Chris Peterson hails from Yonkers, New York. His background in music is haphazard; having taken lessons in violin, piano and clarinet during his childhood, he has succeeded in forgetting most of what he learned, including how to play those instruments. This trend continued into his college career, which he started in music and finished in psychology.Chris started playing guitar at the age of 11 and, miraculously, still plays. He took his first lessons on the hammered dulcimer in 1992, after years of temptation during which his Left Brain reminded him of the banjo, yet another instrument left on the Used To Play Highway. He took up the bodhran (a hand-held Irish drum) when no one was looking, and still hasn't been caught. In idle moments, he can be found pretending to play the mandolin and pennywhistle. Lately he has taken up the Irish bouzouki (octave mandolin) with the same enthusiasm he's had for the dulcimer. Time Will Tell.
In early 1994, Norm Jacobson invited Chris to join Dulcimania, a hammered dulcimer trio known for fine music, good humor, and a great need for floor space. His official attachment to the band ended amicably in the summer of 1997, and he now holds the status of Occasional Dulcimaniac. From 1999-2000, Chris was a member of The Tinker's Own, another Orange County-based band.
Chris was a member of The Oakwood Singers, an L.A.-based madrigal group, from 1992 to 2001. As an Oakwood, he sang bass vocals, played mandolin and bodhran, and arranged music. He co-produced the Oakwoods' CD A Lot Of Galle! and compiled and edited their songbook A Lot More Galle!, both of which were released in 1997.
Chris' latest activities include The Seisun (pronounced "session"), an occasional band plaing Celtic music in Orange County, in which he plays hammered dulcimer, guitar and bouzouki, and sings. In addition, he has published two volumes of original compositions.
Chris lives in the City of Orange, California, with his wife Linda.