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At first glance, measures with either a 6/8 or 3/4 time signature could be filled with six eighth notes (see figure below), so how are the two different in terms of music theory, and do we need to approach them any differently in our playing?
Canadian singer-songwriter Dan Frechette and I are excited to share our latest music video with you! Featured on our fifth duo album After the Fire, which we released in 2022, "Colfax Harbor" is our nod to the Celtic/Irish ballad. ...
Even though protest music has a long tradition, from Jean Sibelius' "Finlandia" to Bob Dylan's "Blowing in the Wind," these days it seems like a lot of the artists who speak of or perform anything that in any way makes a political ...
Last summer I was honored to chat with Julia Reddy of the Violin Class podcast about life, music, managing our inner critics, improving our self-esteem, and the experience of starting over with technique and getting to the other side. The episode has ...
In this fourth installment of the Violin Geek Podcast's Intonation Mastery series we explore common issues within our technique that may contribute to intonation issues, as well as some considerations within our approach to tonality, and tempered versus ...
This question came from the violin teacher of an intermediate student struggling to memorize her first more complex and lengthy solo piece. Trying and failing to memorize the piece was causing the young teen a lot of stress and the parents were starting ...
Happy Holidays!!
I hope my last post of 2022 finds you well and enjoying a joyous and restful season. It's been a busy year and I'm looking forward to spending some time with loved ones in the coming weeks, though still virtually ...
Please email Laurel 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 Laurel, in-person or 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.”