AltStrings

If you’re free at noon PST today, catch my live birthday concert! I’ll be playing a bunch of my own fiddle tune compositions - hope to see you there! 🎶🎻🎉

A Tune at Noon - Special Birthday Edition! | Caroline McCaskey | AltStrings Academy A special birthday celebration - come hear some of Caroline's original tunes!Want to learn to play music with Caroline? Come play with us at AltStringsAcadem...

This Thursday, come to my birthday party! 🥳 I’ll be playing a bunch of tunes I wrote 🎶🎻

Also, if you want more fiddle tunes and some string education content, please consider subscribing to ** YouTube.com/ **

It would make a great birthday present 😁🎁 (and it would mean a lot to me! 🥹 Thank you!)

Here’s the link (active at noon PST on Thursday) - see you there? 👀

https://www.youtube.com/live/RGp9vl5Z6_c?si=w-5I9dpWsZSUR5_c

A Tune at Noon - Special Birthday Edition! | Caroline McCaskey | AltStrings Academy A special birthday celebration - come hear some of Caroline's original tunes!Want to learn to play music with Caroline? Come play with us at AltStringsAcadem...

https://youtube.com/shorts/0QnxxnftGgU?si=GmB5BvIsKV0AyDJn

Subscribe for more tunes!
YouTube.com/

🤘🏻Rock out with me on a traditional Scottish tune | Bog an Lochan | #fiddle #scottish #violin

Today’s Tune at Noon will be a whole set of tunes from the SF Scottish Fiddlers concert program this weekend 😊🎶🎻

YouTube.com/

For tickets, go to sffiddles.org. See you there!

The San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers Home page of The San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers, a musician/group

Join us Wednesday, May 15th, at 10:30 am Pacific for CelloTunes with Valerie Thompson.

In CelloTunes, we will learn cello-friendly fiddle tunes, explore strategies for learning by ear, and dig into music theory & accompaniment on the cello. We’ll address cello specific technical challenges, translation of fiddle tunes to the cello, bowing & fingerings, and stylistic/musical interpretation.

I believe that music education is not just about learning an instrument but about creating a space for students to more deeply access their own creativity and problem-solving skills. Regardless of age, ability, or experience, I help students find their own way on their cello journey while developing confidence in their strengths and a fearless perspective towards their weaknesses. Curiosity and enthusiasm (and a good sense of humor) are vital when it comes to joyfully learning and those are my guiding principals as a teacher.

Valerie Thompson (Cellist/Composer/Vocalist) is a Boston-based musician who has performed in the U.S and abroad in rock bands, string quartets, chamber folk ensembles, and as a cultural ambassador for American Music Abroad (U.S. State Department.) A cellist versed in many genres, Valerie currently tours with the indie-folk-pop band, Laura Cortese & the Dance Cards, is a founding member of the MIDI-Marimba and cello duo, Goli and performs with the Know Orchestra and Phil and the Flying Leap.
When not on tour she is on faculty at the Brookline Music School and maintains a private studio in Cambridge, MA. She has been on faculty at the Valley of the Moon Scottish Fiddling School (Boulder Creek, CA); Miles of Music Camp (Lake Winnipesaukee, NH); String Traditions at Powers Music School (Belmont, MA); CelloKids at CelloBello (www.cellobello.org); CCE Music and Dance Week (Bethesda, MD); CelloChan Woods (Ann Arbor, MI); and Illinois Wesleyan Cello Camp (Bloomington, IL.)
B.M., Performance, Berklee College of Music; M.M., Contemporary Improvisation, New England Conservatory of Music

Excited for today’s Tune at Noon! The Handfasting by Sarah-Jane Summers

YouTube.com/

*The Magic and Fun of Old-Time Fiddling with Karen Celia Heil*
Join us tomorrow- Saturday, May 11 at 11 am Pacific!

Are you curious and want to try your hand at what gives Old-time American fiddle music that fantastic sound, rhythm and drive? Does it seem like 'smoke and mirrors'? In the context of learning a tune or two from this genre, we will deconstruct a few key rhythmic bowing patterns that serve as cornerstones of the Old-Time fiddle sound. Also, we can talk about what Old-Time music to listen to and where to find it. I will also touch on the different tunings that are used. My goal is for this to be a fun and productive time together; maybe you will get hooked!

Karen Celia Heil has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area most of her life, and she has been an influential figure in the national Old-time music community for decades. Having started playing guitar at 10, and fiddle at the ripe old age of 20, she is self taught, combined with being heavily influenced by her peers and the deep study of scratchy Old-time field recordings of masters of the craft from yesteryear.

