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Born of Appalachian soil in Sharps Chapel, Tennessee,\nSarah Kate Morgan sings, plays, and writes like she\u2019s been in these hills since the dawn of time. She\u2019s had plenty of varied influences, beginning with hearing a classical music CD belonging to her family and going on to discover old time music through a dulcimer built by her grandfather. She began playing dulcimer at age 7.

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This proved to be a pivotal moment. At 18 years old,\nSarah Kate placed 1st at the 2012 National Mountain Dulcimer Championships in\nWinfield, Kansas. She\u2019s gone on to build a unique personal style which honors\nmountain dulcimer giants such as Jean Ritchie while working across genres to\nbuild something new. Her dexterous approach to the instrument is one that only\nmasterful artists can bring to the table; much like Bruce Molsky and the\nfiddle, having been a dedicated student of the dulcimer\u2019s complexities Morgan\nis able to distill them into a beautifully polished package.

\nWell-known and widely respected as one of the leading experts of the mountain dulcimer, Sarah Kate is also a first-rate singer and songwriter. Her earthy and poetic lyrics embrace the highs and lows of southern appalachian life while her voice does the same \u2013 moving between alto and soprano parts with ease. Her crystal-clear but rootsy vocal style combines the best of country, old time, bluegrass, and gospel influences who, like Morgan, foreground their cultural roots. All of this goes hand in hand to create a musical experience akin to a\nsonic baptism.
\nNone of this is lost on the giants of roots music. Sarah Kate has performed and/or recorded with artists like Tyler Childers, Alice Gerrard, and Erynn Marshall & Carl Jones. In addition to her musical prowess, Sarah Kate is an accomplished scholar who graduated from Morehead State University with degrees in Traditional Music, Appalachian Studies, and Arts Administration.
\nCurrently based in Hindman, Kentucky, she practices, cultivates, teaches, and preserves Appalachian folk traditions in her role as the Hindman Settlement School\u2019s Traditional Arts Education Director. Whether calling square dances, playing the mountain dulcimer, or making music and creating art with Appalachian youth, Sarah Kate Morgan\u2019s work centers on a lived belief that art\nand tradition are living, breathing tools that foster hope, build community, and create change.