Julie Lyonn Lieberman,
has helped develop the alternative string field over the last thirty+
years through her work as an educator, author, radio producer, composer,
recording artist, journalist, and performer.
Ms. Lieberman is the author of eight music books, including The
Creative Band and Orchestra, The Contemporary Violinist, 12 Rock Strings
Lesson Plans, Improvising Violin, Rockin’ Out With Blues Fiddle, You Are
Your Instrument, and Planet Musician. One of her newest books,
Alternative Strings: The New Curriculum, is helping to change the
landscape of the string world. 2007 included the release of her fifth DVD titled
Alternative String Styles in the Classroom. Ms. Lieberman
wrote, produced, and edited this video for American String Teachers
Association. Her other DVD titles include Rhythmizing the Bow, Techniques for the Contemporary String Player, The Violin in Motion, and Vocal Aerobics.
Julie was the first educator invited by Juilliard to teach improvisation to their students. A dynamic, participatory workshop leader, her ability to stimulate
participants to think and grow in new ways has earned respect for her
work throughout the world through organizations like American String
Teachers Association, European String Teachers Association, National
Orchestra Festival, Music Educators Association, International
Association of Jazz Educators, Suzuki Institute, National String
Workshop, International String Workshop, the Juilliard MAP Program,
National Young Audiences, the Carnegie Hall LinkUp Program and The
Academy (a Carnegie/Weill Hall/Juilliard-sponsored program).
Lieberman has also created seven
hours of programming for National Public Radio on jazz violin, and over
fifty articles for music magazines, including STRAD, STRINGS, Fiddler
Magazine, and American String Teacher Journal. In addition, Ms.
Lieberman produced four American Jazz String Summits in the eighties and
nineties featuring many of the top improvising string players in
America, and co-produced three alternative string festivals within
American String Teachers 2003, 2004, and 2005 conferences, serving as
the chair for the 2004 component
Julie is a J. D'Addario Elite Clinician. Her eclectic style scores are published by Alfred Publications and her books and DVDs are distributed world-wide by Hal Leonard Publications. She is now a member of the National Curriculum Committee for the American String Teachers Association.
Dr. Martin Norgaard is the author of the ground-breaking methods Jazz Fiddle Wizard, Getting Into Gypsy Jazz Violin, Jazz Fiddle Wizard Junior, Jazz Viola Wizard Junior and Jazz Cello Wizard Junior Volumes 1 and 2 for Mel Bay Publications. He has composed several orchestra pieces for FJH Music and is the co-author of the Modern Violin Method and the Modern Viola Method with Dr. Laurie Scott. His most recent composition for string orchestra, Molecules and Stars, will be published by Alfred in 2010.
Norgaard has presented internationally and nationally in over 30 states at conferences such as Singapore International String Conference, ASTA, TMEA, SAA, MENC, and IAJE, and has taught at summer workshops such as the IAJE Teacher Training Institute, the South Carolina Suzuki Institute, the Santa Fe Suzuki Institute, the Augusta Heritage Festival and Vanderbilt’s International Fiddle School. He recently presented his research at The Neurosciences and Music III at McGill University in Montreal.
Norgaard holds a Ph.D. in Music and Human Learning from The University of Texas at Austin. His dissertation Descriptions of Improvisational Thinking by Artist-level Jazz Musicians is a qualitative investigation of the cognitive processes underlying improvisation. Norgaard received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in jazz performance from William Paterson University, and Queens College in New York, where he studied with Rufus Reid, Hal Galper, Jimmy Heath and others.
Norgaard has performed nationwide with his own jazz group and artists as diverse as Eliza Gilkyson, Buddy Spicher, Terri Clark, Matt King, Matt Dowling and Rich McCready to name a few.
Matt Turner is regarded as one of the world's leading improvising
cellists. Equally adept in many styles, Turner performs everything from
jazz standards and twentieth century new music to alternative rock and
improvised avant-garde.
