Michael Masley (1952 Trenton, Michigan) is known for his musical work on the Hungarian cymbalom. He unique method of playing the instrument comes from his invention of the bowhammer, a cross between a violin bow and dulcimer hammer. The bowhammers, worn one on each finger, except thumb, allows Masley to both bow, strike and pick the cymbalom's strings. These bowhammers, along with a pick on each thumb, allowi for unique musical effects and highly complicated music.



Biography:

Michael Masley studied creative writing at Northwestern Michigan College in the early 1970s. Starting in 1973 he he studied hammer dulcimer with Robert Spinner. He played traditional two-hammer dulcimer until 1979, when he developed a ten-hammer technique, presumably by attaching one hammer to each finger.



In 1983 he developed the bowhammer. In 1985 Michael Masley moved to Berkeley, California where he began to record his albums. He currently lives and performs in Berkeley, and can often be seen playing on Telegraph Avenue. He has taken on the self-appointed title Artist General (along the lines of a Surgeon General) and claims to represent the interests of artists.