Jenny Lynn — Video Lesson
In this lesson, I’ll teach you a bluegrass (and old-time) standard that’s been recorded by everyone from Bill Monroe to Tyler Childers. It’s often played in “sawmill” tuning (AEAE), but this version’s in standard tuning (GDAE), for those who don’t feel like opening up that particular can of worms! Although I play it through with…… Continue Reading
New fiddle album in the works
Time to hunker in the bunker and get to work on that new fiddle (and mandolin) album. Here’s a demo of a tune I’m planning to include on that album. It’s called “Abigail Mitchell.” I named it after my favorite Columbo villain, played by Ruth Gordon.… Continue Reading
Playing sessions is a gas!
A few months ago, the folks at Pickle Music got in touch looking for some mandolin and fiddle for this Burger King ad. When you’re working on a project like this one, it’s always fun to check back after awhile to find out how it all came out on the other end. Okay, I’ll stop.…… Continue Reading
Update on COVID-19
Over the last week or so, it’s become clear to me — as I’m sure it has to you — that the spread of the coronavirus is going to completely change how we live our lives in the coming weeks and months. And the way I teach students will be no exception. The more I…… Continue Reading
Grass Seeds Academy at Minnesota Bluegrass’ 2019 Fall Jam
Looking forward to working with all the talented young pickers at Grass Seeds Academy on November 16! Anthony Ihrig and I will be leading a special one-day session, working with kids ages 8-18. They’ll form small groups, pick a band name, put together a set list and we’ll help them put it all together. And…… Continue Reading
Eric Christopher and Anthony Ihrig — Thanksgiving Eve at the 318
Join me and banjo player extraordinaire Anthony Ihrig at the 318 Cafe in Excelsior for a Thanksgiving Eve banjo-fiddle (and mandolin) throwdown. In addition to being my longtime bandmate in The High 48s and one of the best melodic-style banjo players working today, Anthony’s my musical enabler when it comes to exploring music outside the…… Continue Reading
MN Music Coalition’s NoVox Concert Series — July 11
https://ericchristopher.net/wp-login.php?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fericchristopher.net%2Fwp-admin%2F&reauth=1… Continue Reading
Upcoming Workshop
On June 6 and 7, I’ll be teaching a two-day fiddle workshop at the International Music Camp’s Fiddler’s Weekend, on the North Dakota-Manitoba border.This is a workshop I’ve been doing for years and it’s always a lot of fun. At this camp, I’m usually the lone bluegrass fiddler (or one of the few) in a…… Continue Reading
Grass Seeds Academy Bluegrass Jam Camp for Kids
It’s that time of year again, when I — along with The High 48s — get to mentor the talented kids at MBOTMA’s Grass Seeds Academy! Grass Seeds is a weekend-long bluegrass jam camp that takes place during the annual MBOTMA Winter Bluegrass Weekend, March 1-3 at the Crowne Plaza Minneapolis West in Plymouth, MN.…… Continue Reading
The High 48s — 2019 Bluegrass Brunch!
The bluegrass brunch is back! This FREE, eight-show series takes place every Saturday from 11AM-1PM during the months of January and February at the Aster Cafe in Minneapolis! Bring your family and friends out of the cold* and into the promised land of bacon, eggs, bloodys and bluegrass, it’s the perfect way to start your…… Continue Reading
Shove the Pig’s Foot a Little Further into the Fire — Fiddle Duet
Here’s a duet fiddle arrangement of the classic old-time fiddle tune “Shove the Pig’s Foot a Little Further into the Fire.” Within the next couple weeks, I’ll be uploading a companion video lesson where I’ll show you how to take the basic melody of a fiddle tune (this one, in particular) and add double-stops, slides…… Continue Reading
Grass Seeds Academy…the Fall Edition!
