Interview with Darol Anger: Talented Violinist!

1. Describe what your the Website called Darol Anger at http://www.darolanger.com is all about - or not so briefly, is ok.

Violinist Darol Anger is well-known for his work as a founding member of three innovative groups: the Turtle Island String Quartet, the Montreux Band, and the David Grisman Quintet.

Working with some of the world's greatest improvising string musicians -Stephane Grappelli, Mark O'Connor, Bela Fleck, Michael Manring, Mike Marshall, et al.- has given Anger a unique perspective on string music, resulting in his inventing many innovative techniques.

As well as actively performing all over the world, he has co-led annual seminars with the TISQ at Stanford, Oberlin and Amherst colleges, and numerous lecture-demonstrations throughout the year.

He also guest instructs at Berklee and Mark O'Connor's Fiddle Camps, is a member of ASTA, and is String Chair of the IAJE. He has authored seven books dealing with techniques and materials on every aspect of vernacular string playing.

He was voted "Best Jazz violinist" for 4 years running in the FRETS Magazine Readers' Poll, and has released dozens of recordings under his own name.

He currently heads the 4 Generations Of Jazz Violin, a touring aggregation including Johnny Frigo, Joe Kennedy Jr., Matt Glaser, Regina Carter, and himself; Newgrange, a modern "chambergrass" ensemble; and the Darol Anger/Mike Marshall Band, a 4 piece group which combines all of his experience playing traditional and new musics.

2. Can you offer tips for beginning violin players &/or their parents; such as renting vs. buying instruments, where to shop, practice advice, taking care of the instrument advice.....

I have many tips under the http://www.darolanger.com/rants.html ; such as, making your fiddle for studio or stage, pickups, the baritone violin, inspirational stuff, music books that I think are effective, etc.

3. In winter, is weather harder on the instrument? What can be done, if so....

Those Dampit things are a must. dry wood will crack more easily than moist wood.

4. Anything you'd care to add.....

What are my recommendations for achieving success in music? Work on yourself, your life. You've got to have a story worth telling.
You have to be able to physically get it across; that's why we work on scales and chords, time, all the elements of clear diction and communication, but you have to find out why you're doing all that.

Sheer animal joy is only the center of it. This is hard at first. It takes some living.

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