For the Greater Groove: The Future of Strings Tracy Silverman

“There are things in the music that conjoin us all.” Matt Glaser chats about the music that still inspires him after 50 years of study—the swing music of the 20’s thru the 50’s—and his perspective, after years of study, that the same musical ideas were shared across racial and economic boundaries, and how this has defined American popular music. And stick around til the end to hear an exclusive unreleased, never-before-heard track from the Wayfaring Strangers called ”When I Was a Cowboy.”

Curtis Stewart is a violinist/composer who is at the forefront of the new music world as a solo performer and recording artist, founding member of the Publiqartet, Artistic Director of the American Composers Orchestra and professor at The Juilliard School. We talk about his new Grammy nominated album, Of Love, the influence of his musician parents, teaching music at his own NYC high school for 10 years, and play a round of “Not My Gig”, where we find out just how much Mr. Publiquartet knows about…the Public Library.

With a musical worldview centered on individuality, freedom and emotion, Ginny talks about how to deal with the challenges women face in the performing arts, how to be fearless onstage, her new album, and how and what she teaches the students at her Popular Strings class at the Thornton School of Music, USC. ¬¬

Regina talks about her sound, her move from classical to jazz, her experience as a hospice caregiver, and then I ask the MacArthur genius how much she knows about...the song ”MacArthur Park.”

Jean Luc Ponty is the father of all modern jazz violinists with a long and ground-breaking career. In this wide-ranging conversation, Jean Luc talks about his transition from a young classical violinist fresh out of the Conservatoire to one of the leading jazz instrumentalists in Europe, to his impact on American rock and jazz fusion. We talk about who influenced his playing, what gear he uses, and about being in Frank Zappa’s band. Personally, there is no violin player who has had a greater impact on me musically than the legendary Jean Luc Ponty!

Violinist and tireless educator Jesus Florido talks about the importance of the groove in Latin music and how it’s expressed on the violin. We share an astonishment at how the groove is so often ignored by classical violinists in favor of tone production, and then I quiz Mr. Florido about...obscure facts about the state of Florida.