Great interview this month with seven time National Fiddle Champion and creator of the FiddleStar site, Megan Lynch Chowning! Megan doesn't compete in fiddle contests anymore, or judge them, or go to them, so I was very curious to hear about why. We talk about fiddling in California, fiddle contests, fiddle camps, and different kinds of learning and relating to fiddle music. Megan filled me in on the just-released John Hartford Fiddle Project Volume 2 that she co-produced. Megan Lynch Chowning i...
Mar 10, 2025•59 min•Season 1Ep. 108
My interview this month on the Fiddle Studio Podcast is a conversation with The Wild Shoats , formerly The Shoats. Check out their fabulous brand new album Yell in the Shoats, just out! This is a relatively new band with three talented Old-Time fiddlers. I've heard them called both an Alt-folk group and a Gothic stringband. I get their take on the music of Appalachia, and the relevance and connection they feel to it as 21st century musicians. Hear how these musicians came to Old-Time music, met ...
Feb 11, 2025•50 min•Season 1Ep. 107
A bluegrass fiddler and a contradance fiddler walk in to a bar...and discover they both have degrees in music education. This month I talk with Austin Scelzo and we don't hold back discussing what we think is lacking in classical music and public school music education and training. Austin and I talk about leaving classical music and finding a home in fiddling and all about bluegrass music and fiddle and what you might not know about it. We touch on how a lot of formal music training emphasizes ...
Jan 21, 2025•42 min•Season 1Ep. 106
I could never pick a favorite interview, but this one was up there! The conversation this month is with a heroine of mine, Judy Hyman. Judy co-founded the Horseflies in Ithaca, NY in the late 1970s and has played and taught Old-Time and Alt-Rock fiddle ever since. She now composes music for film and media. Despite having a classical violin background growing up, Judy has never learned a fiddle tune from paper! We talk about why that is, her musical influences, and how she and her bandmates built...
Dec 31, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 105
We’re having a conversation with Oliver Scanlon, a fiddler and traditional musician based in Syracuse NY. Originally from Vermont, Oliver learned fiddle from the great Pete Sutherland. He played, performed and recorded extensively with Pete over the last 10 years of Pete’s life with Pete’s Posse, playing for hundreds of contradances, concerts and festivals for their nine years as a trio, releasing eight recording projects along the way! Oliver's current dance band is Stove Dragon and he does pro...
Dec 03, 2024•52 min•Season 1Ep. 104
An interview with West Virginia Old-Time fidder and fiddle teacher Dakota Karper. We talk about fiddle and banjo, starting her folk school the Cat and the Fiddle, improv and interpretation in Old-Time tunes, teaching beginners and developing young musicians using the Old-Time repertoire, and her Patreon which is an awesome resource! Dakota Karper, hailing from rural West Virginia, grew up immersed in the rich traditions of Appalachian Old-time music. From an early age, she embraced folk music, s...
Oct 29, 2024•39 min•Season 1Ep. 103
I was honored to chat with Bruce Molsky on the Fiddle Studio Podcast this month. Bruce has a new album out with Darol Anger called Lockdown Breakdown . We talk about getting into Old-Time and sticking with it over the years, trying to sound like your heroes, picking up new tunes, the Berklee American Roots music department, and what he listens for in old recordings. Bruce breaks down singing and fiddling at the same time and how to develop that slippery skill. We hear a track from the new album,...
Oct 01, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 102
Klezmer violinist and composer Alicia Svigals is widely considered to be the world's leading klezmer fiddler, often called the Queen of Klezmer. She was a founder and a longtime member of the Grammy-winning group the Klezmatics. She has performed with and written music for violinist Itzhak Perlman. Alicia Svigals has worked with everyone in every possible way: soundtracks, compositions, genres, in plays, on tv, and on stages all over the world. She has a brand new album out called Fidl Afire! Al...
Sep 03, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 101
Hey, it's episode 100! We hear from Charley Beller, Irish flute and guitar player and contra dance musician from Baltimore, Maryland and my spouse. Charley has played guitar on most of the podcast episodes, but this is the first time he shares on the podcast! What's it like to learn a dozen musical instruments? Why would a person practice all the time? How does Charley view the first few months of learning a new skill? We also chat about Clifftop and Charley asks me about a few questions as well...
