"Every day I practice one hour more than the day before." 

This is what my soon-to-be best friend told me upon meeting her at orientation for music school.  I was shocked, because as we know, time is limited and there are only 24 hours a day.  Plus she was still finishing up high school - which takes up 7ish of those 24 potential practice hours.

After hearing what my competition would be like in college I was dismayed at my own 30 mins or so of practicing and was determined to practice more and harder.

That being said, I completely burnt myself out on music in school - trying to practice 8-10 hours a day. My love of playing was gone.  My progress was meek and I was questioning my musical path entirely.

After college,  my desire for playing came back, but it was creeping back not through classical music, but through improvisation, composition and learning fiddle music and styles from around the world.  I took what I learned and started writing...

The question of how much rosin to use is a common one amongst adult beginners.  There is a lot of stress about it.... "Did I rosin too much?"  "Is my rosin too old?"  "Is my rosin working?  "I'm squeaking....therefore I NEED more rosin!!"

Okay, let's stop stressing and break this down...

As a beginner, best thing to do: get in the habit of rosining every day for 15 seconds.  That's all you need to do, simple.

Rosin is the sticky stuff that dancers put on their feet and gymnasts put on their hands to keep from slipping.  Putting rosin on the bow functions in the same way - you keep your bow from slipping but also, you have enough friction to get the string vibrating. 

If your bow has NO rosin it will not be able to pull the string to make a sound. If your bow has too much rosin then your sound will be a little gritty.  But, like I said before, don't stress.  Just take your cleaning cloth and wipe your bow once or twice to remove...

Book Now >

Join musician Laurel Morgan Parks and the Drunken Fiddlers for an experience of a lifetime! Grab your passport and fiddle case (even if you’ve never played before), We are going to Ireland! We will take a musical journey deep into the heart of Celtic lands rich in fiddle traditions and the folklore that inspires them. Regardless of whether you’re a true first time absolute beginner, an intermediate player or just want to come and support, the Drunken Fiddles Retreat to Ireland offers a fun and relaxed environment in which to enjoy music.

Retreat participants will have a special experience with all the bells and whistles! Nestled in an area of outstanding natural beauty in the heart of the Delphi valley, Delphi Resort is a hidden gem immersed within the wilderness of Connemara and South Mayo. During our retreat we will enjoy two days of curated historical and scenic tours of Connemara and Kylemore Abbey. We will also have an evening out at the pubs to listen...

http://thewires.info/

Hello Everyone! We arranged Dance Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens for string duo. If you'd like the sheet music for this please send us an email at [email protected]

We also teach online through this website!  It's full of videos that teach a variety of fiddle styles for fiddle/violin and cello.

Read the article in The Pitch about Drunken Fiddles!

Click Here >

Making music should be fun. But when adults squeak through their first violin lessons, they may not get the compassion a child might receive. Enter Drunken Fiddles.

Listen to Program >

Drunken Fiddles has been accepted to the Shark Tank February Casting Call!

More info to come!