Turner completed his undergraduate studies at Lawrence University and
his Master of Music degree in Third Stream Studies at the New England
Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Dave Holland, Geri Allen
and Joe Maneri, and where he was the recipient of a Distinction in
Performance Award.
Turner taught jazz piano, jazz strings, composition and
improvisation for many years at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music. He
is featured on more than 50 recordings on Sketch, Meniscus, O.O. Discs,
Asian Improv, Geode, Cadence, and other labels. He has performed at the International Cello Festival in Montreal,
the Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival, and with CUBE, Present Music,
and Dadadah. He has shared the stage with Bobby McFerrin, Kevin
Mahogany, Natalie McMaster and Randy Sabien. His compositions and
arrangements are published by Latham Music and Alliance Music. He
presents numerous improvisation workshops to string students and string
teachers each year. Turner is a Yamaha performing artist.
"Turner dazzles with his own improvisational excursions and displays
his expansive cello vocabulary..." Strings Magazine
"...represents Matt Turner as one of the great American
cellists...this rates as an important document of a major voice on the
cello..." Joee Conroy -- The Improvisor Review of Turner's solo
cello recording, "The Mouse That Roared"
Richard Greene, "one of the most
innovative and influential fiddle players of all time," grew up in Los
Angeles and studied classical music until his encounter with the
pyrotechnic fiddling of Scotty Stoneman; from then on Richard was a
fiddler. He first attained prominence with Bill Monroe and the
Bluegrass Boys in 1966 as one of Monroe's first "northern" band members,
then went on to found the revolutionary Folk-Rock group Seatrain,
pioneering the first use of the electric violin in Rock. His advanced
technique and intense yet "cool" tone shocked audiences and prefigured
such players as Jean-Luc Ponty and others, influencing a generation of
fiddle players including Darol Anger, Alison Krauss, Sam Bush and Stuart
Duncan.
Richard's return to acoustic
music occasioned the invention of "New Grass" or "New Acoustic"
instrumental music, now a mainstay throughout the world's acoustic music
festivals. As one of Los Angeles' premier string session players he
founded the trailblazing Greene String Quartet creating the first ever
amalgam of Jazz-Folk-Rock-Chamber music and producing three seminal
albums. His many acclaimed releases in the folk and bluegrass world
have been honored with Grammy and IBMA awards, his CD Sales Tax Toddle
was Grammy nominated for Bluegrass Album of Year.
Mr. Greene currently leads
seminars on all aspects of fiddling and violin playing nationwide,
teaching courses at The Mancini Institute, the RockyGrass Academy, the
Festival of Fiddle Tunes, the Mark O'Connor Fiddle Camp, the Rocky
Mountain Fiddle Camp, The Swannanoa Gathering, and dozens of ad hoc
workshops throughout the year. Also last year marked the debut of
Richard Greene's Piece for Bluegrass Violin and Orchestra entitled "What
If Mozart Played With Bill Monroe?".
Richard Greene Resume
Music genre
Authentic Old Time
fiddle music (much of which learned one on one from Bill Monroe,
inventor of BlueGrass Music) and New Acoustic (original instrumental
compositions). Richard co-invented the genre New Acoustic with
David Grisman circa 1974 (The Great American Music Band).
