For the Greater Groove: The Future of Strings
Music Podcasts
For the Greater Groove: The Future of Strings is a collection of chats/jams with some of the leaders in the progressive string playing community. The focus is on grooving and playing rhythm strings, like rhythm guitar. Grooving is the crucial entry point into our popular musical culture and something virtually ignored in traditional classical training. Each show includes a "Groove Hacker" segment, in which we take a groove from a recording and recreate it on strings; a Groove Topic/Question for discussion; and a game called "Not My Gig", which is a 3-or-so-question trivia quiz on a subject I’m hoping my guest knows nothing about. https://www.tracysilverman.com/ https://www.StrumBowing.com
Location:
United States
Genres:
Music Podcasts
Description:
For the Greater Groove: The Future of Strings is a collection of chats/jams with some of the leaders in the progressive string playing community. The focus is on grooving and playing rhythm strings, like rhythm guitar. Grooving is the crucial entry point into our popular musical culture and something virtually ignored in traditional classical training. Each show includes a "Groove Hacker" segment, in which we take a groove from a recording and recreate it on strings; a Groove Topic/Question for discussion; and a game called "Not My Gig", which is a 3-or-so-question trivia quiz on a subject I’m hoping my guest knows nothing about. https://www.tracysilverman.com/ https://www.StrumBowing.com
Twitter:
@tracysilverman
Language:
English
Contact:
6152184936
Email:
tracy@tracysilverman.com
Episodes
Matt Glaser
2/8/2024
“There are things in the music that conjoin us all.” Matt Glaser chats about the music that still inspires him after 50 years of study—the swing music of the 20’s thru the 50’s—and his perspective, after years of study, that the same musical ideas were shared across racial and economic boundaries, and how this has defined American popular music.
Duration:01:22:55
Curtis Stewart
12/19/2023
Curtis Stewart is a violinist/composer who is at the forefront of the new music world as a solo performer and recording artist, founding member of the Publiqartet, Artistic Director of the American Composers Orchestra and professor at The Juilliard School. We talk about his new Grammy nominated album, Of Love, the influence of his musician parents, teaching music at his own NYC high school for 10 years, and play a round of “Not My Gig”, where we find out just how much Mr. Publiquartet knows about…the Public Library.
Duration:01:07:38
Ginny Luke
11/21/2023
With a musical worldview centered on individuality, freedom and emotion, Ginny talks about how to deal with the challenges women face in the performing arts, how to be fearless onstage, her new album, and how and what she teaches the students at her Popular Strings class at the Thornton School of Music, USC.
Duration:01:05:36
Regina Carter
8/22/2023
Regina talks about her sound, her move from classical to jazz, her experience as a hospice caregiver, and then I ask the MacArthur genius how much she knows about...the song "MacArthur Park."
Duration:01:09:55
Jean Luc Ponty
4/26/2023
Jean Luc Ponty is the father of all modern jazz violinists with a long and ground-breaking career. In this wide-ranging conversation, Jean Luc talks about his transition from a young classical violinist fresh out of the Conservatoire to one of the leading jazz instrumentalists in Europe, to his impact on American rock and jazz fusion. We talk about who influenced his playing, what gear he uses, and about being in Frank Zappa's band. Personally, there is no violin player who has had a greater impact on me musically than the legendary Jean Luc Ponty!
Duration:01:18:34
Jesus Florido
1/24/2023
Violinist and tireless educator Jesus Florido talks about the importance of the groove in Latin music and how it's expressed on the violin. We share an astonishment at how the groove is so often ignored by classical violinists in favor of tone production, and then I quiz Mr. Florido about...obscure facts about the state of Florida.
Duration:00:52:00
Best of ’22: All Killer, No Filler
12/31/2022
A collection of highlights of my conversations from the past year, with short musical excerpts, starting with the Zach Brock episode from January and including Natalie Haas, Sara Caswell, Billy Contreras, Roberto Sierra, Diana Ladio, Danny Seidenberg, Sirius String Quartet, Tomoko Akaboshi, Mark Summer, Mia Asano, Eugene Friesen and Daniel Bernard Roumain.
Duration:00:50:10
Daniel Bernard Roumain
12/13/2022
Composer/violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain shares his unique perspective as a black progressive string player and composer in a very traditional classical world. We talk about his journey of self-discovery and the importance of advocating for new ideas and updating of traditions. Then I quiz the composer of one of the better known contemporary solo violin works, "Filter", about the rock band Filter. Hilarity ensues.
