120 episodes
The Violin Geek Podcast Laurel Thomsen
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- Music Commentary
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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Shifting Technique Deep Dive
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 us.
Please also enjoy the video version of this episode here:
https://youtu.be/64Nzrqfqc9g
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Show Notes:
Intro/outro music: "Music Bug" by Laurel Thomsen https://laurelthomsen.bandcamp.com/track/music-bug
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For more information and info about my performances, recordings, and teaching, please visit my website https://www.laurelthomsen.com
To check out my Violin Geek Blog, the 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 me to interview, or have a story or insight to share, please send me an email at laurel@laurelthomsen.com.
Also, please reach out if you’d like to inquire about online violin, viola, or fiddle lessons with me 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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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support -
Play More Musically
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 technical - focused on just playing the right notes, at the right time, and hopefully with decent tone! Securing these basics can often feel like it could take a lifetime, so when and how will we get to actually play more musically? Today we're exploring what a difference just a handful of elements makes in creating a more musical version of a simple folk song from Suzuki Book 1. And yes, one element is vibrato, but even before we learn vibrato and begin adding it to our pieces, we have other factors that even a beginner can use to start to add more personality to their renditions.
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Show Notes:
"Sweet Beauty" full track https://open.spotify.com/track/7jjfysw3FoEQnvrNbBgcMB?si=32ce40e225b74803
Laurel's YouTube Channel with recent deep dives into tone etc.: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe5W2-LP_E2A65RCxIC9uGw
Laurel's "Complete Vibrato Mastery" online course https://www.udemy.com/course/complete-vibrato-mastery/?referralCode=5B724D936FF08F7DDFB8
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For more information and info about my performances, recordings, and teaching, please visit my website https://www.laurelthomsen.com
To check out my Violin Geek Blog, the 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 me to interview, or have a story or insight to share, please send me an email at laurel@laurelthomsen.com.
Also, please reach out if you’d like to inquire about online violin, viola, or fiddle lessons with me 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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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support -
Getting comfortable with Uncomfort: Tools for Overcoming Performance Anxiety
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 difficult upcoming passages and worries about how we'll even be able to make it to the end of the piece, versus the thoughts we'd love to be having about sharing the character and emotion of the music and connecting with our listeners. Sound familiar?
If so, I hope you enjoy this exploration into performance anxiety that goes far beyond imagining the audience in their underwear! I share my own journey through debilitating stage fright as a teen, and the tools, including hands-on mind-body practices we'll experience during the episode, which I've used to foster more confidence and focus on stage, and to help get comfortable with the uncomfortable symptoms of performance anxiety. I hope you find new tips to help you and/or your students in what I have to share!
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For more information and info about my performances, recordings, and teaching, please visit my website https://www.laurelthomsen.com
To check out my Violin Geek Blog, the 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 me to interview, or have a story or insight to share, please send me an email at laurel@laurelthomsen.com.
Also, please reach out if you’d like to inquire about online violin, viola, or fiddle lessons with me 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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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support -
"Make Great Music with Ease" - a chat with violinist and Art of Freedom Method creator Jennifer Roig-Francolí
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 all kinds play with more ease and joy, less pain and performance anxiety, and less tension and stress. Jennifer has just released a new book titled “Make Great Music with Ease!: The Secret to Smarter Practice, Confident Performance, and Living a Happier Life,” and we explore how bringing more awareness to our lives can help us become better players, but also people, in all the various roles we play.
Show Notes:
Jennifer's website: https://artoffreedom.me
Buy Jennifer's new book: https://a.co/d/bvY3TcY
"TheCyCle" video Jennifer recommended in the episode: https://youtu.be/Zr1c4T9KgFM?si=-vNgq1AsKfzMRWzJ
Check out Jennifer's album "Solo Con Spirito! https://artoffreedom.me/product/solo-con-spirito-celebrating-50/Connect with Jennifer through her YouTube channel with multiple playlists (teaching, music, etc.): https://www.youtube.com/@JenniferRoigFrancoliFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/J30DPC/
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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, the 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 online violin, viola, or fiddle 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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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support -
Finding a comfortable and effective chin and shoulder rest
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 serving most of us very well!
View the video version of this episode: https://youtu.be/mCxxoNa88fE
Show notes:
Ergonomic, lifted, and custom chinrests: https://www.chinrests.com/chinrestline
Non-custom lifted chinrests: https://fiddlershop.com
Chinrest models mentioned: Hamburg, Teka, Original Flesch
Shoulder rest models mentioned: Wolf Forte Secondo, Poly Pad, Bon Musica, Kun Seven
Intro/outro music: "Unexpected Waltz," written and performed by Laurel Thomsen. To listen and download visit https://laurelthomsen.bandcamp.com/track/unexpected-waltz
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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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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support -
Music Careers, Part 3
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, especially if we’re not drawn to performance or teaching, I think this particular episode shows us options where we can still contribute, sometimes in very important ways.
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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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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/message
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/violingeek/support