Berklee Blogs

First-hand accounts of the Berklee experience

Tag: Texas

Texas

From Boston To Austin: A South By Southwest Story by Marjorie Dawson

From Boston to Austin: A South By Southwest Story

SKIZZ SXSW 2012

After playing at the SXSW (South by South West) Festival in Austin Texas, I am completely relieved, relaxed, and ready to finish my video-documentary of the festival and my bands’ experience that I’ve been working on. But not only did I organize for my band to play… I organized a professional showcase of Berklee College of Music students on Monday night at the Flamingo Cantina right after an Interactive Google Private Party! Soundkitty.com is the name of the blog I manage, edit, video record, and write for. 

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Fiddle competitions 101—no, 102

Dan Carwile teaches at the Mark O'Connor/Berklee Summer String Program

Dan Carwile knows fiddle contests

Coming to you Wednesday afternoon from the Mark O’Connor/Berklee Summer String Program… fiddle cases are everywhere!

Fiddler Dan Carwile is so detail-oriented he has a spreadsheet ranking brands of rosin. He told a dozen students he wanted them to learn past masters’ fiddle tunes so well that they could name every lick they stole. “I’m a fossil,” he said. But not a fogey: “I like to go for something different every time… it’s controlled improvisation.”

The program’s “contest-style” or “Texas-style” teacher, Dan ran the class through a classic fiddle breakdown and shared tips from his experiences judging (among other competitions) the National Oldtime Fiddler’s Contest and Festival in Weiser, Idaho. That’s “Weiser,” pronounced “weezer,” to insiders.

Please imagine this all in a soft Alabama drawl.

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Berklee @ Kerrville Folk Fest!

YEEEHAWWW.  I’m in Texas!  This is my first time and I am loving it.  Earlier this year, I submitted to the Kerrville Folk Festival’s ‘New Folk Competition’.  Out of 800+ applicants, 32 artists are chosen to play for 3 judges and a LOT of music loving, friendly folkies.  I am very honored to be amongst so many talented New Folk finalists.  Today, the first 16 artists played.  Tomorrow the next 16 play and then the judges choose 6 finalists to come back and play next weekend.  

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