Creative Strings Podcast With Violinist Christian Howes: Exploring Intersections Between Creativity, Music Education, String

Fiddlers Casey Driessen and Christian Howes discuss extensive clips from Casey’s album Otherlands. We talk about chopping/rhythm, and other aspects of musical collaboration for fiddlers and string players who want to expand their creative voice, musical community, and career or lifestyle. We play a tune together as well in this hour-long interview. Find more at www.christianhowes.com

Join us with Guest Speaker Drew Alexander Forde (ThatViolaKid) as we talk about his work as a violist, composer, entrepreneur, and social media wizard. Violist Drew Alexander Forde has a reputation not only as an accomplished performer but also as one of classical music’s most recognizable online brands. He is the co-host of Faking Notes Podcast and an acclaimed expert in classical music’s social media and brand building with an Instagram following to over 118,000 people. Check out his website, thatviolakid.com .

Music therapy techniques in teaching strings.with Raquel Ravaglioli, a board-certified music therapist, music instructor, and professional violinist. Raquel talks about being balanced while helping others find their personal and musical niche, through building strong professional relationships. To learn more and connect with Raquel Ravaglioli see her website here: http://raquelchristinemusic.com/​ See her faculty page at Marietta College here: https://www.marietta.edu/person/raquel-ravaglioli American Music Therapy Association definition of music therapy: “The clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional who has completed an approved music therapy program.” 04:15​ - Why should we care about music therapy? 06:52​ - Self awareness in teaching and the benefits it leads in all areas 08:08​ - What is music therapy? 09:13​ - Therapeutic Considerations 11:23​ - Positive Psychology - Choosing your word

Composer David Cutler discussed reimagining Suzuki Violin book 1 with new arrangements of the famous pieces in many styles.

In this episode of the Creative Strings Podcast Christian Howes dives into techniques for easily and effectively teaching music online.

How to Sell & Offer ANY Freelance services right now (for musicians, music teachers or anyone just trying to figure out ways to get work) Mindset- My attitude: I am not proud. I will dig ditches, wash dishes, or do anything necessary to survive. We can a) resign ourselves to defeat and give up b) lash out c) TRY to overcome. I prefer C. Obviously it is preferable to find work at higher hourly rates or generate passive income than working for $15 per hour. But if necessary, I will work for $15 per hour, or even on a volunteer basis, especially if that work affords any chance of Leveraging more opportunities. When Testing a new work/volunteer activity, dip a toe in the water. Do it once. Offer to do it for just a short period. What Kinds of Work Can You Do? Brainstorm a list of services you can provide. Write down everything. Ask someone you trust to offer you additional ideas and/or give their feedback on your list. Post your list here for feedback (in your personal post comment thread) One Time Free-

Andrea Whitt is a musician who is living the dream. She tours the world with rock stars, manages her own fashion blog, produces fine art, and plays a variety of instruments in a variety of styles. Given the common wisdom that string players must start by age six to have a chance at success,  she has defied the odds ever since starting the viola in public school at 8 years old. Listen to this full episode to hear the inspiring story of a classical musician who has gone on to create an extraordinary career.  In the interview we cover: How she began developing other musical skills alongside her classical training How putting herself through college also gave her skills to help her survive and make it in L.A. What skills she learned and nurtured beyond music How she managed to grow new skills while staying focused on many passions and ultimately tying them together in a multi-facted career and lifestyle how she explored beyond classical music in college and what was that like, i.e. doing all the orchestra

Hamilton Hardin on Becoming a Complete Musician: Any Genre, Any Instrument Have you ever worked hard learning a jazz tune with all its 9ths, 13ths, half-diminished-whatevers, only to flip on the radio and hear a pop song with the same 4 chords over and over? Some musicians wonder how jazz and other styles are so complex but it’s the basic pop that sells mainstream. If you asked multi-instrumentalist and accomplished jazz musician, Hamilton Hardin, if he’d ever enter the pop world, he says he would have simply laughed. That’s why he surprised himself by serving as vice president of A&R (artists and repertoire), a multi-million dollar record label specializing in pop music. In this episode of Creative Strings Podcast, Hamilton reveals what makes pop music so appealing, how he gained a respect for the genre and what its like being producer, mixer, sound engineer, and editor for famous talent. This podcast also includes topics such as -What it’s like playing not 1 but 13(!) instruments -Why Hamilton pr