For years, The High 48s have been teaching Grass Seeds Academy, our annual bluegrass jam camp for kids, at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s winter festival in March. It’s been incredibly gratifying to work with the next generation of bluegrass pickers and singers. And they never stop amazing us! Some Grass Seeds alums…… Continue Reading
Fiddling for Violists
If the viola is the butt of jokes in the orchestra, in the bluegrass and old-time fiddling world it’s a non-entity! Although the viola has three strings in common with the violin and is played in almost exactly the same way, it seems to have never occurred to most bluegrass and old-timers that a fiddle…… Continue Reading
Cluck Old Hen Beginning Fiddle Lesson
Just posted a new video lesson on my Youtube channel. As I mention in the introduction to this lesson, Cluck Old Hen is a good second or third tune, if you’ve just started playing the fiddle. For most fiddle players, Boil the Cabbage Down is the standard starter tune. I know it was for me.…… Continue Reading
How to Practice
How to practice? It would seem that this is the simplest questions to answer. Just take your instrument out of its case and play, right? Turns out, there’s a bit more to practicing than just putting in the time. Sure, you can make some progress by simply putting in the hours with a fiddle under your chin.…… Continue Reading
Left Hand Position
There are so many things we need to do all at once when we first start playing. We have to hold the bow correctly, keep our wrist straight, maintain consistent bow pressure, etc. And that’s all before we start reading notes and making music. So I think it’s helpful with any aspect of our playing…… Continue Reading
Intro to Shuffle Bowing Video Lesson
A few years ago I wrote a quick overview of shuffle-bowing and posted it here on my blog. It hasn’t escaped my attention that this entry gets more traffic than just about anything I’ve written. So apparently I’m not the only fiddler out there thinking about shuffle bowing! For those of you who have no…… Continue Reading
Learn to Read Notes on Fiddle or Violin in 15 Minutes!
In this lesson, true to its title, I’m going to teach you how to read music on the fiddle or violin in about fifteen minutes. No kidding. Really. This is a streamlined approach to note-reading that will teach you only what you need to know to play your first couple of beginning tunes. Usually, when…… Continue Reading
Away in a Manger Fiddle Duet
Happy holidays, everyone! This week I arranged the classic Christmas carol Away in a Manger for twin fiddles. I’ve already taught this arrangement to a couple students and so far it’s getting pretty high marks. I know I’m having fun playing it. This arrangement is good for beginning, intermediate AND advanced players, depending on which…… Continue Reading
Intro to Double-Shuffle Bowing (aka, “Hokum Bowing) Lesson
Learn to play Orange Blossom Special in twenty minutes! Well…not quite. But in this lesson we will go over the basics of the double-shuffle bow pattern (the part in Orange Blossom where the audience goes crazy). So, if you’d like to learn Orange Blossom Special, or Back Up and Push, this is your intro. We’ll…… Continue Reading
Lazy John Beginning Video Lesson
Just posted a beginning lesson on the old-time fiddle tune Lazy John. It’s a good, straight-ahead beginning tune, but as you advance, it’s also really easy to fancy it up with droning double-stops and slides (and I’ll be talking about that in another lesson…so stay tuned!). And by the way, I just started my Youtube…… Continue Reading
The new High 48s album is done!
Late last week we put the finishing touches on our new abum, Daddy Was a Bankrobber. Like most musicians, I tend to be a pretty tough customer when it comes to my own recorded output. I usually find listening back to my own albums to be about as enjoyable as going to the dentist. But…… Continue Reading
Upcoming Workshops
June is shaping up to be a big month for fiddle workshops and fiddle camps. On June 8 and 9, I’ll be teaching a two-day fiddle workshop at the International Music Camp’s Fiddler’s Weekend, on the North Dakota-Manitoba border. This is a workshop I’ve been doing for years and it’s always a lot of fun.…… Continue Reading
Improving Fourth-Finger Intonation
For us violinists and fiddlers, the fourth-finger is kind of our problem child. Not only is it weaker and smaller than the rest of our fingers, it also seems to have a mind of its own. It can’t find the notes and stay on them as easily as fingers one through three. If you’re wondering what I’m talking about, just…… Continue Reading
Grass Seeds Academy Bluegrass Workshop for Kids
Grass Seeds Academy is one of the many things I love about spring. Every year on the first weekend of March, The High 48s (my band) teach this weekend-long bluegrass (and old-time) workshop for kids at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s Winter Weekend festival. The focus of this workshop is on group playing, whether…… Continue Reading
The High 48s’ 10-Year Anniversary Show
I’m excited to announce that The High 48s are celebrating a HUGE milestone: 10 years as a band! That’s a lot to celebrate. Hundreds of shows. Seven full-length albums. Two line-up changes. Thousands of miles of road. And a lot of good times. But the best part of it all has been you. You’ve kept…… Continue Reading
