Sounds from the early traditions of the Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer will be heard as instruments from the era are played during a living museum workshop Aug. 16 in Lawrenceville.

The workshop will be 1:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 16, in the Fellowship Hall of Fairview Presbyterian Church, 857 Duluth Highway, in Lawrenceville.

A panel of presenters will give the history of the early mountaineers travels and settlement along the Philadelphia Wagon Road, then the Wilderness Road blazed by Daniel Boone and his axmen in 1775. These early settlers crafted dulcimers, banjos and fiddles, sharing their instrument patterns from holler to holler.

Stories of the early dulcimer makers will be shared, their place in the history of the instrument and exhibits will include recordings, books and video.

The panel will play authentic instruments using traditional methods of noter stick, turkey quills and original tunings.

Then, everyone with a dulcimer will learn how to play in the noter drone-style with music tablature. They will also learn how to play easy parallel chords without using paper and be given handcrafted noter sticks to take with them.

The hands-on cultural experience will include historic dulcimers made by luthiers Leonard Glenn of Sugar Grove, N.C.; Edd Presnell of Banner Elk, N.C.; Bill Smith of Bluff Mountain, N.C.; Roy Russell of Galax, Va.; and Audrey Hash Miller Ham of Mouth of Wilson, Va. The Georgia workshop panel includes Lou Ellen Gibson of Big Canoe, Carol Downs of Athens, Anne Martin of Norcross, and panel coordinator Gwen Caeli of Lawrenceville.

The free workshop is sponsored by Gwinnoters Dulcimer Gathering, a 21-year-old playing chapter of the North Georgia Foothills Dulcimer Association.

For more information on the event, email gwinnotersdulcimer@gmail.com.