Have you had the experience of suddenly hearing something in a recording, or about your playing that you never noticed before? Could the secret to becoming a better musician, in large part, not be just about practice and technique, but about becoming a better listener?

If you'd like to "grow your ears" and learn to hear more of the details music is trying to share, and to demystify the components that create passages with flavor and feeling, listen in as host Laurel Thomsen suggests some barriers to deep listening and reminds us about the elements we can learn to listen more deeply for.

Show Notes:

2022 International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) music listener report: https://www.ifpi.org/ifpi-releases-engaging-with-music-2022-report/

Intro music: William Walton Concerto for Viola & Orchestra, 1st movement introduction

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Host Laurel Thomsen's info and links:

For more information and info about my performances, recordings, and teaching, please visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.laurelthomsen.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

To check out my Violin Geek Blog, the companion to the podcast, sharing tips, insight and inspiration since 2007, please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.laurelthomsen.com/violin-geek-blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a violin, viola, fiddle, music biz, or practice related question or topic you’d like to have covered on the Violin Geek podcast or in the blog, have someone you'd like me to interview, or have a story or insight to share, please send me an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠laurel@laurelthomsen.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Also, please reach out if you’d like to inquire about online violin, viola, or fiddle lessons with me via Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom. You're also welcome to post your success story, comments, or suggestions to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/laurelthomsenmusic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Happy Practicing!

What if "doing the music thing" didn't conjure subsisting on ramen and scrounging together rent money from a few random gigs and students, but finding a "path to remarkable success," ​positioning yourself in unique spaces and with interesting pursuits, making a healthy income while staying inspired and having a deep impact?

If you've wondered if you could avoid the rat-race, create demand for your services, and love what you're doing each day, if you're a teacher or parent wondering how to best help your students realize their musical dreams, or even if you're not a musician, but want to live a rich, creative life, this episode is for you! We're speaking with the wonderful David Cutler, and his new book, "The Savvy Musician 2.0," presents a comprehensive manual that will fill you with passion for how to approach all elements of the music business, from positioning yourself in the marketplace and creating relevance, to promoting your shows and services, time management, and leaving a legacy.

Show Notes:

More about David and "The Savvy Musician 2.0" https://www.savvymusician.com

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Host Laurel Thomsen's info and links:

For more information and info about my performances, recordings, and teaching, please visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.laurelthomsen.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

To check out my Violin Geek Blog, the companion to the podcast, sharing tips, insight and inspiration since 2007, please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.laurelthomsen.com/violin-geek-blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a violin, viola, fiddle, music biz, or practice related question or topic you’d like to have covered on the Violin Geek podcast or in the blog, have someone you'd like me to interview, or have a story or insight to share, please send me an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠laurel@laurelthomsen.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Also, please reach out if you’d like to inquire about online violin, viola, or fiddle lessons with me via Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom. You're also welcome to post your success story, comments, or suggestions to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/laurelthomsenmusic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Happy Practicing!

What scale or excerpt should you choose to audition with? What should you do if all the excerpts are either too difficult and others too easy? When you have limited time to prepare the material, where should you put your focus for the most pay off? What do they mean by "contrasting" pieces?

If you've wondered about these questions, or if you're a teacher wondering how to best help your students, or even if you're an adult student, dreaming of playing in a group someday, but not sure how to prepare for that or to know when you're ready, this episode is for you! Host Laurel Thomsen answers these questions and more, with ideas for how to approach all elements of an audition, from scales and excerpts, to sight reading and solo pieces, giving you a launch point to get to work and hopefully win the placement of your dreams!

Show Notes:

International Music Score Library Project https://imslp.org/

~~

Host Laurel Thomsen's info and links:

For more information and info about my performances, recordings, and teaching, please visit my website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.laurelthomsen.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

To check out my Violin Geek Blog, the companion to the podcast, sharing tips, insight and inspiration since 2007, please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.laurelthomsen.com/violin-geek-blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you have a violin, viola, fiddle, music biz, or practice related question or topic you’d like to have covered on the Violin Geek podcast or in the blog, have someone you'd like me to interview, or have a story or insight to share, please send me an email at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠laurel@laurelthomsen.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Also, please reach out if you’d like to inquire about online violin, viola, or fiddle lessons with me via Skype, FaceTime, or Zoom. You're also welcome to post your success story, comments, or suggestions to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/laurelthomsenmusic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Happy Practicing!