Eric Christopher and Anthony Ihrig at the Cedar — October 11
Anthony and I have been playing banjo-fiddle duets together for years. We started working up arrangements in our downtime with The High 48s, waiting backstage or killing time on the festival grounds. Eventually we decided take to our show out of the green room onto the stage. This coming Tuesday, Anthony and I…… Continue Reading
Grass Seeds Academy — March 4-6
On March 4-6, The High 48s will be teaching at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s Grass Seeds Academy, an three-day music camp for kids ages 8-18 that takes place during the Bluegrass Winter Weekend festival in Plymouth, MN. We always enjoy working with these talented young musicians and are impressed with what they are able…… Continue Reading
The High 48s’ Bluegrass Brunch is Back
The High 48s are back for a second season of winter Bluegrass Brunches at the Aster Cafe, every Saturday from 11AM-1PM for the months of January and February! There’s no cover and they even have a parking ramp with underground tunnel access to the venue- so bring your family and friends out of the cold and…… Continue Reading
High 48s Holiday CD Release Show at the Aster Cafe — Saturday, December 5
This may not be news to those of you who’ve heard me grousing about recording an album of holiday music in May, when the birds are singing and everything is greening up here in Minnesota, but for those of you didn’t know about it, The High 48s have been working on our first-ever holiday CD…and…… Continue Reading
High 48s Bluegrass Workshop: Saturday, October 17th
The High 48s are partnering up with the Minnesota State Fiddler’s Association for an afternoon band workshop this fall in Brooklyn Center, MN. The focus of this workshop will be on playing bluegrass with others, either in a jam setting or in a bluegrass band. This workshop is open to anyone who plays a bluegrass instrument: fiddle, mandolin,…… Continue Reading
The High 48s, Robbie Fulks and Don Stiernberg at St. Thomas on May 8
This is going to be a good one! The High 48s are playing a show with alt-country legend Robbie Fulks and jazz mandolin master Don Stiernberg on May 8, at the O’Shaughnessy Auditorium on the campus of St. Thomas in good ol’ Saint Paul (2115 Summit Avenue). By the way, that’s not a typo: this is…… Continue Reading
How Do I Start a Fiddle Tune?
In bluegrass and old-time fiddle music there are a number of standard intros — also called kick-offs –that players will use to start a tune. These are intros that you can simply snap on — like a Lego block — to the beginning of any tune and they’re guaranteed to work, just as long as…… Continue Reading
Three albums every bluegrass fiddler should own
It’s a question a lot of my bluegrass fiddle students ask: if you had to pick just a few albums that I should listen to and study, which ones would you recommend? I usually recommend a short list of three albums, for starters. It’s a nice, manageable number. All three albums on this list are fairly…… Continue Reading
What kind of violin strings should I use?
Steel violin/fiddle strings are very responsive and some of them will give you a strong, warm fundamental tone that suits bluegrass and old-time music perfectly. (If you’re interested in trying out steel strings, I wrote about some of my favorite brands here.) But if you’re a classical, jazz or Irish traditional player, you might find steel…… Continue Reading
What kind of fiddle strings should I use?
Finding the right string for your instrument and style of playing can turn into a lifelong quest. I know musicians who are constantly changing their brand of strings, falling in love with one brand and out of love with another. But for most of us, choosing strings is kind of a “set it and forget…… Continue Reading
Shuffle Bowing
[1/17/2018: check out my new video lesson on shuffle bowing below] A student once told me that Bruce Molsky in his fiddle workshops calls the violin bow a “rhythm stick.” I love that! Calling the bow a rhythm stick gets to the heart of what makes fiddling distinct from violin playing, and that of course is…… Continue Reading
Tune of the Week: Jeanne Marie
Here’s an original tune, one I wrote for my lovely wife Jeanne and recorded on my fiddle CD, “In the Quiet Night: Fiddle Tunes from the Upper Midwest.” What I’ve written out is just the basic melody of the tune. Bluegrass and old-time tunes in the key of A often use fourth-finger drones and open…… Continue Reading
Tune of the Week: Yankee Hornpipe
Here we have that rare bird, the fiddle tune in the key of B flat. This is one I found in an old book entitled “Original Dances, Waltzes & Hornpipes for the Violin, Composed by M. Higgins.” I found a reprint edition of this book years ago at Hobgoblin Music in Red Wing, MN. This…… Continue Reading
Tune of the Week: “Scotland”
Over the weekend, I did a twin fiddling showcase with Catie Jo Pidel at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s “12 for 12” Fundraiser, and one of the tunes we pulled out was Bill Monroe’s twin (sometimes triple) fiddling classic “Scotland.” Now, this is a tune I hadn’t played or thought about for quite some…… Continue Reading
High 48s Bluegrass Brunch at the Aster Cafe!
