For the Greater Groove: The Future of Strings – Details, episodes & analysis

“There are things in the music that conjoin us all.” Matt Glaser chats about the music that still inspires him after 50 years of study—the swing music of the 20’s thru the 50’s—and his perspective, after years of study, that the same musical ideas were shared across racial and economic boundaries, and how this has defined American popular music.

Curtis Stewart is a violinist/composer who is at the forefront of the new music world as a solo performer and recording artist, founding member of the Publiqartet, Artistic Director of the American Composers Orchestra and professor at The Juilliard School. We talk about his new Grammy nominated album, Of Love, the influence of his musician parents, teaching music at his own NYC high school for 10 years, and play a round of “Not My Gig”, where we find out just how much Mr. Publiquartet knows about…the Public Library.

Mark and I reminisce about the old Turtle Island days and he confesses to having written one of the best-known solo cello pieces of all time, "Julie-O", on the piano. Then I quiz Mr. Julie-O about...all things Julio, as in Julio Igelsias, "Me and Julio Down By the Schoolyard" and Don Julio tequila.

Tomoko shares her story of being a classical violinist in Tokyo who fell in love with jazz and moved to Boston to study with only a suitcase and a violin. She's now a busy contractor who books a lot of the cooler gigs for string players in the NYC area. We talk about her work and mission and then we find out how much the founder of the jazz/chamber ensemble The Resonance Collective knows about...The Resident Collective, a community activism non-profit in LA.

A chat with my good friends in the Sirius Quartet, Chern Hwei and Gregor Huebner, violins, Ron Lawrence, viola and Jeremy Harmon, cello. They were in the studio on a lunch break, so I took advantage of the opportunity to get this globe-trotting foursome in the same room at the same time. We talk about arranging for string quartet, their influences from the non-classical world and then I quiz the Sirius Quartet about...Sirius Black from Harry Potter.

My old buddy from the Turtle Island String Quartet demonstrates jazz viola techniques, talks about arranging for TISQ and about his newfound love for the violin. Then I ask the founding member of the Unbande about...7 Up, the Un-cola.

Diana is the violin half of the violin/cello Moxie Strings duo. They work with thousands of kids every year as guests in schools all over the country. We talk about our shared mission of striving to give young people the ability to play their own pop music on strings. Then we find out what the Moxie Strings violinist knows about...the Moxy Hotel in Chicago.

Composer Roberto Sierra speaks about the new electric violin concerto he is in the middle of composing for me. It's called "Ficciones" and is inspired by short stories by the Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges. We also talk about writing and playing in the musical vernacular, the popular musical styles of our time. And then I quiz the composer of "Fandangos" about...WWE wrestler Fandango.

Billy reflects on the influence of Buddy Spicher, tells some gig stories and breaks down the comprehensive and highly structured routine he uses in practice and on the bandstand. Then we quiz the Western Swing expert about...Western Spring Manufacturing Co.

One of the most important jazz violinists on the scene today, Sara brings her classical and jazz background to her students at Berklee College and Manhattan School of Music. She talks about the inspiration she gets from young players and then we quiz Downbeat magazine's perennial "Rising Star" jazz violinist about...Rising Star Casino and RV Park.