Duration:00:47:14
Eugene Friesen
10/25/2022
Eugene Friesen is one of the architects of progressive string playing. We go deep and we get specific--Eugene slows down an example of his trademark pizzicato technique and drops nuggets of gold all through this podcast, getting philosophical and sharing little known secrets of his early years. And then the inventor of the educational superhero, Celloman, gets quizzed on indie-rock festival vendor, Jelloman.
Duration:01:07:11
Mia Asano
10/4/2022
Mia Asano is a young electric violinist who has become one of the most visible content creators in the string world. She's a recent graduate of Berklee College of Music and we talk about how she got over 2 million views and 100K followers one night. And how she fell out of love and back in love with music.
Duration:01:02:09
Mark Summer
8/30/2022
Mark and I reminisce about the old Turtle Island days and he confesses to having written one of the best-known solo cello pieces of all time, "Julie-O", on the piano. Then I quiz Mr. Julie-O about...all things Julio, as in Julio Igelsias, "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard" and Don Julio tequila.
Duration:00:51:53
Tomoko Akaboshi
8/22/2022
Tomoko shares her story of being a classical violinist in Tokyo who fell in love with jazz and moved to Boston to study with only a suitcase and a violin. She's now a busy contractor who books a lot of the cooler gigs for string players in the NYC area. We talk about her work and mission and then we find out how much the founder of the jazz/chamber ensemble The Resonance Collective knows about...The Resident Collective, a community activism non-profit in LA.
Duration:00:50:23
Sirius Quartet
7/19/2022
A chat with my good friends in the Sirius Quartet, Chern Hwei and Gregor Huebner, violins, Ron Lawrence, viola and Jeremy Harmon, cello. They were in the studio on a lunch break, so I took advantage of the opportunity to get this globe-trotting foursome in the same room at the same time. We talk about arranging for string quartet, their influences from the non-classical world and then I quiz the Sirius Quartet about...Sirius Black from Harry Potter.
Duration:00:40:53
Danny Seidenberg
6/22/2022
My old buddy from the Turtle Island String Quartet demonstrates jazz viola techniques, talks about arranging for TISQ and about his newfound love for the violin. Then I ask the founding member of the Unbande about...7 Up, the Un-cola.
Duration:01:03:36
Diana Ladio
4/26/2022
Diana is the violin half of the violin/cello Moxie Strings duo. They work with thousands of kids every year as guests in schools all over the country. We talk about our shared mission of striving to give young people the ability to play their own pop music on strings. Then we find out what the Moxie Strings violinist knows about...the Moxy Hotel in Chicago.
Duration:00:54:43
Roberto Sierra
3/15/2022
Composer Roberto Sierra speaks about the new electric violin concerto he is in the middle of composing for me. It's called "Ficciones" and is inspired by short stories by the Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges. We also talk about writing and playing in the musical vernacular, the popular musical styles of our time. And then I quiz the composer of "Fandangos" about...WWE wrestler Fandango.
Duration:00:54:52
Billy Contreras
2/22/2022
Billy reflects on the influence of Buddy Spicher, tells some gig stories and breaks down the comprehensive and highly structured routine he uses in practice and on the bandstand. Then we quiz the Western Swing expert about...Western Spring Manufacturing Co.
Duration:00:59:34
Sara Caswell
2/1/2022
One of the most important jazz violinists on the scene today, Sara brings her classical and jazz background to her students at Berklee College and Manhattan School of Music. She talks about the inspiration she gets from young players and then we quiz Downbeat magazine's perennial "Rising Star" jazz violinist about...Rising Star Casino and RV Park.
Duration:00:57:16
Natalie Haas
1/18/2022
Natalie Haas has helped define this new role for strings that I keep talking about--the future of string playing, which I believe is all about being a genuine rhythm player, not just a melody/virtuosic player. Natalie is the consummate rhythm string player, and her 20-year duo with Scottish fiddle master Alasdair Fraser is testament to that. She breaks it down, clearly demonstrates a groove for us, and is a good sport on her segment of Not My Gig, where I quiz the long-time teacher at the Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School about...The Valley of the Sun, an early Hollywood western.
Duration:00:53:22
Zach Brock
1/4/2022
Zach and I get deep into his improv process, talking about Charlie Parker playing the violin, the improv angel and demon on his shoulders, and how not to swing. (Spoiler alert: be swung instead.) And then we quiz this Snarky Puppy about...kittens.
Duration:01:08:10