GRAMMY AWARD: Best
Instrumental Performance of the Year (1997)
GRAMMY NOMINATION: Best
Bluegrass Recording of the Year (1998)
IBMA: Recorded Event of
the Year
IBMA Nomination:
Instrumental Band of the Year
Honorary Kentucky
Colonel
Performed as Leader with his own
groups
Seatrain (1969-1972)
(produced by George Martin of Beatles fame). 1st occurrence of
electric violin in Rock and Roll
The Great American Music
Band (co-lead with David Grisman, circa 1974)
Muleskinner (band
members: Bill Keith, Clarence White, Peter Rowan, David Grisman)
The Greene String
Quartet
The Grass Is Greener
(David Grier, Bill Keith, Chris Thile, Butch Baldasarri, Tony
Trischka)
Richard Greene & The
Brothers Barton
Recording & Performance History as
Sideman (highlights only)
Red Allen (Richard’s 1st
ever recording session - 12 classic sides), Bill Monroe (14 classic
sides), Gary Burton, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, Melissa Manchester,
The Blues Project, James Taylor, Tony Rice, Dolly Parton, Emmylou
Harris, Bob Seger, Old And In The Way, Brian Wilson, Eddie Adcock,
George Strait, Loggins & Messina, Crosby-Stills & Nash, Peter Rowan,
Deana Carter, Rod Stewart, Lacy J. Dalton, Jerry Garcia, Van Dyke
Parks, Bruce Springsteen, The Brothers Barton, Tony Trischka, Sting,
Joss Stone, Richard Thompson, Kelly Clarkson, Mandy Moore, Tony
Bennett, The Wagner Ensemble (Jeannine Wagner), Jennifer Leiham, Dan
Hicks
Janet Farrar-Royce is a leading authority on including fiddling in
the mainstream string curriculum as a means to meet National Standards
and create "Rich Lessons." She has been signed on as a Lecturer for the Yale Teacher Training Program. In fact, she is the whole Music Education division.She
Jan
was one of the original On-line MENTORS
for the MENC (Music Educators National Conference.) She was the
first string teacher to receive a National Education Grant for her
"First Fiddling Lesson" and is presently a member of the ASTA (American
String Teachers Association) National Alternative Styles committee.
Her career includes over 30 years of private and public school and
college teaching. She has been a conductor for two leading Youth
Symphonies and guest conductor at several Orchestral Festivals in the
North East. Her 40 professional performance career spans both the
classical and American fiddling worlds. Her many articles and reviews
span both professional performing and educational concentrations and two
of them were chosen for MENC's 2006 publication "Spotlight on
Orchestra" The first printing of her book of fiddling lessons, "White Mountain Reel Companions" was a sell-out in less than a year.
Her new book of fiddling lessons for private studio and string class
instruction, "Fiddling Fingers" with Doris Gazda, Jay Ungar and
Molly Mason, is due for publication by Carl Fischer in mid-February,
2006. She gives frequent workshops for teachers and student musicians at
schools, colleges and conferences.
Janet Farrar-Royce is to fiddlin' what whip cream is to a sundae.
Janet's music covers all of the national standards with such detail it
allows the time crunched public school teacher a chance to what they do
best...teach.
Roberta Warfield
Orchestra Director
Bedford Public Schools, New York
March 11, 2005
Vicki Richards’ musical history spans more than 4 decades and crosses many international and musical time lines. Her classical training & degree, professional orchestral playing in Miami, RI, Switzerland and in NYC, paired with electric fusion in the late 1970s & 1980s led her to yet another form of classical music, that of North India.
The rich tradition of North Indian Raga gave her the guidelines and knowledge to draw from within, instead of from the “black dots on a page” (sheet music), to create melodies and aural landscapes. She was recipient of grants from the American Institute of Indian Studies (Univ of Chicago) and the Smithsonian. She has performed Classica Indian Music in Carnegie Recital Hall & representing the USA on tour in India.
Ms. Richards continues to give lectures & workshops, performing, translating and demystifying the melodies and improvisational system of North Indian Classical Music for Universities, Music camps and schools such as the Mark O'Connor String Conference and the American String Teacher's Annual Conferences, Alternative Section. In addition, she introduces students and audiences to electric violin playing and her fusion style, woven threads from East & West.
Vicki’s 3 solo recordings and numerous recording collaborations received many glowing reviews. Her musical style and recordings are included in several books and articles on the evolution of improvised music & alternative styles. Recordings, performances and collaborations are listed on her website.
Vicki Richards studied at Banaras Hindu University, India. She as a B.M. in performance from the Frost School of Music at Univ of Miami, attended Indiana University’s Music school.
