In my experience, if you take your dulcimer out for an airing, more dulcimers will appear out of nowhere. I take mine to our County's annual history day, and play it while waiting for business at my partner's and my book booth (a low stress way to get used to playing in public). It never fails...someone walks up to me and either says "A dulcimer, I have one of those at home," or "A dulcimer, I've always wanted to play one of those." I encourage them to come to our dulcimer club, you might look for a similar venue to find congenial folks to play with. And dulcimers don't have to play by themselves. The folks in my club also play hammer dulcimer, flute, mandolin, banjo, autoharp, folk harp, guitar, harmonica....and particularly at jams the attitude is "anything goes," as long as it's in tune, and moderately in tempo.

Happy strumming,
KateG