Notes from the Road: Feb 2014

One of the big reasons I love to teach is the openness with which young people perceive their world. As a student at the Interlochen Arts Academy, I was lucky enough to have a professor who felt it necessary to share the philosophies of Joseph Campbell with all of his students. I learned a lot from Joseph Campbell, but the simple idea that stuck with me the most was the phrase, “Follow Your Bliss”. So, I gave my life to art and resolved to follow my bliss, which of course, was music. The rest as they say, is history. And the making of more of it I hope.

Flash forward 20 years and the Savage Fiddler Method and all of it’s trappings are really just an extension of this idea. Following my bliss has taken me into all corners of the musical and literal world and I am still following. Having released the method book, this website (Special Thanks to David and Rebecca of RedaCreative for that!) and just returned from a flurry of releases and gigs, the musical bliss is alive and well.

It is a leap of faith to leave the world of security and predictable money making to live a life immersed in one’s own artistic vision, but there have been a lot of people along the way to help. I look forward to teaching students the tunes of the Savage Fiddler method, creating communities of folks who can all share in these tunes that many years ago, I was fortunate enough to learn from someone who also believed. It is an experiment of sorts, and I am grateful to have your attention long enough to share this.

Here is a video of my most recent performance with the band Jeff Scroggins and Colorado. We took time away from our teaching, from our incredibly understanding families and from life as most of us know it, to make some music with many of the other great bluegrass performers of our time. It was an amazing celebration of abilities and here we are, one of many others, who have made the same commitment.

Stay tuned for what I hope will be many more hijinks, travels and teachings on the great tour of life.

And as always, follow your bliss.

Annie