My co-worker and her husband took me to my first Renaissance Festival in 2002 (Thank you, Leann and Phil!).  While I was excited by most of the things I saw (working trebuchets, live chess games) the thing that got me hooked and kept me going back was the music.  Specifically, hammered dulcimer music.   Whenever I go to a faire now, I seek out hammered dulcimers.  As long as the performer doesn’t sing so loudly that they drown out their dulcimer, I’ll be captivated.  Here’s a list of some of my favorite performers I’ve enjoyed over the years.