the world music group Painted Raven, she played Native American flute and mountain and bowed dulcimers.  The group received the 2015 Indian Summer Music Awards Best Song in the Instrumental Music Category. The song was “Blue Mountains” on the Wildflowers CD.

Marsha’s second album released in April 2020, Life Connections, are solo Native American flute original songs inspired from life experiences and expressed through the voice of the Native American flute.