2021 Bio/ Mary Z. Cox

Two-time Florida & North Carolina banjo champion, Mary Z. Cox, has played banjo since she was 12 and has been a recording artist since 1999. She’s recorded 11 CDs, plays concerts & festivals, gives workshops, and authors banjo & dulcimer books.  Her music’s been played on National Public Radio’s, “Thistle & Shamrock”, “All Songs Considered,” Pandora World Music Genome, & the BBC.  She’s taught clawhammer banjo for over a decade at the John C. Campbell Folk School as well as camps & festivals nationwide, including the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, NC, Cal Tech, Priceless Festival in California, Monticello Opera House, Gebhard Woods Festival & the Florida Folk Festival.

Craig Evans, videographer & interviewer for the popular DVD series “Conversations With Old Time Performers” says Mary Z was included in this historical project because of her prolific recordings & instruction books & energetic hands-on instruction, which have helped thousands of folks around the world become better banjoists and musicians.

Many folks know Mary Z for her “Good Morning Banjo” & “Good Morning Dulcimer” videos on FaceBook & YouTube where she posts impromptu banjo & mountain dulcimer videos from unexpected places in the United States and around the globe.  Others know her from the 2016 & 2017 Banjo Babes Calendar & compilation CD.

Mary Z is the 1st Place winner in the 2020 Deep South Dulcimer Contest in Mississippi, a 1st place Florida mountain dulcimer champion, won 1st place 4 times @ the Brevard, NC Old Time Championships & 1st & 2nd at the Uncle Dave Macon Days in Tennessee & 2nd at the Tennessee Valley Fiddlers Convention.

Mary Z‘s “Easy String Band Method For the Mountain Dulcimer” instruction book & CD has been a favorite with dulcimer students all over the world & many of her CDs have mountain dulcimer tunes.  Her dulcimer articles, tabs, & mp3s have been published in the Dulcimer Player News. Mary Z has just begun tabbing out a brand new dulcimer instruction book for 2021 with lots of new fun tunes and songs –coming soon.

She has taught mountain dulcimer workshops at the Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat, Fall NGFDA Festival at Unicoi, Florida Folk Festival, the Will McLean Festival, Wood n Strings in Townsend, Tenn, and in Big Timber, MT, Birmingham, Al, Charlotte, NC, Denver, NC & Charleston SC.

Mary Z Cox holds 2 graduate degrees from Florida State University and grad level certifications in education for youth & adults.  “Folks learn more when they are having fun” is her educational philosophy.  “If a banjo or dulcimer calls to you—buy it—it's your destiny” is her motto.