113 episodes
The Violin Geek Podcast Laurel Thomsen
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- Music
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5.0 • 27 Ratings
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Welcome violin geeks everywhere (or viola, fiddle, cello, guitar, trumpet...)! With all the detail and troubleshooting of a private lesson, violinist and violist, recording artist, author, and string teacher Laurel Thomsen shares daily discoveries, insightful interviews with top performers and music industry leaders, and tips for practicing, polishing, and becoming the best musician you can be. Episodes are accessible to beginners, yet contain the depth appreciated by the advancing student or seasoned performer alike. Happy Practicing! Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support
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Making Time for Music: a chat with violinist Julia Reddy
Today we speak with violinist, educator, and Violin Class podcast creator and host Julia Reddy about making time for practice. We discuss how to ramp back up after a hiatus, how to make the most out of limited time, how to effectively divide up our practice time and focus our attention for results, and how to balance our practice routine when juggling solo repertoire and technical work with orchestral or audition preparation. We hope you enjoy!
Show notes:
- Julia's website https://juliareddy.com
- The Violin Class podcast website https://www.violinclass.co
- Julia's free warmup PDF https://www.violinclass.co/warmup
- Listen to Julia's arrangement and recording of Maurice Ravel's Deux Mélodies Hébraïque for violin and guitar https://juliareddy.com/kaddish
Techniques and etudes mentioned:
Son filé exercise demonstrated https://youtu.be/WnH6EvvzCk8?si=pNCq8lvxGxveAahT
Schradieck School of Violin Technics https://imslp.org/wiki/School_of_Violin_Technics_(Schradieck%2C_Henry)
Ševčík Op. 1 https://imslp.org/wiki/School_of_Violin_Technique%2C_Op.1_(%C5%A0ev%C4%8D%C3%ADk%2C_Otakar)
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For more information and info about her performances, recordings, and teaching, please visit host Laurel Thomsen's website https://www.laurelthomsen.com
To check out Laurel's Violin Geek Blog, a companion to the podcast, please visit https://www.laurelthomsen.com/violin-geek-blog
If you have a violin, viola, fiddle, music biz, or practice related question or topic you’d like to have covered on the Violin Geek podcast or in the blog, have someone you'd like Laurel to interview, or have a story or insight to share, please send Laurel an email at laurel@laurelthomsen.com.
Also, please reach out if you’d like to inquire about violin, viola, or fiddle coaching or lessons with Laurel via Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom. You're also welcome to post your success story, comments, or suggestions to https://www.facebook.com/laurelthomsenmusic.
Happy Practicing!
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support -
Finding our voice, from Classical strings to Hot Jazz - A chat with violinist Gabe Terracciano
Today we chat with Grammy-nominated violinist Gabe Terracciano, who's expanding the range of the violin as a member of the Turtle Island String Quartet and the Hot Toddies Jazz Band, among other exciting projects. We hear about Gabe's transition from nearly quitting early Classical lessons to discovering and falling in love with Jazz, discuss what it's like to be a band leader in New York City, hear tracks from The Hot Toddies recently released full-length album, and gain tips for improvising for the first time and finding our own voice within whatever genre of music we play.
Show notes:
Gabe’s website https://gabeterracciano.com
The Hot Toddies Jazz Band https://www.hottoddies.band
The Hot Toddies new album and “Quarantine EP” https://www.hottoddies.band/buy
Gabe’s solo album “Three Part Invention” https://gabeterracciano.bandcamp.com/album/three-part-invention
Some Jazz and Swing artists mentioned:
Vince Giordano https://vincegiordano.com
Andy Stein https://www.andysteinmusic.com
Artie Shaw https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artie_Shaw
Woody Herman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woody_Herman
Glenn Miller https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glenn_Miller
Stuff Smith https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuff_Smith
Jean Luc Ponty https://www.ponty.com
Zbigniew Seifert https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zbigniew_Seifert
Other mentions:
Prohibition Productions https://www.prohibitionproductions.com
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Laurel's new music video "New York City Sundance" https://youtu.be/CcvpvsyzGaY
For more information and info about her performances, recordings, and teaching, please visit host Laurel Thomsen's website https://www.laurelthomsen.com
To check out Laurel's Violin Geek Blog, a companion to the podcast, please visit https://www.laurelthomsen.com/violin-geek-blog
If you have a violin, viola, fiddle, music biz, or practice related question or topic you’d like to have covered on the Violin Geek podcast or in the blog, have someone you'd like Laurel to interview, or have a story or insight to share, please send Laurel an email at laurel@laurelthomsen.com.
