The Violin Geek Podcast

Have you had the experience of suddenly hearing something in a recording, or about your playing that you never noticed before? Could the secret to becoming a better musician, in large part, not be just about practice and technique, but about becoming a better listener? If you'd like to "grow your ears" and learn to hear more of the details music is trying to share, and to demystify t...

What if "doing the music thing" didn't conjure subsisting on ramen and scrounging together rent money from a few random gigs and students, but finding a "path to remarkable success," ​positioning yourself in unique spaces and with interesting pursuits, making a healthy income while staying inspired and having a deep impact? If you've wondered if you could avoid the rat-...

What scale or excerpt should you choose to audition with? What should you do if all the excerpts are either too difficult and others too easy? When you have limited time to prepare the material, where should you put your focus for the most pay off? What do they mean by "contrasting" pieces? If you've wondered about these questions, or if you're a teacher wondering how to best hel...

What are études? Should you be playing them? Where do they fit into your practice routine, especially also considering a scale and arpeggio practice? Which ones should you start with, and should you always go in book order? If you've ever considered some of these questions, or you're a student, a teacher, or someone hoping to keep your playing chops in top condition, this episode is for yo...

Ever wondered what strings might help your instrument sound warmer? Brighter? Louder? Softer? Should you try gut strings? Is there a difference between synthetic and composite strings? What about all metal strings, and do different types of metals make a difference? What about different gauges, or tensions for that matter? How should you best care for your strings, and when should you change them?...

Can't quite get up to tempo? Starting to wonder if you even "have what it takes" to keep up with an ensemble? In this episode, host Laurel Thomsen demystifies one of the most universal issues among musicians of all types and skill levels, with tips for how to troubleshoot any speed issue. Buckle up and get ready to take your playing to warp speed. Show Notes: Intro/outro music "Sure Fire Way of Ta...

In this episode, host Laurel Thomsen answers your violin questions, including about strings, rosin, the instrument she plays, how to get dust out of your instrument, the story about the oldest violin she's ever played, and more. Enjoy! Show Notes: Intro/outro music "Tales from the Labyrinth": On Bandcamp ⁠https://danandlaurel.bandcamp.com/track/tales-from-the-labyrinth⁠ On Apple Musi...

We know we can't stop to fix mistakes during a performance, so why don't we ever seem to spend time in the practice room practicing how to recover? In this episode, host Laurel Thomsen shares why "recovery practice" might be the missing factor in your routine, and three ways to practice getting better at getting back on track when we do make a mistake on-stage. In the process, we...

Beginning students, but even the more advanced among us, often struggle with pitch (intonation) and tone. Troubleshooting sounds we'd like to improve can be especially frustrating when we're having a hard time differentiating between the two. One is the domain of the left hand, while the other, the domain of the right. In this episode we explore how to identify each and steps we can take t...

In this episode we speak with Tokyo born, New York based Jazz violinist and composer about her new album, "Lingering," with pianist Kevin Hayes, how her conversion to Judaism has informed her life and music, her journey from Julliard to free improvisation, and how she's managed to turn labels and stereotypes into assets along her career path. Show notes: Meg's website https://www...

What is shifting? How do we make our shifts more accurate and clean? If we're just beginning and not ready to learn how to shift yet, what can we do to ensure we'll be ready when the time comes? Join me as we dive deep into the nuances of shifting technique as it applies to the violin or viola, with tips also helpful for cellists, and for both beginning shifters and the more advanced among...

Many of us were drawn to play the violin, viola, or cello because we'd heard playing that brought us to tears, filled us with joy, or expressed a feeling that we couldn't even describe with words. Truly, there seems to be no limit to the emotions and the variety of sounds these instruments can express. However, our first weeks, months, and even years of learning to play can feel very techn...

It's frustrating and disheartening when all our preparation in the practice room doesn't make it out onto the stage. Instead of presenting the polished piece we've been performing in the comfort of our room, we're suddenly overcome by hyper-drive vibrato, sweaty palms, or a bow that jitters and skids as we squeak out our phrases. We're overwhelmed by mental calculations about d...

Happy New Year! We want our music making journey to be positive and comfortable, so we can express ourselves with freedom. Listen in as I chat with Jennifer Roig-Francolí, a professional violinist, certified Alexander Technique instructor, and the creator of the Art of Freedom Method. We learn about Jennifer’s path from concert violinist to her role as a coach, specializing in helping musicians of...

It's holiday time! Why not give the gift of comfort to yourself, your child, or your student, with a more suitable chin or shoulder rest! In this episode, violinist/violist, teacher, and host Laurel Thomsen shares the factors we need to consider when shopping for a more secure, effective, and comfortable chin and shoulder rest. And as we'll find, the most popular models might not be servin...

In this last installment of her Music Careers series, violinist/violist, teacher, and host Laurel Thomsen explores music careers that are more "behind the scenes," as well as a few that don't neatly fit into other categories. Despite not necessarily placing us in the spotlight, most could become stand-alone full-time careers, or a supplement to a performance or teaching career. And,...

In this episode we enjoy a fascinating conversation with Russian born violinist and educator Michael Dvoskin about the differences between violin training in Russia versus the United States. Michael also shares his story about immigrating to America, and tips for students preparing for an audition or recital. In effort to create both a successful and enjoyable musical education, there's a lot...

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 orches...

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 Y...

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 ov...

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 h...

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 g...

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...

Whether or not we plan to make a career of music, this series will be relevant for everyone! If we keep at it, we all reach a point where we're ready to take our music beyond the practice room, but as one of Laurel's students recently asked: "What can I do with this violin besides become Hilary Hahn or TwoSet?" Thankfully, there are many more options, and hopefully something for...

Last summer I was honored to chat with Julia Reddy of the Violin Class podcast about life, music, managing our inner critic, improving our self-esteem, and the experience of starting over with technique and getting to the other side. Julia has been on maternity leave, so the episode has just released and I hope you enjoy our conversation! It was nice to revisit what we'd discussed. Please consider...