Early Music for the Bowed Psaltery

Johanna M Bolton is an award winning author with several novels as well as science textbooks and other non-fiction titles to her credit. A retired teacher, she says she now has more time to venture into the field of music, arranging for and playing fiddle as well as bowed and un-bowed psalteries, and dulcimers, and flutes. Bolton admitted to teaching herself to read music and play the piano when she was eight because she heard a beautiful piece of music (Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata) and wanted to play it. Eventually she did. Over the years she added other instruments, playing the violin in a youth orchestra in Germany when she was 13, then working her way through college as a folk singer accompanied by guitar, lute, and autoharp. More recently she played the flute with a trio in Santa Fe, New Mexico where she lived for twenty years. She also enjoys playing her tenor recorder with an early music group. 20 CELTIC TUNES FOR THE BOWED PSALTERY was her first venture into music publishing. It was so successful that she embarked on this second volume of Early Music. She admitted to having a hard time putting the music books together. "There are so many good tunes!" Early Music for the Bowed Psaltery is her second music book. Hopefully it will be a boon for anyone who appreciates historic music or wants to take their instrument to a Renaissance Fair or SCA event. Bolton is planning two other books, one of folk music and one of classical tunes. Bolton enjoys attending local musical festivals and workshops. If you see her there, stop and say hello!