Recent performances have been with Plaid Strangers, the Knuckle Knockers, KC & the MooNshine Square Dance Band, the Aux Cajunals, and the Bucking Mules. She teaches privately, and has taught at numerous music camps, including the Freight & Salvage's Fiddlekids Camp, where she met Caroline! Other Festival and music camp credits include The Festival of American Fiddle Tunes, Swannanoa Gathering Old-Time Week, Ashokan Southern Week, NimbleFingers BC, the Gainsborough Festival UK, CBA Summer Music Camp, the Berkeley String Band Class, the Minnesota BG and OT Festival, the Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival, and the upcoming Julian Family Fiddle Camp.

Karen is currently working on many projects and music community issues with the Berkeley Old Time Music Convention, with the board of the California Bluegrass Association, and is the director of the monthly Feral Friday San Francisco Square Dance.

No live Tune at Noon today, but look for a video at noon with a BRAND NEW TUNE (feat. Thomas Dewey on cello!) 🎶

YouTube.com/

*Masterclass: Applying Healthy Practices to Playing with Zoe Schlussel*
Join us Sunday, May 5 at 2 pm Pacific!

We’ve learned about awareness, sensation, balance, and Body Mapping. We’ve learned how to apply all of this to holding your instrument. Now it’s time to apply it all to your playing.

This month our workshop will be in masterclass form. We will work together one on one to help you apply all that you have learned to your playing. You will learn by working with me directly and by observing the process of your peers. All instruments and levels welcome.

Zoe Schlussel is a violinist, fiddler, and musician health specialist currently living in Portland, OR. She recently completed a Graduate Certificate at Portland State University, studying violin ergonomics with Dr. Tomás Cotik and Body Mapping with Lisa Marsh. In addition, she has studied violin specific Body Mapping with Jennifer Johnson, has over ten years of experience recovering from playing-induced injuries, is the musician health specialist on faculty at Alasdair Fraser’s Sierra Fiddle Camp, and has been running her own private teaching studio since 2008. She holds a Master of Music degree in violin performance from Western Michigan University, where she served as graduate assistant to Renata Artman Knific, and a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music.

Friday’s live Tune at Noon will be a roundup of all the tunes I’ve played this week! See you there? 🎶🎻

YouTube.com/

Going live on YouTube at noon to play a tune! Hope to see you there 🎶🎻

YouTube.com/

Far from Home Scottish fiddle tune |AltStrings Academy Caroline McCaskey

Far from Home Scottish fiddle tune |AltStrings Academy Caroline McCaskey #atuneaday #fiddle #violin

Here we go! “A Tune at Noon” goes live today! 🎶🎻

https://youtube.com/shorts/T8I26Czwz9w?si=n3FPk_yBxoiFO2Ti

Going live to share a fiddle tune every weekday at noon on YouTube, starting this Monday!

Introducing: A Tune at Noon! #atuneatnoon #atuneaday #fiddle #violin

*Looping: An Introduction to Jamming and Composing with Your String Instrument with Mireia Clua* Join us tomorrow - Saturday, April 13 at 11 am Pacific.

Curious about looping, but don’t know where to start? Miriea will break down how all the equipment works, and then guide us through her style of composing and jamming using her loop pedal. Come and find out exactly how cool layering textures on a string instrument can be!

Currently based in NYC and originally from Andorra, Mireia is eager to share her distinctive approach to crafting music with the students at AltStrings. She presents her original compositions for the 6-string violin, skillfully incorporating a looper pedal to weave together classical and modern influences. Mireia's musical pieces evoke a broad spectrum of emotions, ranging from tender and sweet to dark and mysterious, providing a unique and intimate experience for the audience.

Mireia began her classical music training in Andorra, and pursued modern music and improvisation in Barcelona. Later she spent some years in Latin America, where she founded social music projects in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, showcasing her passion for using music as a means of self-transformation and bringing people together.

Having performed at festivals and concert venues across Barcelona, Madrid, Andorra, New York City, Asheville, and Buffalo, Mireia is enthusiastic about bringing her music to smaller, more intimate spaces where she can create a genuine connection with the audience. Beyond her performances, she is a co-founder of Improvise for Real, a globally recognized method, underscoring her commitment to musical education and adding depth to her musical journey.

*Instrument Setup Meets a Balanced Body with Zoe Schlussel* Join us tomorrow - Sunday, April 7 at 2 pm Pacific. We tend to develop all kinds of habits around how we hold the instrument, altering our bodies natural balance and ergonomic movement to accommodate the instrument. This workshop will be all about how to set up your instrument to fit your body at balance instead of compromising your body for your instrument. Much of our pain and tension from playing comes from forcing our bodies out of balance while we play. When we can allow the instrument to meet a balanced body, we can play with release, freedom, and ease. Struggling with shoulder rests, chin rests, muscle fatigue? Join us! Let’s finally answer those questions. All instruments welcome.