Also, please reach out if you’d like to inquire about violin, viola, or fiddle coaching or lessons with Laurel via Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom. You're also welcome to post your success story, comments, or suggestions to https://www.facebook.com/laurelthomsenmusic.
Happy Practicing!
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support -
Rediscovering Baroque Bows - a chat with historical bowmaker Ralph Ashmead
The bow is a string player's primary "tool for tone," but like any tool, sometimes we need more than one to get the job done. In this episode we speak with historical bow maker Ralph Ashmead, learning all about the differences between Baroque, Transitional, and Modern bows, the reasons why we might choose one over another, and exploring the factors that caused bow design to change over time. Having crafted bows for over 40 years, we hear Ralph's story into bow-making, and learn about his process for choosing wood and "wrestling" bows into being. Our chat concludes with tips for players looking to purchase a historical bow, and practicalities, like what to do when it comes time to re-hair your Baroque bow.
Show Notes:
Ralph Ashmead website (check out the gorgeous pictures of his bows!!): https://www.ashmeadbows.com/
Rachel Barton Pine on Baroque bows and Bach https://youtu.be/b73g8LR3zD4
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For more information about her performances, recordings, and teaching, please visit host Laurel Thomsen's website https://www.laurelthomsen.com
To check out Laurel's Violin Geek Blog, a companion to the podcast,
sharing tips, insight, and inspiration since 2007, please visit https://www.laurelthomsen.com/violin-geek-blog
If you have a violin, viola, fiddle, music biz, or practice related
question or topic you’d like to have covered on the Violin Geek
podcast or in the blog, have someone you'd like Laurel to interview, or
have a story or insight to share, please send Laurel an email at laurel@laurelthomsen.com. You're also welcome to post your comments, suggestions, or a success story to https://www.facebook.com/laurelthomsenmusic.
If you’d like to inquire about violin, viola, or fiddle lessons with Laurel via Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom, please visit the Teaching tab on her website and reach out via email at laurel@laurelthomsen.com.
Happy Practicing!
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support -
Where am I supposed to put my thumb on the violin neck? Principles and considerations.
A lot of us often wonder, where am I supposed to place my thumb on the violin (or viola) neck? What finger should it be closest to? Should it be stationary? Should it move? Is there a spot that will magically help it stop gripping and finally relax? Today we explore this question recently posed by a podcast listener. Always a frequent topic among Laurel's private students and the students in her "Complete Vibrato Mastery" course, please also check out the companion YouTube video to see all Laurel's demos in action.
Show notes:
Video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/iVl1xqZM5ek
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For more information about her performances, recordings, and teaching, please visit host Laurel Thomsen's website https://www.laurelthomsen.com
To check out Laurel's Violin Geek Blog, a companion to the podcast, sharing tips, insight and inspiration since 2007, please visit https://www.laurelthomsen.com/violin-geek-blog
If you have a violin, viola, fiddle, music biz, or practice related question or topic you’d like to have covered on the Violin Geek podcast or in the blog, have someone you'd like Laurel to interview, or have a story or insight to share, please send Laurel an email at laurel@laurelthomsen.com. Also, please reach out if you’d like to inquire about violin, viola, or fiddle coaching or lessons with Laurel via Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom. You're also welcome to post your success story, comments, or suggestions to https://www.facebook.com/laurelthomsenmusic.
Happy Practicing!
