A retired biology professor (Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, Texas), Taylor is the "wise old sage" of the group. He was an original member of the original group The Catclaw Creek Boys. Taylor plays the Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer and just sits there and looks pretty - spouting words of wisdom upon request.

The word dulcimer is believed to have originated centuries ago. It was derived, it is thought, from the Greek word "dulce" (which means sweet) and the Latin word "melos" (which means song). It is commonly thought that the Appalachian dulcimer was widely used throughout the mountains and hollows of the Appalachian area. But, technically the experts believe that in its heyday and prior to its recent reintroduction to folk music, there were perhaps as few as 1,000 dulcimers throughout the whole region. There are as many shapes and styles of dulcimers as there are players and mountain craftsmen.