I’ll be back at the Aster Cafe with The High 48s every Saturday from January to March, 11am-1pm, with The High 48s. Come on down!… Continue Reading
Music is Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a bit of a buzzword these days. And for good reason: there’s a national shortage of it. Since smart phones have become part of our daily lives, we increasingly live in two places at once. While we inhabit the physical world — working, running errands, eating dinner, going to concerts, taking vacations —…… Continue Reading
Don Stiernberg Mandolin Workshop, May 2nd from 2 to 4pm
I’m excited to announce that I’ll be hosting a workshop by Don Stiernberg at my teaching studio here in Saint Paul on May 2nd. Don will be in town with Robbie Fulks for The High 48s‘ CD release show that evening. In addition to being a great bluegrass picker, Don Stiernberg is a world-class jazz…… Continue Reading
High 48s Album Release Show!
Save the date! The High 48s have booked a concert to celebrate the release of our upcoming CD “Great Northern Railroad” on May 2nd at the O’Shaughnessy Education Center Auditorium on the campus of the University of St. Thomas. (IMPORTANT: NOT the O’Shaughnessy on the campus of St. Catherine’s…directions here.) Joining us will be alt-country…… Continue Reading
Back from Nashville…
Just got back from Nashville where The High 48s were working on the new album. We tracked it with Grammy-winning dobro player/producer/engineer Randy Kohrs at Slack Key Studios. It was three ten-plus-hour days of tracking, sandwiched between two fourteen-hour days of driving. We’re all feeling a little ragged right now, but happy, because the album…… Continue Reading
The High 48s at Grass Seeds Academy, February 28 through March 2
The High 48s are very excited to announce that we’ll be teaching at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA)’s Grass Seeds Academy again this spring. Grass Seeds is a weekend-long jam camp for kids that’s held in conjunction with MBOTMA’s Winter Weekend bluegrass festival at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Plymouth, MN. We’ve…… Continue Reading
Bluegrass Today…and tomorrow
Thanks to Bluegrass Today, the bluegrass blog of record, for the nice write-up on The High 48s’ forthcoming CD. http://bluegrasstoday.com/the-high-48s-ride-the-train/ For those of you who are tardy to the party, we’re working on a collection of train songs, new and old, originals and covers. The album will be called Great Northern Railroad (after the title track, which…… Continue Reading
High 48s-related gig alert!
The High 48s won’t be gigging between now and when we head off to Nashville next week, but there are High 48s-related shows to report: Tonight, January 10, at Lee’s Liquor Lounge in Minneapolis, the 48s’ Anthony Ihrig and I will be joining up with Chris Silver, Wayne Beezley and Pete Mathison and Ron Elwood…… Continue Reading
Help The High 48s Record Their New Album — Contribute to our Kickstarter Campaign!
