Musicians performing outside in Somerville, MA.

#Music #Fiddle

Musical Interlude: I adore fiddler Bruce Molsky, who does difficult tunes with amazing ease. For a while, he had a band called Molsky's Mountain Drifters, who I was lucky enough to see live multiple times. Here's an uplifting tune for the difficult times we're having.

"There's a Bright Side Somewhere," performed by Molsky's Mountain Drifters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZy8vy9mACc&list=OLAK5uy_n96H7LSppYSn7EPwK49SDpPvO85sq6-SY&index=1

#MusicalInterlude #MolskysMountainDrifters #BruceMolsky #OldTimeMusic #Fiddle #HopeInDarkTimes

There’s a Bright Side Somewhere

YouTube
The fiddle at work with Polish medieval music group, Floripari, before their concert in Slovakia at Chrám sv. Jakuba v Levoči. #medieval #medievalmusic #fiddle #earlymusic

🧵1/ Imma shift gears this Saturday afternoon and put my #EthnoMusicology hat on. I’ve always loved #CelticMusic, the music of my ancestors. So seeking to better understand its origins I detoured into #NordicFolkMusic as Scandinavian #Vikings brought much of their culture, including music, to the Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales during their centuries long occupation & rule. I’ve discovered I love the sound of the Hardanger #Fiddle, the Nyckelharpa, the Hurdy-Gurdy and the Cittern. Sharing some of my favorite #MusicVideos from my YT channel (one of 19 playlists). This vid features Annbjørg Lien, the undisputed queen of the Hardanger fiddle, Norway’s most beloved folk instrument, accompanied by Roger Tallroth.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Bvr5UIGC99k&si=XcLH2xJC5W7Q3kOO

Annbjørg Lien & Roger Tallroth live at Celtic Colours International Festival 2015

YouTube

May 2026 Grab Bag o’ Humour

The violin is known as the violin in classical music. However, in country music it is known as a fiddle. I was wondering if the violin should have a third name for the rock music it’s played in.

We might look at how the violin is used in rock music. For instance, in country music it is played a lot differently than it is in classical music. Maybe this will give us a clue on how to name it.

Jimmie Page is known for using a violin bow on a guitar in Dazed and Confused and a couple of other songs. Maybe rock musicians could call violins “bow partners”. This would enable musicians to find bows to abuse, that much easier.

But really, when it comes to rock music, so many times bands play with a string section or even a complete orchestra. String sections are usually lead by violins. Perhaps we could find a name somewhere in rock, where there is a name but no instrument to go with it. How about a “soda pop laser beam guitar”. Maybe Prism was onto something in Spaceship Superstar. You may question the 4 strings vs. 6 strings, but bass guitars have 4 strings.

*

There has been a lot of discussion in Canada that MPs who cross the floor, going from one party to another are anti democratic. People think because they voted for a party that their MP must be a simpleton that unquestioningly follows the party’s tack.

But look when you vote next time. You are voting for a person and a party at the same time.

It is at least as anti democratic for parties to have a “whip” and to make the majority of issues whipped votes. To stay in the party, the MP, regardless of what their riding thinks, must vote to the will of the party.

Floor crossing is something that happens when you put together someone’s name and a party’s name. It is not antidemocratic. The floor crosser is making a stand against their original party and it just may be in the riding’s best interest.

*

On the finale of Saturday Night Live they had Will Ferrell hosting and in his stead, his doppelganger, Chad Smith from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, started the monologue before being interrupted by Will Ferrell.

The shocking part of all this is that Will Ferrell and Chad Smith don’t really look that much like each other.

Not anymore, anyways. My belief is if you had them both on twenty years ago they would have looked almost identical to each other.

The sad fact is that in twin land, even identical twins grow differently and grow apart after a long time of perhaps a couple decades.

So I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that doppelgangers also grow apart.

#2DecadesAgoTheyReallyLookedAlike #antiDemocraticToWhipTheVote #antiDemocratic #bowPartner #Canada #ChadSmith #classical #country #crossingTheFloor #doppelgangers #evenIdenticalTwinsLookLessLikeEachOtherWithAge #fiddle #JimmiePage #MP #party #RedHotChiliPeppers #rock #SaturdayNightLive #theRiding #violin #violinBows #WillFerrell
Fridays, I post photos of the different musicians I photographed over the years.
From 2013
Almonte Celtfest
Almonte, Ontario, Canada

Almonte is a small village outside of Ottawa, Canada. Their Celtfest has been going on for number of years. I volunteered with them for a few years, until my work schedule changed.

linktr.ee/James_Coughlan
photosbyjamesottawa.picfair.com/
https://ko-fi.com/photosbyjames
#music #musician #musicians #celticmusic #celticmusicfestival #violin #fiddle #violinist

#TuneTuesday #WriteMeALetter

* Ketty Lester - Love letters (1962, on her same-titled album)💌 : https://soundcloud.com/kettylester/love-letters-380685961

"And darlin', then I read again right from the start"

* Bill Monroe & The Blue Grass Boys - No letter in the mail (1941)📪: https://soundcloud.com/bill-monroe-the-bluegrass-boys/no-letter-in-the-mail-1

"If there's no letter in the box
I'm leaving this world behind"

#Soul #KettyLester #Piano #EarlPalmer #OST #VictorYoung #BillMonroe #Bluegrass #Fiddle #Mandoline

Love Letters

Listen to Love Letters by Ketty Lester #np on #SoundCloud

SoundCloud

If your #Monday has your down, and you need a mood elevator…then ten minutes of Canada’s Beaton Sisters fiddle fineness will surely do the trick. Starts slow but progresses into a rousing medley that will stir your soul and get your feet tapping. Guaranteed to lift spirits and provide a welcome surge of energy & motivation. What’s not to love? Enjoy…

https://youtu.be/xCSk5waVkxI?si=mim8hMmprqiFmyu2
#Music #MusicVideo #FolkMusic #CelticMusic #Fiddle #CapeBretonIsland

the Beaton Sisters - live @ ECMA 2010 - Celtic Colours Festival Club Stage

YouTube
The Darkest Age: Heroes and Barbarians Theme Music | Audio Music | Unity Asset Store

Layer in the sounds of The Darkest Age: Heroes and Barbarians Theme Music from Timmy Reynolds Music for your next project. Browse all audio options on the Unity Asset Store.