Lesley started playing mountain dulcimer as a fun hobby when she was 10 years old. She became serious about being a musician after attending the Buckeye Dulcimer Festival in Ashley, OH when she was 12. Since then, Lesley and her mother Pauline have  traveled together to many festivals and Lesley has taken classes from such notables as Rick Thum, Kendra Ward, Guy George, Dan Landrum and Mark Wade. Her strongest influences have been Kendra Ward, Rick Thum and Mark Wade.

Lesley first saw Mark Wade play at the Funfest in Evart, Michigan when she was 12 years old and she loved his music instantly. "He had such an awesome style like I'd never heard before," says Lesley. After hearing him play she knew she had to play the hammer dulcimer. She bought her first hammer dulcimer when she was 13, spending her entire life's savings on it. Lesley began taking regular lessons from Mark when she was 16 and claims that's when her playing began to soar. "Mark can bring out the best in any musician," she says.

Lesley won the Mid-Eastern Regional Dulcimer competition when she was 16 years old and placed second that same year in the mountain dulcimer competition. Because of that she was invited to perform at the Dulcimore Festival in Lisbon, OH where she taught her first workshops. Teaching is something she really enjoys. She also enjoys playing many different styles of music, including romping fiddle tunes, slow ballads and even classical. Over the last 3 years, Lesley and her mother have played mountain dulcimer duets at the fair, banquets and various other functions as well as playing Open Stage at countless dulcimer festivals. "I love performing," says Lesley. "I love giving the audience something they can sit back and enjoy."

Click here to view a list of Lesley's contest winnings