The atmospheric music of Seattle duo Magical Strings interweaves classical, folk, jazz, and Celtic influences. Their arrangements revolve around Celtic harp and hammered dulcimer yet gain vitality from an eclectic worldwide selection of additional instruments.
Husband-and-wife team Philip and Pam Boulding constitute Magical Strings. The pair first connected in 1978 when Pam enrolled in a hammered dulcimer class taught by Philip; they married in 1980 and have since produced nine albums together. Their 1996 release Islands Calling included guest performances by cellist Eugene Friesen, guitarist Alex di Grassi, Hawaiian slack-key guitarist Keola Beamer, West African kora player Moussa Kanoute, and Irish piper Tom Creegan.
Raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the son of university professors, authors, and peace activists, Philip Boulding began classical violin study at age six. By twelve he had switched to guitar and acquired proficiency in constructing his own stringed instruments. Exposure to a hammered dulcimer recording prompted him to build and master one himself. After settling in Seattle in 1974 he encountered the Celtic harp and subsequently traveled to Ireland and Scotland to solidify his command of the instrument. He further refined his technique through private lessons in classical and jazz harp, Russian cymbalom, and West African kora, as well as coursework at the Boston Conservatory and ethno-musicology classes at the University of Washington.
Pam Boulding started piano lessons at four while also cultivating an interest in visual art. She completed an undergraduate degree in painting, sculpture, and art history at Pitzer College in southern California. After graduation she taught art and music at West Coast colleges and established a summer art school for children in Maine, where she had spent her own childhood summers. Hearing a hammered dulcimer led her to enroll in instruction on the instrument, an experience that introduced her to her future husband.
As Magical Strings the Bouldings released their debut album Glass House in 1980. Later recordings include Good People All--A Celtic Yuletide Tradition, which featured all five of the couple’s children. The family continues to reconvene each December for concerts of seasonal music.