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support -
Music Careers, Part 2
In this second installment of her Music Careers series, violinist/violist, teacher, and host Laurel Thomsen explores music careers and activities that require knowledge and skill in music, but not necessarily on one particular instrument. It’s rare for even very talented musicians to be able to make a living at performance alone, so piecing together a variety of activities within our career is a great way to ensure our financial security, and stay passionate about everything we're doing. And even if we’re not planning to make a career of music, we may find that being involved with music in ways beyond playing our instrument very fulfilling and supportive to our overall drive to keep music in our life.
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For more information and info about her performances, recordings, and teaching, please visit host Laurel Thomsen's website https://www.laurelthomsen.com
To check out Laurel's Violin Geek Blog, a companion to the podcast, sharing tips, insight and inspiration since 2007, please visit https://www.laurelthomsen.com/violin-geek-blog
If you have a violin, viola, fiddle, music biz, or practice related question or topic you’d like to have covered on the Violin Geek podcast or in the blog, have someone you'd like Laurel to interview, or have a story or insight to share, please send Laurel an email at laurel@laurelthomsen.com. Also, please reach out if you’d like to inquire about violin, viola, or fiddle coaching or lessons with Laurel via Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom. You're also welcome to post your success story, comments, or suggestions to https://www.facebook.com/laurelthomsenmusic.
Happy Practicing!
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support -
Strengths and Challenges of Adult Learners - an interview with Rachael Ridge of "The Adult Violin Academy"
In this episode, we talk to Rachael Ridge, an Indiana based violinist and violin teacher, and the creator of "The Adult Violin Academy," a self paced online, video based course geared towards adult learners and their unique needs. We discuss the strengths that adult students bring to the table, as well as common challenges, like finding enough time to practice while juggling a job and a family, as well as physical pain and/or injury. We also talk about the importance of mindset. As much as we might consider playing a musical instrument to be a physical and musical pursuit, there are also mental and even emotional components that can easily derail our progress. Even if you aren't an adult student, but a teacher, professional, a younger student, or even just a music lover, there are many helpful tips and insights for everyone in this episode!
Show notes:
Rachael Ridge https://www.rachaelridge.com/
Rachael's "Adult Violin Academy" https://www.rachaelridge.com/adult-violin-academy
The "Active Violinist" Instagram https://www.instagram.com/activeviolinist/
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For more information and info about her performances, recordings, and teaching, please visit host Laurel Thomsen's website https://www.laurelthomsen.com
To check out Laurel's Violin Geek Blog, a companion to the podcast, please visit https://www.laurelthomsen.com/violin-geek-blog
If you have a violin, viola, fiddle, music biz, or practice related question or topic you’d like to have covered on the Violin Geek podcast or in the blog, have someone you'd like Laurel to interview, or have a story or insight to share, please send Laurel an email at laurel@laurelthomsen.com. Also, please reach out if you’d like to inquire about violin, viola, or fiddle coaching or lessons with Laurel via Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom. You're also welcome to post your success story, comments, or suggestions to https://www.facebook.com/laurelthomsenmusic.
Happy Practicing!
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Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support
Customer Reviews
Welcome Back!
I was so sad when you seemed to take a break from the podcast. I made it a routine to search for new episodes several times a year. I’m so glad to see new uploads! Thank you!
Wonderful yet intimidating
I'm listening to lots of classical music podcasts in preparation for my own podcast launch, and I have to say, Laurel's effort here is outstanding. Good sound quality, great information, clearly presented, and without the stick-up-the-@#! monotone of the NPR casts. Everything I strive for as I get ready to do this myself If this is representative of private violin/classical music podcasts (non-NPR or radio), then I've got my work cut out for me.
Chuck G Violin
So Grateful!!! Thanks Laurel!!
This is such an incredible treat! So helpful. I have a private instructor and also chew on this to utilize both. My only suggestion is for the podcasts are for the interviews / conversations with another. I would love to be able to hear the other individuals complete thoughts, their personal views and rabbit trails even. I totally understand that Listening in itself is an art form but in those type of situations its really important to talk less and allow the guest the platform. Still love em but would love them more! <3 Thank you again SO MUCH for taking your precious time and energy to do these Laurel!!!!