The Violin Geek Podcast

In this fourth installment of her Intonation Mastery series, violinist/violist, teacher, and host Laurel Thomsen explores common issues within our technique that may contribute to intonation issues, as well as some considerations within our approach to tonality, and tempered versus non-tempered intonation applications (this latter topic is definitely worth a deep dive on another episode in the fut...

In today's episode we speak with celebrated New England based fiddler and songwriter Lissa Schneckenburger, who's been helping students increase their confidence and improve their skills through her popular ear-training workshop for years, and now as the 14-week self-paced online course, "Learning By Ear." We learn about the inspiration behind the course, why ear-training is an important skill for...

In this episode we travel behind the scenes again, into the making of one of the songs Laurel wrote and released earlier this year, along with Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dan Frechette, on their album "After the Fire." This time, Laurel shares the origins of her hopeful and empowering song, If A Wave . We learn about the meaning behind the metaphor heavy lyrics, what facto...

Ten years since recording the first episodes in this series, violinist/violist, teacher, and host Laurel Thomsen revisits the topic with fresh tips to help you sound more in tune on your violin, viola, cello, or bass. In this episode we cover several factors with our instrument which can affect intonation, as well as tips for how we can approach practice to better support developing good intonatio...

In today's episode we speak with Asher Laub, a New York City based Classically trained violinist turned improvising DJ violinist, entertainer, producer, composer, and entrepreneur. We learn about how Asher has been able to chart a unique career path, making a name for himself, performing high energy stage shows across four continents. We discuss gear and the importance of having control over your...

Note: this is a hands-on video episode. If your podcast app does not support video podcasts, while it may be possible to follow along with only the audio, please find the video here https://youtu.be/YGOs71Lu6RM  In this supplemental video series of the Violin Geek Podcast, violinist/violist and educator Laurel Thomsen shares a variety of simple warmups, mobility exercises, and massage techniq...

Note: this is a hands-on video episode. If your podcast app does not support video podcasts, while it may be possible to follow along with only the audio, please find the video here https://youtu.be/RWbF3jrwwdY            In this supplemental video series of the Violin Geek Podcast, violinist/violist and educator Laurel Thomsen shares a variety of...

People are starting to hit the road again, but what does this mean for our instruments? In this episode, violinist/violist and educator Laurel Thomsen shares tips for safely getting your instrument from point A to point B, whether by car or plane. Having averaged 150 tour dates per year pre-pandemic, Laurel also shares stories about her experiences traveling with her violin (and the what-not-to-do...

Note: this is a hands-on video episode. If your podcast app does not support video podcasts, while it may be possible to follow along with only the audio, please find the video here https://youtu.be/YSXoh_Fn09E In this supplemental video series of the Violin Geek Podcast, violinist/violist and educator Laurel Thomsen shares a variety of simple warmups, mobility exercises, and massage techniques to...

Pain and injury related to playing a musical instrument like the violin, viola, or cello, or general pain and tension that makes practicing and performing difficult, can be common. In this episode of the Violin Geek Podcast, violinist/violist and educator Laurel Thomsen shares insight into the cause of pain and tension, and hope that it doesn't have to mean an end to our playing. But where does on...

Today we speak with Maya Lorenzen, an Israeli/German violinist who has wrestled internal and external conflict to chart a career path and rediscover her passion for making beautiful, heartfelt music. She’s now helping her students do the same. Maya's new solo album, "Back to Bach," while born out of the loneliness of the pandemic, finds fresh connection to self and soul, with Bach's 2nd Partita ma...

In this episode of the Violin Geek Podcast, Laurel Thomsen chats with Dr. Cora Cooper, professor of violin, viola, chamber music, and string pedogogy at Kansas State University, and the editor of "Violin Music By Women" and "Viola Music By Women," graded anthologies of almost entirely unknown, but wonderfully inventive and enjoyable pieces by women composers. We discuss Dr. Cooper's inspiration fo...

In this episode we hear from Maura Shawn Scanlin, a Boston, MA based Classical violinist and fiddler who is bridging musical worlds with incredible poise and grace. Her new album, "Counting Down the Hours," with her duo "Rakish" is a joyful exploration of Celtic, Classical, and Americana sounds. We learn more about its inception and inspiration, and enjoy a couple choice tracks from the album. We...