She is a registered teacher with the Suzuki Association of the Americas.
Steven Vance is the co-founder and Director of the Extreme Strings
Academy . He has been a performer, booking agent, and entertainment
producer in the Pittsburgh area for over 20 years, covering many styles
including Strolling, Jazz, Irish, Bluegrass, Country, Pop. Rock, Jazz,
and more.. Through his business,
Steven
Vance Strolling Violins, he has played nearly 3,000 gigs of all types from
traditional strolling violin and ethnic music, to playing fiddle in
country rock bands, to fronting a 20 piece orchestra. He has
presented workshops and clinics for the American String Teachers Assn,
(ASTA) and for the Christian Howes Creative Strings Workshop. Mr. Vance
is a clinician for Yamaha Corporation.
MaryAnn Willis is violinist since 2000 with Houston’s World Fusion band Moodafaruka and played for two decades before that with the multi-ethnic band The Gypsies.
She has introduced and promoted ethnic violin styles to the string community since the 1980s, ranging from Gypsy and other Eastern European styles to fiddle music from all over Europe, the British Isles and North America.
She has authored numerous book/recording instructional volumes and anthologies for Mel Bay Publications covering these styles. Her “Gypsy Violin” is a best seller.
She teaches at Writers in the Round music studio in Houston, a facility dedicated to the promotion of student musical exploration and creativity.
She has presented numerous workshops for the American String Teachers Association and Rocky Mountain Fiddle Camp as well as Strings without Boundaries.
Her classical training includes a BA in music from the University of California at Santa Cruz, California and Texas music teaching credentials and finishing studies at L’Institut des Hautes Études Musicales in Montreux, Switzerland as well as two summers with the Spoleto Italy Opera Festival Orchestra. Her passion is sharing the violin’s infinite capabilities of expression with students and audiences alike.
Stephen Benham is currently an Associate Professor of Music Education at Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA), where he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education, string pedagogy, music psychology, and music education history/philosophy. He is also an adjunct faculty member at Liberty University (VA) where he teachers courses in field research and Eastern European culture. Stephen holds degrees from the University of Minnesota (B.S.), the University of Michigan (M.M.) and the University of Rochester––Eastman School of Music (Ph.D.). Prior to coming to Duquesne, Steve taught at the public-school level in Michigan, Oregon, and New York.
Steve is an expert in Eastern European culture, having made nearly 40 visits to the region since 1997. He works actively with Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking communities throughout the region, including Ukraine, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic. His work has led to the development of numerous community music schools and string ensembles in the region, and his research has been featured in numerous international conferences and symposia, in addition to being published.
Steve has held numerous leadership positions. He is currently President of the Pennsylvania-Delaware String Teachers Association, and the Chair of the National Curriculum Committee for the American String Teachers Association.
Roy Sonne started playing jazz violin at age 60, after a 40
year career as a symphony musician. He was a founding member of “Blues
on First” Pittsburgh’s Jazz String Quartet. He studied jazz
improvisation with James Guerra at City Music Center and attended the
Christian Howes/Yamaha Creative Strings Camp. He plays regularly with
jazz pianist, John Burgh.
Through playing jazz, Roy's musical universe became so much
richer, so much more exciting and fulfilling, that he became determined
to share this experience with other string players. In August 2004, Roy
organized Pittsburgh's first Jazz String Workshop for classically
trained string players. Based on the success of that workshop, in 2005
he organized the Pittsburgh Jazz and Fiddling Camp, now preparing for
it's second season.
Roy is active as a
conductor, violinist, pianist and teacher. He is a member of the first
violin section of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He is a faculty
member of the CMU Preparatory division. For eleven years he was the
Music Director of the Edgewood Symphony Orchestra. He maintains a large
private teaching studio in his home in Mt. Lebanon. He is also a
Pittsburgh Symphony Ambassador, making frequent visits to many high
schools in the Pittsburgh area, to do workshops and coaching sessions.
