News March 10, 2010

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So… very busy. Recording the incredible harpist Maeve Gilchrist next week, a Republic Of Strings concert this weekend in Central Bucks County, Pennsylvania, teaching at Berklee and at 317 Main Street, and I have been getting varnish on this new 5 string violin I’m building with instruction from Jonathan Cooper. Yes, I am overscheduled.

Amazing shows in Berkley, CA and at the newly revivified Wintergrass festival with Mike Marshall and Vasen!

The Republic Of Strings appeared at Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, Scotland; a huge city-wide festival of music from all over the world. The ROS played to an enthusiastic, friendly crowd, with special guests Mike Marshall, Brttany Haas, and Vasen guitarist Roger Tallroth: great times.

ROS with guest Mike Marshall, photo: Brenton Rioux.

What a year it was! Some fun and hairy shows playing Christmas Music with the Republic Of Strings and others in New England and the Pacific Northwest. From YouTube:

The brand new Republic Of Strings: big shows coming up this spring. Summer festers, and a new recording in the works. Photo: Amanda Kowalski.

Darol Anger Named Associate Professor at Berklee School of Music

Darol has been named Associate Professor for the Berklee School of Music, Boston MA, according to an announcement by Matt Glaser, Artistic Director of the American Roots Music Program. Anger will teach improvisation and vernacular music styles to students of the world’s largest private music college.

With a student population of over 4,000, Berklee College of Music prepares students for music careers through the study and practice of contemporary music. Eighty percent of the school’s graduates go on to careers in the music industry. For more than half a century, the college has reflected the state of the art of music and the music business. With more than a dozen performance and nonperformance majors, its diverse and talented student body represents more than 70 countries, and a music industry “who’s who” of alumni.

I’m also teaching and working regularly at 317 Main St in Yarmouth, Maine: a wonderful community music school with lots of great potential.

Bruce Molsky & I had some amazing duet shows in New England. Some videos and photos at my facebook site.

giftfor the fiddler in your life.

Fall touring:

3 great shows in the southwest with this supergroup; first time playing with Tao Rodriguez-Seeger… yeah! Scott law, and Bil Nershi. Fun!!!!

Epic shows in the midwest with Yonder Mountain.
More shows in Colorado, New Mexico and California with the Duo and Vasen; A return ofthe Fiddlers 4(!!!), and a tour of the Pacific Northwest in early October with the phenomenal guitarist Scott Law.

Also, preparing for a couple of recording projects: a 3rd Republic Of Strings recording, a possible Monster String Quartet recording, and pre-production on a couple of amazing solo projects, including the phenomenal harpist Maeve Gilchrist.

Plus continued work on learning to build violins at Jonathan Cooper’s shop in Portland, Maine, and the beginning of a what I hope will be a very fruitful association with the Maine community music school, 317 Main.

This Aura thing: I got the “images”; and I downloaded them into the unit and used it on the recent run of Yonder Mt shows we did in the midwest. Big halls, sold-out houses, LOUD shows, but acoustic string instruments. Had to use a pickup. But it was amazing. The buzzy flat pickup sound completely went away and was replaced by this rich and bright yet dark and huge tone, the tone of the fiddle, up close and VERY personal. I couldn’t believe it. I’ll have to hear a recording of the show to truly believe my ears, but just listening to it in the monitor headphones was incredible. I Don’t have too much else to say about it, except if you wind up using a pickup, and if you can get through the hassle and expense of getting your images recorded, made & processed & sent out & & & downloaded, it pretty much seems like The Solution. Totally amazing.
Thanks to Bil Vorndick and Joe Barbieri for making this happen.

http://www.fishmanaura.com

Recent highlights:

I was honored to perform at the Grand Opening night of the new Freight And Salvage Concert Hall in Berkeley, the legendary west coast acoustic music venue in which I have regularly performed since 1976. A historic and extremely emotional moment, which also featured a musical reunion with pianist Barbara Higbie. Here I am on stage with the great Alasdair Fraser, and members of my Monster Quartet: Lauren Rioux, Natalie and Brittany Haas.

Recent photos from my tenure at Acoustic Artisans, Jonathan Cooper’s violin shop. the first photo is of a new violin which I helped build.

This has been my Year Of The Fiddle Camp; 5 camps this year! I’m a bit “camped out” by now, but these camps have included some of the most spectacular musical experiences of my life so far.

the wildest, most fun fiddle camp ever: Alasdair Fraser’s legendary V.O.M.

frolicking fiddlers at VOM.

The concert at the Clarridges’ Mt. Shasta camp.

Darol and Bruce Molsky up on the ridge at the Big Sur Fiddle Camp.

Spring 2009

3 months of constant touring and travelling all over the US

Strings For Industry new CD! And a California tour.

the big ASTA convention in Atlanta,
with the new lineup of The Republic Of Strings,

concert dates with Yonder Mountain,

and an amazing, historic Duo-Vasen Tour of the east and west and midwest!

Waltzed across Kansas and Oklahoma with Eugene Friesen and Phil Aaberg. Big sky, big water tanks.

Oregon shows with the incredible Scott Law and the Bee Eaters, a residency and concert at Princeton College, a wonderful student recital in Maine, and a sojourn in West Virginia’s public school string program have been the highlights so far.

I’ve been playing an incredible new 5-string violin by the creative and incredibly talented builder Nathaniel Rowan… the Blue Snipper!
This is one of the most amazing-looking and sounding instruments I’ve ever used.

Big Wonderful gestures by good friends close and distant make a year of huge changes more bearable. A heartfelt thank-you to all you wonderful people and deepest apologies to those folks who know who they are.


Check out those CDs from the catalog!

Crosstime A new release! Darol with the amazing pianist Philip Aaberg. Darol & Phil worked together in Newgrange, and were labelmates at Windham Hill. This one features some radical reconstruction of some classical classics by Gershwin and Ravel,, and some of Darol’s most evocative compositions. And for those cozy winter evenings, don’t forget the Heritage recording…