Laurel Thomsen
~Violin & Viola~
My main goal as a musician has always been to become versatile across a wide variety of genres. From the time I first held a violin at age nine, I wanted to be equally comfortable playing in a symphony orchestra, a jazz ensemble, an Irish session, a mountain bluegrass festival, and more. Music is a limitless mode of dynamic communication and I like to stretch the boundaries of my musical voice.
I grew up training classically with many fine teachers and a variety of youth orchestras around the Monterey Bay. From 2001-2003, I studied violin and viola at the University of Montana in Missoula. In the summer of 2003, I participated in a chamber music festival on Italy’s Adriatic Coast. Upon my return to the United States, I felt the need to begin branching beyond classical music, using its techniques but discovering my own expressions.
My initial interest in alternative styles developed as an affinity for Irish and Celtic music. Growing up, I had often used jigs and reels as my “dessert” after scales, etudes, and concertos. After my
European trip in 2003, I returned to California and this time headed south. I soon found myself fitting seamlessly into a band playing Rock, Pop, and Blues at gigs around Ventura County. These seasoned musicians were pleasantly surprised at my ability to jump right in, quickly learn the sets by ear, and contribute improvised solos, though I was only 21. Their positive feedback boosted my confidence, and I began to feel the stage fright that had plagued me since my early teens loosen its grip, and fade away.
Over the last few years, I have played up and down the California coast. Performances have included original contemporary compositions with a cellist in Ojai, and Paraguayan, Gypsy, classical, folk, and blues with a harpist in Santa Cruz. I have accompanied Sufi dancers and created traditional Indian devotional music for Kirtans. I’ve done studio work, played in world music festivals and jazz classes, worked with singer/songwriters, performed at weddings and classical gigs, and served on a regular basis as a guest performer in a hospital music-therapy program.
I recognize the importance of flexibility and creativity, both musically and in a business sense, when pursuing music as a life path. Since 1996, I have been a private violin/viola teacher and a string coach to youth orchestras. In teaching, I am influenced by a variety of pedagogues, including the Galamian, Sassmannhaus, Paul Rolland, and Suzuki Methods and the work of Kato Havas. I have developed innovative instruction methods that focus on refining the students’ listening abilities while working with the biomechanics of the body. My goal is to produce playing that is natural and free of tension. Besides my local students, recently have also been sharing these ideas with readers of Strings Magazine through my articles with Strings and with students worldwide though my Violin & Viola Practice Power Podcast and online teaching via Skype.
I have always had an interest in the healing arts, particularly the healing qualities of sound and music. I practice Acutonics® Sound Therapy, which combines precision-calibrated tuning forks with traditional Chinese medical theory. I am also trained in massage therapy and clinical hypnotherapy, and I use the latter, both personally and with my students, to overcome a variety of music and performance related issues.
To fuel my passion for musical exploration and to share creative expression, I seek out cutting-edge musicians, teachers, and conductors, and inspired environments. I continue to welcome new opportunities to experiment with additional genres of music.
