Biography
Tina Gugeler has been performing and teaching the hammered dulcimer for over 25 years. Her musical roots started with Celtic and American fiddle tunes. Her music now includes mixing pop tunes with traditional tunes for a delightful and unexpected flavor. She performs solo and with guest musicians. She is in the Denver area local bands Grandview Victorian Orchestra and “Balance and Swing,” and is the 2015 Hammered Dulcimer National Champion (her second time to win the championship in the hammered dulcimer competitions!).
Beginnings: As a registered nurse and artist with a son and pilot husband while living in Ketchikan, Alaska, she first heard a hammered dulcimer in 1986. The hammered dulcimer quickly became her passion and soon it seemed everyone on the island had heard Tina and her band, BearFoot, playing a variety of Celtic and American fiddle tunes. She played on the docks for cruise ship tourists, for weddings and dances, and at the Alaska Folk Festival in Juneau.
Since moving to the Denver area in 1990, Tina has become a full-time musician, performing solo and in small combos with fiddle, guitar, or piano, and in several local contra dance bands. Along with her busy performance schedule, she teaches students on the dulcimer and bodhran. Her favorite type of music to play is traditional Celtic and American tunes and many other popular tunes. She is also a polymer clay artist, teaching classes and making jewelry with polymer clay and metalsmithing skills.