Even in a normal year, the final months can bring some burnout in all areas of life, and that includes music. If you’re feeling that burnout, it can be tempting to wonder if it might be best to take a break from your instrument. To keep enjoying playing, many people...
In the era of Zoom, performances look a little different. Preparing for them is a little different too, but ultimately, performing online can be a rewarding way to connect with an audience. Here are our top seven tips to bring the virtual house down with your online...
Coucou! As I write this, I’m sitting in my new home for the next seven months: a lovely, many-windowed apartment at the heart of La Réole, France, where I arrived almost three weeks ago now. La Réole is a tiny town of less than 5000 people situated about 40 minutes...
What is a Fiddle School Session ? Each Fiddle School session is designed to include one year of material broken into twelve month-long lessons. Fiddle School Session 1: Texas Fiddle Foundations is perfect for the new or returning fiddler, whether you’re just getting...
Raise your hand if you’ve got a kid learning from home this year. Yeah, that’s a lot of hands out there. If your other hand is busy wiping the sweat off your forehead right now, it’s normal. Schooling from home for the first time is a lot to handle, especially if...
My Fiddle Story - Baxter Bell I started playing the violin before I knew any better! I was five at the time, and apparently, I had grown fond of the piano, as my grandmother had a baby grand in her living room, quite an extravagance for the wife of a barber in the...
TELL US ABOUT YOUR MUSICAL JOURNEY! Wow. Daunting challenge. So to begin, I’ll relieve those of you who may read this, the mental exercise of determining my age. I’m 72...which underscores that it is never too late in your life to pick up your axe, and start...
Even when we’re not in the midst of physical distancing and a sea of canceled events, everyone struggles with low motivation from time to time. But you don’t have to bend to the whim of motivation; instead, you can cultivate it consciously. Here’s the recipe to keep...
A Note About My Music I grew up on a farm on the land my grandfather homesteaded and in the house he and my grandmother built. My dad grew up there too. He and my mom remained hereafter they married. My mom was raised in a musical family. She sang and played the...
As fiddlers, nothing makes our hearts plummet more quickly than a buzzing fiddle. The worst-case scenarios flood in: “Is there a crack? Is something loose? Do I have to take it to the luthier and fork over a lot of cash to figure this out?” Thankfully, these aren’t...
I currently reside in the rural west Tennessee community that I grew up in. We raised cotton, hogs, and a large garden. We were poor people like most in the community. We had music and making music to fill the hours that chores and the cotton patch didn’t require....
We often discuss the loftier aspects of musicianship, but today we’re getting into the nitty gritty: how should you care for your fingertips, and nails? These simple things can make a big difference. Where should I expect calluses to form? As your calluses form for...