My past and ongoing musical activities:

Nov 14, 2007

I just received word from Rachel Cole that her new CD is close to completion. I was invited to play zydeco fiddle and accordion on a song along with fellow Crawdad Wranglers bandmate Paul Mangion who provided the rub board sound.

My son Brennish and I performed at the Newmarket Heritage Festival and did a workshop on folk music. Someone in the audience videotaped a portion of it and placed it on YouTube.

I'm attending the Festival of American Fiddle Tunes in Port Townsend, Washington in July. This trip is supported in part by by a grant from the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

I've completed a new educational video entitled - Irish Fiddling, First Lesson, by Ryan Thomson

A nice article about my music making appeared in a local paper - Foster's Daily Democrat. Click here to read it.

I've been busy performing, writing, teaching. My articles on music education have been published in Quarter Notes, and The Utah Music Educator's Journal, among others.

Notable events:

I've made a video DVD demo of my week long residency for the Brookline Schools. A sample copy is available by request by other schools who may be soliciting arts educators for programs ranging from single day to longer residencies. I specialize in hands on programs involving traditional music and dance.

Release of a Contra Dance CD by Smoke and Mirrors.

Release of a multi-instrumental folk roots CD by the Squeezebox Stompers. We have also posted several short video clips of us playing in concert, and for cajun and zydeco dancing.

A friend called me today and said, "Hey, the 'Spotlight' column in the paper has done a review of your web site! So I looked it up, and sure enough, there was an interesting piece in the Portsmouth Herald. Out of a possible 5, my site got a 4 for "coolness," and a 5 for "content." The reviewer dodn't give me a high score for "web design," but then I design my site to load very fast, and avoid all of the modern bells and whistles. Here's the review:

"Capt. Fiddle Rocks His Site"

By John Shore

I learned something new today. The man who taught it to me was Captain Fiddle. Ryan Thomson is his real name and he doesn't even know he taught me anything. See I'm a musician in a rock band. I love rock music. I think other types of music are fine but never really imagined myself listening to much of anything else. Well along came Captain Fiddle.

I came across his Web site and figured I'd give it a once-over. Little did I know I would really like the music. There are Mp3 clips on the site that showcase the multi-instrumental talents of Captain Fiddle, which include, fiddle, piano, accordion and flute. Some of these tunes really rock. I now have a new appreciation for other types of music.

I have to say that this site probably won't win any design awards. The quality of the photos used is not great and the link buttons made me dizzy with all the colors. There really aren't any graphics to speak of but please don't let this discourage you. This site is packed with info about Ryan, his teaching, recording, and his involvement in nearly 10 different bands and groups.

The site has a link called Ryan's Writings that is absolutely fabulous. He covers scads of topics like how he got started playing, performing at interesting venues, sharing the stage with famous artists, experiencing floods, poison ivy, auto accidents and the list goes on. This guy has seen it all and does a terrific job writing about it.

There are CDs, books and DVDs for sale on the site that cover everything from learning to play the fiddle to instructions on how to build a wash tub bass. Some Web sites have a few testimonials. This site has 27 years worth of unsolicited letters singing the praises of Captain Fiddle. Now that's a solid endorsement.

August, 22, 2005

I've released a new fiddling book - Captain Fiddle's Tunes and Variations. In it I've provided transcriptions of several versions of each of 32 different tunes that I play on my "teach yourself" Fiddle learning CDs.

July 1, 2005

The Heart of New Hampshire featured me in their on line publication today. I've released a new CD of 72 waltzes designed to accompany my book - Waltzes for Folk Instruments and Country dancing.

I've been busy doing educational programs in local public schools, hands-on instruction in various folk instruments - clogging, bones, pennywhistle, and an introduction to other various folk instruments such as fiddle, banjo, flute, etc. Schools this month include Oyster River High School and Stratham Middle School in New Hampshire.

My DVD video instruction courses in pennywhistle and celtic flute are now being distributed by Sweetheart Flute Company.

Captain Fiddle Publications is proud to announce two new Instructional DVDs: Celtic Wooden Flute, and How to Make and Play the Wash Tub Bass, both instructed by Ryan Thomson.

I enjoyed performing for an American Red Cross benefit for Tsunami victims in the North Shore Community College gymnasium. I taught a cajun dance workshop and sat in with my old band from the 80's - the Boogaloo Swamis.

I've produced a demonstration video DVD of a live concert performance of the "Captain Fiddle Band" at the Lynn Coffeehouse. This video is available on request for presenters of coffeehouses, festivals, and any public or private events. Last night I played with Dudley Laufman for a contra dance in Tamworth, New Hampshire. Today, it off to Watertown to play for an Irish ceili dance with Ceol Tradisiunta na h'Eireann.

I've produced a demonstration video DVD of a recent class I taught, in "How to play in a contra dance band." This DVD is available on request to institutions interested in hiring me for teaching workshops, classes, and residencies.

We (the Crawdad Wranglers) had a great fat tuesday mardigras performance at the Loon Mountain ski resort in Lincoln, New Hampshire. During our cajun and zydeco concert/dance the folks at Loon gave away an all expenses paid trip to New Orleans, plus a number of other prizes. The event was sponsored by Loon Golden Ale, a fine product of the Woodstock Inn Brewery. There were lots of people dancing to our music, including transplants from Louisiana, and skiiers just off the slopes.