If the metronome inspires fear, dread, or frustration in you, if you're not sure how to even use it, or if you find practicing with it is getting a bit stale, this episode is for you! Join string player and educator Laurel Thomsen as she explores the goals of metronome practice, explains the steps we need to take as we build up our metronome practice, and shares tips for becoming more confident an...

In this episode we are celebrating today's release of Laurel Thomsen's fifth album with her partner, Canadian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dan Frechette, and travel behind the scenes into the making of one of the songs Laurel wrote for the album, "Money Shouldn't Talk That Strong." We learn about the song's origin and lyrics, the duo's recording process, particularly Dan's approach...

In this episode of the Violin Geek Podcast we get a behind the scenes glimpse into the making of Laurel Thomsen's new single being released today, "Make Me Come Alive," in collaboration with her partner, Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Frechette. We learn about the song's origin, the duo's recording process, the making of the music video which is also being released today, as well as the harrowing...

In this episode we hear from Alexandr Kislitsyn, international violin soloist, chamber musician, educator, producer, and the newest member of the acclaimed Trio Casals. We learn about the trio's recent release, "A Grand Journey," featuring four debut works "inspired by traditional melodies and cultural flavors" for piano trio and solo piano, and enjoy a couple choice tracks from the album. We also...

Learn what it takes to create a compelling arrangement of a Pop, Rock, or Jazz tune and the factors that help determine whether a song is a good candidate for solo violin treatment or if it needs an ensemble or band to do it justice. If, like host Laurel Thomsen, your performance life has been requiring you to learn new songs in various non-Classical genres lately, or if you have a favorite song y...

Laurel Thomsen interviews acclaimed viola soloist Brett Deubner, listening to and discussing choice tracks from his recent albums "Mother Earth" and "Transfiguration," learning about his experience working with composers and debuting new music, and sharing tips for performance confidence, moving past setbacks, and creating a clear viola tone whether as a soloist, in an ensemble, or on recording. L...

In this episode Laurel Thomsen is interviewed by award-winning vocalist and FAR-West Board Vice-President, Susie Glaze about her experience with teaching violin and viola online. Long before the Covid-19 pandemic, back in 2009 in fact, Laurel transitioned to primarily teaching online. Here she offers over a decade worth of tips and insight to make the most of the time we spend learning online, wit...

If you're a musician, artist, dancer, or maybe a business owner, and you're looking to create more compelling videos, photos, performances, and presentations, listen in as Laurel Thomsen speaks with Justine Lucas, singer-songwriter, director, producer, and the creative spark behind Madwoman Productions, a San Francisco based company helping independent artists and entrepreneurs be seen and heard.&...

You’ve just perfected a difficult passage of your favorite concerto and  grab your smartphone to capture this monumental practice achievement.  You run through the passage again and while not perfect, you still feel  pretty good about your progress. You listen back, expecting to hear  exactly what you thought you heard while you were playing, but it sounds  nasally, distor...

"When we let our passion for the violin extend into the actual process of  learning, welcoming even our out-of-tune notes, missed shifts, and bad  tones as opportunities to find and fix problems, like any great  mechanic, we position ourselves for a lifetime of music making." In this "pep talk" episode from the Violin Geek Blog, host Laurel Thomsen takes inspiration from aviation te...

"When awareness is channeled appropriately, even most beginners have the skills needed to listen carefully and make elegant intonation adjustments." Join Laurel Thomsen for tips to immediately improve your intonation on the violin, viola, or cello, or the intonation of your students.  Original Violin Geek Blog post http://www.laurelthomsen.com/Violin_Geek_Blog/Entries/2021/3/31_Improve_your_i...

This difficult conversation concerning the origins of many popular folk song melodies came up in my teaching studio recently. Especially in light of the police brutality and BLM protests of this past year, addressing the historical context of folk songs seems to be an increasingly important piece of the learning.  Adam Miller blog post mentioned https://www.folksinging.org/political-correctne...