Join us for the inaugural Elbow Room event, featuring Benjamin Barker, a ridiculously talented young harper and hammered dulcimer player.

Benjamin Barker is a multi-instrumentalist and composer located in Wilkesboro, NC.

The first time Benjamin saw a hammered dulcimer was at the house of a music instructor at the age of 11; the instrument was so captivating that it inspired him to take lessons. Since then, Benjamin has become a National Hammered Dulcimer Champion, and his most recent release is his new digital single “Mister Sandman”, which was one of the winning pieces played at the Championship. He has previously released two album of solo hammered dulcimer music, “Nothing But The Blood: Solo Hymns for Hammered Dulcimer”, and his most recent album “Bach: Complete Cello Suites Performed on Solo Hammered Dulcimer”, released digitally.

Benjamin is also a harpist and started his journey with the harp at the at the age of 15. He was selected as a Featured Young Composer for the American Harp Society’s Young Composers Project for his composition “Boardwalk Breeze”, which has been recorded and released digitally as part of “The Nautilus Trilogy” - 3 original compositions for solo folk or pedal harp. Benjamin has previously played with the North Carolina Harp Ensemble.

Benjamin has studied with top-notch musicians such as hammered dulcimer virtuoso Joshua Messick, renown harpist Frank Voltz, and studied under the Krüger Brothers at the Krüger Brothers Music Academy. A diverse range of musical styles has influenced Benjamin, ranging from Bach to Bluegrass.

Past performances have included such venues as the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass Festival, the WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, and Merlefest, among others.