Patti Kusturok

Hi, I just stumbled on this and thought I’d send a little update.

I was diagnosed in January 2023 with Multiple Myeloma, cancer of the bone marrow. It was discovered when I fell and broke my right (bowing) arm.

I had the fracture repaired with plates and screws, received five radiation treatments, had four months of chemo, and a stem cell t…[Read more]

Hi! They are great tunes and are from an album called “Fiddling Through The Years” that I was on. It was 1985 or so. The tunes are Wilsons’ Clog/Irishmans’ Heart To the Ladies/Great Eastern Reel/Acrobats’ Reel. I’ll definitely add them to the list for the next recording!

Great ideas! I even know most of them…😬

I have sooooo many favourites! André Brunet is one…I’ve recently been listening to some Kenny Baker. Mike Cleveland, Graham Townsend, Randy Howard, Dick Barrett….lots!

I’ve used the Prim mediums for years. Before that I used Pirastro Chromcor but found that the G started to “wow” when I’d dig in a little bit on it. Nothing worse than a wowing G string…

How did you end up liking the heavy gauge Prims? I’ve been using the mediums forever, but am curious.

Hi Fiddlededee,

If you’re a note reader, one book that I always recommend to students is Gordon Stobbe’s Red Book of Scales and Arpeggios. It’s a book written with a fiddler in mind, in keys that we mostly play in, and what’s REALLY cool is that many of the exercises are very “fiddly,” meaning that the movements are typical of what you might…[Read more]

Hi NewFiddlier,

I competed in fiddle contests from the age of 7 up until the age of about 27. I found that the older I got, the more nervous I got, which is probably why I stopped when I did.

When students show an interest in competing, I always tell them to make sure they prepare their tunes to the point where they can play them in their…[Read more]

Hi New Fiddler,

That’s a great article by Donna Hebert. I remember reading it and am happy to have seen it again. She explains it quite well.

As mentioned, we fiddlers tend to play music for dancing, and when I do, I watch the dancers on the floor, find the best ones, and play to them.

We emphasize the off beats, and I think you can also…[Read more]

Thanks David! I’m happy to be here!

Thanks Casey!

Enjoy the vacay and try not to get too much sun. Beer and guacamole, on the other hand…..go all out!

Thanks John! Glad you’ve enjoyed the 365 Days of Fiddle Tunes. I’m beyond excited to be a member of the team here at Fiddlevideo. I’m having fun learning as well! 🙂