David Wilson
2023 Walnut Valley Festival Mountain Dulcimer Champion David Wilson loves music and loves to help students play their best by teaching good technique and having fun. He has taught a variety of stringed instruments for thirty-five years in private lessons, music camps and festival workshops.
As a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, record producer, instructor and touring musician, David has contributed to nearly 300 folk and acoustic music recordings, including National Champion Mountain Dulcimer players Gary Gallier and Les Gallier, National Hammer Dulcimer Champion Ilace Mears, Dave Para & Cathy Barton, mountain dulcimer songstress Anne MacFie, Kentucky Standard Band mountain dulcimer player Nancy Barker Johnson and hammer dulcimer player Alice Burton, hammer dulcimer players Nancy Dailey and Princess Harris, to name a few.
David has recorded with and performed as a founding member of acoustic progressive-fusion group The Undergrass Boys and Radio Flyer, voted the 1985 Best New Bluegrass Band in America. David recorded and performed in Beyond Reach with Larry Lee (Jackie Blue) and Randle Chowning (If You Want to Get to Heaven), founding members of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils. He also recorded and performs with renowned songwriter and author Marideth Sisco & Blackberry Winter (Marideth was on most of the soundtrack to the Academy Award winning film “Winter’s Bone”). David appeared in and contributed to the soundtrack for the film “Chrystal” starring Billy Bob Thornton and Harry Dean Stanton, and composed music for the soundtrack for the Debra Granick (Director, Winter’s Bone) film “Stray Dogs”, a documentary about Viet Nam veterans. He is also featured on the Laura Ingalls Wilder documentary playing tunes on Charles “Pa” Ingalls’ actual fiddle.
David and his lovely wife Julie live in Springfield, Missouri. They operate a fiddle repair shop and an acoustic music recording studio. David plays on the worship team at their church. They enjoy weekend getaways, day trip adventures and spending time with their seven children and 10 grandchildren.