If you’re a classical musician who would like to join a band and play confidently in new styles of music, I put together a checklist to make it less overwhelming, The checklist will give you a few things: How to know when and what to play. How to avoid "writers block", i.e., the feeling of having no idea what to do. How to avoid getting "in a rut", i.e., finding yourself always repeating the same few ideas How to make the other musicians you work with feel really comfortable and always want to call you back

In my full interview with Jean Luc Ponty for the Creative Strings Podcast, we explore key points in his development, musical conception, elements of his violin playing, the state of the music industry in general, and more. For example, how he started playing jazz on violin, the influence of Stuff Smith, the role of the bow arm in improvisation, changes in the world of classical violin, attitudes about touring and music as a career, ways in which the music business has changed, and much more. View the full show notes at www.christianhowes.com/

When I was growing up people used to say that you should go into music only if you feel you don't have a choice. For those of us that made that choice to go into music, we were inspired by this feeling that we must do it. We had a passion, that kept us awake at night, kept us in the practice room, kept us developing new skills... That's why we went into music. The thing is, when people get out of college and they get into the real life of being a musician the drudgery often sets in. So how do we keep that passion alive? How do we re-articulate why we play music as it looks different through different phases of our life or career? The reason could change. Music could become less or more important to us, for different reasons. I think it's really important for us to ask those questions because ultimately we want to feel fulfilled by whatever we do. Any music in our life can be integrated with our own personal development and with whatever contribution we're trying to make to our communities Getting to t

To be human is to make stuff; creativity is natural. Yet it feels incredibly risky to put our creative work out there for people to vote up or down. It feels personal, like people may accept or reject us. We're drawn to the ideas and voices of people who have the courage to take that risk and make something distinctive. Beyond possessing courage, you could say artists who do this consistently are audacious. Stash Wyslouch is a walking billboard of musical audacity; his music combines elements of thrash metal, old time fiddle, jazz, and the avant-garde.  You've got to hear his music to believe it. Delightful. Shocking. Raw. Human.  We put together a collage of his work + interview in the new Creative Strings Podcast. Bookmark it and listen whenever you want to be amazed and delighted.  If you love it, share, subscribe, or leave a review.  Check out the full blog post and video here: https://christianhowes.com/2018/09/26/stash-wyslouch-creative-strings-podcast-ep-33/

Jazz Violinist Regina Carter dives into her inspiring beginnings as a stand-alone jazz violinist, jumping to jazz from classical training, inspiring stories of encouraging mentors, and also, her tender experiences of supporting her elderly mother and other loved ones through music. Check out the blog post with show notes here: https://christianhowes.com/2018/08/13/regina-carter-creative-strings-podcast-ep-32 Regina Carter dives into the balance between approaching musicianship via theory vs ear, explaining how she personally finds this balance and offers encouragement to players desiring to communicate with soul. This episode also includes: -Regina’s experiences as the only string player in her college big band -Life as an “eclectic” musician- Do you lose credibility by specializing in more than one style? -Re: “haters”- What approach can we take to maintain respect but continue with enthusiasm? Inspiring stories for aspiring musicians Growing up in Detroit, Regina began her violin studies at the age of

Introducing Season 4 of the Creative Strings Podcast! In this episode I share my newly released arrangement of Bach’s Violin Partita #2 (Giga) and preview the upcoming interviews in this season of the Creative Strings Podcast including Regina Carter, Andrea Whitt, Stash Wyslouch, and Joan Griffing. Subscribe to the Creative Strings Podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts to catch all of these interviews and more! Check out the full split screen video: http://bit.ly/HowesBachVideo Check out my accompanying blog post: http://bit.ly/2vxHHrS Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for more content: http://bit.ly/HowesYouTube Thanks so much to our sponsors Yamaha and Electric Violin Shop for supporting the Creative Strings Podcast. Their support makes it possible to invest in the production of each episode and bring you great stories and discussions. Please take a moment to visit Electric Violin Shop, your one-stop shop for electric instruments, amps, gear, accessories, and most of all, expertise. Use code CHOWE

Guitarist Rez Abbasi is well known for his distinctive fusing of modern jazz with influences from Hindu North Indian music and Pakistani traditional music. In this episode of the Creative Strings Podcast, hear him reflect upon how he developed his own voice as a player and composer, as well as what it means for musicians jumping cultural boundaries to explore a wider variety of music. Check out the blog here: https://christianhowes.com/2018/05/25/rez-abbasi-improvising-composer/ Watch my extended interview with Rez: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYWsrgqmabA This episode also includes: - Tips and tricks for composers- Where's the balance between mapping out a form and letting the composition form itself? - The business of music - Tons of amazing clips from Rez's albums Born in Karachi, Pakistan, removed at the age of four to the vastness of Southern California, schooled at the University of Southern California and the Manhattan School of Music in jazz and classical music, along with a pilgrimage in Indi