This winter, The High 48s will be traveling down to Nashville to record and album of bluegrass train songs with Grammy-winning producer, engineer and dobro player Randy Kohrs. The album will be a collection of High 48s originals along with some choice cover songs from the likes of Greg Brown, Robin and Linda Williams, Muddy…… Continue Reading
The High 48s Jam Camp — August 6-8 at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s August Fest
The High 48s will be back at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s big festival near Richmond, MN this year. In addition to playing a couple of mainstage sets, we’ll be teaching Jam Camp. The camp is for beginning- and intermediate-level players and will include individual instrument instruction (in banjo, fiddle, flatpicked guitar, upright…… Continue Reading
May 10: Americana Triple Bill with The High 48s, The Roe Family Singers and Becky Schlegel
On May 10, The High 48s, The Roe Family Singers and Becky Schlegel will celebrate Mother’s Day weekend with a triple bill at the O’Shaughnessy Education Center Auditorium on the campus of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. We’re looking forward to this one! It’s not often that we get a chance to play on a bill…… Continue Reading
Spring String Gathering and River Falls Roots and Bluegrass Fest
This weekend The High 48s are off to Wisconsin for a couple greatfestivals. Then on Sunday, the 48s will be back in River Falls for the Roots and Bluegrass Festival. We’ll playing Sunday brunch set starting at 11:30am at the West Wind Supper Club. Hope to see you there!… Continue Reading
Young Fiddlers Association Fiddle Workshop, February 18 at 1pm
I’ll be teaching a fiddle workshop for kids on February 18, 1pm, at the Tapestry Folkdance Center at 3748 Minnehaha Avenue South in Minneapolis. The workshop is being organized by the Young Fiddlers Association, who put on a lot of great events for fiddlers between the ages of 8 and 18. Visit www.youngfiddlers.com for more info or…… Continue Reading
High 48s CD Release Show, Aster Cafe, February 15 at 9pm
Celebrate the release of our new CD with us at the Aster Cafe on February 15. Showtime at 9pm. The CD is called You Asked for It! The High 48s Play Requests and it’s a collection of some of the most-requested songs from our live shows, including “I Will Whisper Your Name” and, of course, “Orange Blossom Special.” Buy…… Continue Reading
Jump Start Your Fiddle Workshop — February 9, 9-5pm
On February 9, I’ll be teaching a clinic for classically trained violinists who are learning (or are interested in learning) how to play fiddle. As a classically trained violinist/bluegrass fiddler, this is a topic near and dear to me. I’ll be giving lots of practical pointers on making the transition from classical music to fiddling…… Continue Reading
Am I too old to start learning an instrument?
Am I too to old to start playing an instrument? This seems like a natural question for New Year’s Day. It’s the time of year when we music instructors see a lot of new, adult students who are trying to make good on their New Year’s resolution. For a long time, the conventional wisdom has…… Continue Reading
How do I play the double shuffle in Orange Blossom Special? Part Two.
In part one of this lesson, we looked at two types of double-shuffle bowing as well as two basic double-stop voicings to use with these bowing patterns. Once you’re able to play these patterns with good timing and intonation, then you’re ready to tackle the triple-stop (three-note chord) version. The easiest way to beef up…… Continue Reading
How do I play the double-shuffle in Orange Blossom Special? Part one.
UPDATE 1/8/2018: check out my new video lesson on double-shuffle bowing on Youtube. This is a question that comes up in lessons and workshops a lot. I mean, A LOT! And that doesn’t come as a surprise. Orange Blossom Special is far and away the most popular American fiddle tune, it’s fun to play…… Continue Reading
Tonight at Underwood Studios
Tonight The High 48s went to Underwood Recording Studios in Minneapolis to record one more track for our soon-to-be-released album. For this song, we chose to abandon our usual method of working, which is recording over a click track (a metronome, basically) with each instrument isolated in its own room, on its own track, using headphones and…… Continue Reading
Tunes from the Minnesota State Fiddler’s Association Workshop
Thanks again to everyone who came to the Minnesota State Fiddler’s Association workshop yesterday! As promised, here are some bare-bones transcriptions of the tunes I shared. Just click on the links below and a PDF file should download to your computer automatically. These are just the basic melodies. Bowings, exact phrasing, slides and drone double-stops…… Continue Reading
Eric Christopher and Anthony Ihrig Holiday Show at the Three Crows Cafe
Anthony and I just booked a holiday show at the Three Crows Cafe in Delano, MN, on December 8 at 7:30pm. Although we only play a few duo shows a year, they’re some of our favorite gigs to play. These shows are always super spontaneous and super high energy (that’s just what happens when you…… Continue Reading
Eric Christopher fiddle workshop this Sunday, November 25, 2-4pm
This Sunday, I’ll be teaching tunes from his solo CD In the Quiet Night: Fiddle Tunes from the Upper Midwest. The workshop will be happening at the Ridgedale Public Library in Minnetonka from 2-4pm. For more information, visit the Minnesota State Fiddler’s Association website at www.fiddlemn.com. … Continue Reading
Lakes Bluegrass Festival Fiddle Workshop
I had a blast teaching the fiddle workshop at the Lakes Bluegrass Festival in Pine River, MN last weekend. If you were in the workshop, thanks again for coming out — it was fun to work with you all! If you need a refresher on the tune we played, I’ve posted a recording below. Workshopee…… Continue Reading
The High 48s in Ulen and Terrace Mill, MN this weekend!
