A new digital application delivers Guads, Strads, Guarneri and other fine fiddles to your smartphone or tablet By Greg Olwell A violin lives in three-dimensions: light changes the experience as it reflects a violin’s seemingly endless curves—curly maple can look…
On ‘The Littlest Prisoner,’ violinist Jenny Scheinman reaches out to a new audience By David Knowles For most of her extraordinary career, Jenny Scheinman’s violin has done the talking. On eight diverse and acclaimed solo albums, and a dizzying number…
Part science, part art, changing a bassbar may help, but then again, it might not By James N. McKean Q: If I replaced the bassbar of my violin would it increase the carrying power of the sound of my violin? —Lee…
Electronic-instrument makers bet big on the alt-styles movement By Patrick Sullivan It’s not hard to understand how violinist, educator, and stringed-instrument manufacturer Mark Wood can transform a school auditorium full of earnest young string students into a thrashing mosh pit…
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For classical players, borrowing from jazz and bluegrass traditions can provide the first steps toward improvisation and more confident playing By Louise Lee If you’re a classical player and are interested in spicing up your playing with improvisation, consider borrowing…
Blaine Sprouse’s fiddle has weathered a Tennessee tornado and much, much more in the past 150 years By Blaine Sprouse Player West Virginia native Blaine Sprouse is a Kenny Baker protege and a former member of Jimmy Martin’s Sunny Mountain…
Club DJ and composer Mason Bates has put the American symphony scene in a spin By David Templeton “I love the symphonic space,” says composer Mason Bates. “I love it because it’s one of the last places on earth where…
Feel like you’re in a rut in the classroom? Break out with these three strategies By Renata Bratt Sometimes teachers rely on the same old techniques to get string- orchestra students ready for concerts. But sticking to the same process year…
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Unconventional violinist connects past and present with plenty of plans for the future By Rory Williams Amid clattering dishes, waiters’ inquiries, and occasional outbursts by children, Jennifer Koh pushes her tea to the side, leans over the table, and apologizes. “I’ve…
Educators gather in LA to take a stand on El Sistema By Laurence Vittes An upbeat spirit permeated a recent education symposium held in Los Angeles that took the pulse of El Sistema–inspired programs in the United States. The fourth…