Zoe Schlussel is a violinist, fiddler, and musician health specialist currently living in Portland, OR. She recently completed a Graduate Certificate at Portland State University, studying violin ergonomics with Dr. Tomás Cotik and Body Mapping with Lisa Marsh. In addition, she has studied violin specific Body Mapping with Jennifer Johnson, has over ten years of experience recovering from playing-induced injuries, is the musician health specialist on faculty at Alasdair Fraser’s Sierra Fiddle Camp, and has been running her own private teaching studio since 2008. She holds a Master of Music degree in violin performance from Western Michigan University, where she served as graduate assistant to Renata Artman Knific, and a Bachelor of Music degree in violin performance from University of the Pacific Conservatory of Music.

I’ve been so busy preparing for this gig I haven’t even known what to say about it: This Sunday (St. Patrick’s Day), the Bay Philharmonic will be playing my arrangements of three fiddle tunes as the finale of their concert! I’m also being featured as a soloist on two different instruments. I’ll be playing solo fiddle with the orchestra for the finale AND on a solo fiddle reimagining of Copland’s Hoedown with orchestra accompaniment. I’ll also be playing the musical saw on Auld Lang Syne.

I worked really hard on the finale arrangement, and many thanks to Dashiel Reed and Tim Kliphuis for their orchestration advice. Thanks for your help, guys, I’m really proud of how it turned out!

It’s going to be one heckuva show – in addition to the orchestra, the finale will feature the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers, the Bay Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, a trio moment for the three solo fiddlers featured on the show, Irish pub band Culan’s Hounds, and dancers!

If you will be in the Bay Area this Sunday, I think there are only a few tickets left - grab them here!

Bay Philharmonic The Bay Philharmonic is one of the most innovative companies dedicated to bringing beauty and joy to the entire Bay Area through high quality, musically theatrical experiences coupled with exceptional customer service.

Ever feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day to practice everything? How do you know what you’re supposed to practice? How do you keep from forgetting all your old music? Why should you set goals and have a practice plan? Join Caroline in setting intentions for your music study in the new year, and let’s get clear on our goals! Sign in to AltStringsAcademy.com tomorrow, Saturday January 6 at 11 am. See you there!

A native daughter of the genre-bending West Coast music scene, Caroline McCaskey is equally at home in the regional traditional, improvising and classical music worlds. Author of the AltStrings Fiddle Method, she holds degrees in music composition and performance, as well as Suzuki teaching certification in violin and cello. Caroline is the 2019 U.S. National Scottish Fiddle Champion and a two-time International Musical Saw Champion. She also runs AltStringsAcademy.com, a learning community for amateur adult string players who are ready to build their technique, style, and musicianship skills.

Hey fiddle friends! Is your New Year’s resolution to improve your playing technique, musicianship, and style? If you're a beginning or intermediate string player ready to figure out how to get to the next level, I'm SO excited to let you know that AltStrings Academy is out of the beta testing period and ready for you!

Join us for lots of live and go-at-your-own-pace classes and office hours for individualized instruction, and workshops with guest artists known for being top teachers at what they present. Our friendly, supportive community is full of players who are all working on their own stuff, together - and making HUGE strides of improvement already. (Seriously, I'm super impressed at the work they're putting in and the results they're getting!)

Check out AltStringsAcademy.com to enroll, or to find out more!

Here's what current members (your friends!) are saying:

"I am loving the AltStrings Academy and all of the richness you have built into the program. Such a deal!!" Cata Fitzgerald

“The referrals are purely out of self interest! 😁 The more of my fiddle friends that are on it, the easier it is for me to keep at it. BUT it is also because I think your ASA is awesome and you are the very best and kindest and most supportive teacher there is. So thank you, Caroline.!” Hege Bakken

“I’m getting a lot out of this program. Thank you for putting it together! It’s hard correcting bad habits, but the bite size lessons are excellent.” Annie Lombardi

"AltStrings is a gem. I have learned more in two months than two years of lessons . . . Fundamentals, learning by ear and breaking through the fear have progressed my playing more than I could have imagined. Caroline provides individual attention keeping an eye on my individual goals. I am a fan and you should be too." Sherrill Beck

"I’ve tried other violin subscription programs before. Alt Strings is by far the best, and the best value . . . you will not be disappointed!" Rebecca Golling

DM Caroline or comment here with any questions - can't wait to work with you! 🎶

You know you’re a musician when you read this as “Been in the Storm Soloing”