It’s been a few years since we made it back to the Top Hat Theater in Ulen, MN — we’re psyched to be playing there again. This is part of a fantastic concert series that every year features some of the best bluegrass and acoustic artists from around the Upper Midwest. Can’t wait! More info here. Show…… Continue Reading
The High 48s at Red House Records’ Barnfest — August 4th!
Super psyched to be playing Red House Records’ Barnfest with the 48s down in Red Wing, MN on August 4, not only because it’s always fun to be the only bluegrass band at a non-bluegrass festival — we like to feel special! — but because we’ll be sharing the stage with some of our faves. Guitar…… Continue Reading
The High 48s with Art Stevenson and High Water in Marshfield, WI
Super psyched about our show with Art Stevenson and High Water this weekend. Art and High Water are not only one of our favorite bluegrass bands in the Midwest, they’re also one of our favorite bluegrass bands period. Expect a lot of hard-charging traditional bluegrass and a ton of good vibes. Evening starts at 7:30pm.…… Continue Reading
CD Release Show, May 11 at Dreamland Arts in Saint Paul
When: Friday, May 11 at 7:30pm Where: Dreamland Arts, 677 Hamline Avenue North, Saint Paul Tickets: $15, available at http://www.dreamlandarts.com/shows/detail.php?eventId=199 Info: Click here for directions and contact info Come on down to Dreamland Arts in Saint Paul to celebrate the release of In the Quiet Night: Fiddle Tunes from the Upper Midwest. After many years spent listening hard…… Continue Reading
Grass Seeds Academy Bluegrass Workshop for kids — March 2-4
I’ll be teaching a bluegrass band workshop for kids along with The High 48s at the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association’s Winter Weekend Festival. The High 48s will be joined by Catie Jo Pidel, Chuck Millar and Ryan Kimm, and Peter Ostroushko will be giving a fiddle workshop for intermediate-advanced students. I’ve taught at…… Continue Reading
The Minor Planets on Minnesota Public Radio
MPR just aired a great (and long!) piece by Chris Roberts about The Minor Planets and our new album Shadow in the Water (download the first track of the album and hear it here). The piece is also available to stream here, on the Minnesota Public Radio website. … Continue Reading
MinnPost’s Jim Walsh Likes It!
We’re always grateful when someone, anyone, really listens to and connects with our music, especially when that someone hears what you were trying to get at when you were locked away all those long hours in the studio. And when that somebody happens to be a music journalist who can really write — I mean,…… Continue Reading
The reviews are coming in on the new Minor Planets album…
Our new CD dropped just about two weeks ago and now the reviews are starting to come in… Like a lot of our fellow musicians, Dana and I can be a little sensitive to criticism (there, we said it), so reading reviews tends to give us that standing-on-the-high-dive feeling. But this time, we’re pleased to announce,…… Continue Reading
The Minor Planets on MPR’s Radio Heartland
Dana and I went into MPR’s studio this week to play a few numbers as a duo and talk with Mike Pengra and Chris Roberts about our new CD (download a free track here), our upcoming release show and dozens of things! Tune into Radio Heartland Friday at noon or follow the link below to listen to…… Continue Reading
Free Christmas Single from The Minor Planets
The Minor Planets is one of the many irons I have in the fire right now. It’s my countrypolitan collaboration with the amazing singer/songwriter Dana Thompson. We have a new CD coming out in January (and a CD release show scheduled — see the calendar page for the particulars), but in the meantime, we thought…… Continue Reading
The Minor Planets at the Dakota — November 19
The Minor Planets will be playing this Saturday night at the Dakota in Minneapolis, our first (public) full-band, Minor Planets gig since we went into the studio to record our new album Shadow in the Water. We’re SO ready for it. We’ve got a fantastic line-up for this show, with Jimmy Johnson on pedal steel, Richard…… Continue Reading
A Banner Weekend at Bluegrass in the Pines
Just got back from the Bluegrass in the Pines Festival in Rosholt, WI (near Stevens Point), and I’m physically exhausted but spiritually recharged. Outstanding picking (both onstage and off), good people and an almost magical vibe. Really. I love, love, love this festival. If you’re thinking about going to a bluegrass festival next summer, put…… Continue Reading
Busy, Busy, Busy: Upcoming CD Releases!
