Eric Christopher: Fiddle, violin and mandolin | lessons, sessions and live – Page 2 – Homepage of Saint Paul fiddle and mandolin player and instructor Eric Christopher

Free Christmas Single from The Minor Planets

Posted on December 8, 2011 by ericmchristopher • 0 Comments

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

Posted on November 16, 2011 by ericmchristopher • 0 Comments

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

Posted on August 30, 2011 by ericmchristopher • 0 Comments

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!

Posted on August 10, 2011 by ericmchristopher • 0 Comments

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

Posted on July 20, 2011 by ericmchristopher • 1 Comment

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

Posted on June 13, 2011 by ericmchristopher • 1 Comment

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)?

Posted on June 12, 2011 by ericmchristopher • 0 Comments

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!

Posted on June 8, 2011 by ericmchristopher • 0 Comments

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?

Posted on May 24, 2011 by ericmchristopher • 40 Comments

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!

Posted on April 30, 2011 by ericmchristopher • 0 Comments

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

Posted on March 4, 2011 by ericmchristopher • 1 Comment

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

Posted on August 20, 2010 by ericmchristopher • 24038 Comments

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

Posted on March 19, 2010 by ericmchristopher • 8989 Comments

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