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PODCAST

The Violin Geek Podcast

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

music music commentary

All Episodes

01:19:12

Getting Business Savvy with David Cutler

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2025/10/21

What if "doing the music thing" didn't conjure subsisting on ramen and scrounging together rent money from a few random gigs and students, but finding a "path to remarkable success," positioning yourself in unique spaces and with interesting pursuits, making a healthy income while staying inspired and having a deep impact?If you've wondered if you could avoid the rat-race, create demand for your services, and love what you're doing each day, if you're a teacher

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00:40:22

Audition Preparation Tips

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2025/09/08

What scale or excerpt should you choose to audition with? What should you do if all the excerpts are either too difficult and others too easy? When you have limited time to prepare the material, where should you put your focus for the most pay off? What do they mean by "contrasting" pieces? If you've wondered about these questions, or if you're a teacher wondering how to best help your students, or even if you're an adult student, dreaming of playing in a group someday, but not

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00:45:34

All About Études

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2025/02/20

What are études? Should you be playing them? Where do they fit into your practice routine, especially also considering a scale and arpeggio practice? Which ones should you start with, and should you always go in book order? If you've ever considered some of these questions, or you're a student, a teacher, or someone hoping to keep your playing chops in top condition, this episode is for you! Host Laurel Thomsen answers common questions and gives her recommendations for études to check out

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00:59:35

Your String Questions Answered

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2024/12/19

Ever wondered what strings might help your instrument sound warmer? Brighter? Louder? Softer? Should you try gut strings? Is there a difference between synthetic and composite strings? What about all metal strings, and do different types of metals make a difference? What about different gauges, or tensions for that matter? How should you best care for your strings, and when should you change them? In this episode, host Laurel Thomsen answers your questions about strings, arming you with more

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00:37:20

Play Faster (not just for violinists!)

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2024/11/18

Can't quite get up to tempo? Starting to wonder if you even "have what it takes" to keep up with an ensemble? In this episode, host Laurel Thomsen demystifies one of the most universal issues among musicians of all types and skill levels, with tips for how to troubleshoot any speed issue. Buckle up and get ready to take your playing to warp speed. Show Notes: Intro/outro music "Sure Fire Way of Taking": On Bandcamp https://danandlaurel.bandcamp.com/track/sure-fire-way-of-taking On Apple Music

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00:47:21

Your Violin Questions

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2024/09/16

In this episode, host Laurel Thomsen answers your violin questions, including about strings, rosin, the instrument she plays, how to get dust out of your instrument, the story about the oldest violin she's ever played, and more. Enjoy! Show Notes: Intro/outro music "Tales from the Labyrinth": On Bandcamp ⁠https://danandlaurel.bandcamp.com/track/tales-from-the-labyrinth⁠ On Apple Music ⁠https://music.apple.com/ca/album/tales-from-the-labyrinth/1626585646?i=1626585650⁠ On Spotify

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00:18:09

Recovery Practice

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2024/07/29

We know we can't stop to fix mistakes during a performance, so why don't we ever seem to spend time in the practice room practicing how to recover? In this episode, host Laurel Thomsen shares why "recovery practice" might be the missing factor in your routine, and three ways to practice getting better at getting back on track when we do make a mistake on-stage. In the process, we may even find that we make fewer mistakes to begin with, and feel more confident when it does come time

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00:22:46

Pitch versus Tone

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2024/06/24

Beginning students, but even the more advanced among us, often struggle with pitch (intonation) and tone. Troubleshooting sounds we'd like to improve can be especially frustrating when we're having a hard time differentiating between the two. One is the domain of the left hand, while the other, the domain of the right. In this episode we explore how to identify each and steps we can take to start to improve.Show notes: Intro/outro music "The Rain Don't Need These Flowers/Back Down

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01:29:27

"Weaving musical worlds into one" - a conversation...

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2024/05/13

In this episode we speak with Tokyo born, New York based Jazz violinist and composer about her new album, "Lingering," with pianist Kevin Hayes, how her conversion to Judaism has informed her life and music, her journey from Julliard to free improvisation, and how she's managed to turn labels and stereotypes into assets along her career path. Show notes: Meg's website https://www.megokura.com Listen/Purchase "Lingering"

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00:37:35

Shifting Technique Deep Dive

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2024/04/15

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 ~ Show

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00:47:12

Play More Musically

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2024/03/25

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

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01:11:05

Getting comfortable with Uncomfort: Tools for...

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2024/02/19

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

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01:35:57

"Make Great Music with Ease" - a chat with violinist...

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2024/01/15

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

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00:19:32

Finding a comfortable and effective chin and shoulder...

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2023/12/04

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

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00:34:41

Music Careers, Part 3

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2023/11/13

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

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01:28:57

Russian versus American Music Education - a...

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2023/10/09

In this episode we enjoy a fascinating conversation with Russian born violinist and educator Michael Dvoskin about the differences between violin training in Russia versus the United States. Michael also shares his story about immigrating to America, and tips for students preparing for an audition or recital. In effort to create both a successful and enjoyable musical education, there's a lot we can learn from both countries' approaches. We hope you enjoy! Show notes: - Michael's

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01:19:56

Making Time for Music: a chat with violinist Julia Reddy

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2023/09/11

Today we speak with violinist, educator, and Violin Class podcast creator and host Julia Reddy about making time for practice. We discuss how to ramp back up after a hiatus, how to make the most out of limited time, how to effectively divide up our practice time and focus our attention for results, and how to balance our practice routine when juggling solo repertoire and technical work with orchestral or audition preparation. We hope you enjoy! Show notes: - Julia's website

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01:44:26

Finding our voice, from Classical strings to Hot Jazz...

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2023/08/10

Today we chat with Grammy-nominated violinist Gabe Terracciano, who's expanding the range of the violin as a member of the Turtle Island String Quartet and the Hot Toddies Jazz Band, among other exciting projects. We hear about Gabe's transition from nearly quitting early Classical lessons to discovering and falling in love with Jazz, discuss what it's like to be a band leader in New York City, hear tracks from The Hot Toddies recently released full-length album, and gain tips for

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01:24:18

Rediscovering Baroque Bows - a chat with historical...

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2023/07/10

The bow is a string player's primary "tool for tone," but like any tool, sometimes we need more than one to get the job done. In this episode we speak with historical bow maker Ralph Ashmead, learning all about the differences between Baroque, Transitional, and Modern bows, the reasons why we might choose one over another, and exploring the factors that caused bow design to change over time. Having crafted bows for over 40 years, we hear Ralph's story into bow-making, and learn

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00:20:58

Where am I supposed to put my thumb on the violin...

The Violin Geek Podcast ·

2023/06/14

A lot of us often wonder, where am I supposed to place my thumb on the violin (or viola) neck? What finger should it be closest to? Should it be stationary? Should it move? Is there a spot that will magically help it stop gripping and finally relax? Today we explore this question recently posed by a podcast listener. Always a frequent topic among Laurel's private students and the students in her "Complete Vibrato Mastery" course, please also check out the companion YouTube video to see

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129 results

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