Description
Few musicians play the hammered dulcimer. Fewer still sing while accompanying themselves on this fascinating instrument, whose name means “beautiful song.” Phil Passen does both.
Phil was born in Toledo, Ohio; grew up in Monroe, Michigan and Toledo; and graduated from high school in Ashtabula, Ohio.
After Phil and his wife, writer Barbara Gregorich, settled in the Chicago area in the early seventies, they joined the Old Town School of Folk Music, and Phil began to itch to play an instrument.
Hearing the hammered dulcimer at a concert at the Old Town School of Folk Music in 1994, the light dawned. Phil thought: “I can do that.” And now he does.
Phil performed for many years for the Chicago Department of Aviation’s tourist programs at O’Hare Airport, and at the Green City Market. Phil regularly performs at area libraries, and is included in the Best of the Best by the Library Administrators and Coordinators of Northern Illinois. Phil’s programs include:
- “Music of the Civil War”
- "Music to Commemorate the Sinking of the Titanic”
- “Songs from Carl Sandburg’s American Songbag”
- "Music to Reflect News of the World; Based on Paulette Jiles’ Novel"
- "Music for the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage”
- "Irish Music on Hammered Dulcimer’’
- "Old-Time American Music.”
Audiences are fascinated by the uncommon, trapezoidal- shaped hammered dulcimer. After Phil’s performances, members of the audience, young and old, musicians and non-musicians, come up to take a closer look at the dulcimer and try their hand at it.
Work Sample
“Music from Carl Sandburg’s ‘American Songbag’”. This is a 70 minute program of songs from that book, with my introductions to the songs providing background on the music and Sandburg. This was a Zoom performance, but I have performed this live in libraries many times.
This was a performance of my program “March of the Women: Music for the 100th Anniversary of Suffrage” which I did as a Zoom from the McLean County Museum of History. The program runs about 60 minutes. This program was an Illinois Humanities Road Scholar program, as was my program “From Prairie to Farm to City: Music to Commemorate Illinois’ Bicentennial.”
This is the opening medley in my program of Irish Music on the hammered dulcimer, from my performance at the Antioch Public Library in 2017.
My primary work is to present themed musical programs to libraries, historical societies, and schools. The samples I submitted are from those programs, which also include programs on music from the US Civil War; in commemoration of the sinking of the Titanic; and old-time music, among others.
History
I began playing the hammered dulcimer in 1994, at the age of 46, never having played an instrument before. I have been performing in public since 1998. While I perform primarily at public libraries, I also played regularly at O’Hare Airport as part of the Chicago Department of Aviation’s Music in the Air series, and I play for weddings, receptions, and other public and private events. I also play in ensembles for barn dances.
Artistic Vision
My aim is to entertain, educate, and enlighten through my music. I hope to make audiences connect emotionally — laughing or crying — with the music; to learn about music new to them; and to learn through the music things they didn’t know about historical periods or events.
Traditional Folk/Ethnic Artform Statement
While I play traditional folk music on an instrument used primarily for folk music, my playing does not come from my own ethnic heritage. But my playing does illustrate how someone can respectfully relate to and carry on the traditional music of another heritage.
Name
Phil Passen
Type
Individual Artist
Address
1701 W. Webster Ave.
Apt 503
Chicago, IL 60614
Contact Person
Phil Passen
[email protected]
312.384.0128
Web Site
Artistic Discipline(s)
Music
- Folk/Traditional
Geographic Availability
Central Illinois
Chicago/Chicagoland
Northern Illinois
Southern Illinois
Western Illinois
Fee Ranges
$250 to $800
Core Audience(s)
Adult
Youth
Additional Populations
Behavioral Disabilities
Cognitive Disabilities
Developmental Disabilities
Emotional Disabilities
Hearing Impairments
Learning Disabilities
Physical Disabilities
Speech Impairments
Visual Impairments