While the 48s have been taking a little break from the road, things have been hopping around here on the recording front. The amazing Dana Thompson and I have just finished our first new Minor Planets record in a decade. The album is called Shadow in the Water and it’s a departure from the traditional…… Continue Reading
Remembering Kenny Baker
Kenny Baker, longtime fiddler for Bill Monroe’s Bluegrass Boys, died of a stroke last week in Tennessee at the age of 85. Kenny’s passing didn’t make headline news [although the “newspaper of record” did finally publish an obituary: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/02/arts/music/kenny-baker-bluegrass-fiddler-dies-at-85.html?_r=1&ref=obituaries] , and unless you were reading a bluegrass blog or heard it through the bluegrass…… Continue Reading
Peace Gardens International Music Camp Workshop
A big thanks to everyone who joined me for the IMC fiddle camp last weekend. It was so much fun working with all of you. I was awed by your enthusiasm and sheer persistence: two full days of learning fiddle tunes can be a bit much, but you all hung in there like crazy. It…… Continue Reading
FAQ: How do I mic a fiddle or violin (in the studio)?
Getting a fiddle to sound natural and warm through a microphone is a problem that just about every fiddle player I know struggles with. So if you’re frustrated by the sound you’ve been getting either in the studio, know this: it’s not just you. Over the years, through (often painful) trial and error, I’ve a…… Continue Reading
Festival Seasons is Here!
If the triple digit temperatures weren’t a dead giveaway, the my/the 48s’ schedule this week clinches it: festival season has arrived. This Thursday and Friday, I’ll be teaching a two-day bluegrass fiddle workshop up at the International Music Camp in Peace Gardens, on the North Dakota/Manitoba border. For more info, visit http://www.internationalmusiccamp.com/. On Saturday, the…… Continue Reading
What’s the Difference Between a Violin and a Fiddle?
By far, the question I’m asked most often by students and ordinary civilians is this: “What’s the difference between a violin and a fiddle?” There are the standard joke answers that string players are required by law to give (e.g., “About $15,000,” or “It’s a violin when you sell it and a fiddle when you…… Continue Reading
Illustrated Eric: Welcome to the Redesign!
It was time to redesign. Winter was long and dreary. And dreary and long. And did I mention long? And my website was starting to look a little gray and drab, like the giant mounds of dirty snow we’ve been buried in for the last six months up here in Minnesota. So Jeanne, my lovely…… Continue Reading
Minnesota State Arts Board Grant
Just found out that I’ve been awarded a Minnesota State Arts Board Grant. So excited! This will help fund an all-instrumental CD I have in the works. For this one, I’ll be performing/arranging a collection of tunes from Upper Midwestern fiddlers across genres/traditions. I’m still collecting tunes, so if you have any suggestions, send ‘em…… Continue Reading
MBOTMA Jam Camp
I’d just like to say thanks again to all of the jam camp students at this year’s MBOTMA fest. It was a ton of fun working with all of you this year — and I know I’m also speaking for my fellow High 48s and for Willie Scott Bauer. We’ve posted pictures from jam camp…… Continue Reading
The High 48s New CD is Done, Done, Done
The High 48s have just released their third CD. It’s called Up North, and it features eight High 48s originals, two bluegrass classics and a song we picked up from the Irish band The Pogues, as well as some smokin’ guest appearances from Mike Compton on mandolin (www.mikecompton.net/ ) and Randy Kohrs on dobro (www.randykohrs.com).…… Continue Reading