Aug 06, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 100
Why does the fiddle squeak? If only we knew. Hang on, we do know! I offer lots of diagnosis and advice for how to get to the bottom of squeaking. Together we can not squeak as much. The tune for this week is Marion Reece's version of Cumberland Gap . Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes !...
Jul 30, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 99
What is the best age to start? There is an exact and definite best age to begin playing the fiddle and if you don't start then you're doomed. I'm kidding. The tune for this week is Horses in the Canebreak . Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes !...
Jul 23, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 98
People play the fiddle for all kinds of reasons, and as a fiddler and fiddle teacher they often tell me all about it. I talk about some of the variety of reasons I've heard from adult fiddlers for why they're voluntarily choosing to take up this rewarding and challenging new hobby! Our Tune this week is a funky Sally in the Garden I got from Marion Sumner's recording. Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio ...
Jul 16, 2024•8 min•Season 1Ep. 97
Busking is playing in the street for money. I've done it. In fact, I've done in New York City in the subway! A few thoughts on busking, and some busking stories. Fun tune this week, Old Aunt Jenny With Her Night Cap On. Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes !...
Jul 09, 2024•12 min•Season 1Ep. 96
Recently I tried to play jazz. It got me thinking about jazz, so I share some thoughts about playing jazz as a violinist, how I approach it, what it's like, how I practice, and how I take a solo. The tune is Ed Weaver's Cluck Old Hen . In the words of my friend Shane, it's a "nice, meditative tune". Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes !...
Jul 02, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 95
Have you thought about playing the mandolin? You could do worse. Welcome back to our regularly scheduled episodes, featuring a bunch of Old-Time tunes for the rest of June and July. We get caught up and talk about the mandolin. You may already know this, but the mandolin is tuned the same as a fiddle. Interesting! This week the tune is Shippensport , a G major reel based on West Virginia fiddler Burl Hammond's playing. This tune is very fun to play! Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandc...
Jun 25, 2024•14 min•Season 1Ep. 94
Starting summer vacation this week so I'm replaying an episode I recorded in December of 2022 about double stops and drones. I'll be back next week with Old-Time tunes. My course for double stops and drones can be found here. This episode covers how Megan helps her students learn to play double stops and drones and presents a setting of Tail Toddle from a workshop with Jeremy Kittel at Fiddle Hell. The artist mentioned is Jeremy Kittel. Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube F...
Jun 18, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 93
This week I have a conversation with Irish fiddler Ellery Klein. Ellery Klein performs across New England with the fiddle, flute, and guitar trio Fódhla and nationally with the three-fiddle Celtic powerhouse group, The Bow Tides , whose debut album, Sailing On, was released in 2022. She also teaches fiddle to all ages in the Boston area and beyond. Ellery graduated with a major in instrumental music from Cincinnati’s public magnet School for Creative and Performing Arts in 1992. She received an ...
Jun 11, 2024•40 min•Season 1Ep. 92
Let's talk about playing harmonies on the fiddle. How can you get started with learning and playing harmonies and how do you get better at coming up with them on the fly? Our tune this week is the Irish single reel in D, Stoney Steps . Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes !...
Jun 04, 2024•8 min•Season 1Ep. 91
Andrew VanNorstrand performs with his brother Noah VanNorstrand and Chris Miller in the Faux Paws , a contemporary folk band that plays fiddle tunes and original songs with just about the best groove around. The Faux Paws are making an album and you can get involved and find out more here . The time window is closing soon! Andrew grew up playing fiddle and guitar and touring with his family band Great Bear and dominating the contra dance scene, playing every contra dance and festival you can ima...
May 28, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 90
If you're a reader and a fiddler, here are some recommendations for books from children's books to YA and general fiction that feature fiddlers and fiddling. Some of these books have even been known to inspire folks to pick up the fiddle! Kids books: Mole music Just Enough and Not Too Much Fiddling Sam Nina’s Waltz A Fiddle for Angus YA or chapter books: The New Policemen Little House on the Prairie A Girl of the Limberlost Fiddle Fever Thriller/Detective: Violin conspiracy An Equal Music As I w...
