There’s something about the sound of mountain music that brings people together. They come to listen, clap their hands, and do some toe-tapping.

To Clarence “Mac” McKinney, there was a bit of magic in the music. And, it could have had something do with why he took up the art of crafting mountain dulcimers. It  was not only the sound of the instrument that appealed to him, but the craftsmanship of the instruments that he found challenging.

McKinney began making dulcimers in 1968, and he made them up until just a few days before his death June 14 at the age of 89. Mac, as he was known to friends, lived on the Bob Little Road in Valley Forge, where he had a wood-working shop. But, for many years  he had a shop in Foscoe, N.C., where he made and sold mountain dulcimers and hammered dulcimers. Many of the best dulcimer players in the business play his hand-crafted instruments. “They wouldn’t play any other dulcimer,” said his co-worker and friend, Clarence “CE” Kenyon of Banner Elk, N.C.

“John Mason, who has been playing the hammered dulcimer for over 30 years, has several of Mac’s instruments. Mac was a perfectionist and every instrument he made had to be perfect,” said Kenyon.

“Mac was a great person, a good friend, and the best when it came to his craft. He always told people he didn’t play, but he could just tear it up, when he played the few songs he did know,” Kenyon said with a smile. Among this favorites were Old Joe Clark, Bile That Cabbage, and Amazing Grace.

Kenyon recalls that Mac got his start making dulcimers when he lived in Kansas City, Mo. “He would attend the Renaissance Fairs there and take his wood carvings to display and sell. That’s where he was introduced to dulcimer making. He liked carving and building things, and figured that if he could craft dulcimers he could make some money. At that time he was in his thirties and had a family to feed and was too busy to take the time off to learn,” shared Kenyon.

However, when Mac retired from General Motors, he and his wife, Elsie, moved to Foscoe, N.C., and he built a shop there and began making dulcimers. “That was about 1987,” Kenyon said.

Mac and Elsie later moved to Valley Forge, however, Mac continued to make dulcimers and showcase them at High Country Dulcimers in Foscoe.

A long-time friend, Clay Bailey of Valley Forge, described Mac as a “perfectionist,” who was totally engrossed in his work. “He enjoyed the mandolin and the music of the High Country. Making mandolins was both an art and craft for Mac,” said Bailey.

“When crafting a dulcimer, he couldn’t wait to see what it sounded like. When he got one finished, he couldn’t wait to start another. In addition to the mountain dulcimer and hammered dulcimers, he also created bowed Psalteries and children’s music box hammered dulcimers. Every piece with the exception of the keys and strings was handmade,” Bailey explained.

“He told me that each instrument required 60 to 70 hours of labor. This including assembly, sanding, sealing, and applying three coats of lacquer. He used special woods such as spruce, curly maple, ambrosia maple, bird’s eye maple, cherry, walnut, mahogany, ebony, mesquite, holly and zebra wood for his instruments,” explained Bailey.

Both, Bailey and Kenyon treasured their friendship and time spent with Mac. “Mac was a local boy, born and raised in Roan Mountain. He served in the Korean Conflict. He received a Purple Heart and other decorations for wounds suffered in combat. Mack was hospitalized for eight and one-half months and underwent five major operations for shrapnel wounds in the back of his leg,” shared Bailey.

Mac’s most treasured war decoration was the Combat Infantry Badge.

Both Mac and his wife, Elsie, attended the Sims Hill Christian Church. Elsie died in 2016, but as long as she was able worked alongside Mac in his shop. “After her death, his shop and craft was good therapy for him,” said Bailey.

However, there was much more to Mac McKinney than the man who made dulcimers.

“He was a good man, a good brother. He was among the best at whatever he did,” said his brother, Dale. “Back then, you had to go wherever you could to find a job, and for Mac that was in Kansas City, Mo. He had a sister out there, so he went out there and went to work for General Motors.”

Dale remembers his growing-up years with Mac. “We did a lot of fishing, and Mac liked guns. He like to target shoot. He was always into music. When he was growing up, he played the guitar. He was good at everything he did, and ended up a successful businessman,” Dale shared with pride.

During his time in the dulcimer-making business, Mac McKinney made over 2,500 mountain dulcimers and probably a thousand or more hammered dulcimers. His instruments are in the hands of musicians in 48 states as well as Japan.

Mac McKinney made his mark during his 89 years on this earth, but he will be remembered for the magic that happened when a McKinney dulcimer got into the hands of a musician. As long as the sound of mountain music echoes through the hills of the high country and beyond, Mac McKinney will be remembered.