Good morning, Nostr 🌞 Hope you’re having a great day so far! I just picked up the violin and the first thing that came out was this little rhythmic chord progression. Something I love to do is try to lock into a groove, then see how many ways I can change it up and improvise with it. First you’ll hear just the chords → then I roll the bow across the strings with a bariolage bowing → then I start sneaking in little improvised lines on top, trying to hop back into the groove (not always perfectly, but that’s part of the exercise). Also… shoutout to my amazing t-shirt which I won at a Halloween punk show costume contest, dressed as Van Gogh (plus his “Sunflowers” 🌻). My wife and I definitely stood out that night! Thanks for listening, and see you tomorrow 🎻✨ #musicstr

Good morning, Nostr ☀️ I took a much-needed day off yesterday to take in some nature and lots of sleep, but I’m back this Monday morning. Today I’ve been diving into the music of French composer Olivier Messiaen, especially his approach to rhythm. If you’ve never heard it before, his music is fascinating, both beautiful and strange. Here’s a little violin improv inspired by Messiaen, especially his ametrical flow of rhythm. It’s a different kind of sound, angular and unpredictable. Hope you enjoy this exploration, and if you’re curious about Messiaen’s music, feel free to let me know, I’d be happy to chat more about it. 🎻✨

Good morning, Nostr! Had the idea today to try a little left-hand finger cam 🎻 so you can actually see what’s going on. First I run a simple scale, and then a slowed-down version of “Kid on the Mountain” —you’ll notice how my fingers move up and down to change notes, and between the different strings. If you’re curious about the left hand, the right hand, or anything violin-related, drop me a question about it! Hope you’re having a great day! 🌞 #musicstr

Good morning, Nostr 🌧️ Today’s rain calls for a little comfort tune, so here’s “My Buddy”. A jazz standard with a much beloved version by Chet Baker, it was written in 1922 by Walter Donaldson with lyrics by Gus Kahn. I used to play this all the time in a duo with a guitarist, and today it popped into my head as a potential antidote to the rainy day blues. I play through the tune and then add a little improvised solo at the end. I hope this tune about friendship kicks off a positive start to your day! 🎻✨ #musicstr

Good morning, Nostr 🌞 Fun one today… I’m back with my own viola! At the festival last week I was borrowing a much smaller instrument, so you’ll probably notice in this video just how HUGE mine looks in comparison. Mine is a large, tenor-sized viola, and I love it for the richness and depth of sound it has, especially on the low strings. In this clip I’m also messing around with a technique I don’t think I’ve shown here before: chopping. It’s a percussive bowing style that came out of the bluegrass scene, where you slam the bow onto the strings to get a rhythmic, almost drum-like effect. I try it at a few speeds here, practising it. Stick around to the end you’ll see me really rip into it at a fast speed. It’s not something you hear often in classical music, though I have written it into some of my pieces. Feels good to be back on this instrument and exploring some fun sounds. Hope you enjoy, and hope your day’s off to a great start! ✨✨✨ #musicstr

Good morning, Nostr 🌞 Getting back into the swing of things in my regular, non-festival life. Here’s a little morning warm-up improv. This is the first I’m touching the violin today. I’ve tuned the violin in a special way. The lowest string is tuned down a semitone from the normal, so G is down to F♯. This gives the instrument a whole new resonance. I used this same tuning in a piece of mine called “Cathedral Grove (and the Gray Jay)”, because to me it feels like being outside among the trees. 🌲 So here’s a little exploration as I look out my window this morning, onto the trees. Hope you enjoy it and I wish you a beautiful day ahead! #musicstr

Good afternoon, Nostr 🌿 Sorry I missed posting yesterday, it was a whirlwind day! I flew home from the festival (after 4 concerts in 4 nights with 4 different programs 😅), and then went straight into a full day of teaching. No real rest in between! Today I’m finally catching my breath. I’ve got some house guests resting here too, so I’m keeping it quiet… which gave me the idea for something new: a little pizzicato improv! Instead of using the bow, I pluck the strings with my thumb, almost like a guitar. So I improvised this groovy, low-key pizzicato jam. Pizzicato just means “plucked” in Italian 😁 Excited to be back in my regular posting flow here on Nostr. Thanks for sticking with me 💜 See you tomorrow! #musicstr #music