May 21, 2024•15 min•Season 1Ep. 89
We talk about the personalities of the different major and minor keys. What makes C sound so different from A on the fiddle? Why do players try out a tune in different keys, and how do the keys lay out on the instrument? Our tune is the Irish E minor reel Maid of Mt. Kisco . Love this one! Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes !...
May 14, 2024•12 min•Season 1Ep. 88
This is my second conversation with Rachel Eddy, since I forgot to record the first one! We talk about finding flow in fiddling, learning tunes off recordings (or not), remembering tunes, singing, some great stories about Rachel's dad and his fiddle journey, and some ideas for fiddle students to help relax and get balanced while playing. Rachel Eddy (they/them) hails from West Virginia, where they grew up steeped in Appalachian music and dance. Rachel’s multi-instrumental talents and soulful sin...
May 07, 2024•42 min•Season 1Ep. 87
We're talking about tapes on the fiddle, or stickers, or fingerboard stick on charts, or whatever you're curious about. Did you use tapes when you started? What are they useful for and how long does it make sense to use them? Our tune is Broken Down Gambler , an Old-Time reel in G. Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes !...
Apr 30, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 86
When I talk about articulation I'm referring to the beginning of the note, or the attack, and how long the note is generally. Articulation, or catching the string, or getting a "scrubby" sound, has a huge effect on your sound. Our tune is Dusty Miller , an Old-Time modal reel in A. Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes !...
Apr 23, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 85
Have you wondered what it's like to compete in a fiddle competition? So have I. So I signed up for one and we'll see how it goes. I talk a little about how I'm planning to prepare. Our tune for this week is Old Billy Hell , a half length crooked Old-Time tune. Our album release party contra dance will be May 30th at 7pm in Baltimore at the Mobtown Ballroom. Come on down! Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Stud...
Apr 16, 2024•14 min•Season 1Ep. 84
A repeat this week, as my family is on spring break. This very early episode has been pretty popular, and has a lovely slip jig for the Irish fiddlers. It's never a bad time to break out the old metronome. I'll be back with Old-Time tunes for you next week! -Meg This episode features the fiddle tune House of My Own and describes working with the metronome and how it could help your fiddling. Slow tempos for fiddling are 70-80 bpm (beats per minute) and tempos for dancing are 110-120 bpm. Reach m...
Apr 09, 2024•7 min•Season 1Ep. 83
This week we have an interview with Tricia Spencer! Tricia is a well known, award winning Kansas fiddler who grew up on her family’s farm learning the tradition of old-time fiddling knee to knee from her grandpa and grandma, Vernon and Iona Spencer. Tricia takes us on a deep dive into Kansas and midwest fiddling, how she thinks about the left hand and the fingerboard, and a primer for finding your place in the Old-Time community. And I didn't forget to ask what it's like having another fiddler a...
Apr 02, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 82
Have you ever been uncomfortable saying the name of a fiddle tune? How about tunes with slurs in the title or the Irish tune I Buried My Wife and Danced on her Grave ? Without using racial slurs, I discuss problematic fiddle tune names, how I think about them and approach them. Find the Contranella album here: https://megwobus.bandcamp.com/album/contranella Our tune is Magpie's Nest , an Irish reel. Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for lear...
Mar 26, 2024•11 min•Season 1Ep. 81
This week we talk about where the fiddle neck meets the hand. Different ways to grip the neck of the fiddle and how it can change- even while you're in the middle of playing! Our tune is Madam if You Please from a jam at the ArtHouse Bar. Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes !...
Mar 19, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 80
Hear all about playing and performing on the 5 string fiddle with a bonus question from last week with Jenna Moynihan. Hear about Jenna's fiddle and how she uses it! Jenna's Interview: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2040333/14620847 John Blessing's Delight is an Irish jig in G major. Reach me at meganbeller@fiddlestudio.com Bandcamp YouTube Fiddle Studio books My website for learning to fiddle is Fiddle Studio which has courses and a mailing list and my Top 10 Fiddle Tunes !...
Mar 12, 2024•10 min•Season 1Ep. 79
