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When we move beyond the beginning stages of learning to play the violin or viola and our basic major and minor arpeggio patterns, we quickly start to encounter scale books with more elaborate arpeggio sequences. If you’re a violin geek like I am, you ...
No matter our playing level or age, clean playing and fast playing are often at odds. Over my years of teaching the violin and viola, I’ve noticed that students tend to fall into two camps - those who try to play near tempo from the start, often with ...
Dan Frechette and I officially release our new CD today! Driving By Candlelight is now available online around the world and at our upcoming tour stops.
You may find and preview it here: iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/driving-by-candlelight/1433893249 Amazon: ...
It happens to all of us. We get impatient with our musical progress and suddenly we start questioning whether we should bother playing music at all. We start wondering, are we really cut out for this? Are we ever going to get any better? Have we reached ...
Today we release "American Refugee," the first single from our upcoming album "Driving by Candlelight" due for release in October. It's an original song I wrote back in 2016 and while it might appear to be political, my message ...
Music making can be enjoyable, intellectual, and creative, but we can often underestimate the athleticism required, perhaps particularly on a bowed string instrument like the violin or cello. Like any great athlete, we soon discover the need to create ...
Whether you’re a musician for hire, or want to book one for your upcoming wedding, corporate event, birthday party, or other engagement, it's important to make sure expectations are clear at the time of booking. Although it might feel quite formal, ...
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.”