I enjoyed fiddling at our local St Andrews Society Burns Night Dinner. A beautiful Haggis was piped in, and I fiddled along with my cohorts from the New Boston Fancy band. There were solo step dancers, story tellers, and course we played lively tunes for group Scottish dancing to "Strip the Willow." It was altogether a fine evening.

The new year brings a new instructional DVD - Fiddling For Beginners DVD, designed to accompany my previous book of the same name. The previous audio CD which accompanied the book was very good, but the new DVD video is a big step forward!

I've been busy with early winter performing jobs: playing jazz violin for a local public dinner/event, playing fiddle, flute, piano for several contra dances, playing bluegrass at a house party, entertaining at a wedding in Vermont, performing for the Nashua Downtown Stroll, etc. I donated my services to perform for an association of disabled individuals. I've also just published a new clawhammer banjo instructional DVD. Its available as a single item, and also as part of a complete kit for learning old time banjo right from scratch!

I performed as official fiddler for the ground breaking of the new wood chip fired power plant at Gosling Station, Newington, New Hampshire. In attendance was governor Benson, state senator Sununu, the president of Public Service company of New Hampshire, and various other dignitaries. A nice photo of me playing fiddle at the event was published in the Portsmouth Herald. I also performed this month at a number of weddings, business gatherings, and barn dances, including one where I played fiddle solo and called the dance at the same time.

Ellen Carlson, a director of the Fiddle Heads music camp, wrote this comment about my teaching at the camp, which goes on every year in September, "Ryan is a very versatile musician -- offering instruction in fiddle, piano, accordion, banjo, clogging, cajun dancing, and many other things. This brings a great variety to our camp. The most important thing is that he is especially a great teacher -- particularly with beginners. He is clear, easy-to-follow, and a lot of fun."

I enjoyed performing at the Newmarket Heritage Festival despite the heavy cool rain through much of the day. I was outdoors under cover and I dressed warmly for the occassion. My job was to entertain passersby with lively music on several instruments including accordion, fiddle, banjo, flute, and pennywhistle. The local press found my music entertaining and I was photographed by both the Manchester Union Leader(while playing Irish pennywhistle tunes), and Fosters Daily Democrat(while playing polkas on accordion). After a day of music making at the festival, I was off to Tuftonboro, New Hampshire, to fiddle at an old fashioned barn dance in the evening.

I returned this week from Prince Edward Island and two weeks of teaching at the Spud Blossom music camp. I had a blast, and had many enthusiastic kids and adult learners in my classes and in private lessons. I've sold out of the first printing of "Playing Violin and Fiddle Left Handed," and have ordered a second printing of this book.

I've just published a new book of interest to folk dancers. Its a reprint of an early 19th century instruction manual for clogging, entitled - The Clog Dance Book.

I had a busy week. I fiddled for a scottish wedding reception at the 100 Club in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Guests danced to the lively strains of Dashing White Sergeant, the Gay Gordons, Atholl Highlanders, Maiiri's Wedding, and other Scottish Country Dances. I also finished up a new educational video - "Piano Accompaniment to Fiddlers, First Lesson, with Ryan Thomson."

After almost 20 years of playing my accordian in jam sessions from California to England I decided to put together an instructional video on DVD entitled - Accordian, Jam Session Style, First Lesson, with Ryan Thomson.

I enjoyed playing Irish piano with both the Ceol Traidisiunta na H'Eireann ceili band, and also The Boston Comhaltas ceili band at the Irish Cultural Center Festival this weekend in Canton, Massachusetts. The best part is watching the set dancers while we play.

I had a busy past couple of weeks. I played Irish fiddle at a wedding in Jackson, New Hampshire, Irish piano for a wedding in Salem, Massachusetts, and various instruments at the annual banquet of the McManus Clan in Boxborough, Massachussetts. I played french music for a gathering of the Winchester- St Germain french/american twin city group. I led the Crawdad Wranglers at a wedding reception at Calumet Resort, in Freedom, New Hampshire.

Seacoast New Hampshire.com, (seacoast.nh.com) has posted an article about me today.

I've just finished a new instructional video on DVD and VHS entitled - Banjo, Clawhammer Style, First Lesson, with Ryan Thomson.

I had many public and private performances last month, and finished up my present series of Contra Dance classes in Kittery, Maine. I've been very busy in the studio recording some new projects. Two new instructional videos for beginners have been completed, one on pennywhistle, and the other on playing fiddle left handed.

After numerous requests I've written a book for beginning fiddlers. The interesting twist is that its

THE WORLD'S FIRST INSTRUCTION BOOK FOR PLAYING THE VIOLIN LEFT HANDED!

Its a "Teach Yourself" method similar to my other books, but focussing on the needs of lefty musicians who prefer to use their left hand to bow the violin on a fiddle with reversed strings. Lefthanded people have long been discriminated against for prefering to use their left hand to hold a pencil, or to bow a violin with their left arm, so here's the easy solution: Left Handed Fiddling for Beginners, which includes a video DVD and book.