Fiddle Clinic with Geoffrey Taylor

Every summer Headwaters Music and Arts holds their very popular Fiddle Camp for string players of all ages. In that spirit of improvisational fiddle music they are excited to be able to offer a one-off Fiddle Clinic to warm the bones and dust off the strings during the cold months this February! Plan to join them and Montana based, multi-genre violinist and educator, Geoffrey Taylor for a Fiddle Clinic on Monday, February 20, 9:30-11 am. Fiddlers ages 8 to adult and of all skill levels are invited to join Geoffrey for an exciting workshop exploring unique techniques, improvisation strategies and fiddle styles such as Norwegian, Jazz and Cajun. Among other things participants will be introduced to reading chord charts, playing chords and playing rhythm fiddle.

Geoffrey is a recording artist and composer who is passionate about cultivating opportunities for live music. He both plays and composes in classical, old time, bluegrass, western swing and jazz fiddle traditions using a five-string fiddle. Geoffrey has taught extensively and has organized concerts with world-class musicians, including Tim Kliphuis, Alfonso Ponticelli, Sam Miltich, Carlo Aonzo Trio and Gaelynn Lea. Geoffrey is a founding member of Night Blooming Jasmine, Western Montana’s premier Hot Club Swing sextet. Geoffrey is also a full-time fiddler for The Recession Special, Wailing Aaron Jennings and his Western Wingnuts, Augmeanted and Good Old Fashioned. Geoffrey resides in Missoula, Montana where he also maintains a private studio for violin, viola, and mandolin. The morning of Saturday February 18 Geoffrey will hold a solo performance at Headwaters Music and Arts, 10-10:45 am, followed by a 7 o’clock evening concert at the Chief Theater in Bemidji with Sam Miltich & The Clearwater Hot Club.

Though Geoffry plays the five-string fiddle and will be demonstrating with it during the Fiddle Clinic, students will explore the techniques on their own more typical fiddles within the small group. Space for the program is limited, advance registration is required. Participants are expected to bring their own instrument to the program. The Fiddle Clinic will be held at Headwaters Music and Arts in Bemidji (519 Minnesota Ave NW) and the cost to attend is $20 per participant.