The Violin Geek Blog Tips, insight, and inspiration since 2007.
Welcome! I'm glad you found me and I hope you'll enjoy my musings, tips, updates, and insights.
Please use the search bar below to sort posts by category or keyword. If you're enjoying a topic, you can also click categories listed below, or the tags listed at the top of a post to organize a new list of posts with the same categories and/or tags. Happy reading!
- christmas music
- encouragement
- fitness
- gear review
- improvisation
- insight
- inspiration
- instrument tips
- interview
- intonation
- music
- music business
- musician tips
- music theory
- new album
- new music
- online lessons
- pedogogy
- performance tips
- practice tips
- recording tips
- repertoire
- stories
- student tips
- teaching tips
- technique tips
- update
- visualization
It would be hard to argue that rhythm is the foundation of all music. In it's simplest form, we find a steady beat, or not so steady as the case may be... Sometimes problems with rhythm aren't caused by what we thought they were. Whether you’re just ...
If you feel like your music practice has you going in circles, in this Violin Geek Podcast series we cover several tips that can help you improve your practice and performance, including the importance of taking care with phrase endings, ideas for ...
Not all shifts are created equal. And no, we’re not talking nightgowns!
Learn how to refine your violin or string family shifting technique for optimal expression! Did you know that the finger you “travel” on during a shift makes a subtle but ...
My year started out great - relaxing after the long tours of last year in a cabin by a lake in British Columbia, starting work on a new album and planning a new show for tours later in the year...
However, soon after, unexpected developments ...
If you are new to music theory and ever wondered what a scale is, or, maybe what are the types, how do we figure out how to play them, and why do we have different ones, this is the podcast for you. I share everything you need to know about scales ...
The map photo pretty much says it all - I’ve been on the road this year!!! A few of the routes were repeated, but for the most part, singer-songwriter Dan Frechette and I did a counterclockwise trek of North America, playing over 120 concerts and festivals, ...
Join host Laurel Thomsen and violinist/author Hilary Orzel-McSherry as they talk about growing up in a family of musicians. They dispel some myths (no "starving musicians" here) and offer insight for those wanting to live a creative life ...
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.
The Violin Geek Blog is a free resource and always will be. We also don't sell advertising, meaning that everything you read has been a labor of love. If you'd like to support my efforts and help ensure they continue, please consider making a donation. Thanks for your support!
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.”