The Violin Geek Blog Tips, insight, and inspiration since 2007.
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Even if we've developed a functional bow hold and good bowing arm mechanics, our bow can still slide around sometimes, creating airy and scratchy tones when we're simply trying to get through our piece. If this sounds familiar you've come to the right ...
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 ...
This question was from a violin teacher who felt she needed to stop her students each time they made a mistake in order to fix each issue as it happened. She didn't want to let anything slide, for fear of them developing bad habits, or being seen as ...
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 ...
I've noticed many music teachers starting to market themselves with the word "coach" instead of "teacher." The change seems to have become particularly prevalent since the Covid-19 pandemic forced the world's music teachers online, ...
In this last installment of my Music Careers series, we explore 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 ...
Ever wonder why certain violin and viola strings seem easier to sustain a nice bow bounce on than others? I have a theory and hope you'll enjoy this deep dive into how to create spiccato consistency string to string. As we find with both hands in fact, ...
Please email me at laurel@laurelthomsen.com if you have a violin, viola, fiddle, music biz, or practice related question you’d like answered in the blog or on a podcast, have a story or insight to share, or if you’d like to inquire about violin, viola, or fiddle lessons with me, in-person or online via Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom.
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Laurel ThomsenViolin, Viola, Vocals
Performance, Instruction, Recording
Based in Santa Cruz, California
"After the Fire" - released January 21, 2022!
Each song portrays a facet of the journey from setback to reclaimed hope - finding faith in the possibility of LOVE in “Make Me Come Alive,” HOME in “Beale Street,” COMMUNITY in “Together Again” and “Money Shouldn’t Talk That Strong,” and one’s own STRENGTH and FORTITUDE in “If A Wave” and “Hey, It’ll Be OK.”