Imagine, as a musician, if you lost the ability to use your hands. How would you recover? How would you find fulfillment, and what would replace the void in your self image? If you're like most musicians, your craft is a big part of your identity, and even self worth. A debilitating injury would clearly be devastating for most of us. But what might you learn about yourself in the aftermath, and is it possible to somehow come out better for it? Many of us have suffered some kind of injury. We've worried, even maybe had nightmares about, or certainly had close calls with serious injuries. Julliard-trained concert violinist Janet Orenstein was suddenly faced with an injury in 1996 that would forever limit her ability to use her hands to play the violin. Her story is simultaneously fascinating, heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and uplifting. On this episode of the Creative Strings Podcast she shares what she learned from the 20-year process of coming back from focal dystonia including: - How she found com

Read the blog post here: http://bit.ly/CSpodcast28 Janie Barnett's new CD, "You See This River" is original, personal, and beautiful; the fact that she put it out 30 years into her career intrigued me. I wanted to know how she's managed to piece her career together so many years, before, during, and after raising children, all the time staying in NYC. I wanted to find out how an artist keeps their fire for creating new material into their 30s, 40s. and beyond. Let's face it- half of the battle for most artists is LASTING. Persevering through various life phases, relationships, parenting -whatever inevitable strains that force us this way or that way to compromise on the pure pursuance most of us felt when we were first starting out. Many artists freelance for a few years, even ten or more, and then take day jobs, quit music altogether, find the most stable performing or teaching gig they can- anything they can settle into. Many artists who move to NYC leave after a few years, if they even make it that l

Remember when classical violinist Joshua Bell played in the subway for 45 minutes and made $32? The author of the story raised questions about artistic context and the loss of appreciation for beauty in modern life. A similar experiment was conducted and written about almost 100 years ago, with a similar focus, and here’s my completely different take on the whole thing: Live music makes a huge difference for people on the street, in hospitals, in communities, in prisons, in war zones, refugee camps, and in all kinds of non traditional venues. Sharing music directly, without filters, is important for musicians to experience, regardless of the so-called malaise of a Netflix-addicted society. Our classical training may make us lose sight as musicians of the transforming effect we can have on people playing music live, even without the accoutrements of air conditioned venues, publicists, sheet music, prepared music, and finely pressed tuxedos. I get excited thinking about the organic, communal aspects of shar

Download my video starter worksheet for musicians here(free): http://bit.ly/2kM5bE4 Get my favorite tools- TubeBuddy: http://bit.ly/2q7nkAg YouTube StarterKit: http://bit.ly/2izzkq7 In this video I cover: Why video is essential for any self-employed musician in 2018, why your career is likely to suffer if you don’t have videos, how making videos will benefit your musical and business growth, and what has worked for me on my road to 1,000,000 views on my YouTube channel. Watch the video version here: https://youtu.be/5sRQTsM9jVo Making videos in 2018 is important for your growth and improvement as an artist. The best and easiest way to improve your work as a musician or teacher is to record yourself and listen back. The reason for this is that we can’t generally observe our performance while we are performing. Listening or watching back allows us to understand the mistakes we are making, helping us to notice and fix them. Your business suffers if you don’t have video. Many people will not hire

After staying up until 7 a.m. surrounded by Flamenco guitar, dancing, and singing in a room full of people clapping knowingly along to the Bulería, Tango, and Soleá, I was forever changed. It was my first trip to Spain in 2001, and I had just discovered the music world’s best kept secret. Following 20 more trips to Spain, I get to share a bit of that magic with you today in a fully produced audio episode plus an extended video version. (scroll down for both). All the music in Spain is infected by Flamenco, whether pop, R&B, jazz, modern classical music.. Traditional Flamenco itself has evolved in ways that are mind boggling. After visiting regularly for 17 years, I still struggle to find the downbeat of the Buleria! But I’ve come to enjoy the music immensely, and one of the primary reasons for this has been my close friendship with a handful of Spanish musicians, most notably Federico Lechner, Antonio Serrano, and my guest today, Pablo Martín Caminero. After hundreds of hours spent with Pablo tour