COVER PHOTO: Hammered dulcimer from Patty Looman’s collection. Photograph by Gerry Milnes.
During an interview with Jeff Fedan, one of the founders of PattyFest, an annual celebration of old-time music in honor of Patty Looman, Jeff spoke affectionately about Patty and her dedication to bringing dulcimer tunes and old-time music to anyone who cared to hear and play them. Jeff admired Patty Looman’s reverence in preserving and teaching traditional music, and credited Patty with inspiring his own affinity for the dulcimer.
When Jeff Fedan and his wife Kathy attended the Jackson Jubilee Mountain State Arts and Crafts festival, they were drawn to the Old-Time Music barn. Jeff noted that was the first time he had seen a dulcimer. He remembered feeling inspired by the ways old-time musicians interacted with one another and said, “one of the truly wonderful things about old-time string music is that you can sit down with your instrument, join in, and start playing! You are always welcome.” For his next birthday, Kathy Fedan gave Jeff a hammered dulcimer and lessons with Patty Looman. When scheduling the lessons, Patty asked if Jeff played any other instruments and realized he was a drummer. She quickly encouraged him to take up the hammered dulcimer!
Patty Looman’s profound influence was evident in Jeff’s stories about hanging around with Patty, taking lessons at least once a week, traveling to music festivals like Vandalia in Charleston, and traveling to many states (even Canada!) to hear, play, and teach old-time hammered dulcimer music. He talked about how Patty touched countless lives with her performances and stories. She was constantly busy playing and sharing the music. He wanted to give something back to Patty, but she usually would not accept payment for lessons.
Jeff and Kathy thought about bringing friends together at Camp Muffly, the local 4-H camp, for a festival. The music festival presented an opportunity to showcase Patty’s legacy, as well as gather together a vibrant community of old-time string musicians. PattyFest was inspired by high notes of Appalachian culture, protracted relationships created in mountain communities, and timeless, traditional tunes.
The first PattyFest was a sensory adventure. Sounds of old-time tunes reverberated from the open stage beside a creek surrounded by hills. Musicians pulled up chairs and jammed tunes on the porches of the camp cabins. Folks savored a taste of West Virginia with ramps, fried potatoes, cornbread and beans, and fried green tomatoes served with traditional hospitality. Betty Wolf was the chef at Camp Muffly who created a menu featuring traditional Appalachian cuisine and amazing freshly baked pies. Musicians performed all day and the festival climaxed with old-time square dancing into the night.
First PattyFest program. Courtesy of Jeff Fedan.
Pattyfest 2002. Photograph from PattyFest.com.
According to Jeff Fedan who studied and played old-time music with Patty for many years, Patty’s dedication to traditional music was an inspiration for himself and the many folks whom she taught to play, as well as those who attended her many workshops and performances. Yet, Patty Looman passed on much more than dulcimer lessons. She embodied an essence of community and tradition fostered by old-time music. She represented a kind of life dedicated to “doing better and learning more songs.”
As our conversation came to a close, Jeff Fedan shared one last Patty Looman story. Patty was invited by the president of the United States to play hammered dulcimer at the White House. World events interfered with Patty’s scheduled performance, and the event was postponed. When the coordinator for the White House contacted Patty to get a new date on the calendar, she informed them that she was just too busy and could not fit it into her schedule!
PattyFest 2024 is coming up on Saturday June 1 at East Fairmont High School. Performances start at 11:00 and workshops (including a spoons workshop by Jeff Fedan) start at 9:30.
Jeff Fedan poses with his spoons in 2024. Photo by Kathy Fedan.